Acceleration of Horton overland flow and erosion by footpaths in an upland agricultural watershed in northern Thailand

Through field rainfall simulation experiments in an upland mountainous watershed of northern Thailand, we have identified two phenomena that increase the potential for Horton overland flow (HOF) generation on agricultural lands. First, there appears to be a transition period of 12–18 months, extending from the time of abandonment until the formation of a dense vegetation layer capable of intercepting rainfall and ponding surface water, during which HOF generation is accelerated. Simulation data indicate these recently abandoned fields may have runoff coefficients (ROCs) as high as 40% during large seasonal storms with wet antecedent soil moisture conditions. In comparison, actively cultivated lands and advanced (>16–18 months) fallow fields, the land surfaces existing before and after the threshold period, have ROCs≤4%. Secondly, compacted path surfaces initiate HOF within agricultural fields, which have saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_s) values that are 100–200 mm h⁻¹ higher. In the study area, path/furrow networks, comprising 8–24% of field surface areas, are designed to provide walking access within fields and channel excess surface flow from the fields. Compared with hoed surfaces, path/furrows reduce the time to HOF generation by about 85% and have ROCs that are six times higher. Access paths have the lowest K_s values of all watershed surfaces, but conveyance efficiency of HOF generated on these surfaces is low. Even recently created field paths are capable of reducing runoff generation time by 40–90% and producing sixfold increases in ROCs. Collectively, the data suggest that agricultural erosion rates are accelerated during the 12–18-month threshold period following abandonment and during storms where path-generated HOF interacts with adjacent planting surfaces. Despite having periods of increased HOF generation, the total HOF contribution from agricultural fields to the basin stream hydrograph is similar in magnitude to that of unpaved roads, which occupy 95% less land area.     

Assessment of sidewall erosion in large gullies using multi-temporal DEMs and logistic regression analysis

Although in the last decades gully erosion has been a thriving research field, few studies have specifically addressed the contribution and location of sidewall erosion processes in gullies. In this paper, sidewall erosion in some large gullies in a Mediterranean area (Anoia-Penedès, NE Spain) is mapped and assessed for two time intervals (1975–1995 and 1995–2002), using detailed digital elevation models derived from aerial photographs at a scale of 1:5000 to 1:7000. Logistic regression analysis is applied to compute the probability of occurrence of gully sidewall erosion from terrain variables. The results confirm the complex nature of sidewall processes, whose intensity is most probably related to rainfall characteristics. Prolonged wet soil conditions in the period 1995–2002, together with the large and high-intensity rainfall of an extreme event occurred on 10th June 2000, help to explain the different sediment production rates: 16±0.4 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ in 1975–1995 and 83±6.3 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ in 1995–2002. The logistic regression analysis revealed that gully-wall slope angle was the main factor controlling gully sidewall failure. In gully walls with high slope angles, tension crack development is the main process promoting wall collapse. The application of the logistic regression model showed a high overall accuracy (87%) but over 50% of commission and omission errors for the class of interest (sidewall erosion), in agreement with the variance explained by the model.     

Relations between interrill erosion processes and sediment particle size distribution in a semiarid Mediterranean area of SE of Spain

Erosion and sediment characteristics were measured using simulated rainfall on two cultivated soils of contrasting lithology (Quaternary calcareous colluvium and Tertiary marls) in a semiarid Mediterranean area of SE Spain. Two rainfall intensities, high (56.0±2.4 mm h⁻¹) and medium (31.4±1.4 mm h⁻¹), were used in order to know the mechanisms involved in each selected condition. For each simulated event, runoff and sediment were sampled at 1-min intervals on a 1-m wide by 2-m long erosion plot. The erosion rate was calculated as the total amount of soil lost divided by the time period of the test. The duration of the test was that needed to reach steady state runoff, an average time of 24.5 min for Quaternary calcareous colluvium and 17.7 min for Tertiary marls. The size distribution of the transported sediment in the field (effective size distribution) was compared with equivalent measurements of the same samples after chemical and mechanical dispersion (ultimate size distribution) to investigate the detachment and transport mechanisms involved in sediment mobilisation. The results showed that the soil type determined the hydrological response, regardless of the rainfall intensity. The erosional response was, however, determined by the rainfall and soil surface characteristics.In Quaternary calcareous colluvial soils, the predominant erosion process depended on the rainfall intensity, with a prevailing detachment-limited condition in high-intensity events and prevailing transport-limited conditions in those events of medium intensity. These differences in the main erosion processes were reflected in the size of the transported material and in the change in sediment size within the storm. Thus, a time-dependent size distribution of the eroded material (decreasing coarse fractions and increasing fine fractions with runoff time) was observed for high-intensity events. In medium-intensity events, on the other hand, the time-independent size distribution of the eroded material indicated transport-limited erosion.Due to the rapid surface crusting on the Tertiary marl soil, no differences in the main erosion processes or in the sediment size distribution occurred for the different rainfall intensities tested. The erosion of marl soils was determined mainly by the limited quantity of available sediment.The effective size of material was a more sensitive parameter than the ultimate size of the sediment to study the way in which the sediment was transported.     

