Soil & Tillage Research最新文献

{"title":"Contrasting effects of partial organic substitution and its inoculation with phosphate-solubilizing bacteria on stoichiometric imbalances and phosphorus fractions accumulation after six-year application in a rice paddy","authors":"Xinxin You ,&nbsp;Wenyi Xu ,&nbsp;Linna Du ,&nbsp;Sheng Wang ,&nbsp;Yan Zhou ,&nbsp;Xiaomin Ma ,&nbsp;Hua Qin ,&nbsp;Junhui Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2026.107100","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2026.107100","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Organic substitution for chemical fertilizer and inoculation of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) benefit sustainable agriculture, yet their individual or combined effects on soil stoichiometry and phosphorus (P) fractions accumulation remains poorly understood. Here, a 6-year field experiment was set up with four fertilization regimes, including no fertilizer (CK), chemical fertilizer (CF), partial organic substitution (POS) of chemical fertilizer with compost manure, and POS together with PSB inoculants (MOF). Compared with the CF, both POS and MOF increased rice yield and P uptake but had weak effects on soil total carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and P contents after six years. The MOF significantly increased dissolved organic C and decreased microbial biomass C:P ratio, resulting in an increased C:P imbalance between microorganisms and their resources compared with POS. Though both POS and MOF increased the accumulation of soil recalcitrant P fraction compared with the CK, MOF significantly decreased the accumulation of residual P and NaHCO₃-Pi in comparison with the POS treatment. Solution ³¹P NMR spectra analysis revealed that MOF remarkably increased phosphate monoesters accumulation and their proportion compared to the CF. POS increased the relative abundances of the functional genes and enzyme activities involved in cellulose and hemicellulose degradation, while MOF increased those of organic P mineralization. Partial least squares path modeling suggested that changes in C:P imbalance play a key role in affecting P accumulation by affecting microbial composition, the organic C and P related degradation genes and enzymes activities. Our study suggests that partial organic substitution and its inoculation with PSB induced divergent effects on P fractions accumulation by changing C and P related function, providing insight into the potential mechanisms of organic management on P mobilization in future agriculture production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"259 ","pages":"Article 107100"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146110820","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":"Evaluation of phosphate adsorption and desorption on Andosols using a stirred flow chamber","authors":"Yuika Ochi,&nbsp;Takehide Hama","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2026.107090","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2026.107090","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Andosols are soils derived from volcanic ash minerals and contain significant amounts of active aluminum and iron, which strongly adsorb phosphorus (P). However, the excessive P accumulation can lead to water pollution. Reaction time can affect the adsorption and desorption dynamics of P, and therefore, it is a key factor to understand P cycling. Nevertheless, the kinetics of phosphate adsorption/desorption in Andosols is not well understood, and the relationship between phosphate desorption amount and the oxidation-reduction potential (ORP), which is the main factor, is also unclear. Therefore, in this study, the adsorption/desorption behavior of phosphate under oxidizing and reducing conditions was investigated using a stirred-flow chamber test, which is suitable for evaluating the reaction kinetics and desorption process. The results indicated that phosphate strongly adsorbed under oxidative conditions, with the maximum adsorption correlating to the active aluminum levels. Further, phosphate desorbed as Fe(Ⅲ) reduced under reducing conditions and formed soluble Fe(Ⅱ). The desorption process could be described by a Gompertz-type model, which showed an exponential increase in phosphate/Fe(Ⅱ) desorption with decreasing pe + pH values. The maximum phosphate desorption showed strong correlations with Fe-P bond and active iron content, whereas the maximum Fe(II) desorption was statistically correlated with active aluminum and iron contents. Based on the established relationship between pe + pH and phosphate/Fe(Ⅱ) desorption, the maximum loss of phosphate/Fe(II) can be calculated by measuring the temporal change in pe + pH on farmland. This study provides understanding the phosphate adsorption/desorption kinetics in Andosols and contribute to preventing eutrophication.