Darcy-Weisbach Resistance Coefficient Research Articles

Exploring the relationship between soil erosion and hydraulic parameters on slopes with clipped herbaceous vegetation through Bayesian network modeling

AbstractClipping management, which alters vegetation conditions by removing aboveground vegetation while preserving the underground root system, directly impacts hydrological processes and flow dynamics, ultimately affecting soil erosion processes. This study conducted field experiments (2 × 6 m) encompassing four clipping intensities (with vegetation coverage of 70%, 50%, 25%, and 0%), three rainfall intensities (60, 90, and 120 mm·h−1), and three slope gradients (10°, 20°, and 30°). The results showed that clipping treatments significantly reduced the Darcy–Weisbach resistance coefficient (f). Elevated levels of clipping intensity, rainfall intensity, and slope gradient led to increased flow velocity (v), Reynolds number (Re), and stream power (ω). The shear stress (τ) exhibited an upward trend with rising slope and rainfall intensity, with no significant difference in the effect of clipping intensity. Variation partitioning analysis demonstrated that the influence of steep slopes amplified the effects of rainfall intensity while diminishing the impact of clipping intensity on v values. Critically, the Bayesian network model suggested that, in comparison to the influence of raindrop splashing, soil detachment and transportation by runoff were the predominant driving mechanisms for erosion on slopes with clipped vegetation. Rainfall intensity and clipping intensity were found to raise the runoff depth and enhance the v value, which ultimately influenced soil erosion. Overall, these results contribute to an improved comprehension of the hydraulic dynamics of soil erosion on slopes with clipped vegetation and provide invaluable perspectives for developing effective clipping management strategies to ensure sustainable land utilization and judicious water resource governance.

Rock surface flow accelerates rill erosion of excavated slopes in karst mining areas

Rock surface flow is the secondary distribution of precipitation and inflow on the rock surface, an essential runoff generation mode in karst areas. The effects of rock surface flow on soil erosion in karst regions cannot be ignored. However, its impact on rill erosion in karst slopes remains unclear. The objectives of this study were to investigate the impact of rock surface flow on rill erosion, rill morphological characteristics, rill flow hydraulic characteristics, and hydrodynamic mechanisms. A field runoff plot (3 m long, 1 m wide and 0.3 m deep) with three inflow rates (2, 3, and 4 L/min) was subjected to runoff simulation experiments under two typical rock surface morphologies in karst areas: smooth rock surface (SRS) and karren rock surface (KRS), with bare slope (BS) as the control group. The results revealed that rock surface flow aggravated the soil and water loss of the excavated slope. Compared to BS, the runoff yield for SRS and KRS increased by 81.49 % and 61.91 %, respectively. Meanwhile, the soil loss of SRS and KRS were 2.50 times and 5.56 times greater. The rills below the rock outcrops didn’t develop into a rill network after formation, owing to the rock surface morphology. Rill depth was the best indicator of rill morphology for evaluating rill erosion on slopes below rock outcrops. The Reynolds number and Darcy–Weisbach resistance coefficient were the optimal hydraulic parameters to predict the rill erosion of the SRS and KRS, respectively. At the same time, the runoff power and flow shear stress were the best hydrodynamic parameters to describe the rill erosion mechanism of SRS and KRS. These results provide a scientific basis for further understanding the mechanism of soil erosion on karst slopes and for preventing soil erosion on karst slopes in mining areas.

Bedrock Fragment Induced by Intensive Tillage Effect on Hydrological Properties and Erosion Processes under Different Rainfall Patterns