Effectiveness of coir-based rolled erosion control systems in reducing sediment transport from hillslopes

Accelerated soil erosion is ubiquitous on human-modified hillslopes. A variety of erosion control products have been developed to reduce on-site soil resource degradation, and off-site transport of sediment and sediment-associated contaminants to receiving water bodies. However, limited quantitative data are available to assess erosion reduction effectiveness, and to establish the salient properties of the erosion control products. A replicated field-based rainfall simulation study was conducted to compare the runoff and erosion effectiveness of three coir (coconut) fiber rolled erosion control systems (RECSs) with a bare (control) treatment. Detailed temporal measurements of runoff and sediment transport were made during two phases of each experiment: (1) a 110-min application of rainfall via a rainfall simulator at 35 mm h⁻¹ after runoff initiation and (2) a 30-min period, at 3 times the flow rate of phase 1, applied via an overland flow generator. All coir treatments enhanced infiltration, delayed time to runoff generation, reduced intensity of rill incision, and reduced sediment output compared to bare treatments. More importantly, statistically significant differences were observed between coir RECSs of different architecture. For the two open weave coir systems tested, the most effective design had a higher mass per area, and less open space between the regularly aligned grid of fibers. The random fiber coir architecture was the most effective, having significantly lower runoff sediment concentrations, lower sediment yields, and a lower frequency of rill initiation. The differences in system architecture are examined in light of fundamental controls on runoff and erosion processes.     

多流域降雨和土地利用格局对土壤侵蚀影响的比较分析——以陕北黄土丘陵沟壑区为例

土壤侵蚀是制约黄土高原可持续发展的瓶颈因素,为分析不同面积流域降雨和土地利用格局对土壤侵蚀影响的变化趋势,本文基于土壤侵蚀评价指数,发展了降雨和土地利用格局对土壤侵蚀影响的表征方法,探讨了多流域降雨和土地利用格局对土壤侵蚀的影响。结果表明：① 2006-2012年,研究区降雨侵蚀力因子R总体上呈现上升的趋势,植被覆盖与管理因子C呈现下降趋势;② 随流域面积的增加,研究区内降雨格局对土壤侵蚀的影响逐渐降低,而土地利用格局对土壤侵蚀的影响变大;③ 在流域面积较小时,降雨格局对土壤侵蚀的影响要大于土地利用格局对土壤侵蚀的影响,而在流域面积较大时,土地利用格局对土壤侵蚀的影响大于降雨格局对土壤侵蚀的影响;④ 随着流域面积的增加,研究区的林地比例有所下降,陡坡植被覆盖类型趋于单一,这是在流域面积增大时土地利用格局对土壤侵蚀影响增加的主要原因。同时,流域面积较小时,降雨对土壤侵蚀的影响较大,但随着流域面积的增加,松软的土壤性质和沟壑纵横的地形增大了发生重力侵蚀的可能性,土壤和地形对土壤侵蚀的影响增大。     

Modelling net erosion responses to enviroclimatic changes recorded upon multisecular timescales

