International Soil and Water Conservation Research最新文献

{"title":"Disparity in soil erosion processes between freeze-thaw and unfrozen slopes under artificial rainfall conditions in high-altitude and dry valleys of the Southeast Tibet region","authors":"Yao Xiao ,&nbsp;Qunou Jiang ,&nbsp;Weihang Zhao ,&nbsp;Zuoxiao Wang ,&nbsp;Rui Xiong ,&nbsp;Jing Li ,&nbsp;Linjuan He","doi":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.05.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.05.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The arid valley region in southeastern Tibet exemplifies an ecologically vulnerable area in southwestern China, where soil erosion has intensified in recent years as a consequence of socio-economic growth and infrastructure construction. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism by which freeze-thaw cycles affect soil erosion processes on the bare slopes of this alpine arid valley region under artificial disturbances from engineering construction. Focusing on bare slopes with inclinations of 20° and 40°, we analyzed the impact of freeze-thaw cycles on flow and sand production through indoor artificial rainfall experiments. The findings indicated an approximately threefold increase in soil splattering following the freeze-thaw cycle compared to unfrozen slopes; cumulative flow production exhibited a declining trend, decreasing by 15.99 % and 37.42 % after the freeze-thaw cycle at slope angles of 20° and 40°, respectively; cumulative sand production increased by 2.29 % and 51.24 % after the freeze-thaw cycle at slope angles of 20° and 40°, respectively. On the freeze-thaw and unfrozen slopes, the sand production rates escalated swiftly following the initiation of flow production, reaching peaks of 1.34 g m⁻²·min⁻¹ and 1.52 g m⁻²·min⁻¹ in 10 min and 12 min, respectively. Post the freeze-thaw cycle, the rates stabilized, with the sand production rates on the freeze-thaw slopes exceeding those on the unfrozen slopes. These findings will serve as a significant reference for the management of bare ground surfaces and the conservation and restoration of biological environments following construction disturbances.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48622,"journal":{"name":"International Soil and Water Conservation Research","volume":"13 4","pages":"Pages 828-842"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145183837","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":"Incorporating rocky desertification characteristic into soil erosion modeling in karst regions aligns better with regional conditions","authors":"Rui Li ,&nbsp;Linlv Xiao ,&nbsp;Feiyang Cai ,&nbsp;Jiayong Gao ,&nbsp;Maolin He ,&nbsp;Jun Jing","doi":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.07.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.07.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) is the most widely used soil erosion modeling method worldwide. The karst regions, influenced by geological conditions and human activities, feature extensive exposure of carbonate rocks on the surface, which presents challenges for the application of the RUSLE model in these areas. This study introduces the rocky desertification factor (D) to characterize the influence of exposed surface rock on soil loss. The relationship between rock exposure rate and soil erosion was incorporated into the RUSLE model to develop a RUSLE-D model. We compared the performance of the RUSLE and RUSLE-D models using long-term high-frequency hydrological signals from two typical karst catchments to validate the applicability of the RUSLE-D model in karst areas. The results indicated that under natural rainfall conditions, soil erosion decreased as the rock exposure rate increased, showing a negative exponential relationship. The RUSLE-D model estimated the multi-year average soil erosion rates for the SBT and GC catchments to be 8.99 and 14.63 t ha⁻²·yr⁻¹, respectively. The <em>R</em>² values for the RUSLE and RUSLE-D models in the SBT catchment were 0.34 and 0.78, respectively, with NSE values of −0.03 and 0.55, and PBIAS values of −81.39 % and 13.87 %; for the GC catchment, the <em>R</em>² values were 0.14 and 0.68, with NSE values of −13.82 and 0.43, and PBIAS values of −182.85 % and −24.27 %. The MCI indices for the SBT and GC catchments were 0.56 and 0.96, respectively. The RUSLE-D model significantly improved the accuracy of soil erosion simulation in typical karst watersheds. This study underscores the importance of incorporating the rocky desertification factor in soil erosion assessments within karst areas. The newly developed RUSLE-D model contributes to further developing the USLE/RUSLE series of models, enhancing their applicability in karst areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48622,"journal":{"name":"International Soil and Water Conservation Research","volume":"13 4","pages":"Pages 957-970"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145183921","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":"Spatiotemporal detailed crop cover and management factor maps as agri-environmental indicators for soil erosion in Germany","authors":"Bastian Steinhoff-Knopp ,&nbsp;Sebastian Neuenfeldt ,&nbsp;Stefan Erasmi ,&nbsp;Philipp Saggau","doi":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.06.