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"259 ","pages":"Article 107090"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146033229","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":"Coupling root morphology and soil mechanics: The R–S MAFI model for predicting root–soil interactions","authors":"He Zheng ,&nbsp;Dongfang Li ,&nbsp;Lei Wei ,&nbsp;Min He ,&nbsp;Hao Sun ,&nbsp;Lin Zhu ,&nbsp;Maohua Xiao","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2026.107092","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2026.107092","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Barnyardgrass roots markedly alter soil mechanical behavior and pose significant challenges to rotary tillage and mechanical weeding in paddy fields. However, most existing studies rely on 2D or soilless observations that cannot represent real three-dimensional (3D) fibrous root architecture, and they rarely consider the bidirectional mechanical feedback between root growth and soil shear strength. Consequently, the spatiotemporal evolution of barnyardgrass root systems and their reinforcement effect on soil remains poorly quantified. To address these deficiencies, this study develops a Root–Structure–Mechanics–Adaptive Fractal Integration (R–S MAFI) model that integrates 3D root morphological development with soil porosity–dependent mechanical feedback. The model facilitates dynamic simulation of root architecture (e.g., length and distribution depth) for a period of 0–32 days, and the obtained parameters are highly consistent with experimental measurements, validating the model's geometric reliability. Direct shear tests and simulation results further demonstrated that roots considerably enhance soil shear strength: at 32 days, the predicted shear strength of the root–soil composite was 39.5 % higher than that of bare soil, closely matching the experimentally measured improvement of 36.2 %. The shear strength distribution over time and soil depth indicated that the most significant reinforcement occurred in shallow layers (30–60 mm), with weaker reinforcement observed at greater depths (&gt;90 mm). The R–S MAFI model provides a robust tool for studying root–soil interactions in crops and weeds and offers theoretical support for the optimization of rotary tillage, mechanical weeding, and soil amendment practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"259 ","pages":"Article 107092"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146033228","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":"Integrated multispectral analysis of pyrogenic and total carbon in fire-managed cerrado soils","authors":"Anna Carolina A.R. Zanatta ,&nbsp;Eduardo G. Couto ,&nbsp;Ana Maria X. dos Santos ,&nbsp;Daniella C.S. Assis ,&nbsp;Letícia G. Vogel ,&nbsp;Matheus C. Cardoso ,&nbsp;Bruno A. Bartsch ,&nbsp;José A.M. Dematte","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2026.107062","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2026.107062","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Spectroscopy offers a rapid and non-destructive approach for characterizing carbon in fire-affected soils, particularly in the Cerrado biome. Distinguishing total carbon (TC) from pyrogenic carbon (PC) remains challenging because both exhibit similar spectral signatures. This study evaluates the performance of Vis–NIR, MIR, and XRF spectroscopy for estimating TC and PC in soils under prescribed fire (PRF) and no-fire management (NPRF), as well as in associated charred materials.Vis–NIR provided the best estimates of TC in PRF soils, reflecting its sensitivity to fire-induced changes in organic matter. In NPRF soils, MIR showed the highest performance for TC due to its responsiveness to functional groups in more heterogeneous, minimally disturbed matrices. For PC, combining Vis–NIR and MIR improved predictions in both management systems, with higher accuracy in NPRF soils. XRF, although highly sensitive to fire-derived elements such as Fe, Si, and Ca, showed limited performance for PC in soils; however, it achieved the best results for PC estimation in charred residues. Vis–NIR was most effective for TC in the same material.The results indicate clear differences in TC and PC behavior across fire regimes. PRF soils showed lower TC and greater thermal alteration, whereas NPRF soils preserved higher TC with less aromatic enrichment. Although PC prediction remained moderate across models, the complementary information from Vis–NIR, MIR, and XRF improved the interpretation of the physicochemical factors controlling carbon variability. Refining multispectral calibration strategies will strengthen TC and PC discrimination and support carbon monitoring and fire-management planning in tropical ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"259 ","pages":"Article 107062"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146079074","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":"Estimating soil hydraulic conductivity by Inverse Laplace Transform","authors":"Marcelo Camponez do Brasil Cardinali ,&nbsp;Jarbas Honorio Miranda ,&nbsp;Quirijn de Jong Van Lier ,&nbsp;Tiago Bueno