International Soil and Water Conservation Research最新文献

{"title":"Monitoring of wind erosion in the southern Aral Sea using SBAS-InSAR technology","authors":"Zhuo Chen ,&nbsp;Xin Gao ,&nbsp;Jiaqiang Lei","doi":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.05.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.05.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Aralkum Desert, arising from the significant reduction of the Aral Sea since the 1960s, is recognized as a prominent contributor to salt-dust storms in Central Asia. This study used SBAS-InSAR technology to monitor ground deformation from wind erosion in the southern Aralkum Desert, analyzing wind-blown sediment subsidence and accumulation. The sensitivity of wind erosion to various influencing factors was further analyzed using the Geodetector model. Results indicate a negative correlation between wind erosion intensity and exposure time. The coastlines of the eastern and western lobes are experiencing the most severe erosion, with ground settlement exceeding 20 mm yr⁻¹. Sand-drift activities exhibit a seasonal pattern, with spring experiencing the most notable absolute deformation. Soil moisture was identified as the primary factor controlling ground deformation, while wind speed was the essential factor leading to the deformation. Based on the time series of ground deformation, the dried Aral Sea basin can be clustered into rapid erosion, slow erosion, stable, slow deposit, and rapid deposit zones, respectively. Finally, an intense dust event on March 22, 2020, was used to verify the results derived from the SBAS-InSAR technology. Different from the previous studies, this research provides a more detailed view of wind-blown sediment subsidence and accumulation, moving beyond the concept of the dried Aral Sea basin as a simple source of dust emissions. These findings offer vital insights for the quantitative estimation of dust emissions in the southern Aral Sea basin.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48622,"journal":{"name":"International Soil and Water Conservation Research","volume":"13 3","pages":"Pages 551-563"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144329596","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An integrated wind erosion model with nonphotosynthetic vegetation (NPV) based on remote sensing","authors":"Heqiang Du ,&nbsp;Yawei Fan ,&nbsp;Ruiqiang Ding ,&nbsp;Zongxing Li ,&nbsp;Liu Yongjie","doi":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.05.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.05.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nonphotosynthetic vegetation (NPV) including dormant vegetation and plant residues plays important roles in wind erosion control. However, the effects of NPV on wind erosion have not been fully considered at regional scales, which led to large uncertainties in wind erosion simulations. With the development of NPV remote sensing technology and drag partition schemes, an integrated wind erosion model with nonphotosynthetic vegetation monitoring has become possible. Here, we integrated a wind erosion model and a NPV monitoring method and simulated wind erosion processes in the desert steppe (DS) of Inner Mongolia and the Mu Us Sandy Land (MU). After we nested NPV monitoring in the wind erosion model, an integrated model was developed, by which total vegetation cover and the corresponding frontal area were derived. Then, the aerodynamic parameters of the roughness elements were extracted using the Raupach drag partition scheme. The integrated model provided more accurate simulated wind erosion results compared to the original model, and the relative error of the simulated results by the integrated model was reduced by 61 %. NPV played an important role in wind erosion control, especially in non-growing seasons and in semi-arid regions. Finally, we discussed the potential uncertainties in wind erosion simulations induced by vegetation parameters. Our study provides a new insight into wind erosion simulations and the simulation results provide support for land conservation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48622,"journal":{"name":"International Soil and Water Conservation Research","volume":"13 3","pages":"Pages 511-525"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144329570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biochar application reduces soil detachment capacity by overland flow under a continuous three-year field experiment on the Loess Plateau of China","authors":"Yuanyuan Li ,&nbsp;Jiayan Yang ,&nbsp;Mingyi Yang ,&nbsp;Bing Wang ,&nbsp;Fengbao Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.04.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.04.