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.06.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The crop cover and management factor (C factor) is crucial to assess the impact of management on soil erosion by water within the (R)USLE (Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation) modelling framework. Its derivation is challenging due to the need for spatiotemporal data on crop sequences. Therefore, the aim of this study is the generation of spatiotemporal detailed C factor datasets for Germany by integrating (a) crop composition data from agricultural statistics on the municipality level for six individual years from 1999 to 2020 and (b) high-resolution (10 × 10 m) crop sequence information for 2017 to 2023 derived from earth observation data in the C factor estimation. The results reveal an overall increase of 8.7 % in the mean C factor for German municipalities from 1999 to 2020, which can be attributed to policy-driven changes in crop composition. The comparison of the two C factor datasets emphasises the importance of multi-annual information on crops in (R)USLE-based erosion modelling as (i) high-resolution C factors based on single years show a weak agreement with crop sequence-derived C factors (RMSE of 0.062) and (ii) C factors based on crop composition data from agricultural statistics are 5.7 % lower compared to high-resolution crop sequence-derived C factors. As high-resolution crop type data from earth observation is updated yearly, the C factor maps presented here can be incorporated into German monitoring systems as agri-environmental indicators. Further research is needed to obtain more detailed information on cover crops and tillage practices to improve C factor derivation. These findings and the visible heterogenious patterns in the pixel-based multi-annual C factor data highlight that spatiotemporal high-resolution input data is key in C factor estimation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48622,"journal":{"name":"International Soil and Water Conservation Research","volume":"13 4","pages":"Pages 933-944"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145183872","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":"Soil erosion accelerates carbon cycling as a response to carbon limitation in erosion-prone sloping cropland","authors":"Yulong Shi ,&nbsp;Tingting Li ,&nbsp;Li Zheng ,&nbsp;Xuekai Jing ,&nbsp;Mengni Li ,&nbsp;Hafiz Athar Hussain ,&nbsp;Qingwen Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.05.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.05.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil erosion accelerates the loss of soil carbon (C) pools and then exacerbates the microbial C limitation. However, the extent to which soil microbial C limitation influences soil C cycling processes in different erosion environments remains unclear. We analyzed the differences in soil organic carbon (SOC) content, extracellular enzyme activities and C limitation between sloping cropland and adjacent forestland in a typical small watershed, and further explored the relationship between soil C limitation and the abundance of C cycling genes in different erosion environments. The results revealed that sloping cropland exhibited a 31.70 % higher soil erodibility (K_erosion) compared to forestland, making it more prone to soil erosion. Moreover, the SOC content in sloping cropland was 61.72 % lower than that in forestland. Although there was no significant difference in absolute enzyme activities between sloping cropland and forestland, the specific enzyme activities per unit of SOC (including carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus enzymes) in sloping cropland were significantly higher than those in forestland. The loss of SOC further exacerbated C limitation in sloping cropland and stimulated an increase in the abundance of C cycle genes involved in complex organic C degradation. Additionally, the C cycling genes enriched in sloping cropland demonstrated a significant positive correlation with soil CO₂ emissions (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01). Therefore, we emphasize that soil erosion stimulates an increase in the abundance of C cycle genes, particularly those involved in complex SOC degradation, as a response to C limitation in erosion-prone sloping cropland. The findings provide scientific support for developing effective soil and water conservation measures to reduce soil C loss and maintain the ecological balance of sloping cropland.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48622,"journal":{"name":"International Soil and Water Conservation Research","volume":"13 4","pages":"Pages 971-978"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145183922","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":"2025-09-01","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":"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":"2025-09-01","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":"Dealing with sub-pixel landscape elements in distributed rainfall-runoff modelling in agricultural catchments","authors":"Ine Rosier,&nbsp;Jos Van Orshoven,&nbsp;Ben Somers,&nbsp;Jan Diels","doi":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.02.