Moraes","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2026.107066","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2026.107066","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Multimodal soil pore structures introduce substantial challenges for deriving hydraulic properties, including the estimation of hydraulic conductivity from water retention data. Conventional models often have difficulty representing the complexity of multimodal pore systems, motivating the development of more flexible approaches. In a recent paper, we demonstrated that a new model based on the Inverse Laplace Transform (ILT) can be used to estimate the pore size distribution (PSD) from soil water retention curves (SWRC), providing a flexible alternative to traditional parametric models. The present study extends the ILT methodology to determine soil hydraulic conductivity in unsaturated soils. We derive a closed-form equation for the hydraulic conductivity function within the ILT–Gauss method and validate it using a dataset from the UNSODA database that includes paired soil water retention and hydraulic conductivity measurements. The results demonstrate that hydraulic conductivity was accurately predicted, yielding statistical performance comparable to conventional unimodal and multimodal van Genuchten models. The main advantage of the new method is its ability to implicitly capture multimodal pore systems when evaluating unsaturated hydraulic conductivity and, consequently, soil water dynamics in such soils.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"259 ","pages":"Article 107066"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145915149","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":"Straw plus straw interlayer alter soil organic carbon and bacterial community in a saline-alkali soil from the Yellow River Delta","authors":"Huili Zhao ,&nbsp;Yanwen Wang ,&nbsp;Jiaqi Li ,&nbsp;Xuze Hu ,&nbsp;Ying Zhao ,&nbsp;Xiaohong Guo ,&nbsp;Gary Y. Gan","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2026.107088","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2026.107088","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Salt stress and nutrient deficiency severely restrict soil carbon storage and microbial diversity in the Yellow River Delta. Soil amendments has been widely recognized as an effective approach to improving saline-alkali soil fertility. However, the effects and interactions of straw return plus desulfurized gypsum or straw interlayer on soil carbon content and bacterial communities remain unclear. We conducted field experiments with five treatments: (1) no addition (CK), (2) straw return alone (S), (3) straw return plus desulfurized gypsum (DG_S), (4) straw return plus straw interlayer (SL_S), and (5) straw return plus desulfurized gypsum plus straw interlayer (DG_SL_S). The results indicated that compared with straw return alone, DG_S, SL_S, and DG_SL_S further improved soil nutrient availability, with DG_S and SL_S increasing SOC by 25.1 % and 33.26 %, respectively. Conversely, DG_S, SL_S, and DG_SL_S significantly reduced DOC content, whereas DG_S and DG_SL_S reduced MBC by 8 % and 10.81 %, respectively. All amendment treatments significantly enhanced soil enzyme activities. Alpha and beta diversity analysis indicated that the amendment treatments significantly enhanced bacterial richness, diversity, and altered community structure. Compared with the straw return alone, straw return plus straw interlayer showed significantly higher relative abundances of <em>Gemmatimonadota</em>, <em>Chloroflexi</em>, <em>Aquicella,</em> and <em>Salinimicrobium</em>, and lower <em>Actinobacteria</em>. DOC, MBC, β-1, 4-glucosidase, and cellobiohydrolase were core drivers of bacterial community changes. Bacterial co-occurrence network analysis demonstrated that DG_S and SL_S treatments enhanced bacterial community stability, complexity, and connectivity compared with straw return alone, thereby promoting organic carbon cycling and sequestration. Functional predictions indicated all amendments optimized soil carbon sequestration and nutrient conversion by enhancing carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, and nitrogen sulfur cycling, and reducing the TCA cycle. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that straw combined with desulfurized gypsum or straw interlayers significantly enhances bacterial diversity and soil fertility, emerging as effective strategies for sustainable agriculture in the Yellow River Delta.