scholarly journals The Effect of the Gully Land Consolidation Project on Soil Erosion and Crop Production on a Typical Watershed in the Loess Plateau

Land ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoliang Han ◽  
Peiyi Lv ◽  
Sen Zhao ◽  
Yan Sun ◽  
Shiyu Yan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Agricultural Sustainability ◽  
Land Consolidation ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Land Consolidation Project

The Gully Land Consolidation Project (GLCP) was launched to create more arable land by excavating soil from the slopes on both sides of gullies, combined with simultaneous comprehensive gully prevention and control measures. The purpose of the GLCP is to increase crop production and reduce soil erosion to achieve ecological and agricultural sustainability. In this study, we assess the effects of the GLCP on soil erosion and crop production by studying the BaoChengGou Watershed in the Loess Plateau, primarily by means of high spatial-resolution satellite images (taken by the GF-1 and ZY-3 satellites) combined with the InVEST model and field investigations. Sloping cropland, sparse forestland, and natural grassland are the main land use types in the study area. After implementing the GLCP, consolidated land in the cropland increased by 7.35%, an increase that has come largely at the expense of grassland and forestland. The GLCP has markedly reduced soil erosion in the BaoChengGou Watershed, especially in the sense that soil erosion intensity was also reduced significantly in the project region on the whole, despite intensifying in certain places, such as excavated slopes; furthermore, it has improved crop yields in the study area by 10.9%. Comprehensive measurement shows the GLCP to be scientific, reasonable, and clearly efficacious. This study presents findings regarding the positive significance of the GLCP in promoting ecological and agricultural sustainability in the Loess Plateau.

scholarly journals The effects of three micro-catchment practices on erosion and runoff dynamics for a typical soil slope on the Loess Plateau of China

2019 ◽  
Vol 99 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liquan Sun ◽  
Shufang Wu ◽  
Robert Lee Hill ◽  
Huili Guo ◽  
Hao Feng
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Linear Functions ◽  
Fish Scale ◽  
Transition Flow ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Stream Power ◽  
Cumulative Rainfall ◽  
Reduction Effect

Three micro-catchment measures that are named fish-scale pits (FSPs), artificial digging (AD), and contour plowing (CP) for soil erosion prevention are widely used in the Loess Plateau. To clarify the effectiveness of these measures in intercepting runoff and reducing erosion and the mechanism of water flow movement, intermittent simulated rainfall events was carried out in the 15° slopes with FSPs, AD, CP, and control slope (CK). The results demonstrated the following. (1) For cumulative rainfall <83 mm, three measures effectively intercepted runoff and reduced sediment compared with the CK. The runoff and sediment reduction effect of three measures gradually disappeared when cumulative rainfall increased to 83, 99, and 108 mm, and the sediment generation of the three measures successively exceeded that of the CK and was more than two times higher. (2) Laminar or transition flow occurred for the CK, and the flow pattern changed from subcritical to supercritical at 101 mm of cumulative rainfall. For three measures, the flow patterns became turbulent within a short time but remained subcritical. (3) A correlation analysis showed that the soil detachment rate, hydraulic shear stress, and stream power in the micro-catchment measures can be described using linear functions, which reduced the rill erodibility and enhanced the soil’s resistance to concentrated flow erosion. This research has important guiding significance on the rational and effective implementation of micro-catchment practices to prevent severe soil erosion and increase water storage for crop production on the Loess Plateau of China.

The Geo-Hazards Triggered of Serial Reclamation Land of Extreme Precipitation in Typical Regions of the Loess Plateau

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhe Gao
Keyword(s):  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Rainfall Intensity ◽  
Soil And Water Conservation ◽  
Land Consolidation ◽  
Geological Hazards ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
The World ◽  
Soil And Water ◽  
Land Consolidation Project