Land use change has been recognized throughout the Earth as one of the most important factors influencing the occurrence of rainfall-driven geomorphological processes. However, relating the occurrence of historical soil erosion rates is difficult because of the lack of long-term research projects in river basins. Also, complex models are not adequate to reconstruct erosion rate changes because they require significant input data not always available on long timescales. Given the problems with assessing sediment yield using complex erosion models, the objective of this study is to explore a parsimonious scale-adapted erosion model (ADT) from the original Thornes and Douglas algorithms, which aims at reconstruction of annual net erosion (ANE) upon multisecular timescales. As a test site, the Calore River basin (3015 km² in southern Italy) provides a peculiar and unique opportunity for modelling erosion responses to climate and land cover changes, where input-data generation and interpretation results were also supported by documented hydrogeomorphological events that occurred before and after land deforestation. In this way, ANE_ADT-values were reconstructed for the period 1675–2004 by using precipitation indexes, complemented by recent instrumental records, and by using land cover statistics from documented agrarian sources. Pulses of natural sedimentation in the predeforestation period have been related to Vesuvius volcanic activity and changes in rainstorm frequency. After deforestation, the basin system became unstable with sudden fluctuations in the hydrogeomorphological regime contributing significantly to increased erosion and, in turn, sediment transport sequences via river drainage towards the Tyrrhenian coast.     

Exploring the potential of perennial crops in reducing soil erosion: A GIS-based scenario analysis in southern Tuscany,Italy

Preserving soils is a major challenge in ensuring sustainable agriculture for the future. Soil erosion by water is a critical issue in the Mediterranean regions and usually occurs when high-erosive precipitation is in temporal association with poor vegetation cover and density. Modelling soil erosion risks over large spatial scales suffers from the scarcity of accurate information on land cover, rainfall erosivity and their intra-annual dynamics. We estimated the soil erosion risk on arable land in a Mediterranean area (Grosseto Province, southern Tuscany, Italy) and investigated its potential reduction as a response to the change in intra-annual distribution of land cover due to the increase of perennial forage crops. A GIS-based (R)USLE model was employed and a scenario analysis was performed by setting criteria for raising the performance of perennial forage crops. Statistical data on agricultural crops provided an insight into current intra-annual land cover dynamics. Rainfall erosivity was computed on the basis of 22-year hourly precipitation data. The model was used to: i) quantify the potential soil losses of arable land in the study area, ii) identify those areas highly affected by erosion risks iii) explore the potential for soil conservation of perennial crops, thereby enabling appropriate preventive measures to be identified. The erosion rates, averaged over an area of about 140’000 ha, are estimated to 33.42 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹. More than 59% of the study area was subjected to soil losses higher than 11 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ (from moderate to severe erosion) and the highest rates are estimated for steep inland areas. Arable land with severe soil erosion rates (higher than 33 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹) represent about 35% of the whole study area. The risk of soil loss by water erosion in the study area is estimated to be reduced on average by 36% if perennial crops are increased in terms of 35% of the total arable land. The soil erosion data produced compared well with the published local and regional data. This study thus provides useful preliminary information for landscape planning authorities and can be used as a decision support tool in quantifying the implications of management policies.     

贵州麦岗水库沉积物的矿物磁性特征及其土壤侵蚀意义

对取自贵州西南部紫云县麦岗水库的沉积物柱芯MG1-1进行了包括SIRM、ARM、χlf、χfd、IRM-20mT和IRM-100mT等磁性参数的矿物磁性测量,并计算了ARM/SIRM、HIRM和IRM-100mT/SIRM。根据沉积物的这些矿物磁性特征,并结合137Cs、粒度、TOC、C/N分析结果,推测了麦岗水库流域在1960～2007年(47年)间的土壤侵蚀变化情况。研究表明:麦岗水库流域的土壤侵蚀强度变化虽然存在一些波动,但整体上呈现由强到弱到强再到弱的变化过程。结合降水资料和土地利用/土地覆被变化情况,探讨了影响土壤侵蚀变化的主要原因。结果表明,降水量对流域土壤侵蚀变化的影响不大,而人类活动,特别是土地利用的变化可能是引起流域土壤侵蚀变化的主要原因。     

贵州石板桥水库沉积物的矿物磁性特征及其土壤侵蚀意义

对取自贵州省关岭县石板桥水库的岩芯做了矿物磁性测量（lχf、ARM、IRM20mT、SIRM、IRM-100mT）并计算了ARM/SIRM、HIRM、IRM-100mT/SIRM。将这些结果与同时完成的137Cs、粒度、TOC和C/N分析结果相结合,推测了过去的42年（1960²002年）中这一水库的汇水流域内的土壤侵蚀状况。在这一时期,尽管存在着若干次一级的波动,土壤侵蚀总体上呈加剧的趋势。将这些结果与收集的降水和土地利用/土地覆被变化资料数据相结合,探讨了土壤侵蚀状况发生变化的原因。土壤侵蚀的总体加剧可能是由1960年以来林地面积的减小和农田面积的增大以及1990年以来因植树而较强翻动地表物质造成的,而土壤侵蚀的次一级的波动可归结为降水的波动。     