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Variation of soil properties induced by biochar amendments affects soil detachment capacity (D_<em>c</em>). However, the long-term effects of biochar on D_<em>c</em> have remained unexplored. This study assessed the variation of D_<em>c</em> with the rates and elapsed time since apple branch-derived biochar application, and quantified the relationship of D_<em>c</em> with hydrodynamic parameters and soil physicochemical properties in a three-year field experiment. Undisturbed soil samples to 20 cm depth were collected by using steel rings from field plots treated with biochar at 0, 24, 60, 96, 132, and 168 t ha⁻¹ after biochar application for 1, 2 and 3 years. The D_<em>c</em> of these samples was evaluated through a flume experiment, with scouring soil samples under three flow discharge rates (0.00025, 0.00045, and 0.00065 m³ s⁻¹) and five slope gradients (5.24, 8.75, 17.63, 26.79, and 40.40 %). Results revealed that, compared with no biochar treatment, the application of 24∼96 t ha⁻¹ biochar after 1–2 years generally resulted in a reduction of D_<em>c</em> ranging from 6 %∼80 %, with a mean of 36 %. Conversely, 132 and 168 t ha⁻¹ biochar application increased D_<em>c</em> by 59 % and 45 %. All biochar treatments after 3 years resulted in a 48 % reduction in D_<em>c</em> relative to bare soil. The D_<em>c</em> generally decreased with an increasing of rates and elapsed time since biochar application. The mean weight diameter of soil aggregates (MWD) and cohesion (COH) were the key indices influencing D_<em>c</em> in the first two years, while total organic carbon (TOC) started to significantly affect D_<em>c</em> in the last year. Shear stress (<em>τ</em>) emerged as the optimal hydrodynamic parameter for simulating D_<em>c</em>. Power function equations well estimated D_<em>c</em> using <em>τ</em>, MWD, COH, and TOC under biochar application. These results demonstrate that applying biochar with sufficient elapsed time since application and low rates, rather than minimal elapsed time since application and high rates leads to a greater enhancement of soil erosion resistance for loess soils, with potential to control rill erosion for degraded or degrading sloping farmland at risk of erosion on the Loess Plateau.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48622,"journal":{"name":"International Soil and Water Conservation Research","volume":"13 3","pages":"Pages 687-701"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144330634","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Digital mapping of soil inorganic carbon content and density in soil profiles after ‘Grain for Green’ program","authors":"Luping Ye ,&nbsp;Rui Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiaoyuan Lin ,&nbsp;Kang Ji ,&nbsp;Juan Zuo ,&nbsp;Yong Zheng ,&nbsp;Chuanqin Huang ,&nbsp;Li Zhang ,&nbsp;Wenfeng Tan","doi":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.03.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.03.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil inorganic carbon (SIC) is vital for terrestrial carbon reservoirs and the global carbon cycle. Understanding its spatial distribution is essential for environmental management and climate change mitigation. However, there remains a significant gap in predicting the spatial distribution of SIC content (SICC) and density (SICD), and our comprehension of the combined influences of natural factors and human activities on SIC is limited. This study in the Loess Plateau aimed to predict the spatial distribution of SIC content and density using data from 142 soil profiles and environmental covariates. We evaluated random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and Cubist models for their predictive performance using metrics like coefficient of determination (R²), root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute error (MAE). Landscape analysis revealed that land use significantly impacts both horizontal and vertical distributions of SICC and SICD, with leaching being a critical factor. Terrain attributes influenced these patterns by affecting sunlight exposure and hydrothermal conditions. Remote sensing technologies proved valuable for predictions. RF outperformed SVM and Cubist, yielding robust results for SICC (R²: 0.317–0.514, RMSE: 1.386–4.194 g/kg, and MAE: 1.045–2.940 g/kg) and SICD (R²: 0.282–0.490, RMSE: 0.220–1.069 kg m⁻², and MAE: 0.174–0.772 kg m⁻²). RF was used to estimate total SIC stocks at 286.92 × 10⁶ kg, with 49 % found in the 100–200 cm layer, underscoring the carbon sequestration potential of deeper soils. These insights are crucial for policymakers to understand SIC variability and inform sustainable land management strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48622,"journal":{"name":"International Soil and Water Conservation Research","volume":"13 3","pages":"Pages 656-674"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144330085","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tracing soil erosion processes in Karst regions using rare earth elements: The role of bedrock outcrops and seasonal impacts","authors":"Xiaojin Xu ,&nbsp;Youjin Yan ,&nbsp;Quanhou Dai ,&nbsp;Fengling Gan ,&nbsp;Sherif S.M. Ghoneim","doi":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.04.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.04.