To investigate the influence of bedrock fragmentation by intensive tillage on the hydrological characteristics and soil erosion processes on slopes, two experimental treatments (soil–bedrock mixtures, WB, and pure soil, CK) in steel tanks were subjected to simulated rainfall under five rainfall patterns (constant, increasing, decreasing, decreasing–increasing, and increasing–decreasing) with the same total rainfall of 90 mm. For each rainfall event, runoff and sediment concentration were sampled at regular intervals. The flow velocity (v), effective/critical shear stress (τ/τc), Darcy–Weisbach resistance coefficient (f), unit stream power (p), and soil erodibility factor (Kr) were calculated to analyze the differences in hydrodynamic characteristics between the WB and CK. Our experimental findings show that significant differences in runoff volume and sediment yield were observed among different rainfall patterns and stages. Bedrock fragmenting significantly promoted runoff and sediment production under different rainfall patterns, with runoff volume and sediment yield increasing by averages of 59.29% and 71.62%, respectively. An increasing trend in average contribution rate of bedrock to runoff volume and sediment yield was observed across three distinct intensities: 6.37% and 4.61% for 30 mm h−1, 12.53% and 7.53% for 90 mm h−1, as well as 14.79% and 36.98% for 150 mm h−1, respectively. The v and p values under various rainfall patterns exhibited an increasing trend from the upper to the bottom slope positions, whereas the f and τ values showed an opposite trend, regardless of the WB and CK. Compared with the CK, the v, f, and p values for the WB increased by 23.34% to 48.94%, 1.59% to 53.16%, and 3.86% to 27.86%, respectively, whereas the τ value decreased by 1.52% to 22.19% for varying-intensity rainfall patterns. Among the variable rainfall patterns, the WB significantly increased sediment yield and also had a promoting effect on runoff generation. However, the WB displayed better erosion resistance compared to the CK under constant rainfall patterns. Therefore, varied-intensity patterns had a profound impact on bedrock-induced runoff and sediment transport processes.

Effect of gravel coverage on the hydrodynamic characteristics of overland flow on the Loess Plateau in China

In the Loess Plateau of China, the presence of gravel mulching is widespread, and investigating the dynamic changes in hydrodynamic properties induced by gravel coverage is crucial for optimizing soil and water conservation in this region. In this study, the effect of gravel coverage on the hydrodynamic parameters characterizing the overland flow was investigated through indoor artificially simulated scouring experiments, considering ten different gravel coverages, four slope gradients, and nine flow discharges. The results demonstrated significant differences in hydrodynamic parameters under various experimental conditions (P < 0.01). The flow depth exhibited a linear increase with increasing gravel coverage. Compared to flow velocity observed on non-gravel-covered slope, the reduction percentage of flow velocity ranged from 13.62 % to 72.4 % on gravel-covered slopes. Furthermore, a prediction model was developed to quantify the impact of gravel coverage on the mean flow velocity of overland flow. The model achieved a high R2 of 0.858 and a low RME of 13.61 %. The experiments revealed that the overland flow was distributed in the “virtual laminar”-subcritical and transitional-supercritical zones, with mutual restrictions between the influence of gravel coverage and slope gradient on the flow regime. Finally, it was observed that the Darcy–Weisbach resistance coefficient increased with an increase in gravel coverage. These findings provide a solid theoretical basis for optimizing soil erosion prediction models based on the hydrodynamic characteristics of overland flow, and offer guidance for the rational allocation of soil and water conservation measures for gravel-covered slopes.

Influence of the Plateau Pika Mound Numbers on Soil Water Erosion Properties in Alpine Meadows of the Yellow River Source Zone, Western China

The plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) actively contributes to soil erosion and meadow degradation in western China’s Yellow River source zone. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of the pika mound numbers on the hydrodynamic characteristics and soil water erosion through simulated rainfall experiments. The inhibition effects of restored vegetation growth on meadow degradation and soil erosion were explored using a revegetated pika mound as a control. The results showed that at a rainfall intensity of 30 mm/h, the soil loss per unit time increased and then decreased with rainfall time and that 15–20 min of rainfall duration was the sensitive period for soil loss in different pika mound patch lands. The degradation of meadows due to the activities of plateau pika is an essential factor influencing soil erosion, and the soil erosion rate is positively correlated with both the pika mound numbers and slope. The mean flow velocity can better describe the process of the soil erosion, and its value increased with the number of pika mounds and slope. The Reynolds number ranged from 57.85 to 153.63 (Re &lt;500), and it was preliminarily determined that all slope runoff was laminar flow. The Froude number increased linear function with pika mound numbers (p &lt; 0.01), and both the pika mound numbers and slope were significant factors affecting it (p &lt; 0.05). The Darcy–Weisbach resistance coefficient instead decreased with the pika mound numbers and slope, and the inhibitory effect of vegetation on soil erosion was probably limited when the mound numbers reached a certain level. According to the results of the grey correlation and Pearson correlation analysis, changes in the number of pika mounds led to variability in the soil water erosion properties by altering the landscape scale effect. The number of pika mound patches (NP), edge length index (TE), area index (AREA), and volume index (V) were the key influencing factors on the soil erosion rate and hydrodynamic parameters. We conclude that plateau pika activities intensify meadow degradation, and the continuous increase in pika mounds decreases the vegetation cover and flow resistance and increases soil erodibility. Controlling the intensity of plateau pika activities will effectively prevent soil erosion in degraded areas.

