Effect of soil management on soil erosion on sloping farmland during crop growth stages under a large-scale rainfall simulation experiment

Soil erosion on farmland is a critical environmental issue and the main source of sediment in the Yellow River, China. Thus, great efforts have been made to reduce runoff and soil loss by restoring vegetation on abandoned farmland. However, few studies have investigated runoff and soil loss from sloping farmland during crop growth season. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of soil management on runoff and soil loss on sloping farmland during crop growth season. We tested different soybean growth stages (i.e., seedling stage (R1), initial blossoming stage (R2), full flowering stage (R3), pod bearing stage (R4), and initial filling stage (R5)) and soil management practice (one plot applied hoeing tillage (HT) before each rainfall event, whereas the other received no treatment (NH)) by applying simulated rainfall at an intensity of 80 mm/h. Results showed that runoff and soil loss both decreased and infiltration amount increased in successive soybean growth stages under both treatments. Compared with NH plot, there was less runoff and higher infiltration amount from HT plot. However, soil loss from HT plot was larger than that from NH plot in R1–R3, but lower in R4 and R5. In the early growth stages, hoeing tillage was effective for reducing runoff and enhancing rainfall infiltration. By contrast, hoeing tillage enhanced soil and water conservation during the late growth stages. The total soil loss from HT plot (509.0 g/m2) was 11.1% higher than that from NH plot (457.9 g/m2) in R1–R5. However, the infiltration amount from HT plot (313.9 mm) was 18.4% higher than that from NH plot (265.0 mm) and the total runoff volume from HT plot was 49.7% less than that from NH plot. These results indicated that crop vegetation can also act as a type of vegetation cover and play an important role on sloping farmland. Thus, adopting rational soil management in crop planting on sloping farmland can effectively reduce runoff and soil loss, as well as maximize rainwater infiltration during crop growth period.

Improved Land Use and Leaf Area Index Enhances WRF-3DVAR Satellite Radiance Assimilation： A Case Study Focusing on Rainfall Simulation in the Shule River Basin during July 2013

The application of satellite radiance assimilation can improve the simulation of precipitation by numerical weather prediction models. However, substantial quantities of satellite data, especially those derived from low-level（surface-sensitive）channels, are rejected for use because of the difficulty in realistically modeling land surface emissivity and energy budgets.Here, we used an improved land use and leaf area index（LAI） dataset in the WRF-3 DVAR assimilation system to explore the benefit of using improved quality of land surface information to improve rainfall simulation for the Shule River Basin in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau as a case study. The results for July 2013 show that, for low-level channels（e.g., channel 3）,the underestimation of brightness temperature in the original simulation was largely removed by more realistic land surface information. In addition, more satellite data could be utilized in the assimilation because the realistic land use and LAI data allowed more satellite radiance data to pass the deviation test and get used by the assimilation, which resulted in improved initial driving fields and better simulation in terms of temperature, relative humidity, vertical convection, and cumulative precipitation.

Salt Balance of Moderately Saline-Alkaline Rangeland Soil and Runoff Water Quality from Rainfall Simulation Studies near Moab,Utah U.S.A.

A Walnut Gulch rainfall simulator was used to determine runoff water quality and salt balance of a Sandy Loam moderately saline-alkaline site containing 0.27%of gypsum near Moab,Utah.Four rainfall intensities corresponding to 2,10,25 and 50-year storm return intervals were applied to dry soil.During each rainfall simulation,time-stamped runoff samples were also collected for the determination of ions concentration.Soil water and solute content by depth increments were determined before and after simulations.All correlation coefficients between the applied simulation water and the amounts of Cl-,SO42-,NO3-and sum of anions in runoff water were positive and ranged between 0.922 and 0.999.The correlation coefficients for Ca2+,Mg2+,Na+,K+and sum of cations ranged between 0.783 and 0.983.We concluded from the data analysis that:(1)The amounts of ions in simulation water and in runoff water represent less than 1%of sum of the soil soluble content before rainfall simulation.(2)The CEC contained about 250%the sum of cation in saturated extract.(3)The very small amount of gypsum in the soil contained 50%the sum of saturated extract ions.This means that special attention should be paid to CEC and gypsum content in the management of such soils.Moreover,when modeling runoff and water quality from soils with these properties the modelers must include suitable subroutines considering gypsum and CEC of the soil for accurate prediction of runoff water quality.