TROPICAL RAINFALL EVENTS ON EROSION RATES INA RAPIDLY DEVELOPING URBAN AREA IN NIGERIA

Data collected on rainfall events covering one wet season in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria, were found to be highly correlated with the rate of erosion on all the representative land surface types found in the city – namely bare land, fallow land, short grass and tall tree cover. Of all the rainfall components, rainfall total was best at predicting the rate of soil erosion on all these surfaces. In addition, the study found that a significant constituent of all surfaces, silt which fell through seiver grades 1.18 mm did not cohere, therefore increasing the rate of erosion. However, when grass cover (regenerating with the rains) was at least 95 per cent, erosion was well controlled. Therefore, grass coverage before the onset of the wet season is recommended as an efficient and simple measure to manage erosion in this typical developing urban centre in Nigeria.     

Wind erosion from military training lands in the Mojave Desert, California, U.S.A.

Military training activities reduce vegetation cover, disturb crusts, and degrade soil aggregates, making the land more vulnerable to wind erosion. The objective of this study was to quantify wind erosion rates for typical conditions at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, CA, U.S.A. Five Big Spring Number Eight (BSNE) sampler stations were installed at each of five sites. Each BSNE station consisted of five BSNE samplers with the lowest sampler at 0·05 m and the highest sampler at 1·0 m above the soil surface. Once a month, sediment was collected from the samplers for analysis. Occurrence of saltating soil aggregates was recorded every hour using Sensits, one at each site. The site with the most erosion had a sediment discharge of 311 kg m⁻¹ over a period of 17 months. Other sites eroded much less because of significant rock cover or the presence of a crust. Hourly sediment discharge was estimated combining hourly Sensit count and monthly sediment discharge measured using BSNE samplers. More simultaneously measured data are needed to better characterize the relationship between these two and reconstruct a detailed time-series of wind erosion. This measured time-series can then be used for comparison with simulation results from process-based wind erosion models such as the Wind Erosion Prediction System (WEPS), once it has been adapted to the unique aspects of military lands.     

Rates of sheet and rill erosion in Germany — A meta-analysis

Knowledge of erosion rates under real conditions is of great concern regarding sustainability of landuse and off-site effects on water bodies and settlements. Experimentally derived rates of sheet and rill erosion are often biased by experimental settings, which deviate considerably from typical landuse, by short measuring periods and by small spatial extensions, which do not account for the pronounced spatio-temporal variability of erosion events. We compiled data from 27 studies covering 1076 plot years to account for this variability. Modelling was used to correct for deficiencies in the experimental settings, which overrepresented arable land and used steeper and shorter slopes as well as higher erosivity than typically found in reality. For example, the average slope gradient was 5.9° for all arable plot experiments while it is only 2.6° on total arable land in Germany. The expected soil loss by sheet and rill erosion in Germany after taking real slopes, landuse and erosivity into account averaged 2.7 t ha^− 1 yr^− 1. Annual crops contributed the largest proportion (90%) but hops despite its negligible contribution to landuse (0.06%) still contribute 1.0% due to its extraordinary rapid erosion, which was even faster than the measured bare fallow soil loss standardized to otherwise identical conditions. Bare fallow soil loss, which is often used as baseline, was 80 t ha^− 1 yr^− 1 when standardized to 5.1° slope gradient, 200 m flow path length, and average German erosivity.     

Occurrence of soil erosion after repeated experimental fires in a Mediterranean environment

In the Mediterranean area, forest fires have become a first-order environmental problem. Increased fire frequency progressively reduces ecosystem recovery periods. The fire season, usually followed by torrential rains in autumn, intensifies erosion processes and increases desertification risk. In this work, the effect of repeated experimental fires on soil response to water erosion is studied in the Permanent Field Station of La Concordia, Valencia, Spain. In nine 80 m² plots (20 m long × 4 m wide), all runoff and sediment produced were measured after each rainfall event. In 1995, two fire treatments with the addition of different biomass amounts were applied. Three plots were burned with high fire intensity, three with moderate intensity, and three were unburned to be used as control. In 2003, the plots with the fire treatments were burned again with low fire intensities. During the 8-year interval between fires, plots remained undisturbed, allowing regeneration of the vegetation–soil system. Results obtained during the first 5 months after both fire experiments show the high vulnerability of the soil to erosion after a repeated fire. For the burned plots, runoff rates increased three times more than those of 1995, and soil losses increased almost twice. The highest sediment yield (514 g m^− 2) was measured in 2003, in the plots of the moderate fire intensity treatment, which yielded only 231 g m^− 2 of sediment during the corresponding period in 1995. Runoff yield from the control plots did not show significant temporal changes, while soil losses decreased from 5 g m^− 2 in the first post-fire period to 0.7 g m^− 2 in the second one.     