Characteristics of Vegetation Resistance Variation in Muddy Water Flows

The shoal area of the lower Yellow River in China is not flooded with water during the dry season, so various plants can grow. When floods overflow the plains in the flood season, the complexity of water resistance is increased due to the resistance to water flow by vegetation, which directly affects flood discharge in the beach area. The drag force coefficient (CD), Manning’s roughness coefficient (n), and Darcy-Weisbach resistance coefficient (f) are commonly used to characterize vegetation drag force. Such studies are commonly conducted in clear water, but flood water in the lower Yellow River is generally muddy. In order to study the effect of the same sediment content and different sedimentation thicknesses on the resistance of muddy waters containing vegetation, this study conducted experiments in a flume (length = 28 m, width = 0.5 m, and height = 0.5 m) under different deposition thicknesses. The results showed that the vegetation drag force coefficient (CD), vegetation roughness (nb), and Darcy-Weisbach drag coefficient (f) all decreased logarithmically with increasing Reynolds number (Re) and Froude number (Fr). When Re &gt; 30,000, under the conditions of different siltation thicknesses of vegetation, the vegetation roughness tended to stabilize near its minimum value. When the Reynolds number of the water flow is large (Re &gt; 20,000), the variation of the Darcy-Weisbach drag coefficient f slows down with the Reynolds number Re. Logarithmic functions were established for the above resistance coefficients and flow coefficients, and the corresponding correlation coefficients were high, indicating that the conclusions were reliable.

Laboratory-Scaled Investigation into Combined Impacts of Temporal Rainfall Patterns and Intensive Tillage on Soil and Water Loss

Many studies have focused on the impacts of rainfall duration and intensity, while overlooking the role of rainfall patterns on intensive tillage erosion in hilly agricultural landscapes. The objective of this study was to determine the combined effects of rainfall patterns and tillage erosion on surface runoff and soil loss on sloping farmland in the purple soil area of China. Five simulated rainfall patterns (constant, rising, falling, rising–falling, and falling–rising) with the same total precipitation were designed, and the intensive tillage treatment (IT) and no-tillage treatment (NT) were subjected to simulated rainfall using rectangular steel tanks (2 m × 5 m) with a slope of 15°. To analyse the differences in the hydrological characteristics induced by tillage erosion, we calculated the flow velocity (V), Reynolds number (Re), Froude number (Fr), and Darcy–Weisbach resistance coefficient (f). The results indicate that significant differences in surface runoff and sediment yield were found among different rainfall patterns and rainfall stages (p &lt; 0.05). The falling pattern and falling–rising pattern had a shorter time gap between the rainfall initiation and runoff occurrence as well as a larger sediment yield than those of the other rainfall patterns. The value of f varied from 0.30 to 9.05 for the IT and 0.48 to 11.57 for the NT and exhibited an approximately inverse trend to V and Fr over the course of the rainfall events. Compared with the NT, the mean sediment yield rates from the IT increased the dynamic range of 8.34–16.21% among the different rainfall patterns. The net contributions of the IT ranged from 2.77% to 46.39% in terms of surface runoff and 10.14–78.95% in terms of sediment yield on sloping farmland. The surface runoff and sediment yield were positively correlated with rainfall intensity, V, and Fr, but negatively correlated with f irrespective of tillage operation (p &lt; 0.05). The results showed that the tillage erosion effects on soil and water loss were closely related to rainfall patterns in hilly agricultural landscapes. Our study not only sheds light on the mechanism of tillage erosion and rainfall erosion but also provides useful insights for developing tillage water erosion prediction models to evaluate soil and water loss on cultivated hillslopes.

