Pedosphere 18(1): 131--136, 2008
ISSN 1002-0160/CN 32-1315/P
©2008 Soil Science Society of China
Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press
| Effect of ryegrasses on soil runoff and sediment control |
ZHOU Zheng-Chao 1,2 and SHANGGUAN Zhou-Ping3 |
1 College of Tourism and Environmental Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710062 (China). E-mail: zhouzhengchao@126.com;
2 State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100 (China);
3 Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100 (China) |
| ABSTRACT |
| Living plants and plant roots can reduce runoff and soil erosion. Using a rain simulator, a series of soil erosion experiments were conducted to study the influence of living roots and canopies of ryegrasees (Lolium perenne L.) during the growing season on sediment yields and runoff of a silt loam soil. The results indicated that during the growing season, decrements in runoff and sediment yields increased with time. Sediment yields (r2 = 0.999) and decrements in runoff (r2 = 0.946) were closely related to the root surface area density. The contributions of roots and canopies of ryegrasees to the reductions in runoff and sediment yields were different. Canopies usually contributed more to the runoff decrement than the roots, whereas roots contributed up to 96% of the decrease in sediment yields in the late stage of the growing season. |
| Key Words: canopy, root, runoff, ryegrass, sediment yield |
| Citation: Zhou, Z. C. and Shangguan, Z. P. 2008. Effect of ryegrasses on soil runoff and sediment control. Pedosphere. 18(1): 131-136. |
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