Soil erosion rates in rangelands of northeastern Patagonia: A dendrogeomorphological analysis using exposed shrub roots

Soil erosion is an important process of land degradation in many rangelands and a significant driver of desertification in the world's drylands. Dendrogeomorphology is an alternative to traditional methods for determining soil erosion rate. Specifically, the vertical distance between the upper portion of exposed roots and the actual soil surface can be used as a bioindicator of erosion since plant establishment. In this study, we determined (i) the soil erosion rate from exposed roots of the dwarf shrub Margyricarpus pinnatus [Lam.] Kuntze in two ecological sites in the northeastern rangelands of Patagonia and (ii) the relationship between shrub age and upper root diameter. We selected two ecological sites, a pediment-like plateau and a flank pediment, where the dominant soils were Xeric Haplocalcids and Xeric Calciargids, respectively. The soil erosion rates in the pediment-like plateau and in the flank pediment were 2.4 and 3.1 mm yr^− 1, respectively. Data clearly indicate a high rate of soil erosion during the mean 8-year life span of the dwarf shrubs in degraded patches, which represent ~ 10% of surface cover in the study area. Simple linear regression analysis yielded a highly significant predictive model for age estimation of M. pinnatus plants using the upper root diameter as a predictor variable. The measurement of ground lowering against datable exposed roots represents a simple method for the determination of soil erosion rates. In combination with other soil surface features, it was used to infer the episodic nature of soil erosion. This approach could be particularly useful for monitoring the effects of land management practices on recent soil erosion and for the establishment of records in regions where historical data regarding this process are scarce or absent.     

Gully systems under undisturbed indigenous forest, East Coast Region, New Zealand

Gully erosion is commonly associated with agricultural landscapes where vegetation clearance and farming practices increase runoff, leading to fluvial incision. However, gully erosion can also occur in forests that have undergone some form of disturbance, either natural or resulting from human impacts. This paper reports on recent gully development within areas of undisturbed indigenous forest as a result of a high magnitude rainfall event on the East Coast of New Zealand's North Island. This region, through a combination of crushed and sheared rock types, steep topography, and tectonic and climatic setting, has high natural rates of erosion, exacerbated by European deforestation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.Sequential air photographs, spanning a 58 year period between 1939 and 1997 were used to classify and document the growth and recovery of gully systems in the 14.1 km² headwaters of the Mangaoporo catchment. Following a severe cyclone in 1988, with a rainfall of 535 mm, there were 21 active gully systems within the indigenous forest. On photography prior to 1988 only four gully systems were present. During this period there were 8 major rainfall events (150–250 mm). Despite further 5 rainfall events of 150–250 mm between 1988 and 1997 all gully systems showed signs of recovery, with a combined reduction in active area of 37%. The nature and location of these features is strongly influenced by lithology (orientation of jointing and bedding), and to a topographic threshold defined by catchment slope and catchment area.     

山区土地利用/覆被变化对土壤侵蚀的影响

本文以福建省山区为例,在对福建省水土保持实验站、建瓯市牛坑龙水土保持试验站长期观测、实验资料深入分析对比的基础之上,探讨了土地利用/土地覆被变化对土壤侵蚀的影响规律。分析结果表明,土地利用/土地覆被变化对径流的产生和土壤侵蚀有重要影响,植被的覆盖度的变化直接影响着径流系数和土壤侵蚀模数;植被的覆盖度和径流系数呈负线性关系,随着覆盖度的增加径流系数逐渐减小;植被覆盖度和土壤侵蚀模数为负指数关系,随着植被覆盖度的增大,土壤侵蚀模数急剧下降。     

The use of SfM-photogrammetry to quantify and understand gully degradation at the temporal scale of rainfall events: an example from the Ethiopian drylands