A comparative experimental study of rill erosion on loess soil and clay loam soil based on a digital close-range photogrammetry technology

Accurately describing rill development is important for building physical process models of soil erosion. The objectives of this study were to investigate the evolution processes of rill erosion morphology, their impacts on runoff and sediment yield, and the relationship between flow hydraulic characteristics and rill erosion dynamic mechanisms on slopes of two soil types, namely, clay loam soil (CLS) and loess soil (LS), under two successive rainfall events at a rainfall intensity of 120 mm h−1. We used digital close range photogrammetry technology to obtain overhead images of two experimental soil bins (5 m long, 1 m wide and 0.5 m deep with a slope gradient of 20°) at 5-minute time intervals to monitor the dynamic processes of rill erosion. The results showed that rill erosion processes exhibited important impacts on sediment and runoff and its hydrodynamic characteristics. Compared with LS, runoff formed and rills developed earlier in the CLS slope. Soil with high clay content was more prone to form rills, but less susceptible to severe soil erosion than LS. Once rills began to develop in LS, soil loss increased and the morphology of rills changed rapidly, as did runoff rate. The flow velocity for the two soils decreased gradually with time and increased along the flow direction. The trend of Froude number (Fr) decreased with time, whereas the Darcy-Weisbach resistance coefficient (f) exhibited an opposite trend. The Reynolds number (Re) of LS increased first and then decreased, while Re of CLS decreased gradually with time. Sediment yield and runoff were positively correlated with f, but significantly negatively correlated with Fr. Moreover, Re was significantly negatively correlated with sediment yield, but not with runoff. These results are of great importance for soil loss prediction.

Influence of combined stem vegetation distribution and discretization on the hydraulic characteristics of overland flow

Vegetation has important functions of conserving water sources, reducing surface sediment transport, slowing down the process of soil erosion, purifying soil quality and filtering pollutants, and plays an important role in soil and water conservation and environmental protection governance. Accurate simulation of the slope runoff process is important in the research of hydrological models. Existing distributed hydrological models use a single factor, slope vegetation, to determine the vegetation distribution pattern between slope grid units; thus, the homogenization process does not consider the influence of slope vegetation on the hydraulic characteristics. To clarify the effects of the combination and discrete distribution of stem-type vegetation on the hydraulic characteristics of overland flow, this study conducted 768 sets of indoor flume tests through six combined distributions, six discrete distributions, four slopes, and 16 flow discharges. The results show that: 1) Under the experimental conditions, overland flow is located in the transition and turbulent flow regions, and the flow pattern is mutually restricted by the combined distribution of vegetation, discrete distribution of vegetation, and slope. 2) The Darcy–Weisbach resistance coefficient increases with the increase in the combined diameter and dispersion of vegetative stems, which verifies that the results of the study on complex and varied vegetation overland flows obtained via generalized simulations of homogeneous vegetation deviate from the physical reality of overland flow. 3) An increase in the thickness of the integrated vegetation stems and the increase in the degree of dispersion of vegetation both lead to an increase in the vegetation coverage density. The change in vegetation density initiates the change in the flow pattern and resistance of the overland flow. 4) The total resistance under the combined vegetation cover is divided into morphological resistance and particle resistance. The proportion of particle resistance is smaller than that of morphological resistance and decreases with an increase in flow. 5) The influence of stem diameter, Reynolds number, and slope of the combined vegetation was considered comprehensively, and a flow-resistance calculation model was established.

