Effects of vegetation types on hillslope runoff and soil erosion on the Loess Plateau

IF 5.7 1区农林科学 Q1 GEOSCIENCES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Catena Pub Date : 2025-09-24 DOI:10.1016/j.catena.2025.109487

Mengyao Tuo , Hailiang Qiao , Guoce Xu , Bin Wang , Shun Wan , Xiaoni Wang , Xue Xie

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Hillslope runoff and dynamic erosion processes are fundamentally governed by the interaction between vegetation types and environmental conditions. A total of 941 runoff and 1001 soil erosion observations under five vegetation types (grass, tree, shrub, crop, and shrub&grass) were synthesized, and a meta-analysis approach was employed to systematically evaluate the effects of vegetation types and their interactions with environmental factors on hillslope runoff and soil erosion on the Loess Plateau. The results indicated that all vegetation types significantly reduced (p < 0.05) hillslope runoff and soil erosion, with trees demonstrating the most pronounced suppressive effect (p < 0.001). Mean annual precipitation (MAP) was identified as the most influential factor in explaining hillslope runoff, accounting for 61.3 % of the variance, while slope was found to be the dominant factor influencing soil erosion (33.6 %). Threshold analysis revealed that the effectiveness of vegetation in reducing runoff and soil erosion varies significantly under different environmental conditions, such as MAP, topography and soil properties. The most favorable environmental settings for mitigating runoff and soil erosion on hillslopes varied depending on vegetation types. Among them, trees exhibited the most pronounced effect in reducing hillslope runoff under conditions of slope between 10 and 15°, bulk density (BD) of 1.4–1.5 g/cm³, clay content (CC) exceeding 20 %, and soil erodibility factor (K) values ranging from 0.03 to 0.04. With respect to soil erosion, the greatest reduction was observed under slope length (SL) of 2–4 m and CC values ranging from 5 % to 10 %. This study provides quantitative evidence and scientific support for vegetation configuration aimed at ecological restoration and soil and water conservation in the Loess Plateau region.

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黄土高原植被类型对坡面径流和土壤侵蚀的影响

坡面径流和动态侵蚀过程从根本上受植被类型和环境条件相互作用的支配。综合5种植被类型（草、乔木、灌丛、作物和灌草）941次径流观测和1001次土壤侵蚀观测资料，采用meta分析方法系统评价了植被类型及其与环境因子的相互作用对黄土高原坡面径流和土壤侵蚀的影响。结果表明，所有植被类型均能显著减少坡面径流和土壤侵蚀（p < 0.05），其中树木的抑制作用最为显著（p < 0.001）。平均年降水量（MAP）对坡面径流的影响最大，占变异数的61.3%，而坡度对土壤侵蚀的影响最大，占变异数的33.6%。阈值分析表明，不同的环境条件（如MAP、地形和土壤性质）下，植被减少径流和土壤侵蚀的有效性存在显著差异。缓解坡地径流和土壤侵蚀的最有利环境条件因植被类型而异。其中，在坡度为10 ~ 15°、容重（BD）为1.4 ~ 1.5 g/cm3、粘土含量（CC）大于20%、土壤可蚀性因子(K)为0.03 ~ 0.04的条件下，树木对坡面径流的减少效果最为显著。坡长（SL）为2 ~ 4 m， CC值为5% ~ 10%时，土壤侵蚀减少幅度最大。本研究为黄土高原区以生态恢复和水土保持为目标的植被配置提供了定量依据和科学支持。

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来源期刊

Catena 环境科学-地球科学综合

CiteScore

10.50

自引率

9.70%

发文量

816

审稿时长

54 days

期刊介绍： Catena publishes papers describing original field and laboratory investigations and reviews on geoecology and landscape evolution with emphasis on interdisciplinary aspects of soil science, hydrology and geomorphology. It aims to disseminate new knowledge and foster better understanding of the physical environment, of evolutionary sequences that have resulted in past and current landscapes, and of the natural processes that are likely to determine the fate of our terrestrial environment. Papers within any one of the above topics are welcome provided they are of sufficiently wide interest and relevance.