Abstract

With the recent technological advances offered by SfM-photogrammetry, we now have the possibility to study gully erosion at very high spatial and temporal scales from multi-temporal DEMs, and thus to enhance our understanding of both gully erosion processes and controls. Here, we examine gully degradation and aggradation at a gully headcut and at four re-incisions along a gully reach in Northern Ethiopia. Environmental controls recorded are topography rainfall, runoff, land use and cover, land management, and soil characteristics. The overall vulnerability of the catchment to erosion is low as calculated from the RUSLE (average 11.83 t ha^?1 y^?1). This reflects the successful land management of the past years. The runoff coefficient was on average 7.3% (maximum 18.2%). Runoff events caused most geomorphic change in the gully, but slumping of the gully bank also occurred on dry days. Most geomorphic change was caused by one major rainfall event of 54.8 mm d^?1, and smaller runoff events caused both degradation and aggradation, often asynchronous between studied sites. Although most research focuses on gully heads alone, re-incisions at lower locations can still cause important gully degradation, which ultimately will reach the gully head and cause instability.     

多尺度土壤侵蚀评价指数的技术与方法

针对不同尺度开展土地利用与土壤侵蚀的综合研究是自然地理学研究的前沿领域和热点问题。多尺度土 壤侵蚀评价指数作为新近提出的土壤侵蚀模型, 在跨尺度土地利用与土壤侵蚀的研究中具有良好应用前景。本文 基于多尺度土壤侵蚀评价指数计算公式及其因子内涵, 应用尺度转换的思想, 阐述了降雨侵蚀力、土壤可蚀性、作 物覆盖与管理因子、地形因子等不同评价因子在坡面、小流域、流域不同尺度上的计算方法与GIS 实现技术, 以期 服务于多尺度土地利用与土壤侵蚀研究的深入和多尺度土壤侵蚀评价指数的发展。     

Development of gullies and sediment production in the black soil region of northeastern China

Gully erosion is an important environmental hazard in the black soil region of northeastern China. It is a primary sediment source in the region which needs appropriate soil conservation practices. Gully incision in rolling hills typical of this region was monitored using real-time kinematic GPS to assess the rates of gully development and the resultant sediment production. From 2002 to 2005, gully heads in the study area retreated between 15.4 and 33.5 m, giving an average retreat rate of 8.4 m yr^− 1. Field measurements showed that total sediment production due to gully erosion during the three years ranged between 257 and 1854 m³ yr^− 1, which is equivalent to 326 to 2355 t yr^− 1, with gully-head retreat accounting for 0 to 21.7% (4.4% in average). The sediment delivery ratio was especially high during the summer rainy season (56% in average). Sediment production by ephemeral gullies and permanent gullies was 1.5 times greater than that from surface erosion. Gully heads retreated faster in the spring freeze–thaw period than in the summer. The stage of gully development could be identified based on short-term changes in the gully erosion rate.     

黄土丘陵沟壑区极端降雨事件及其对径流泥沙的影响

半干旱黄土丘陵沟壑区是我国水土流失的重灾区。在全球气候变化的大背景下,极端降雨事件时有发生,加重了区域水土流失防治的难度。因此,科学界定极端降雨事件、进而探讨其发生规律及其对径流侵蚀的影响尤为重要。通过整理定西市安家沟流域(35°35′N,104°39′E)17年的降水和径流侵蚀数据进行统计分析。以降雨量和最大30min雨强为指标,采用世界气象组织的标准划分了极端降雨事件。结果发现:(1)研究区内极端次降雨事件的雨量和雨强的临界值分别为40.11mm和0.55mm/min,次降雨量的多年平均值为18.87mm。17年间共发生12次极端事件,5月、7月、8月份的发生概率分别为16.67%、50%和33.33%。因此最佳防治时间段为7、8月份。(2)聚类分析表明极端降雨事件可分为三类:降雨量和雨强都大于临界值,占25%;降雨量大于临界值,而雨强小于临界值,占41.67%;雨强大于临界值,降雨量大于多年平均值而小于临界值,占33.33%。(3)在极端降雨事件作用下,径流系数和侵蚀模数要比对应的多年平均值高。总体而言,降雨量和雨强都很高的极端事件的破坏性最强,但高历时低雨强的极端事件所产生的破坏也不容低估。(4)沙棘林在生长演替的过程中显著增强了抵御土壤侵蚀的能力,对极端降雨事件有很好的防治作用。抵御极端降雨最弱的是坡耕地,主要是由于受到坡度大、植被覆盖率低以及人为干扰等因素的影响。