Bringing Rain to the Land: Rainfall Simulation as a Participatory Teaching Aid to Understanding Erosion

There is a need for science and community knowledge and resources to be combined in the mitigation and rehabilitation of land degradation, as a large portion of degraded land in South Africa is communal land. Rainfall simulation was used at Okhombe valley, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa as a tool to collect scientific data regarding the erosion rates on cattle access paths and to demonstrate erosion driving forces to the community members. The community members were able to experience erosion taking place through rainfall simulation and observe the impact of slope and basal cover change on erosion rates. Cattle access paths and rehabilitated access paths showed similar runoff rates (Figure 1), however the sediment concentration varied between the severely degraded cattle access paths and the rehabilitated land. Through the rainfall demonstration a better understanding of the driving factors in the erosion process, an understanding of why particular mitigation techniques work and where such mitigation measures would be effective were identified. With the combination of scientific techniques and community knowledge and resources a step can be taken towards sustainable land degradation mitigation and rehabilitation in the communal areas of South Africa.

Performance evaluation of laterite soil embankment stabilized with bottom ash,coir fiber,and lime

In tropical regions,heavy rainfall induces erosion and shallow landslides on road embankments.Cement-based stabilization methods,common in these regions,contribute to climate change due to their high carbon footprint.This study explored the potential application of coir fiber-reinforced laterite soil-bottom ash mixtures as embankment materials in the tropics.The objective is to enhance engineered embankment slopes'erosion resistance and stability while offering reuse options for industrial byproducts.This study examined various mix designs for unconfined compressive strength(UCS)and permeability,utilizing 30%bottom ash(BA)and 1%coir fiber(CF)with varying sizes ranging from 10 to 40 mm,6%lime,and laterite soil(LS),followed by microstructural analyses.The results demonstrate that the compressive strength increases as the CF length increases to 25 mm.In contrast,permeability increases continuously with increasing CF length.Lime-treated mixtures exhibit superior short-and long-term strength and reduce permeability owing to the formation of cementitious materials,as confirmed by microstructural analyses.A lab-scale slope box was constructed to evaluate the surface erosion of the stabilized laterite soil embankment.Based on the rainfall simulation results,the LS-BA-CF mixtures show better resistance to erosion and deformation compared to untreated LS,especially when lime is added to the top layer.This study provides insights into a sustainable and cost-effective approach for slope stabilization using BA and CF,offering a promising solution for tropical regions susceptible to surface erosion and landslides.

Effects of freeze-thaw on soil erosion processes and sediment selectivity under simulated rainfall

The freeze-thaw （FT） processes affect an area of 46.3% in China. It is essential for soil and water conservation and ecological construction to elucidate the mechanisms of the FF processes and its associated soil erosion processes. In this research, we designed the control simulation experiments to promote the understanding of FT-water combined erosion processes. The results showed that the runoff of freeze-thaw slope （FTS） decreased by 8% compared to the control slope （CS）, and the total sediment yield of the FTS was 1.10 times that of the CS. The sediment yield rate from the FTS was significantly greater than that from the CS after 9 min of runoff （P〈0.01）. Both in FTS and CS treatments, the relationships between cumulative runoff and sediment yield can be fitted well with power functions （R2〉0.98, P〈0.01）. Significant differences in the mean weight diameter （MWD） values of particles were between the CS and the FTS treatments in the erosion were smaller than those under FTS for both washed and observed for washed particles and splashed particles process （P〈0.05）. The mean MWD values under CS splashed particles. The ratio of the absolute value of a regression coefficient between the CS and the FTS was 1.15, being roughly correspondent with the ratio of K between the two treatments. Therefore, the parameter a of the power function between cumulative runoff and sediment yield could be an acceptable indicator for expressing the soil erodibility. In conclusion, the FTS exhibited an increase in soil erosion compared to the CS.

