Reservoir sedimentation dynamics were interpreted using Cs-137 activity, particle size and rainfall erosivity analysis in conjunetion with sediment profile coring. Two sediment cores were retrieved from the Changshou ...Reservoir sedimentation dynamics were interpreted using Cs-137 activity, particle size and rainfall erosivity analysis in conjunetion with sediment profile coring. Two sediment cores were retrieved from the Changshou reservoir of Chongqing, which was dammed in 1956 at the outlet of Longxi catchment in the Three Gorges Area using a gravity corer equipped with an aerylie tube with an inner diameter of 6 em. The extracted cores were sectioned at 2 cm intervals. All sediment core samples were dried, sieved （〈2 mm） and weighed. 137Cs activity was measured by y-ray spectrometry. The particle size of the core samples was measured using laser particle size granulometry. Rainfall erosivity was calculated using daily rainfall data from meteorological records and information on soil conservation history was collated to help interpret temporal sedimentation trends. The peak fallout of 137Cs in 1963 appeared at a depth of 84 cm in core A and 56 cm in core B. The peaks of sand contents were related to the peaks of rainfall erosivity which were recorded in 1982, 1989, 1998 and 2005, respectively. Sedimentation rates were calculated according to the sediment profile chronological controls of 1956, 1963, 1982, 1989, 1998 and 2oo5. The highest sedimentation rate was around 2.0 cm·a^-1 between 1982 and 1988 when the Chinese national reform and the Household Responsibility System were implemented, leading to accelerated soil erosion in the Longxi catchment. Since 1990s, and particularly since 2005, sedimentation rates clearly decreased, since a number of soil conservation programs have been carried out in the catchment. The combined use of ^137Cs chronology, particle size and rainfall erosivity provided a simple basis for reconstructing reservoir sedimentation dynamics in the context of both physical processes and soil restoration. Its advantages include avoiding the need for full blown sediment yield reconstruction and the concomitant consideration of core correlation and corrections for autochthonous inputs and reservoir trap efficiency.展开更多
Soil erosion and bank degradation is a major post-dam concern regarding the riparian zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir. The development and succession of vegetation is a main countermeasure,especially to enhance bank...Soil erosion and bank degradation is a major post-dam concern regarding the riparian zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir. The development and succession of vegetation is a main countermeasure,especially to enhance bank stability and mitigate soil erosion by the root system. In this study, the roots of four prevailing grass species, namely, Cynodon dactylon, Hemarthria altissima, Hemarthria compressa, and Paspalum paspaloides, in the riparian zone were investigated in relation to additional soil cohesion. Roots were sampled using a single root auger. Root length density（RLD） and root area ratio（RAR） were measured by using the Win RHIZO image analysis system. Root tensile strength（TR） was performed using a manualdynamometer, and the soil reinforcement caused by the roots was estimated using the simple Wu＇s perpendicular model. Results showed that RLD values of the studied species ranged from 0.24 cm/cm3 to20.89 cm/cm3 at different soil layers, and RLD were significantly greater at 0–10 cm depth in comparison to the deeper soil layers（＆gt;10 cm）. RAR measurements revealed that on average 0.21% of the reference soil area was occupied by grass roots for all the investigated species. The measured root tensile strength was the highest for P. paspaloides（62.26MPa） followed by C. dactylon（51.49 MPa）, H.compressa（50.66 MPa）, and H. altissima（48.81MPa）. Nevertheless, the estimated maximum root reinforcement in this investigation was 22.5 k Pa for H.altissima followed by H. compressa（21.1 k Pa）, P.paspaloides（19.5 k Pa）, and C. dactylon（15.4 k Pa） at0–5 cm depth soil layer. The root cohesion values estimated for all species were generally distributed at the 0–10 cm depth and decreased with the increment of soil depth. The higher root cohesion associated with H. altissima and H. compressa implies their suitability for revegetation purposes to strengthen the shallow soil in the riparian zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir. Although the soil reinforcement induced by roots is only assessed from indirect indicators, the present results still useful for species selection in the framework of implementing and future vegetation recovery actions in the riparian zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir and similar areas in the Yangtze River Basin.展开更多
