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SOIL CONSERVATION EFFICIENCY OF

DIFFERENT MODELS CONVERTING FROM STEEP FARMING


SLOPE PLOTS IN YAAN, SICHUAN, CHINA
Yulin DENG1,2, Yan PENG2, Yukuan WANG1 and Zongting YANG3

ABSTRACT
Converting farming slope land into artificial forestland or grassland is a major measure of
soil/water conservation. Five conversion practices, namely, 1) a control plot still tilled with a crop
(maize), 2) a folder grass-growing plot seeded with Lolium perenne , 3) a young alder tree-growing
plot, 4) a pear orchard plot and 5)a bamboo plot intercropped with folder grass, were monitored to
compare the soil conservation efficiency of those changes in Yaan, Sichuan for 3 years between
September 1998 and August 2001. Results showed that the 5 designed converting models
functioned differently in erosion control. The most effective model was bamboo groves
intercropped with folder grass (Lolium perenne). The folder grass (Lolium perenne) growing model
was more effective than the pure pear orchard model. The least effective model was the young alder
tree-growing slope, which was even less effective than the control (a slope without converted
cultivation). Meanwhile, changes in the soils physical properties reflected the same results.
Therefore, the optimum model for controlling watershed and slope erosion was by converting
farming land into forestland or grassland.
Key Word: Soil and water conservation effect, Watershed, Land use, Sichuan Province

1 INTRODUCTION
Soil and water conservation in watershed conditions is always an important objective in ecological
construction. Many approaches have been effective in reducing runoff and soil loss by applying various
types of land uses (Alberts, 1985; Wei et al., 1998; Angima, 2000; and Truman et al., 2001). The effects
of individual farming/conversion systems, such as tree hedges, peanut cropping and agro-forests, on
erosion control were surveyed to discover which systems were significant in reducing runoff and soil loss
(Liu et al., 2001; Jin, 1990; and Truman and Williams, 2001). But no achievements were reported
specifically on the effects of different land uses on slopes in the same watershed. The main objective of
this study was to compare the effectiveness of different conversion models in reducing runoff and soil
loss. The experiment examined various treatments, including grass growing, orchards, bamboo groves
intercropped with grass, which are widely practiced models currently applied in the National Project,
especially in western Sichuan. In fact, in moist areas, the prohibition of any manual disturbance on eroded
slopes was an effective countermeasure for soil and water conservation (Yang Yupo, 1990). Our work
was an attempt to find further facts about the effects of different conversion models in farming slope
angles over 25%).
2 MATERIALS AND METHODS
2.1 Study Site
This study was carried out at the site of the Heping watershed in the outskirts of Yaan City, Sichuan
Province, China.

Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sichuan 610041, P. R. China; E-mail:
Yulindeng66@vip.sina.com.
2
College of Forestry and Horticulture of Sichuan Agricultural University, Sichuan 625000, P. R. China.
3
Water Resources Administration in Yaan, Sichuan 625000, P. R. China.
Note: The original manuscript of this paper was received in Sept. 2002. The revised version was received in July
2003. Discussion open until Dec. 2004.
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International Journal of Sediment Research, Vol. 18, No. 4, 2003, pp. 340-345

The Heping watershed is located in the outskirts of Yaan City (Fig. 1), at a latitude of 308N and a
longitude of 10314E. It covers an area of 10.22 km2, and runs into the Qingyijiang River, which is a
tributary of the Yangtze River in China. Its average elevation is 850m above sea level. The climate there
is characteristic of the sub-tropical moist monsoon type, with an average annual temperature of 16.2,
and an annual rainfall of 1774.3 mm. In the watershed, the soil type is loamy purple soil, derived from
sandy shale, with a pH value range of 6.5 - 7.0. Land use in the watershed was mainly for cultivated land
(55.8%) and only 11.8% was reserved for forests. The eroded area covered 3.4 km2, accounting for 33.3%
of the total area.