Phosphorus transport with runoff of simulated rainfall from purple-soil cropland of different surface conditions

We investigated the patterns of phosphorus transport from purple-soil cropland of 5° and 10° slopes with bare and vegetated surfaces,respectively.Each type of land was tested under a simulated moderate rainfall of 0.33 mm/min,a downfall of 0.90 mm/min,and a rainstorm of 1.86 mm/min.Runoff dynamics and changes in the export amount of phosphorus are influenced by the rainfall intensity,the slope and surface conditions of cropland.The vegetation diverts rain water from the surface into soil and helps the formation of a subsurface runoff,but has little influence on runoff process at the same sloping degree.Vegetated soil has a smaller phosphorous loss,particularly much less in the particulate form.A heavier rainfall flushes away more phosphorous.Rainwater percolating soil carries more dissolved phosphorous than particulate phosphorous.Understanding the patterns of phosphorous transport under various conditions from purple soil in the middle of Sichuan basin is helpful for developing countermeasures against non-point-source pollution resulting in the eutrophication of water bodies in this region that could,if not controlled properly,deteriorate the water quality of the Three Gorges Reservoir.

Transport of phosphorus in runoff and sediment with surface runoff from bare purple soil during indoor simulated rainfall

Phosphorus(P)in surface runoff from purple soil is a critical element of agricultural nonpoint source pollution,leading to eutrophication of surface waters in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area(TGRA)of China.This work aimed to understand the processes and mechanisms of P losses from bare purple soil.Based on an indoor rainfall simulation experiment,we focused on the processes of surface runoff and P losses via different hydrological pathways.Experimental treatments included three simulated rainfall intensities,four slope gradients,and three fertilizer treatments.P loss from sediment was the main pathway in the purple soil,and bioavailable P was mainly transferred in dissolved P(DP)of runoff water.The P loss loads tend to grow with the increase of the slope until 25°for the maximum load of runoff water and 20°for the maximum load of sediment.Concentrations of DP in the surface runoff after fertilizer application can exceed the estimates of those required for accelerated eutrophication.Sediment P control might be an essential way for reducing P loss in purple soil for the local government and farmers of TGRA.

Assessment of the Performance of WEPP in Purple Soil Area with Simulated Rainfall Experiments

The water erosion prediction project （WEPP） model is a popular water erosion prediction tool developed on the basis of the physical processes of water erosion. Although WEPP has been widely used around the world, its application in China is still insufficient. In this study, the performance of WEPP used to estimate the runoff and soil loss on purple soil （Calcaric Regosols in FAO taxonomy） sloping cropland was assessed with the data from runoff plots under simulated rainfall conditions. Based on measured soil properties, runoff and erosion parameters, namely effective hydraulic conductivity, inter-rill erodibility, rill erodibility, and critical shear stress were determined to be 2.68 mm h-1, 5.54 x l0^6 kg s-1 m-4, 0.027 s m-1 and 3-5 Pa, respectively, by using the recommended equations in the WEPP user manual. The simulated results were not good due to the low Nash efficiency of 0.41 for runoff and negative Nash efficiency for soil loss. After the four parameters were calibrated, WEPP performed better for soil loss prediction with a Nash efficiency of 0.76. The different results indicated that the equations recommended by WEPP to calculate parameters such as erodiblity and critical shear stress are not suitable for the purple soil areas, Sichuan Province, China. Although the predicted results can be accepted by optimizing the runoff and erosion parameters, more research related to the determination of erodibility and critical sheer stress must be conducted to improve the application of WEPP in the purple soil areas.