Comparing erosion and rill development processes by simulated upslope inflow in two red soils from subtropical China

Rill erosion is an important component of soil erosion, however, the process and mechanism of rill erosion on red soil slopes are not clear enough. In this paper, runoff scouring experiments were conducted with five varying inflow rates (8.5, 10, 11.5, 13, 14.5 L min−1 m−1) and one slope (8°) using two typical red soils in subtropical China: Ultisols derived from shale (UDS) and Ultisols derived from quaternary red clay (UDQ). The results showed that for the two red soils, runoff rate, sediment yield rate, and rill erosion amount were all positively correlated with inflow rates in linear relationships (p < 0.05). The high sand and low clay contents in eroded sediments were closely related to the original soil texture (dominated by clay and silt) and rill flow energy. Stream power and unit stream power were the optimal hydraulic parameters to characterize rill erosion mechanisms for UDS and UDQ, respectively. For UDQ with higher clay content and bulk density, the sediment yield process was more stable and the sand content in the eroded sediments was significantly higher than that of UDS, while the silt content was significantly lower. The rill flow of UDQ had slower velocity and larger Darcy–Weisbach resistance coefficient than that of UDS. For UDS with lower clay and higher sand content, the average sediment yield rate and rill depth were 2.26–4.71 and 2.79–6.53 times of UDQ, respectively, and the rill erodibility parameter was 1.84 times that of UDQ. The results are helpful for understanding the rill erosion mechanism and preventing soil loss in subtropical areas.

Nonlinear response of hydrodynamic and soil erosive behaviors to biocrust coverage in drylands

In dryland ecosystems, soil erosion poses severe threats to ecosystem productivity and human well-being. Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are ubiquitous living covers in these ecosystems and play an important role in soil stabilization and erosion prevention. However, the quantitative relationship between biocrust coverage and soil water erosion as well as the driving mechanism have not yet been fully discussed, which hinders the development of soil erosion models that consider the effect of biocrusts. Accordingly, we set up 19 biocrust plots (10 m × 2.1 m) with coverage ranging from 9.3% to 80.0% on the Loess Plateau of China and conducted a series of simulated rainfall experiments. The quantitative relationship between runoff and sediment yield and biocrust coverage was assessed, and further complex correlations among these variables were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). We found that (1) the runoff rates and sediment yield were significantly related to biocrust coverage. The runoff rates and sediment yield decreased with increasing biocrust coverage via a logarithmic function and an exponential function, respectively. The runoff rate and sediment yield rate from the plot with 9.3% biocrust coverage were 3.2 and 51.5 times higher, respectively, than those from the plot with 78.4% biocrust coverage. (2) The flow pattern and regime of overland flow were significantly affected by biocrust coverage. The overland flow was shifted from tranquil flow to supercritical flow when the biocrust coverage declined to 12.3%. The flow velocity, stream power, Darcy-Weisbach resistance coefficient, Froude number, and Reynolds number were strongly correlated with biocrust coverage (R2 = 0.548–0.830). (3) Biocrust coverage both directly and indirectly affected sediment yield. The anchoring effect of biocrusts directly protected the surface soil from raindrop impacts and runoff scouring (direct effect = −0.59). Additionally, biocrust cover had an indirect negative effect (−0.38) on sediment yield by decreasing the flow velocity and runoff rate with path coefficients of −0.81 and −0.78, respectively. Our results confirm that soil hydrological and erosive behavior have nonlinear relationships with biocrust coverage at the hill-slope scale, and they also reveal that variation in biocrust coverage is one of the main driving factors affecting soil hydrological and erosive behaviors. These results would improve soil water erosion estimation on biocrust-covered slopes and provide guidance for revising soil erosion models to include the effectiveness of biocrusts.