&lt;p&gt;The Geo-Hazards Triggered of Serial Reclamation Land of Extreme Precipitation in Typical Regions of the Loess Plateau&lt;br&gt;Gao Zhe&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;,Zhang Genguang &lt;sup&gt;1*&lt;/sup&gt;,Gao Jian'en&lt;sup&gt;1,2,3&lt;/sup&gt;,Li Xingyao&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;,Han Jianqiao&lt;sup&gt;2,3&lt;/sup&gt;,Kang Youcai&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;,Guo Zihao&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;,Long Shaobo&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;,Dou Shaohui&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;,Zhang Yuanyuan&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;br&gt;1. College of Water Resources and Architectural Engineering, Northwest A&amp;F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, China;&lt;br&gt;2. Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&amp;F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, China;&lt;br&gt;3. Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, China;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The &amp;#8220;Gully Land Consolidation Project&amp;#8221;(GLCP) was widely carried out all over the world, such as Spain, the United States and China. It was a new attempt to solve the shortage of regional land resources. Aiming at the problem that the influence of extreme rainstorms on the &amp;#8220;Gully Land Consolidation Project&amp;#8221;(GLCP) on the Loess Plateau.By using the method of actual measurement and analysis of categorical data, the erosion disaster in July 26 2017 was investigated in Niu Xue Gully of Wuding River Watershed in Zizhou County of the Central part of the Loess Plateau. The results showed :&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;(1) The Niu Xue Gully Small Watershed in Zizhou County (109&amp;#176;55'25&quot;E, 37&amp;#176;39'46&quot;N), which was located in the central part of the Loess Plateau and belonged to the northern Shaanxi Loess Hilly-Gully region. The Niu Xuegou catchment covered an area of 0.48 km&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; and the average altitude of the region in about 1000-1200 meters, land consolidation in the basin about 38 mu&amp;#65288;25333.3m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;&amp;#65289;since 2014.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;(2) This storm was characterized by &quot;long duration and large precipitation&quot;, the accumulated rainfall was 147.9 mm, the average rainfall intensity was 13.45 mm/h, the maximum rainfall intensity was close to 5 mm/min, the maximum flood peak discharge was 44.64 m&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;/s, the flood duration was about 11 hours, and the flood recurrence period was more than once in a hundred years.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;(3) The storm caused nearly a thousand geological hazards at the channel of the basin. The main types of disasters were as follows, gravity erosion types, such as landslides, landslides, and mudflows, account for 14.85% of the conventional geological hazards; secondary disasters of water erosion types, such as trench erosion and dam erosion, occurring at different locations on the slope, accounted for 51.05% and composite new-derived land destruction and dam break disasters account for nearly 10% .&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;(4) The damage of cascade land preparation was closely related to the average flood discharge, embankment height and ecological vegetation cover in the watershed.&lt;br&gt;The investigation provided technical support for the consolidation of the Chinese implementation of the &quot;Cropland to Forest (Grass)&quot; results on the Loess Plateau, and also provided theoretical support for the safe implementation of the &amp;#8220;Gully Land Consolidation Project&amp;#8221;(GLCP) around the world.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Keywords: The loess plateau; Extreme rainstorm;The &amp;#8220;Gully Land Consolidation Project&amp;#8221;(GLCP)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Funding:(National Key R&amp;D Program of China: 2017YFC0504703)&amp;#65307;(National Natural Science Foundation of China,41877078,41371276,51879227);(Research and Development and Integrated demonstration of key Technologies in soil and Water Conservation Engineering,A315021615)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&amp;#160; &amp;#160; &amp;#160; &amp;#160;&amp;#160;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Spatial Variabilities of Runoff Erosion and Different Underlying Surfaces in the Xihe River Basin

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ning Wang ◽  
Zhihong Yao ◽  
Wanqing Liu ◽  
Xizhi Lv ◽  
Mengdie Ma
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Alluvial Soil ◽  
Underlying Surface ◽  
Spatial Gradient ◽  
Hydrological Process ◽  
The Loess Plateau

Runoff erosion capacity has significant effects on the spatial distribution of soil erosion and soil losses. But few studies have been conducted to evaluate these effects in the Loess Plateau. In this study, an adjusted SWAT model was used to simulate the hydrological process of the Xihe River basin from 1993 to 2012. The spatial variabilities between runoff erosion capacity and underlying surface factors were analyzed by combining spatial gradient analysis and GWR (Geographically Weighted Regression) analysis. The results show that the spatial distribution of runoff erosion capacity in the studying area has the following characteristics: strong in the north, weak in the south, strong in the west, and weak in the east. Topographic factors are the dominant factors of runoff erosion in the upper reaches of the basin. Runoff erosion capacity becomes stronger with the increase of altitude and gradient. In the middle reaches area, the land with low vegetation coverage, as well as arable land, show strong runoff erosion ability. In the downstream areas, the runoff erosion capacity is weak because of better underlying surface conditions. Compared with topographic and vegetation factors, soil factors have less impact on runoff erosion. The red clay and mountain soil in this region have stronger runoff erosion capacities compared with other types of soils, with average runoff modulus of 1.79 × 10−3 m3/s·km2 and 1.68 × 10−3 m3/s·km2, respectively, and runoff erosion power of 0.48 × 10−4 m4/s·km2 and 0.34 × 10−4 m4/s·km2, respectively. The runoff erosion capacity of the alluvial soil is weak, with an average runoff modulus of 0.96 × 10−3 m3/s·km2 and average erosion power of 0.198 × 10−4 m4/s·km2. This study illustrates the spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of hydraulic erosion in the Xihe River Basin from the perspective of energy. It contributes to the purposeful utilization of water and soil resources in the Xihe River Basin and provides a theoretical support for controlling the soil erosion in the Hilly-gully region of the Loess Plateau.