Beijing

China
Sichuan

Chengdu
Chongqing
Yaan

Fig. 1 Location of the study area


2.2 Erosion Plots
The field experiment was conducted between September 1st, 1998 and August 31st, 2001.
Runoff plots with 5m20m were established on two opposite uniform slopes with angles of 25-27%.
A total of 10 plots were built and five of them were used for replicated treatments. The experimental
treatments were comprised of: 1) a control still cultivated with a crop (maize) at a density of 20,000
plants per hm2(0.51.0m) (CW); 2)a folder grass-growing plot seeded on Sept. 1, 1998 with Lolium
perenne at a density of 4.5g/m2(FG); 3) a young alder tree (3-year-old ) grove plot planted on March 1,
1999 at a density of 5.3 plants per m2(0.250.75m)(YG); 4) a pear orchard (Pyrus pyrifolia) previously
planted by farmers in 1998 at a density of 3m3m (PO); and 5) bamboo groves (Dendrocalamopsis
grandis) intercropped with folder grass (treatment 2 )(BG) . The bamboo groves were planted on March 1,
1999 at a density of 625 plants per hm2(4.04.0m). In order to compare the soil erosion efficiency, all
plots were ploughed 50cm deep.
Plot boundaries were constructed with concrete borders. The concrete borders were set at a depth of
60cm, defining the contributing area of overland flow. The borders were connected to a cement slab at the
International Journal of Sediment Research, Vol. 18, No. 4, 2003, pp. 340-345

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downslope end of each plot. Runoff and sediment were piped into a sediment collection tank (4m2m
1m). A one-tenth aliquot of possible overflow from the sediment collection tank was separated by a multi
slot divisor and collected in a second collection tank (2m2m1m). After each storm which could start
runoff, water runoff was determined by measuring the volume of water in the respective tanks in every
plot. The quantity of sediments was determined by manually stirring the sediment and water in each tank
and collecting dip samples (1000 ml) of the mixture. Sediment samples were precipitated with alum (Liu
et al., 2001). Water was decanted, and then dried in an oven at a temperature of about 105 to determine
the mass.
Rainfall was measured with a standard rainfall gauge on the upslope of the studied watershed (Wang,
1990; Cai, 1998). Rainfall intensity lasting up to 20 minutes during the heaviest rainy month (August
2000) for individual storms was specifically measured to analyze the correlation of runoff and sediment
to rain intensity. Annual rainfall data were collected from Yaan Meteorological Administration.
2.3 Soil Survey
Soil surveys consisting of two random profile points in each plot, totaling 20 profile points, were
carried out at the end of August 2001 to determine the physical properties of the soil for erosion
resistance. The soils water content was determined by alcohol burning; and bulk density, porosity,
saturated water content and water storage were determined by the circle-knife method.
2.4 Statistical Analyses
The SAS program (SAS, 1990) was used to analyze the runoff and soil loss data using the F-ratio, this
information was used to determine if the differences observed between the treatments models and the
control were significant. The LSD test was used to determine if the differences between treatments were
significant at the 5% level.
2.5 Results and Discussion
2.5.1 Runoff changes in different conversion models
Runoff in different conversion models varied significantly. As for the total runoff for each year studied,
the total runoff tended to decrease as time went on (Table 1). And more rainfall resulted in more runoff.
The treatment plot with the YG (young alder tree growing plot) produced the highest amount of the
runoff each year, which amounted to 288.1 mm in 1999. This was even more than the plot with the CW
(control without conversion). The least runoff, 82.5 mm, was surveyed in 2001 in the plots with the BG
(Bamboo groves with folder grass). The plots with the FG (folder growing plot) and PO (pear orchard)
treatments did not yield a significant amount of runoff; the amount of their runoff amount was only
slightly more than the plots with the BG. It is obvious that a combination of bamboo groves intercropped
with folder grass can best control runoff. The fact that the YG treatment was less effective in controlling
runoff than the CW treatments could be due to the fact that the conversion greatly changes soil properties
before the plot becomes closed, making sites with sloping land more susceptive to runoff in the young
tree period.
2.5.2 Variations in soil loss yield for different conversion models
The data for soil loss was similar to the observations on runoff for different conversion models (Table
1); each treatment significantly differed from the other treatments. The least soil loss surveyed was also in
the BG plots; the total soil loss was only 7.24 kg/ hm2 in 2001. The 2001 figures for the FG and YG plots
were 11.82 kg / hm2 and 10.69 kg/ hm2, respectively. The PO plots lost 56.97 kg/hm2 was more than CW
plots, 51.85 kg hm2. The best soil loss control occurred in the model planted with a combination of
bamboo and folder.
2.5.3 Runoff changes with erosive rainfall intensities
Runoffs increased as the rainfall intensity rose. During erosive storms with a 20-minute duration, the
amount of runoff varied significantly between the different conversion models (Table 2 and Graph 1).
Still again, the amount of runoff in the young alder tree growing plots and in the control plot (without
conversion) was higher than in other treatment plots. The treatment sequence was BG<FG<PO<CW<YG
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International Journal of Sediment Research, Vol. 18, No. 4, 2003, pp. 340-345

in producing runoff.
Items
Year
Rainfall(mm)*

Table 1 Total amount of runoff and soil loss for different conversion models
in the Heping watershed, Yaan
Runoff(mm)
Soil loss (kg ha-1)
1999
2000
2001
1999
2000
2001
1730.8
1692.4
1658.7
1730.8
1692.4
1658.7