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"259 ","pages":"Article 107088"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146014525","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":"Contribution of Lumbricus terrestris enhancement to soil fertility and maize and wheat yields in soil tillage systems","authors":"P. Euteneuer ,&nbsp;H. Wagentristl ,&nbsp;R. Hood-Nowotny ,&nbsp;R.W. Neugschwandtner ,&nbsp;G. Bodner ,&nbsp;A. Hofer ,&nbsp;M. Windisch ,&nbsp;E. Weiler ,&nbsp;S. Widy ,&nbsp;K.R. Butt","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2026.107087","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2026.107087","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Earthworms provide important ecosystem services such as plant yield increase and soil structure improvement. Soil tillage systems affect earthworm abundance, e.g., that of <em>Lumbricus terrestris</em>, the burrows of which can increase water infiltration. We tested the impact and mechanisms of additional <em>L. terrestris</em> on plant growth and soil physical parameters in Austria. At two sites, 14 individuals m⁻² were inoculated under different soil tillage systems into large enclosures of 7.5 m², to compare enhanced <em>versus</em> ambient numbers of <em>L. terrestris</em> for maize (<em>Zea mays</em>) followed by wheat (<em>Triticum aestivum</em>). Tested soil tillage systems were plough (CON, 30 cm depth), cultivator (RED; 15 cm depth) and no soil tillage (NT; 0 cm depth). The success rate of inoculation was similar between the soil tillage systems at 33–44 %. Number of middens were increased for enhancement than control and was highest for NT than RED and CON. At level enhancement, grain yield and N grain yield of maize were increased by 10; 13 % and 17; 23 % respectively for CON and RED, while wheat was unaffected, due to insufficient precipitation. At flowering of maize, topsoil moisture at site 2 was 18 % and 17 % higher for enhancement than control for CON and RED, while NT and wheat were unaffected. Soil aggregate stability was 2.7–2.9 times more stable at level enhancement than control for CON and RED for maize, respectively. It was shown that earthworms contribute to plant growth and soil fertility within a relatively short period. Increased numbers of earthworms had the highest effect on plants and soil parameters for CON and RED, which are usually considered to have a weaker soil structure than NT. Earthworms can therefore facilitate the conversion from CON and RED to NT for climate change adaptation and can improve soil fertility.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"259 ","pages":"Article 107087"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146014800","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":"Evaluating the effects of earthworm tip geometry on burrowing forces using cone penetration analogues and GPU-based discrete element method (DEM) simulations","authors":"Kang Li ,&nbsp;Dániel Nagy ,&nbsp;Thomas Keller ,&nbsp;Kornél Tamás","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2026.107069","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2026.107069","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Earthworms play an essential role in maintaining and restoring soil structure through burrowing. Although the importance of earthworms is well recognized, knowledge on penetration forces and energy requirements of burrowing remain limited. To investigate these mechanisms, we preformed measurements and simulations of cone penetration analogues, with cones that had a center hole to mimic soil ingestion by earthworms. Measurements were carried out to analyze soil displacement patterns for various cone characteristics, while discrete element method (DEM) simulations accelerated by graphical processor units (GPUs) were performed to quantify penetration forces and calculate energy requirements for burrowing. The influence of cone half-angle, the center hole diameter that mimic the mouth opening of an earthworm, and lubrication representing earthworm mucus are explored. The main findings show that more pointed cones reduce penetration force and compaction in the axial direction but limit soil ingestion, while blunter cones increase ingestion at the cost of higher penetration energy. Results indicate that cone half-angles of <span><math><mrow><mn>2</mn><msup><mrow><mn>5</mn></mrow><mrow><mo>∘</mo></mrow></msup><mtext>–</mtext><mn>3</mn><msup><mrow><mn>0</mn></mrow><mrow><mo>∘</mo></mrow></msup></mrow></math></span> (given a <span><math><mrow><mtext>2</mtext><mspace></mspace><mtext>mm</mtext></mrow></math></span> center hole) maximize earthworm burrowing efficiency in the investigated silt loam soil, as in that case available energy from soil ingestion is five-fold the energy requirement of burrowing. Lubrication had little effect in a low organic content silt loam soil while it slightly reduced the required penetration force in a high organic content silt loam soil. Overall, the combination of experiments and DEM simulations offer a mechanistic understanding of soil ingestion of earthworms that was not previously available.