The influence of plant cover and land use on slope–channel decoupling in a foothill catchment: a case study from the Carpathian Foothills, southern Poland

Abstract

AbstractThis paper examines the influence of plant cover and land use on slope–channel decoupling in the Stara Rzeka Stream catchment (22·4 km2) and its subcatchment Dworski Potok Stream (0·3 km2). The Stara Rzeka catchment is situated in the marginal part of the Carpathian Foothills and is characterized by a relief of low and medium hills. The catchment is used for agriculture but unlike other foothill catchments, it has a relatively extensive unfragmented area of forests (41·3 per cent). Grasslands and pastures (13·8 per cent) are mainly along the broad and flat valley floor. In the cultivated area (38·5 per cent) of the northern low hill part of the catchment, the fields are long, narrow and separated by boundary strips. They stretch from the hilltops to the valley bottom and are traditionally ploughed along the slopes.The research into slope wash was carried out at six sites downslope (August 1989 to October 1990) and on experimental plots (1989–1991). Transport of suspended matter was determined in the channels of the Stara Rzeka and Dworski Potok Streams (1987–1991).The results show that transport and export of the material on the slopes depend on the morphology of the slope and on the agricultural use of the area. The mosaic of fields which are used differently makes the soil wash process very intensive only if the slopes are ploughed and unprotected by a dense cover of vegetation. The material displaced is mostly accumulated at the foot of the slopes or at the bottom of the valley. Footslope areas and flat valley bottoms covered with grass function as a barrier separating the slope and the river bed. These features generally negate the transfer of slope‐originated material to the bed of the stream. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.