FG(Folder grass
growing model)
YG(alder growing model)
PO(Pear orchard model)
BG(Pear
intercropping
with folder grass)
CW(Control without
conversion model)

114.3*

108.7*

103.2*

13.28*

13.14*

11.82*

288.1**
134.2*

276.7**
126.9*

208.6**
98.0*

65.37**
16.87*

66.42**
17.93*

56.97**
10.69*

92.6

91.9

82.5

8.26

7.59

5.24

284.6**

267.5**

192.7**

64.22**

60.85**

51.85**

F value

21.35**

22.56**

* Source: Yaan Meteorological Administration, 1999-2001


** Showing significance at P=0.01; *showing significance at P=0.05
Table 2 Runoff changes during 20-minute storms with different 20-minute-lasting
rainfall intensities in August, 2001
25.8
30.2
43.4
48.1
50.5
Rainfall
Intensity(mm.hr-1)

102.7

FG
YG
PO

0.7
1.2
0.9

1.5
2.9
1.3

3.3*
6.6**
2.8*

3.5*
7.4**
4.1*

6.2*
12.0**
5.3*

10.6*
20.5**
11.6*

BG

0.6

1.0

2.2

2.8

5.9*

9.0

6.9**

10.4**

18.4**

CW
1.5
2.2
6.1**
** Showing significance at P=0.01; *showing significance at P=0.05

25
MG

Runoff (mm)

20

CW
15
PO
FG

10

BG
5
0

25.8

30.2

43.4
48.1
Rainfall intensity (mm.hr-1)

50.5

102.7

Fig. 2 Runoff changes vs rainfall intensity

2.5.4 Soil erosion resistance variation in different conversion models


Surveys on soil erosion resistance taken at the same soil depth (0-30 cm) showed that different
conversion models had significant variations of physical properties. The plots with folder grass and with a
combination of bamboo and folder grass had the highest porosity percentages and capillary porosity
percentages, and they were also the richest in water content and water storage (Table 3 and Table 4). The
plot converted to a pear orchard was around average for the same properties. The lowest indexes were
surveyed in the plots with young alder trees.
International Journal of Sediment Research, Vol. 18, No. 4, 2003, pp. 340-345

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Table 3 Physical properties of soil for different conversion models


Total porosity
Non-capillary porosity
Capillary porosity
Conversion
Bulk density
(%)
(%)
(%)
model
(g/cm3)
FG
1.32
52.9
12.0
40.9
YG
1.48
46.5
17.6
28.9
PO
1.46
48.5
14.7
33.8
BG
1.38
54.6
12.5
42.1
CW
1.47
42.5
15.9
26.6
* The data in Table 3 and 4 were the average of duplicates of each treatment.

Conversion
model
FG
YG
PO
BG
CW

Table 4 Soil hydrology for different conversion models


Highest water
Soil
Saturated water
Water
content
storage
figures in
depth
content
(%)
soil capillary
(cm)
(%)
(%)
50
14.6
32.8
49.6
50
11.4
21.0
35.8
50
12.1
27.8
41.6
50
14.2
32.5
47.3
50
11.3
25.6
39.2

Water storage
(M g/ha-1)
840
550
750
860
600

3 CONCLUSIONS
The study of the Heping watershed in Yaan, China revealed that different models applied to the
conversion of farming slopes differed significantly in the amount of runoff and soil loss control as well as
in the physical properties of soil. Bamboo groves intercropped with folder grass demonstrated that this
model was the most effective in controlling soil erosion. Densely covered grassland and a pear orchard
were also comparatively good. But the plots converted into young alder tree groves were the least
effective in control plot that was not converted. This leads to the conclusion that converting farming
slopes into forestland or grassland, which is a governmental project now widely carried out in western
China, is a reasonable land use strategy for soil and water conservation. However, land converted to
forests has poor erosion control before canopy closure. Therefore, countermeasures such as increasing the
coverage of the seedling stands, intercropping with grass or shrubs and establishing plant hedges are of
great importance to controlling soil erosion on the farming slopes.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This study was financed by a national research project on The Structure of Eco-defense and the
Establishment of a Strategy in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, which is an Intellectual
Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The area that was studied was chosen mainly
because it is located in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in China and also is a nucleus area for the
project demonstration.
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