Assessment of soil erosion and conservation on agricultural sloping lands using plot data in the semi-arid hilly loess region of China
Study region: Semi-arid hilly loess region of China. Study focus: The objectives of this study were to investigate soil and water loss on agricultural sloping lands and to evaluate the effectiveness of soil conservation practices in controlling erosion using plot data. Runoff and soil loss were meas...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2014-11-01
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| Series: | Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581814000263 |
| _version_ | 1828883661796147200 |
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| author | T.X. Zhu A.X. Zhu |
| author_facet | T.X. Zhu A.X. Zhu |
| author_sort | T.X. Zhu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Study region: Semi-arid hilly loess region of China.
Study focus: The objectives of this study were to investigate soil and water loss on agricultural sloping lands and to evaluate the effectiveness of soil conservation practices in controlling erosion using plot data.
Runoff and soil loss were measured from the short slope plots (SSP) (7 m long) and the long slope plots (LSP) (20 m long) at various slope angles as well as from cropland and soil conservation plots (SCP) under natural rainfalls.
New hydrological insights for the region: The results revealed that runoff per unit area slightly increased with slope angle on SSP, but reached a maximum at 15° and then decreased with slope angle on LSP. Soil loss per unit area increased with slope angle on both SSP and LSP. An average of 36.4% less runoff but only 3.6% less soil loss per unit area was produced on LSP than on SSP. The S factor calculated using the slope factor equations in USLE/RUSLE was significantly greater than that estimated from the measured soil loss on the plots. Rainstorms with recurrence intervals greater than 2 years were responsible for more than two thirds of the total soil and water loss. The effectiveness in reducing surface runoff by five types of conservation practices was mixed. However, all the conservation practices yielded much less soil loss than cropland. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T10:52:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-212d6f9816474134a064035437e3d13e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2214-5818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T10:52:30Z |
| publishDate | 2014-11-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-212d6f9816474134a064035437e3d13e2022-12-21T23:49:44ZengElsevierJournal of Hydrology: Regional Studies2214-58182014-11-012C698310.1016/j.ejrh.2014.08.006Assessment of soil erosion and conservation on agricultural sloping lands using plot data in the semi-arid hilly loess region of ChinaT.X. Zhu0A.X. Zhu1Department of Geography, Urban, Environment and Sustainability Studies, University of Minnesota-Duluth, Duluth, MN 55812, USADepartment of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 550 North Park Street, Madison, WI 53706, USAStudy region: Semi-arid hilly loess region of China. Study focus: The objectives of this study were to investigate soil and water loss on agricultural sloping lands and to evaluate the effectiveness of soil conservation practices in controlling erosion using plot data. Runoff and soil loss were measured from the short slope plots (SSP) (7 m long) and the long slope plots (LSP) (20 m long) at various slope angles as well as from cropland and soil conservation plots (SCP) under natural rainfalls. New hydrological insights for the region: The results revealed that runoff per unit area slightly increased with slope angle on SSP, but reached a maximum at 15° and then decreased with slope angle on LSP. Soil loss per unit area increased with slope angle on both SSP and LSP. An average of 36.4% less runoff but only 3.6% less soil loss per unit area was produced on LSP than on SSP. The S factor calculated using the slope factor equations in USLE/RUSLE was significantly greater than that estimated from the measured soil loss on the plots. Rainstorms with recurrence intervals greater than 2 years were responsible for more than two thirds of the total soil and water loss. The effectiveness in reducing surface runoff by five types of conservation practices was mixed. However, all the conservation practices yielded much less soil loss than cropland.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581814000263Soil lossSlope angleRecurrence intervalSoil conservation practiceLoess PlateauChina |
| spellingShingle | T.X. Zhu A.X. Zhu Assessment of soil erosion and conservation on agricultural sloping lands using plot data in the semi-arid hilly loess region of China Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies Soil loss Slope angle Recurrence interval Soil conservation practice Loess Plateau China |
| title | Assessment of soil erosion and conservation on agricultural sloping lands using plot data in the semi-arid hilly loess region of China |
| title_full | Assessment of soil erosion and conservation on agricultural sloping lands using plot data in the semi-arid hilly loess region of China |
| title_fullStr | Assessment of soil erosion and conservation on agricultural sloping lands using plot data in the semi-arid hilly loess region of China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessment of soil erosion and conservation on agricultural sloping lands using plot data in the semi-arid hilly loess region of China |
| title_short | Assessment of soil erosion and conservation on agricultural sloping lands using plot data in the semi-arid hilly loess region of China |
| title_sort | assessment of soil erosion and conservation on agricultural sloping lands using plot data in the semi arid hilly loess region of china |
| topic | Soil loss Slope angle Recurrence interval Soil conservation practice Loess Plateau China |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581814000263 |
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