Freeze–thaw effects on erosion process in loess slope under simulated rainfall

Seasonal freeze–thaw processes have led to severe soil erosion in the middle and high latitudes.The area affected by freeze–thaw erosion in China exceeds 13%of the national territory.So understanding the effect of freeze–thaw on erosion process is of great significance for soil and water conservation as well as for ecological engineering.In this study,we designed simulated rainfall experiments to investigate soil erosion processes under two soil conditions,unfrozen slope(UFS)and frozen slope(FS),and three rainfall intensities of 0.6,0.9 and 1.2 mm/min.The results showed that the initial runoff time of FS occurred much earlier than that of the UFS.Under the same rainfall intensity,the runoff of FS is 1.17–1.26 times that of UFS;and the sediment yield of FS is 6.48–10.49 times that of UFS.With increasing rainfall time,rills were produced on the slope.After the appearance of the rills,the sediment yield on the FS accounts for 74%–86%of the total sediment yield.Rill erosion was the main reason for the increase in soil erosion rate on FS,and the reduction in water percolation resulting from frozen layers was one of the important factors leading to the advancement of rills on slope.A linear relationship existed between the cumulative runoff and the sediment yield of UFS and FS(R2>0.97,P<0.01).The average mean weight diameter(MWD)on the slope erosion particles was as follows:UFS0.9(73.84μm)>FS0.6(72.30μm)>UFS1.2(72.23μm)>substrate(71.23μm)>FS1.2(71.06μm)>FS0.9(70.72μm).During the early stage of the rainfall,the MWD of the FS was relatively large.However,during the middle to late rainfall,the particle composition gradually approached that of the soil substrate.Under different rainfall intensities,the mean soil erodibility(MK)of the FS was 7.22 times that of the UFS.The ratio of the mean regression coefficient C2(MC2)between FS and UFS was roughly correspondent with MK.Therefore,the parameter C2 can be used to evaluate soil erodibility after the appearance of the rills.This article explored the influence mechanism of freeze–thaw effects on loess soil erosion and provided a theoretical basis for further studies on soil erosion in the loess hilly regions.

Sediment Load in Runoff Under Laboratory and Field Simulated Rainfall

Soil erosion is one of the most important problems in the Loess Plateau of China affectingsustainable agriculture. Near Luoyang (Henan Province, China), field plots were constructed tomeasure soil erosion rates under conventional tillage practices using field-simulated rainfall.Field rainfall experiments were carried out to compare previous results from laboratoryrainfall simulations on the same soil for interrill conditions. Although in the laboratoryexperiments, a strong correlation was found between the stream power of the runoff water andthe unit sediment load, this sediment transport equation overestimated the field rainfallsimulation results. Another sediment transport equation derived by Nearing et al. for rillerosion was in better agreement with the results of the field experiments, although it alsooverestimated these values. The measured sediment load values during the field rainfallsimulations were also lower than those found during field experiments on the same soil but witha loosened surface layer. This difference indicates the importance of soil physical conditionof surfce like soil structure and aggregate size, which may contribute to the discrepancybetween the field and laboratory experiment results.

Dependence of the Accuracy of Precipitation and Cloud Simulation on Temporal and Spatial Scales

Precipitation and associated cloud hydrometeors have large temporal and spatial variability, which makes accurate quantitative precipitation forecasting difficult. Thus, dependence of accurate precipitation and associated cloud simulation on temporal and spatial scales becomes an important issue. We report a cloud- resolving modeling analysis on this issue by comparing the control experiment with experiments perturbed by initial temperature, water vapor, and cloud conditions. The simulation is considered to be accurate only if the root-mean-squared difference between the perturbation experiments and the control experiment is smaller than the standard deviation. The analysis may suggest that accurate precipitation and cloud simulations cannot be obtained on both fine temporal and spatial scales simultaneously, which limits quanti- tative precipitation forecasting. The accurate simulation of water vapor convergence could lead to accurate precipitation and cloud simulations on daily time scales, but it may not be beneficial to precipitation and cloud simulations on hourly time scales due to the dominance of cloud processes.

