Effects of plant roots on the soil erosion rate under simulated rainfall with high kinetic energy |
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| Authors: | Yoshinori Shinohara Sohei Otani Tetsuya Kubota Kyoichi Otsuki Kazuki Nanko |
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| Institution: | 1. Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japanshinohara@agr.kyushu-u.ac.jp;3. Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan;4. Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan;5. Kasuya Research Forest, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 811-2415, Japan;6. Department of Meteorological Environment, Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute, Ibaraki 305-8687, Japan |
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| Abstract: | ABSTRACTThis study examined the effects of herbaceous plant roots on interrill erosion using two herbaceous species: clover (Trifolium repens) and oats (Avena sativa). We developed a simple rainfall simulator with relatively high normalized kinetic energy (KE; 23.2 J m?2 mm?1). Under simulated rainfall, we measured eroded soil for 42 boxes with various amounts of aboveground and belowground biomass. Aboveground vegetation had a significant effect on the soil erosion rate (SER). We found a clear negative relationship between the percent vegetation cover (c) and the SER. In contrast, plant roots showed no effects on the SER. The SER was not significantly different between the boxes with and without plant roots under similar c conditions. Thus, plant roots could have less of an effect on the SER under higher KE conditions. Editor M.C. Acreman Associate editor N. Verhoest |
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| Keywords: | herbaceous plant interrill soil detachment soil erodibility vegetation cover |
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