基金funded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.KZCX2-XB3-09)the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(Grant No.2011BAD31B03)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41101259,41102224 and 41201275)
文摘Reservoir sedimentation dynamics were interpreted using Cs-137 activity, particle size and rainfall erosivity analysis in conjunetion with sediment profile coring. Two sediment cores were retrieved from the Changshou reservoir of Chongqing, which was dammed in 1956 at the outlet of Longxi catchment in the Three Gorges Area using a gravity corer equipped with an aerylie tube with an inner diameter of 6 em. The extracted cores were sectioned at 2 cm intervals. All sediment core samples were dried, sieved （〈2 mm） and weighed. 137Cs activity was measured by y-ray spectrometry. The particle size of the core samples was measured using laser particle size granulometry. Rainfall erosivity was calculated using daily rainfall data from meteorological records and information on soil conservation history was collated to help interpret temporal sedimentation trends. The peak fallout of 137Cs in 1963 appeared at a depth of 84 cm in core A and 56 cm in core B. The peaks of sand contents were related to the peaks of rainfall erosivity which were recorded in 1982, 1989, 1998 and 2005, respectively. Sedimentation rates were calculated according to the sediment profile chronological controls of 1956, 1963, 1982, 1989, 1998 and 2oo5. The highest sedimentation rate was around 2.0 cm·a^-1 between 1982 and 1988 when the Chinese national reform and the Household Responsibility System were implemented, leading to accelerated soil erosion in the Longxi catchment. Since 1990s, and particularly since 2005, sedimentation rates clearly decreased, since a number of soil conservation programs have been carried out in the catchment. The combined use of ^137Cs chronology, particle size and rainfall erosivity provided a simple basis for reconstructing reservoir sedimentation dynamics in the context of both physical processes and soil restoration. Its advantages include avoiding the need for full blown sediment yield reconstruction and the concomitant consideration of core correlation and corrections for autochthonous inputs and reservoir trap efficiency.
基金Financial support for this study was jointly provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41201272)the Chinese Academy of Sciences Action-plan for West Development (Grant No. KZCX2-XB3-09)the Chinese Academy of Science (Light of West China Program)
文摘Soil erosion and bank degradation is a major post-dam concern regarding the riparian zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir. The development and succession of vegetation is a main countermeasure,especially to enhance bank stability and mitigate soil erosion by the root system. In this study, the roots of four prevailing grass species, namely, Cynodon dactylon, Hemarthria altissima, Hemarthria compressa, and Paspalum paspaloides, in the riparian zone were investigated in relation to additional soil cohesion. Roots were sampled using a single root auger. Root length density（RLD） and root area ratio（RAR） were measured by using the Win RHIZO image analysis system. Root tensile strength（TR） was performed using a manualdynamometer, and the soil reinforcement caused by the roots was estimated using the simple Wu＇s perpendicular model. Results showed that RLD values of the studied species ranged from 0.24 cm/cm3 to20.89 cm/cm3 at different soil layers, and RLD were significantly greater at 0–10 cm depth in comparison to the deeper soil layers（＆gt;10 cm）. RAR measurements revealed that on average 0.21% of the reference soil area was occupied by grass roots for all the investigated species. The measured root tensile strength was the highest for P. paspaloides（62.26MPa） followed by C. dactylon（51.49 MPa）, H.compressa（50.66 MPa）, and H. altissima（48.81MPa）. Nevertheless, the estimated maximum root reinforcement in this investigation was 22.5 k Pa for H.altissima followed by H. compressa（21.1 k Pa）, P.paspaloides（19.5 k Pa）, and C. dactylon（15.4 k Pa） at0–5 cm depth soil layer. The root cohesion values estimated for all species were generally distributed at the 0–10 cm depth and decreased with the increment of soil depth. The higher root cohesion associated with H. altissima and H. compressa implies their suitability for revegetation purposes to strengthen the shallow soil in the riparian zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir. Although the soil reinforcement induced by roots is only assessed from indirect indicators, the present results still useful for species selection in the framework of implementing and future vegetation recovery actions in the riparian zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir and similar areas in the Yangtze River Basin.