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"259 ","pages":"Article 107069"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145957377","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":"Evaluating how drying conditions influence short-term carbon mineralization assays for soil health assessment","authors":"Ryan D. Stewart,&nbsp;Caroline C. Wolcott","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2026.107070","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2026.107070","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The resilience of subsurface microbial communities to stressors such as drought is an important aspect of healthy and well-functioning soils. The short-term carbon mineralization test (STCM) was developed to quantify the initial flux of carbon dioxide that is produced when soils are dried and then rapidly rewetted. This method is increasingly being adopted as a biological measure of soil health, yet there has been little consideration of how the drying procedure affects results. In this study, we compared STCM results for soil samples that were oven dried for 2–3 d versus air dried for 21 d. The samples came from a research farm in Virginia, United States, and represented four distinct management practices, two sampling depths, and three sampling dates. Oven-drying the samples tended to produce greater STCM values, and factors such as soil management did not significantly modify the correlation between drying procedures. An analysis of the relative differences between oven- and air-dried values showed that air-drying tended to produce greater fluxes in soils with limited carbon resources (i.e., low STCM values), whereas the opposite trend was observed in samples with greater carbon resources (i.e., high STCM values). By imposing elevated temperatures (e.g., 55 °C) and rapid drying, oven conditions appear to emphasize shifts in microbial resource allocation and functioning that occur under stress, and therefore may be preferable when using STCM assays for soil health assessment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"259 ","pages":"Article 107070"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145980650","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":"Evaluating the influence of grass distribution patterns on runoff and sediment yield dynamics: A flow path length perspective","authors":"Youdong Cen ,&nbsp;Kuandi Zhang ,&nbsp;Mingwang Zhang ,&nbsp;Jiahui Li ,&nbsp;Matteo Rubinato","doi":"10.1016/j.still.2026.107085","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.still.2026.107085","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Vegetation distribution patterns exert a first-order control on hillslope hydrology and erosion; however, the mechanisms by which spatial heterogeneity in vegetation regulates runoff generation and sediment yield remain inadequately understood. This knowledge gap constrains the development of physically based erosion models and effective soil conservation strategies. To elucidate how heterogeneous vegetation distributions govern hillslope hydrological connectivity and associated runoff–erosion processes, rainfall–runoff plot experiments were conducted under five vegetation distribution patterns—vertical strips (VS), horizontal strips (HS), X-shaped strips (XS), chessboard uniform distribution (CD), and random patchy distribution (RP)—with a bare slope (BS) serving as the control. Hydrological connectivity was quantified using relative flow path length (<em>RFL</em>), allowing systematic assessment of its influence on overland flow hydraulics, runoff and sediment yield. Results show that key hydrodynamic parameters respond nonlinearly to <em>RFL</em> and are well described by quadratic relationships (adjusted <em>R</em>² &gt; 0.70). Mean flow velocity (<em>v</em>), stream power (<em>ω</em>), and unit energy (<em>E</em>) initially increased and subsequently declined with increasing <em>RFL</em>, reaching extreme values at <em>RFL</em> = 1. Under rainfall intensities of 60–120 mm·h⁻¹ , <em>v</em>, <em>ω</em>, and <em>E</em> increased by 100–114 %, 54–79 %, and 18–38 %, respectively. In contrast, flow resistance (<em>f</em>) and shear stress (<em>τ</em>) exhibited inverse responses, decreasing by 78–85 % and 11–29 % under the same conditions. Erosion rate (<em>ER</em>) also displayed a pronounced nonlinear response to <em>RFL</em>: as <em>RFL</em> increased from 0.513 to 1, <em>ER</em> rose by 65–118 %, with the sensitivity of <em>ER</em> to <em>RFL</em> diminishing at higher rainfall intensities. Building on these relationships, an erosion rate model coupling stream power <em>ω</em> and <em>RFL</em> was developed and validated using multi-source datasets. The model exhibited strong predictive skill and robustness, with adjusted <em>R</em>² and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (<em>NSE</em>) values exceeding 0.75, and substantially outperformed the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model (adjusted <em>R</em>² = 0.316; <em>NSE</em> = −0.283). Overall, this study establishes a clear mechanistic link between vegetation-induced heterogeneity in hillslope hydrological connectivity and erosion dynamics, providing new insights for improving erosion modeling and designing vegetation-based soil conservation measures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49503,"journal":{"name":"Soil & Tillage Research","volume":"259 ","pages":"Article 107085"},"PeriodicalIF":6.8,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146033227","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}