Soil erosion of unpaved loess roads subjected to an extreme rainstorm event: a case study of the Jiuyuangou watershed on the Loess Plateau, China

Rainfall can cause serious soil loss in the Loess Plateau hilly and gully region, but little focus has been placed on the extreme rainstorm effects on unpaved loess road soil erosion. A field survey method was used to investigate the erosional effects of the '7·26' heavy rainfall event on unpaved loess roads in the Jiuyuangou watershed of the Loess Plateau, China. The results showed that the average and maximum widths of the eroded gullies that formed on the unpaved roads were 0.65-1.48 m and 1.00-3.60 m, respectively. The average and maximum depths of theeroded gullies were 0.42-1.13 m and 0.75-4.30 m, respectively. The average width-to-depth ratio was 1.31, indicating that the widening effect was greater than the downcutting effect in the eroded gullies. In addition, the gully density ranged from 0.07 to 0.29 m m-2, and the road surface dissection degree ranged from 0.03 to 0.41 km2 km-2. Eroded gullies generally developed at the slope toe of the cut bank side. The average eroded gully width and depth at turns in the road were 1.47-2.64 times and 1.30-3.47 times greater, respectively, than those in other road sections. The road erosion modulus increased from the upper section to the lower section of the roads. The average road erosion modulus of the study catchment was 235,000 t km-2. Turns in the road were associated with collapses, sinkholes and other gravitational erosion phenomena. The amount of road erosion under extreme rainfall conditions is mainly related to the interactions among road length, width, slope and soil bulk density. Our results provide a useful reference for developing further measures for preventing road erosion on the Loess Plateau.

黄土高塬沟壑区植被恢复对不同地貌部位土壤可蚀性的影响

通过采集不同地貌部位(塬面、塬坡和沟坡)各土地利用(农地、草地、灌木地和林地)坡面土壤和根系样品,采用综合土壤可蚀性指数(CSEI)评价了植被恢复对土壤可蚀性的影响。结果表明:(1)不同地貌部位的CSEI差异显著,沟坡CSEI较塬坡和塬面分别增加8.1%和77.7%。(2)塬面草地、灌木地和林地的CSEI较农地分别降低21.1%、29.2%和28.8%;而塬坡和沟坡林地CSEI均低于其他土地利用。(3)CSEI与粘粒含量、砂粒含量、毛管孔隙度、根重密度、根平均直径、根长密度及根表面积密度均呈极显著负相关,而与粉粒含量和土壤容重呈显著正相关关系;粉粒含量、土壤容重和根重密度是影响CSEI的关键因素,其中粉粒含量对CSEI的直接影响最大,而根重密度通过直接或间接作用对CSEI产生负相关影响。建议在塬面上以灌木作为植被恢复模式的首选,而在塬坡和沟坡上选择以乔木为优势群落的恢复模式对水土流失的控制更为有效。

黄土丘陵沟壑区自然恢复草被对浅沟侵蚀的影响

浅沟侵蚀是黄土高原丘陵沟壑区的一种重要侵蚀类型.以往研究多侧重于农地浅沟,有关自然恢复草被对浅沟侵蚀影响的研究甚少.本研究采用野外原位冲刷试验,以裸地浅沟为对照,探究放水流量为5、10、15、20和25 L·min^(-1)条件下草地浅沟的径流产沙特征及侵蚀机理.结果表明:与裸地相比,草地浅沟平均流速、稳定径流率、雷诺数、弗劳德数分别减小25.4%～67.3%、8.4%～26.6%、54.9%～80.5%、18.6%～65.1%,阻力系数增大0.09～7.18倍.草地浅沟最大产沙率、稳定产沙率和平均产沙率较裸地浅沟分别减小55.1%～90.9%、61.8%～95.4%和64.8%～92.4%; 5～25 L·min^(-1)放水流量下,自然恢复草被的减沙效益可达65.9%～88.8%,且随放水流量增大,减沙效益呈减小趋势.与裸地相比,草地浅沟的平均径流功率和平均径流剪切力分别减小54.9%～80.5%和12.4%～51.1%,临界径流功率增大1.43倍,临界剪切力增大33.7%;草地和裸地浅沟平均产沙率与平均径流功率、平均径流剪切力均呈显著线性相关.自然恢复草被显著增加了浅沟抗蚀性能,降低了浅沟径流侵蚀能力.