The Roles of Check Dams and Dam-Trapped Farmlands in the Hilly and Ravine Region of the Loess Plateau: Soil Erosion Control, Grain Production and Food Security 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baiqun Wang ◽  
Weiqin Dang ◽  
Tianmin Dang
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Water Erosion ◽  
Check Dam ◽  
Grain Production ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Soil And Water

&lt;p&gt;The soils are susceptible to water erosion in the hilly and ravine region of the Loess Plateau due to the readily erodible attribute of soils, erosive geomorphology, land use and land cover, and erosive rainfall. The soil and water losses induced by water erosion have the significant on-site impacts on crop growths and yields in this region because of soil nutrient depletion and adverse soil moisture condition. In addition, the crops grown in different land types frequently suffer from the seasonal draught due to climate change, which leads to the decline or failure of crop yield. Therefore, the crop yields and grain production are susceptibly stressed by soil erosion and drought in this region. Soil erosion and draught are the essential issues faced by agriculture production and eco-environment. Alternatively, effective measures of soil and water conservation can incredibly control soil and water losses induced by water erosion, alleviate the influences of draught on crop yields, and sustain grain production in this region. The check dam is one of the widely adopted engineering measures of soil and water conservation in the valleys of the hilly and ravine region on the Loess Plateau. Check dam can play multiple roles in mitigating soil erosion, trapping eroded sediments, regulating runoff and creating the lands in the valleys in the context of water erosion. The check dam can control the soil erosion to some extent because it can raise the basis level of erosion in the valley. The lost sediment and runoff can be trapped by the check dam in a watershed, which can reduce resultant loss rate of soil and water in the outlet of the watershed and mitigate sediment loads in the rive connecting to the watershed. Moreover, the check dam can make sediments or eroded soils deposit so as to develop the relatively flat lands called as the dam-trapped farmland in the valleys. The dam-trapped farmlands along with the terrace lands are regarded as the crucial farmlands due to their excellent farming conditions in this region. Some grain crops, such corn, sorghum, millet or potato, are always grown in the dam-trapped farmlands, among which corn is frequently planted in this kind of farmland. The crop yields of the dam-trapped farmlands have been increasing over the last 60 years. It is evidenced that the yield of corn increased from 2250-3000 kg/ha in 1960s to 12000-15000 kg/ha at present. The corn yield of the dam-trapped farmland is 1.5-2.0 folds of that of the terrace land. The nutrient use efficiency and water use efficiency of corn in the dam-trapped farmland are much higher than those of terrace land. It can be seen that check dam have the powerful function mitigating the losses runoff and sediment, and dam-trapped land can play the critical parts in sustaining grain production and insuring food security in the hilly and ravine region of the Loess Plateau.&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Keywords:&lt;/strong&gt; soil erosion; check dam; dam-trapped farmland; grain production; food security; hilly and ravine region; Loess Plateau&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Effects of Vegetation Restoration on Soil Erosion on the Loess Plateau: A Case Study in the Ansai Watershed

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6266
Author(s):  
Hui Wei ◽  
Wenwu Zhao ◽  
Han Wang
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Vegetation Restoration ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Local Soil ◽  
Erosion Environment

Large-scale vegetation restoration greatly changed the soil erosion environment in the Loess Plateau since the implementation of the “Grain for Green Project” (GGP) in 1999. Evaluating the effects of vegetation restoration on soil erosion is significant to local soil and water conservation and vegetation construction. Taking the Ansai Watershed as the case area, this study calculated the soil erosion modulus from 2000 to 2015 under the initial and current scenarios of vegetation restoration, using the Chinese Soil Loess Equation (CSLE), based on rainfall and soil data, remote sensing images and socio-economic data. The effect of vegetation restoration on soil erosion was evaluated by comparing the average annual soil erosion modulus under two scenarios among 16 years. The results showed: (1) vegetation restoration significantly changed the local land use, characterized by the conversion of farmland to grassland, arboreal land, and shrub land. From 2000 to 2015, the area of arboreal land, shrub land, and grassland increased from 19.46 km2, 19.43 km2, and 719.49 km2 to 99.26 km2, 75.97 km2, and 1084.24 km2; while the farmland area decreased from 547.90 km2 to 34.35 km2; (2) the average annual soil erosion modulus from 2000 to 2015 under the initial and current scenarios of vegetation restoration was 114.44 t/(hm²·a) and 78.42 t/(hm²·a), respectively, with an average annual reduction of 4.81 × 106 t of soil erosion amount thanks to the vegetation restoration; (3) the dominant soil erosion intensity changed from “severe and light erosion” to “moderate and light erosion”, vegetation restoration greatly improved the soil erosion environment in the study area; (4) areas with increased erosion and decreased erosion were alternately distributed, accounting for 48% and 52% of the total land area, and mainly distributed in the northwest and southeast of the watershed, respectively. Irrational land use changes in local areas (such as the conversion of farmland and grassland into construction land, etc.) and the ineffective implementation of vegetation restoration are the main reasons leading to the existence of areas with increased erosion.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document