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In Karst regions, the impact of widespread bedrock outcrops on soil erosion processes is crucial and cannot be overlooked. These bedrock outcrops not only change the flow of surface runoff, but also have a significant influence on rainfall and sediment redistribution processes driven by runoff. This study aims to utilize simulation experiments and rare earth elements (REE) tracer technology to uncover the underlying effects of exposed bedrock outcrops on the soil erosion process, and the sediment transport patterns on slopes in karst regions during both dry and rainy seasons. The results demonstrate that the REE tracer technique holds considerable practical value for studying soil erosion processes on karst bedrock outcrop slopes. Seasonal variations in soil erosion rates are evident, with distinct differences between dry and rainy seasons due to rainfall flushing effects. Sediment migration on slopes shows both upward and downward movement, with predominant downward migration and deposition. Bedrock outcrops play a significant role in soil redistribution on karst slopes, hindering sediment transport and causing abrupt changes in rare earth element concentrations nearby. Monitoring and predicting soil erosion risk during the rainy season remains crucial for erosion prevention in karst regions. The impact of bedrock outcrops on soil erosion processes and spatial distribution in karst landscapes should be carefully considered when designing control measures. These findings offer a solid scientific foundation for understanding slope soil erosion mechanisms in karst regions and developing effective control strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48622,"journal":{"name":"International Soil and Water Conservation Research","volume":"13 3","pages":"Pages 675-686"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144330086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hedgerow-grass ditch system effectively reduces sediment yield and nitrogen loss with surface runoff during simulated rainfall","authors":"Xinmei Zhao ,&nbsp;Tianyang Li ,&nbsp;Hongye Zhu ,&nbsp;Chi Wang ,&nbsp;Hui Yan ,&nbsp;Lan Song ,&nbsp;Yonghao Li ,&nbsp;Binghui He","doi":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.03.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.03.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hedgerow-grass ditch systems combine the advantages of contour planting and ecological grass ditches and have better soil and water conservation (SWC) benefits; however, there is a lack of a comprehensive understanding of their combined effects on sediment yield (SY) and N loss with surface runoff. To study the efficient management of hedgerow-ditch system runoff and nutrient loss in sloping farmland, an adjustable slope with a gradient of 15° and a drainage ditch with a gradient of 16° were used under typical erosive rainfall of 60 mm h⁻¹. Four treatments, including control check (CK), bare slope (a slope without hedgerow and ditch system); T1, hedgerow slope (a hedgerow slope without a ditch system); T2, bare slope-soil ditch system (a bare slope with a soil ditch system); and T3, hedgerow-grass ditch system (a slope with hedgerow and a grass ditch system), were used to assess their impacts on runoff depth (RD), infiltration rate, sediment yield, and the concentration and loss quantities of total nitrogen (TN), dissolved nitrogen (DN), and particulate nitrogen (PN) and DN/TN in runoff. The results indicated that, compared with CK, the RD under T1, T2, and T3 were significantly decreased by 16.6 %, 14.4 %, and 54 %, respectively. The infiltration amounts under T1, T2, and T3 were significantly increased by 52.9 %, 45.7 %, and 171.9 %, respectively. The sediment concentration and SY rate were significantly reduced by 69.9 % and 94.9 %, and 22.1 % and 93.3 % under T1 and T3, respectively, but increased by 43.9 % and 274.7 % under T2 relative to CK. The diverse forms nitrogen (TN, DN, and PN) concentrations and losses under T3 were significantly reduced by 21 %, 10.4 %, 30.2 %, and 64.6 %, 57.6 %, and 67.1 %, respectively. The runoff DN/TN ratio was 53 %, revealing that DN was the primary type of N loss. Regression analysis showed that the RD exerted a more pronounced influence on TN loss across the four treatments, and a power function (<em>R</em>² &gt; 0.98, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.01) of the cumulative RD could be used to predict TN, DN, and PN losses. Principal component analysis demonstrated that the hedgerow-grass ditch system affected slope nitrogen loss by changing the infiltration rate and DN/TN ratio. Our study demonstrates that the hedgerow-grass ditch system effectively reduced the sediment yield and N loss and could be used as an effective means of N control on sloping farmlands.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48622,"journal":{"name":"International Soil and Water Conservation Research","volume":"13 3","pages":"Pages 644-655"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144330071","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mitigating severe hydrological droughts in the Brazilian tropical high-land region: A novel land use strategy under climate change","authors":"Carlos R. Mello ,&nbsp;Jorge A. Guzman ,&nbsp;Nayara P.A. Vieira ,&nbsp;Marcelo R. Viola ,&nbsp;Samuel Beskow ,&nbsp;Li Guo ,&nbsp;Lívia A. Alvarenga ,&nbsp;André F. Rodrigues","doi":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.03.