Overland flow resistance and its components for slope surfaces covered with gravel and grass

Overland flow resistance plays an important role in predicting hillslope hydrological and erosion processes on hillslopes. Soil surfaces covered with grass and/or gravel may increase hydraulic resistance to overland flow, but there is little information on the determination on these resistance components in a composite slopeland. In this study, the smooth and sand-bed surfaces covered with different gravel or/and grass (cover degree = 2.5%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%) under five slope gradients (3°, 6°, 9°, 12°, 15°) were subjected to inflows to investigate the hydraulic resistance and validate the sum law of resistance components. The results showed that, the overland flow mainly belonged to transition or turbulent and supercritical flow regime with 150 < Re < 2050 and 0.4 < Fr < 6.9. As the gravel or grass cover increased, Darcy-Weisbach resistance coefficient (f) significantly increased. The resistance can be well predicted by flow discharge, gravel or grass cover using a power equation. The flow discharge had a greater influence on flow resistance than gravel or grass cover, and the impact of flow discharge weakened with the increasing bed slopes. The total resistance was generally greater than the sum of resistance components, and there existed a positive additional resistance for the composite surfaces. The additional resistance accounted for 37.4%, 4.2% and 16.6% to the total resistance for the sand surfaces covered with gravel, grass and both of them, respectively. These results can help to understand the rainfall-runoff processes and improve the design of soil and water conservation measures in the rocky and mountainous areas.

Resistance Analysis of Morphologies in Headwater Mountain Streams

River flow velocity is determined by the energy available for flow motion and the energy fraction lost by flow resistance. We compared the performance of different equations for the Darcy-Weisbach resistance coefficient (f) and empirical equations to predict flow velocity. The set of equations was tested using data from the Quinuas headwater mountain river in the Andean region. The data was collected in three Cascades, two Step-pools, and one Plane-bed covering a wide range of velocity magnitudes. The results reveal that nondimensional hydraulic geometry equations (NDHG) with a Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency index (EF) varying from 0.6–0.85 provide the most accurate velocity prediction. Furthermore, the study proposes a methodology applicable to all morphologies for defining the NDHG parameters using easily measured field data. The results show an improvement in predictability with EF values in the range of 0.81–0.86. Moreover, the methodology was tested against data from the literature, which was not divided into morphologies providing EF values of around 0.9. The authors encourage the application of the presented methodology to other reaches to obtain additional data about the NDHG parameters. Our findings suggest that those parameters could be related to reach characteristics (e.g., certain characteristic grain size), and in that case, the methodology could be useful in ungauged streams.

Effects of the distribution of biological soil crust on the hydrodynamic characteristics of surface runoff.

The distribution pattern of biological soil crusts (biocrusts) is one of the main factors affecting runoff and sediment yield. The relationship between runoff and sediment yield and biocrusts' distribution pattern is not clear, which hinders understanding the mechanism underlying the effects of biocrusts on runoff and sediment from slopes. To fill the knowledge gap, we investigated the relationship between the landscape indices of three biocrusts' distribution patterns, i.e. zonation, chessboard and random, and the hydraulic parameters, using of simulated rainfall experiments and landscape ecology methods. The results showed that biocrust significantly affected the erosion force of slopes and that its distribution pattern could affect slope erosion dynamics. Compared to bare soil, the presence of biocrusts significantly reduced the runoff velocity (54.6%) and Froude number (67.0%), increased the runoff depth (86.2%) and Darcy-Weisbach resistance coefficient (10.68 times), but did not affect the Reynolds number and runoff power. Expect for the runoff depth, there were significant differences in the hydraulic parameters of the three biocrusts' distribution patterns, with the random pattern having the strongest impacts on the dynamics of slope erosion. Based on factor analysis and cluster analysis, five indices of percentage of patch to landscape area, patch density, landscape shape index, patch cohesion and splitting could be used as the indicators for the distribution characteristics of biocrust patches. The patch cohesion and splitting of biocrust patches were the main distribution pattern indices of the hydrodynamics of surface runoff. As the patches patch cohesion decreased, the splitting increased, which caused the surface runoff velocity increase, the resistance decrease, and the slope erosion became more severe.