Forming condition of transient saturated zone and its distribution in residual slope under rainfall conditions

Rainfall, as one of the most significant factors triggering the residual soil slope failure, leads to not only the reduction of soil shear strength, but also the increase of soil weight and the decrease of matric suction as well. All these modifications in soil properties have important influence on the slope stability. The water infiltration and redistribution inside the slope are the preconditions of the slope stability under rainfall conditions. Based on the numerical simulation via finite element method, the water infiltration process under rainfall conditions was studied in the present work. The emphases are the formation, distribution and dissipation of transient saturated zone. As for the calculation parameters, the SWCC and the saturated permeability have been determined by pressure plate test and variable head test respectively. The entire process(formation, development, dissipation) of the transient saturated zone was studied in detail. The variations of volumetric water content, matric suction and hydraulic gradient inside the slope, and the eventually raise of groundwater table were characterized and discussed, too. The results show that the major cause of the formation of transient saturated zone is ascribed to the fact that the exudation velocity of rainwater on the wetting front is less than the infiltration velocity of rainfall; as a result, the water content of the soil increases. On the other hand, the formation and extension of transient saturated zone have a close relationship with rainfall intensity and duration. The results can help the geotechnical engineers for the deeper understanding of the failure of residual slope under rainfall condition. It is also suggested that the proper drainage system in the slope may be the cost-effective slope failure mitigation method.

Slope runoff study in situ using rainfall simulator in mountainous area of North China

Simulated rainfall is a valid tool to examine the runoff generation on the slope.13 simulated rainfall experiments with different rainfall intensities and durations are completed in a 5 m ×10 m experimental plot in mountainous area of North China.Simultaneously,rainfall,surface runoff,soil-layer flow,mantel-layer flow and soil moisture are monitored respectively.From the results,it is found that the hydrographs in all layers have the characteristics of rapid rise and fall.The recessions of surface flow and soil-layer flow are much faster than that of mantel-layer flow.Surface flow,the main contributor,makes up more than 60% of the total runoff in the study area.It even exceeds 90% in the cases of high intensity rainfall events.Runoff coefficient(ratio of total runoff to rainfall amount) is mainly influenced by rainfall amount,rainfall intensity and antecedent soil moisture,and the relationship can be well expressed by a multiple linear regression function α = 0.002P + 0.182i + 4.88Wa-0.821.The relation between the rainfall intensity and the lag time of three flows(surface runoff,soil-layer flow and mantel-layer flow) is shown to be exponential.Then,the result also shows that the recession constant is 0.75 for surface runoff,is 0.94 for soil-layer and mantel-layer flow in this area.In this study area,the dominant infiltration excess runoff is simulated by Horton model.About 0.10 mm/min percolation is observed under the condition of different rainfall intensities,therefore the value is regarded as the steady infiltration rate of the study area.

Analysis of Soil Anti-erosion Characteristics under Artificial Rainfall Conditions

[ Objective] The study aimed to discuss the anti-erosion characteristics of different soils under artificial rainfall conditions. [ Method] Through artificial rainfall experiments, the characteristics of surface runoff and sediment yield of loess, black soil, purple soil and red soil wee cont- rastively studied under the same experimental conditions. [ Resultl Under the same conditions, red soil had the best anti-erosion ability, fallowed by purple soil, black soil and loess. In practice, soil and water conservation measures should be adopted according to erosion characters of different soils. [ Conclusion] The research could provide scientific references for the establishment of soil and water conservation measures in soil erosion ar- eas of China.