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.03.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Severe droughts have significantly increased in frequency, magnitude, and intensity over the past decade, particularly impacting tropical and subtropical regions. Southeast Brazil exemplifies this trend, where severe hydrological droughts threaten the economy and society. We propose a novel approach to assess the impact of land use and climate change on severe hydrological droughts by integrating streamflow simulations with the Standard Hydrological Index (SHI), which is based on variations in water storage within the basin. To test our approach, the Lavras Simulation of Hydrology (LASH) model was applied to sixty-nine sub-basins in the upper Grande River basin, Southeast Brazil. We defined severe droughts as events where SHI ≤ −1.5, calculating threshold water storage (S_threshold) for the baseline period (1961–2005) to evaluate the impacts of land use and climate change scenarios. Land use scenarios were designed to maintain stable agricultural areas, while climate change scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) were projected through 2060. The findings indicated that forest recovery significantly reduced severe hydrological drought frequency, whereas deforestation intensified it. Sub-basins altered by human activity showed more susceptibility to climate change. However, forested sub-basins were notably impacted by land use changes, mainly from pasture replacing Atlantic Forest. Highlighting deforestation as a critical driver for regional hydrological vulnerability, our method underscores the urgent need for effective land use management and conservation strategies of Atlantic Forest to mitigate the risk of severe droughts, regardless of the climate change pathways.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48622,"journal":{"name":"International Soil and Water Conservation Research","volume":"13 3","pages":"Pages 627-643"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144330070","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of tillage layer depth on erosion driven by surface-subsurface runoff coupling under rainfall simulation conditions","authors":"Ziwei Zhang ,&nbsp;Yaojun Liu ,&nbsp;Yichun Ma ,&nbsp;Gang Sun ,&nbsp;Dengchun Wen ,&nbsp;Siyuan Liu ,&nbsp;Jian Duan ,&nbsp;Xiaodong Nie ,&nbsp;Zhongwu Li","doi":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.03.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.03.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The surface tillage layer structure of sloping farmland has a significant impact on rainfall-runoff distribution; however, the relationships between the Tillage Layer Depth (TLD) and surface-subsurface runoff, and the coupling effects of surface-subsurface runoff on soil erosion are still unclear. Thus, a set of laboratory experiments were conducted to reveal impacts of tillage layer depth (10, 20 and 30 cm) on surface-subsurface runoff relationships, eroded sediment processes, and soil erosion pattern evolution under the long-duration (180 min) rainfall simulation tests. A deeper TLD mitigated soil erosion. When the TLD increased from 10 to 30 cm, the average surface runoff decreased by 13 %, subsurface runoff increased by 5 %, and soil loss rate decreased by 19 g m⁻² min⁻¹. The interaction between surface runoff and subsurface runoff, influenced by the tillage layer depth, significantly impacts soil erosion. Both surface runoff and subsurface runoff promoted soil erosion at shallow tillage layer depths (10 and 20 cm). Conversely, at TLD 30, the diversion effect of subsurface runoff on surface runoff was enhanced, which played a role in alleviating soil erosion. With the increase of TLD, the soil erosion pattern changed from rill erosion to sheet or splash erosion. During the interill erosion stage, soil loss primarily occurred in the early stage, wherein the Variation Ratio (VR) of soil loss rate and surface runoff coefficient ranged from 2.16 to 4.99. At the rill erosion stage, the VR was approximately 1.0, and the soil loss rate was 2.7- to 6.3- fold greater than that in the interrill erosion stage. These results increase understanding of the effects of TLD on the coupling relationship of surface-subsurface runoff, which is of great significance for alleviating slope farmland erosion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48622,"journal":{"name":"International Soil and Water Conservation Research","volume":"13 3","pages":"Pages 615-626"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144329601","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of web-based decision support tool for rainfall erosivity estimation using both high-resolution rainfall data and simplified models","authors":"Sinae Kim ,&nbsp;Seung-Oh Hur ,&nbsp;Jihye Kwak ,&nbsp;Jihye Kim ,&nbsp;Moon-Seong Kang","doi":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.03.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.03.