The effects of ryegrass roots and shoots on loess erosion under simulated rainfall

Numerous studies have demonstrated that vegetation coverage is very important to control soil erosion by water. However, the combined impacts of plant roots and shoots on soil erosion by water and the relative contributions of the roots and shoots are not clearly understood. Four rainfall simulation experiments with the rainfall intensity at 1.5 mm min^− 1 were conducted at an interval of 5 weeks to investigate the effects of ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) shoots and roots on soil erosion and runoff reductions. Ten ryegrass planted pans and four fallow pans were prepared for the experiments. The first rainfall simulation experiment was conducted after ryegrass had been planted for 12 weeks. It showed that compared with the runoffs in the fallow pans, the runoff in the planted pans decreased 25% and 70% in the 12th week and the 27th week, respectively; and the sediment decrements amounted up to 95% in the 27th week. The results also indicated that the shoot effect on runoff reduction, accounting for over 50% except in the 27th week when the shoot affect also accounted for 44%, was relatively greater than the root effect. However, the roots contributed more to soil loss reduction than the shoots, and in particular accounted for 90% of soil loss reduction at the 27th week. Both the soil erosion rate and average infiltration rate were linearly correlated with root surface area density in cm² root surface area per unit soil volume. Ryegrass planting could improve soil physical properties, especially soil aggregate stability, which increased from 33.1% in the 12th week to 38.5% in the 27th week. The study results are probably useful in evaluating the effects of plant shoots and roots on soil erosion control.