DIAGNOSTIC INVESTIGATION OF SIMULATION BIAS WITH THE GRAPES-MESO MODEL FOR A TORRENTIAL RAIN CASE

In this paper, the numerical simulation bias of the non-hydrostatic version GRAPES-Meso （Mesoscalc of the Global and Regional Assimilation and Prediction System） at the resolution of 0.18° for a torrential rain case, which happened in May 31st to June 1st 2005 over Hunan province, are diagnosed and investigated by using the radiosondes, intensive surface observation, and the operational global analysis data, and the sensitivity experimental results as well. It is shown in the result that the GRAPES-Meso could reproduce quite well the main features of large-scale circulation and the distribution of the accumulated 24h precipitation and the key locations of tile torrential rainfall arc captured reasonably well by the model. I fowever, bias exist in the simulation of the mesoscale features of the torrential rain and details of the relevant systems. for example, the simulated rainfall that is too earlier in model integration and remsrkable. underpredictien of the peak value of rainfall rates over the heaviest rainfall region, the weakness of the upper jet siimulation and the overpredietion of the south-west wind in the lower troposphere etc. The investigation reveals that the sources of the simulation bias are different. The erroneous model rainfall in the earlier integration stage over the heaviest rainfall region is induced by the model initial condition bias of the wind field at ablaut 925hPa over the torrential rainfall region, where the bias grow rapidly and spread upward to about 600hPa level within the few hours into the integration and result in abnormal convergence of the wind and moisture, and thus the unreal rainfall over that region. The large bias on the simulated rainfall intensity over the heaviest rainfall region might be imputed to the following combined facters of（1） the simulation bias on the strength and detailed structures of the upper-level jet core which bring about significant, underpredictions of the dynamic conditions （including upper-level divergence and the up,yard motion for heavy rainfalt due to unfavorable mesoscale vertical coupting between the strong, upper-level divergence and Iower-level convergence; and （2） the inefficient coupling of the cumulous parameterzation scheme and the explicit moisture in the integration, which causes the failure of the explicit moisture scheme in generating grid-scale rainfall in a certain extent through inadequate convective adjustmenl and feedback to the grid-scale, In addition, the interaction of the combined two factors could form a negative feedback to the rainfall intensity simulation, and eventually lead to the obvious undcrprediction of the rainfall rate.

A MODELING STUDY OF PARAMETERIZATION SCHEMES FOR DEPOSITIONAL GROWTH OF ICE CRYSTAL:FOUR RAINFALL CASES OVER TROPICS AND MIDLATITUDES

Depositional growth of ice crystal is one of the major processes for development of precipitation systems and can be represented by depositional growth of cloud ice from cloud water(P_(IDW)) and depositional growth of snow from cloud ice(P_(SFI)) in cloud-resolving model. Four parameterization schemes are analyzed in the cloud-resolving model simulations of four rainfall cases over the tropics and midlatitudes. The comparison of time and model domain mean data shows that Shen's scheme produces the closest rainfall simulation to the observation. Compared to Zeng's scheme,Shen's scheme improves the mean rain-rate simulation significantly through the dramatic decrease in depositional growth of cloud ice from cloud water. Compared to other schemes, Shen's scheme produces the better rainfall simulation via the reduction in the mean rain rate associated with the enhanced gain of cloud water and ice.

Effect of microrelief features of tillage methods under different rainfall intensities on runoff and soil erosion in slopes

Tillage methods play a crucial role in controlling rainwater partitioning and soil erosion.This study utilized rainfall simulation experiments to investigate the impact of four tillage methods(manual digging(MD),manual hoeing(MH),traditional ploughing(TP),and ridged ploughing(RP))on runoff and soil erosion at the plot scale.The smooth slope(SS)was used as a benchmark.Rainfall intensities of 30,60,90,and 120 mm h−1 were considered.The study revealed that tillage altered rainwater distribution into depression storage,infiltration,and runoff.Tillage reduces runoff and increases infiltration.The four tillage methods(30–73%)increased the proportion of rainwater converted to infiltration to varying degrees compared to the SS(22–53%).Microrelief features influenced the role of tillage methods in soil erosion.Surface roughness and depression storage accounted for 79%of the variation in sediment yield.The four tillage methods reduced runoff by 2.1–64.7%and sediment yield by 2.5–77.2%.Moreover,increased rainfall intensity weakens the ability of tillage to control soil erosion.When rainfall intensity increased to 120 mm h−1,there was no significant difference in runoff yield among RP,TP,MH,and SS.Therefore,assessing the effectiveness of tillage in reducing soil erosion should consider changes in rainfall intensity.Additionally,the cover management(C)factor of the RUSLE was used to assess the effects of different tillage methods on soil loss.Overall,the C factor values for tilled slopes are in the order MH>TP>RP>MD with a range of 0.23–0.97.As the surface roughness increases,the C factor tends to decrease,and the two are exponential functions(R2=0.86).These studies contribute to our understanding of how different tillage methods impact runoff and soil erosion in sloped farmland and provide guidance for selecting appropriate local manual tillage methods.