Effects of raindrop impact on the resistance characteristics of sheet flow

Raindrops impact (RDI) can disturb the flow structure of sheet runoff and thus change the flow resistance. In this study, multiple experimentally simulated rainfalls were applied on a flat and smooth flume with variable slopes. To identify the RDI effect, one half of the data was collected with the flume covered by a gauze screen near runoff surface. Comparisons of results indicated that RDI increased the flow resistance, reduced flow velocity and increased flow depth. Darcy-Weisbach resistance and Manning coefficient decreased in the slope range 2–12%, and kept almost constant in higher slope range. Corresponding approximately to 12% slope, Reynolds number, Re = 800 appears to be a critical value separating the laminar and turbulent flow regime under rainfall conditions. Empirical equations relating Darcy-Weisbach resistance coefficient and Manning coefficient to Reynolds number and rainfall intensity were obtained. In addition, empirical equations of the incremental resistance, due to RDI were established for laminar flows. This study revealed some aspects of RDI in the rainfall-runoff hydrologic processes.

Effects of vegetation lodging on overland runoff flow regime and resistance

AbstractVegetation is a vital part of the natural environment. Variations in vegetation morphology produce changes in the mechanical and fluid characteristics of overland flow. Determining the effects of vegetation lodging on the overland runoff flow regime and resistance is a prerequisite for accurately simulating overland runoff and convergence, revealing the mechanism of overland flow propagation, and the design and management of vegetation protection, soil consolidation, and ecological slope engineering. To systematically study the effects of vegetation lodging on overland runoff, four planting vegetation lodging angles (α) and 10 test water depths were used to simulate experimental research with a 1.0% slope ratio. Experimental results show that the depth and state of vegetation inundation and the degree of lodging significantly influence the flow regime and resistance. Under the same water depth, higher values of α are associated with higher values of the flow velocity, Reynolds number, Froude number, and Darcy–Weisbach resistance coefficient (f), and lower values of the drag coefficient (CD). The overall result is enhanced turbulence in the flow field and weaker flow resistance. Numerical statistics and difference analysis indicate that, when the vegetation is non-submerged, a 10° increase in α produces a 9.30% decrease in f. In the submerged state, a 10° increase in α causes a 26.70% decrease in f. CD is greatly affected by the boundary water depth. Below some critical water depths, an increase of 10° in α reduces CD by 8.48%. Above the critical depth, a 10° increase in α decreases CD by 41.10%.

Effects of shrub patch pattern on runoff and sediment yield

Understanding the changes of runoff, sediment transport, and hydrodynamic parameters of slopes under the influence of landscape patch coverage and connectivity is of great significance for revealing the hydrodynamic mechanism and hydrological connectivity of slope soil erosion process. In this study, the changes of runoff, sediment transport and hydrodynamic parameters of downhill surface in different coverage levels (0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 90%) and different connectivity modes (vertical path, horizonal path, S-shaped path, random patches) of shrublands were analyzed by field artificial simulated rainfall test. The results showed that, with the increases of shrub cove-rage, runoff yield and sediment yield decreased exponentially. When the coverage increased to more than 60%, the capacity of shrubs to reduce runoff and sediment became stable. With the increases of shrub coverage, flow velocity, flow depth, Reynolds number, Froude number, stream power, and flow shear resistance significantly decreased, while Manning's roughness coefficient and Darcy-Weisbach resistance coefficient increased significantly. When shrub coverage increased to more than 60%, there was no significant difference in the eigenvalues of hydraulic parameters. The runoff rate under the four connectivity modes followed the order of vertical path > S-shaped path > horizonal path > random patches. The sediment rate was the largest in the vertical path, followed by the S-shaped path, and the horizonal path was not significantly different from the random patches. The path with poor connectivity (horizonal path, random patches) exhibited stronger resistance of hydraulic transmission and poor hydraulic sedimentation capacity than the well-connected path (vertical path, S-shaped path). Our results could provide important theoretical basis for soil erosion control on the Loess Plateau and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin.