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.02.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Vegetated landscape elements (vLEs) (e.g. hedges and grass buffers) are increasingly recognised for their ability to retain more water longer and mitigate downstream flood risk. To optimise positioning of these –typically small– vLEs, the impact of possible configurations needs quantifying, often requiring numerous hydrological model runs. To limit computational time, models must be run at lower spatial resolution leading to sub-pixel vLEs. The performance of a distributed rainfall-runoff model at 5 m resolution was assessed for 15 historical rainfall events in a 191 ha agricultural watershed in the Belgian loess belt. The model was then upscaled to 20 m resolution using four scaling approaches for saturated hydraulic conductivity (<em>K</em>_<em>s</em>) and Manning's coefficient, and three methods to set the hydro-physical parameters of subpixel vLEs in the upscaled model. The high-resolution model performed best for <em>K</em>_<em>s</em> equaling 0.72 mm h⁻¹. The upscaled model performed best when applying a flow length-based scaling factor for the Manning's coefficient, decreasing the RMSE by 25% and 10% for discharge volume and peak discharge rate respectively. Adjusting <em>K</em>_<em>s</em> and Manning's coefficient of vLE pixels using upslope area-based weighting was most effective for discharge volume, achieving an RMSE of 10.80% and R² of 0.64. Peak discharge rate could not be modelled accurately with sub-pixel vLEs at 20 m resolution. Our research can support scenario analysis in which accounting for the reduction of discharge volume caused by the presence of vLEs and their spatial configurations matters and therefore can support landscape design studies in the context of flood risk mitigation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48622,"journal":{"name":"International Soil and Water Conservation Research","volume":"13 3","pages":"Pages 536-550"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144329595","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":"2025-09-01","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}

{"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":"2025-09-01","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 experimental study on the responses of spring snowmelt erosion to driving factors in a Chinese Mollisol soil","authors":"Lun Wang ,&nbsp;Fenli Zheng ,&nbsp;Xinyue Yang ,&nbsp;Rui Liang ,&nbsp;Xuesong Wang ,&nbsp;Xihua Yang ,&nbsp;Bin Wang ,&nbsp;Dennis C. Flanagan","doi":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.02.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.iswcr.2025.02.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Snowmelt erosion, a major spring soil degradation process in the Mollisol region of China, is further exacerbated in the context of global warming. The mechanism of snowmelt erosion remains unclear due to the complex erosion process influenced by multiple factors during the melting period. In this laboratory study we examined the effects of three critical factors influencing soil erosion during thawing period: snowmelt flow rates (0.33 × 10⁻⁴, 0.67 × 10⁻⁴, and 1.32 × 10⁻⁴ m² s⁻¹), subsurface hydrologic conditions (seepage and drainage), and soil thaw depths (5 and 10 cm). The results indicated that seepage significantly aggravated sediment yield, with sediment yield increasing by 50% in comparison to the drainage treatments. Sediment yield was positively correlated with snowmelt flow rate, and as the flow rate increased from 0.33 × 10⁻⁴ to 0.67 × 10⁻⁴ m² s⁻¹, the sediment yield increased by more than 4 times, due to the enhanced runoff energy and sediment transport capacity. Path analysis confirmed that snowmelt flow rate and subsurface hydrologic condition were the dominant factors for snowmelt erosion (explaining 0.917 and 0.308 of the path coefficients, respectively) while the effects of soil thaw depth were relatively low (explaining 0.032 of the path coefficients). However, soil thaw depth had a substantial impact on rill morphology evolution; rills tended to erode horizontally toward the sidewalls at shallow thaw depths, and evolved vertically downward at deeper thaw depths. Additionally, runoff energy consumption (Δ<em>E</em>) was a suitable indicator for characterizing soil erosion on partially thawed slopes with a high Coefficient of Determination (R² &gt; 0.70). In general, this study provides a scientific basis for a comprehensive understanding of snowmelt erosion dynamics, allowing development of more strategies for mitigating soil erosion in the spring and sustaining regional productivity in the Mollisol region of China.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48622,"journal":{"name":"International Soil and Water Conservation Research","volume":"13 3","pages":"Pages 526-535"},"PeriodicalIF":7.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144329571","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}