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| Review of effects of rock fragment cover on soil water erosion processes |
| Wang Xiaoyan,Li Zhaoxia,Xu Qinxue,Cai Chongfa |
| Key Lab.of Subtropical Agriculture and Environment of Ministry of Agriculture,Soil and Water Conservation Research Centre,Huazhong Agricultural University,430070,Wuhan,China |
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Abstract This paper reviewed the researches about the effect of rock fragment cover on soil erosion processes.The existing findings indicated that rock fragment cover has significant effect on splash erosion,interrill erosion and rill erosion.The relationship between rock fragment cover and the amount of sediment detached by raindrop is negative.However,the relationship between rock fragment cover and interrill sediment yield is complex which depends on top soil structure,the position and size of rock fragments.The relationship of that is positive when the rock fragments are embedded in crusting soil and is negative while the rock fragments are embedded in a top layer with structural porosity or if rock fragments rest on surface soil.The effectiveness of rock fragment cover on interrill sediment yield is negatively related to the size of rock fragments.The sediment yield of soil covered by resting rock fragments is always smaller than that of soil covered by embedded rock fragments.Rock fragments can inhibit the formation of rill,and reduce the runoff rate and erosion rate of concentration.Given that rock fragments have important influence on water erosion process,soil erosion models such as RUSLE,WEPP,and EUORSEM all proposed formula to predict the erosion process of soils containing rock fragments.
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Received: 09 November 2009
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