An Empirical Model of Sediment Trapping Efficiency by Vegetative Filter Strips in Chinese Northwest

Abstract

Vegetative filter strip (VFS) is be defined as areas of vegetation designed to remove sediment and other pollutants from surface runoff. Many factors affect the effectiveness of VFS. So the quantitative analysis on relation between effectiveness and influencing factors had been conducted based on the plot experiment data in this paper. Result reveals that the order in impact degree of its factors is: inflow rate factor > width factor > vegetation condition > pollutants concentration in inflow > initial soil water content factor, the relation equation of purification effect and VFS width is the form of logarithm, and the relation equation of concentration reduction rate and inflow rate is the form of power function. Furthermore, a simple empirical model had been developed to predict sediment trapping efficiency in allusion to Chinese northwest region, which can provide computational basis for design of VFS in northwest region and other similar areas.