Water flow resistance characteristics of double-layer vegetation in different submerged states

Abstract In a natural basin, the vegetation can change the slope convergence and affect the surface runoff. Vegetation height may vary in an area, showing a two-layer combination of high and low collocation. This study aimed to understand the effects of double-layer vegetation in different submerged states on flow resistance. Plantings of vegetation at different heights may control landslides and contribute to soil and water conservation. This study explored the water flow resistance characteristics of double-layer vegetation at different heights. A plastic bar was used to simulate rigid vegetation, and an indoor channel fixed bed experiment was used to simulate vegetation with different heights of 5 cm and 7 cm, 5 cm and 8 cm, 5 cm and 9 cm, and 5 cm and 10 cm. By analyzing the relationship between the Darcy–Weisbach resistance coefficient (f) and water depth (h), it was concluded that when the vegetation is in a non-submerged state, f and h satisfy f= 5.6427 h+ 0.0245. When the water depth just submerges the low vegetation, f changes abruptly, and f and h satisfy the relationship f= 3.4075 h + 0.0021. When the water depth is the same as the height of high vegetation, f attains the maximum value. In addition, the flow resistance f increases by 0.03 with a 1 cm increase in the vegetation height h. When the vegetation is completely submerged, f is negatively correlated with h.

Landscape patches influencing hillslope erosion processes and flow hydrodynamics

Exploring overland flow resistance and sediment delivery capacity under different landscape vegetation conditions is critical for better understanding hydrodynamic mechanisms of soil erosion processes and hydrological connectivity on hillslopes. To evaluate flow resistance relations and sediment transport for landscape vegetation coverage and combinate effect of vegetation patches, field simulated rainfall experiments were conducted using a series of overland runoff and sediment transport rates in 3 m (L) × 2 m (W) experimental plots with coverages of 0%, 20%, 40%, 60% and 90% in a uniformly distributed condition and composited flow paths of different patches (horizonal path, vertical path, random patches and S-shaped path) in the same coverage (40% and 60%). The runoff rates for the grassland with coverages of 20–90% were decreased by 19.3–61.4% (P < 0.05), and the sediment concentrations were reduced by 81.7–97.8% (P < 0.05) compared to the bare land. The Darcy-Weisbach resistance coefficient doubled and the stream power declined by 60.0% when grassland coverage increases to 90%. The runoff rates varied little among the conditions of horizontal, vertical, random and S-shaped flow paths at the coverage of 60%, while the rate apparently reduced by 34.1% (P < 0.05) when the vertical flow path became horizontal under the same coverage of 40%. The sediments for poorly connected flow paths could reduce sediment >90% either on high-coverage or low-coverage grassland. Our field experiments confirmed that the increase of vegetation coverage and the combination of landscape patches could significantly reduce runoff rates, sediment yields and flow velocities, increase surface roughness, promote flow resistance and diminish hydraulic shear stress and the stream power. The poorly-connected paths (horizontal and random) exhibited a stronger flow resistance and weaker sediment transport capacity than the well-connected paths (vertical and S-shaped).

Coupling effects of erosion and surface roughness on colluvial deposits under continuous rainfall

The colluvial deposits, resulting from the collapsing gully erosion, provide a large amount of sediment for subsequent water erosion in southeastern China. Previous studies have shown the apparent effects of rainfall, runoff and slope gradient on erosion of colluvial deposits, but paid little attention to the effect of soil surface roughness. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between surface roughness and erosion processes under continuous rainfall conditions. For this purpose, we repeated an indoor rainfall experiment 20 times on a colluvial deposit slope of 30°. The rainfall intensity was 3.33 mm min−1 and the rainfall lasted 60 min. We measured the sediment yield for each rainfall experiment and the related hydrodynamic parameters, including the flow velocity, Froude number, Reynolds number, Runoff power and Darcy-Weisbach resistance coefficient. We found that the gradual enrichment of coarse particles and gravel on the surface of the colluvial deposits led to an exponential decrease in sediment yield. The water erosion consists of three processes: (1) The emergence of the falling-sill, followed by the formation and rapid expansion of the rill; (2) The frequent expansion of the rill; and (3) The random landslide of the rill wall. The flow velocity, Froude number (Fr), Reynolds number (Re) and runoff power (ω) all showed a power decrease in contrast to a power increase of Darcy-Weisbach resistance coefficient (f) due to the influence of the roughness of colluvial deposits. The roughness and flow velocity can be used as good indicators for characterizing the water erosion intensity of the colluvial deposits. The findings will facilitate further research into the effect of roughness on the water erosion of colluvial deposits.