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil erosion is a significant global problem that has far-reaching effects on agricultural productivity, environmental health, and ecosystem stability. The rainfall erosivity factor (R-factor) used in the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) is a key parameter for predicting soil erosion. However, its accurate estimation is difficult owing to the complexities of high-resolution rainfall data and limitations of simplified models. This study addressed these challenges by introducing several key innovations. We developed a precise algorithm for calculating the R-factor using minute-interval rainfall data to effectively capture the necessary temporal resolution for assessing the impacts of extreme rainfall events. This advancement allows for accurate R-factor estimation, thereby overcoming the complexities associated with high-resolution data processing. In addition, we established a comprehensive rainfall erosivity database across South Korea based on 24 years of minute-interval rainfall data. We then derived an optimal regression model for estimating monthly rainfall erosivity from daily precipitation data, achieving high accuracy (R² = 0.87) by effectively accounting for extreme rainfall events. These efforts culminated in the development of the Web-based Rainfall Erosivity Calculation (WREC) tool, which integrates a database, a rainfall erosivity calculation algorithm, and a simple estimation model. The user-friendly interface of the WREC tool offers a versatile platform for calculating rainfall erosivity, supporting practical applications, and assessing future climate change impacts. Expanding the WREC tool globally and adapting regression models to local contexts will enhance our ability to manage soil erosion and promote sustainable land and water management practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48622,"journal":{"name":"International Soil and Water Conservation Research","volume":"13 3","pages":"Pages 600-614"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144329600","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seasonal variation in soil erosion resistance of gullies covered by different plant communities on the Loess Plateau of China","authors":"Rongchang Zeng ,&nbsp;Guanghui Zhang ,&nbsp;Xufei Su","doi":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.03.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.03.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Vegetation growth can effectively alter near soil surface characteristics of plant communities, which is likely to impact the seasonal variation in soil erosion resistance of gullies, particularly in semi-arid and arid regions. However, few studies have been focused on quantifying the temporal variations in soil erosion resistance of gullies restored with different vegetation communities at the seasonal scale. This study investigated the seasonal variation in soil erosion resistance of gullies covered by five different plant communities on the Loess Plateau. The experiment was conducted 7 times from 15 May to October 4, 2023 at an approximately 3-week interval. For each time, 90 natural undisturbed topsoil samples were carefully collected from the bottom, left, and right banks of each gully. The collected samples were subjected to scouring under different hydraulic conditions to measure soil detachment capacity and then to determine soil erosion resistance, reflected by rill erodibility (<em>K</em>_<em>r</em>) and soil critical shear stress (<em>τ</em>_<em>c</em>). Near soil surface characteristics of plant community were also measured at the same sites with an identical frequency. The results showed that soil erosion resistance differed significantly for gullies covered by different plant communities. The mean <em>K</em>_<em>r</em> of grass communities was 0.17 m s⁻¹, which was 47.8 % and 30.6 % to that of shrub and forest communities, respectively. The mean <em>τ</em>_<em>c</em> of grass communities was 1.45 and 1.26 times that of shrub and forest communities. During the vegetation growth season, soil erosion resistance of gullies covered by different plant communities increased gradually. The seasonal variations in soil erosion resistance were dominantly influenced by the temporal changes of soil cohesion (Coh), soil penetration resistance (PR), water stable aggregate (WSA), and root mass density (RMD). <em>K</em>_<em>r</em> decreased exponentially with Coh and WSA, and logarithmically with PR and RMD, while <em>τ</em>_<em>c</em> increased linearly with these four factors. Rill erodibility could be well estimated by Coh, PR, WSA, and RMD (<em>R</em>² = 0.91, <em>NSE</em> = 0.91). The results are conducive to insight into the seasonal variation in erosion of relatively stable gullies covered by vegetation in semi-arid regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48622,"journal":{"name":"International Soil and Water Conservation Research","volume":"13 3","pages":"Pages 589-599"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144329599","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}