Critical thresholds for stage division of water erosion process in different ridge systems in mollisol region of Northeast China

Extreme rainfall events on a slope under ridge tillage systems cause concentrated stream soil loss.To analyse the critical thresholds for different stages of water erosion process of ridge systems,simulated rainfall-erosion experiments for the contour wide ridge(CWR),contour narrow ridge(CNR),longitudinal wide ridge(LWR),and longitudinal narrow ridge(LNR)were conducted under four rainfall intensities,with slope gradients of 3°and 5°.For the runoff event,the runoff depth order was LNR>LWR>CWR>CNR;the soil loss order was CNR>LNR>CWR>LWR.The product of slope factor(S)and rainfall erosivity(R)or runoff depth(D),can be adopted as critical thresholds for different stages of runoff and soil erosion process.For the longitudinal ridge systems,R values were provided for LWR and LNR and were the beginning of sheet flow,whereas the product of rainfall erosivity and slope factor(RS)values were provided for LWR and LNR as the beginning of the accelerated concentrated flow.For the contour ridge systems,R values were provided for CWR and CNR as critical thresholds for the beginning of overflow.The product of runoff depth and slope factor(DS)values were 9.98 and 7.73 mm for CWR and CNR,respectively,and were critical thresholds for the beginning of ridge failure;the DS values were 18.45 and 12.75 mm for CWR and CNR,respectively,and were critical thresholds for the beginning of the formation of ephemeral gully erosion.The critical thresholds can distinguish different stages of soil erosion process modelling.

Migration and risks of potentially toxic elements from sewage sludge applied to acid forest soil

`The application of sewage sludge(SS)to forested lands may lead to the downward migration of potentially toxic elements(PTEs)through rainfall and thus pose risk to the subsoil and groundwater.Batch column experiments were conducted using leaching water equivalent to the rainfall amount in the study area over 3 years to investigate changes in concentrations of PTEs,including copper(Cu),zinc(Zn),lead(Pb),cadmium(Cd),and nickel(Ni)in the leachate from the acidic forest soil.Water quality index of leachate,potential ecological risk and human health risk in soil at different leaching stages were compared.Sewage sludge was applied at SS/soil mass ratios of 0:100(controls),15:85(T1),30:70(T2),45:55(T3),60:40(T4),and 75:25(T5).All treatments resulted in increased PTEs concentration in the upper 20 cm soil,T3-T5 increased potential ecological risk from"low"(control)to"moderate"or"considerable".During first year leaching,PTEs concentration increased with increasing SS/soil ratios,but the water quality index of T1-T3 was"excellent"or"good".Pb,Cu,Cd,and Ni in the 20-40 cm soil depth,and Zn in the 60-80 cm soil depth were also enriched,but potential ecological risk was"low".In subsequent leaching,PTEs concentration of leachate gradually returned to the background value and water quality index was"excellent".There were no significant changes in PTEs and ecological risk observed.During the monitoring process,the health risk caused by the migration of PTEs to the human body was always within the acceptable range.Overall,this study provides a reference for the management of risks from the application of SS on forestlands,i.e.,SS/soil ratios<45:55 is recommended on forestlands,and special attention should be given to early leaching risk.In addition,it also provides an important assessment method for the risk of PTEs leaching and migration in forested land application.