Abstract
Ecological restoration is difficult on the red clay highway slopes in the rainy areas in South China that experience severe soil erosion. By using the hydrophilic polyurethane material W-OH to solidify and protect red clay slopes, the erosion control will be substantially improved. We employed simulated rainfall erosion experiments and pot experiments to evaluate the anti-corrosion and growth promotion performances. We found that, (1) in the initial stage of protection, W-OH had the effect of accelerating slope drainage, solidifying the soil structure, and reducing soil loss, with the sediment reduction benefit reaching 37.4–65.3%. (2) The anti-erosion effect was mainly based on soil solidification. (3) The W-OH was affected by rainfall intensity and the W-OH concentration, and the soil erosion prediction equation was constructed according to the observation. (4) W-OH had a promising water retention performance and can promote the germination and late growth of slope plants to reduce the influence of eluviation. (5) The suitable W-OH solution concentration was 3–5% for slope protection herbs and shrubs, which were commonly used in South China. (6) The reduction in porosity was the fundamental cause of water retention improvement. The ecological restoration of slopes is a comprehensive process. Therefore, both anti-erosion performance and later plant growth are necessary. Our research provides a theoretical and experimental basis for applying the W-OH in the ecological restoration of the red clay slopes in subtropical areas and expanding the scope of the W-OH.
Highlights
The red clay hilly area of South China is located in the subtropical monsoon climate zone
Our research provides a theoretical and experimental basis for applying the W-OH in the ecological restoration of the red clay slopes in subtropical areas and expanding the scope of the on Red Clay Highway Slopes: A Case
The operation of ecological restoration for slopes based on W-OH required hydroseeder, dual-tube sprayers, and sprinklers
Summary
The red clay hilly area of South China is located in the subtropical monsoon climate zone. Low erosion resistance and insufficient nutrient supplementation hinder the ecological restoration of the red clay slopes [3]. Traditional ecological restoration methods are both engineering and ecological measures The former mainly includes slope engineering, ditch protection engineering, and trench engineering. It focuses mainly on the water interception and drainage to reduce the runoff erosion It utilizes “gray” materials such as concrete to reinforce the surface soil of slopes. The characteristics of runoff generation and sediment production, effects of growth promotion, and W-OH water retention performance on red clay slopes under diverse concentrations were comprehensively explored. The conclusions provide a theoretical and experimental basis for applying W-OH materials in the ecological restoration of red clay road slopes in rainy areas
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