基于修正SWAT模型的岩溶地区非点源污染模拟初探——以横港河流域为例

岩溶流域含水系统的主要特征之一是连通地表的落水洞等垂直管道将近水平的地下暗河联系起来,降水及其形成的地表径流可以通过这些管道迅速地灌入地下河系,从而改变了水及其所携带的非点源污染物质在垂直与水平方向的传输速度与数量,使岩溶流域内地表-地下之间的物质交换与传输过程变得比较复杂;应用广泛的SWAT模型在模拟岩溶地区的水文、水质时会存在一些不足与局限.为此,本文针对岩溶水系统特征,引入落水洞、伏流、暗河的水文过程以及主要营养盐的输移过程,修正SWAT模型原有的水文循环过程及相关算法,改变其只适用于松散均匀介质流域非点源污染模拟的单一特征,并研究建立适合于岩溶流域的非点源污染模型和相应的模拟方法.选取横港河流域岩溶地区作为非点源污染的对象,应用修正后的模型通过控制性的模拟方法和敏感性性分析,定量评估落水洞、伏流、暗河等岩溶特征对氮、磷等主要非点源污染物质输移的影响及其带来的时空效应,并进一步探讨落水洞、伏流、暗河等对地表-地下水文与营养盐的交互作用及转换机理.结果表明,岩溶特征对流域的氮、磷负荷有增加作用,其中总磷的增加明显大于总氮的增加,总磷和总氮的增量分别为0.86%和2.12%;植被岩溶指数的增加会导致流域可溶性磷、有机磷的产出量增加,有机氮、地表产流中硝酸氮和沉积磷的产出量则居其次,落水洞改变了降雨的产流方式,增加了落水洞所在流域的有机磷和有机氮的产出,其增量变化在0~0.7和0~0.3 kg/hm²之间.     

格尔木河流域水资源开发利用规划预测分析

格尔木河流域属干旱区,干旱的自然环境决定了水资源在促进社会经济发展和生态环境保护方面起着十分重要的作用,水资源既是社会经济发展必需的宝贵资源,也是维持绿洲生态环境的重要因素。因此,合理开发利用水资源,制定中、远期流域用水规划,调整农业种植结构,发展节水农业,加强水资源统一管理,提高工业水资源重复利用率,是格尔木河流域今后发展的主要方向。探索适合于流域水资源可持续开发利用模式,确保水资源长期可持续开发利用,对格尔木河流域的社会效益、经济效益和环境效益可持续发展具有重要意义。     

玛纳斯河流域50年绿洲扩张及生态环境演变研究

玛纳斯河流域绿洲开发和经济发展是新疆维吾尔自治区的典范, 以不同时相的卫星影像、土地利用图和地形图为数据源, 借助遥感和地理信息系统等先进技术, 恢复了玛纳斯河流域过去50年来6个时期(1949, 1962, 1976, 1989, 1999和2001年)的绿洲分布格局和动态演化过程. 研究表明, 按照绿洲年扩张速率, 该流域的绿洲扩张过程可分为两个阶段: 1949~1976年为绿洲化阶段, 因人口急剧增加, 耕地面积急剧扩大, 绿洲总面积从1949年的156.385 km2扩张到1976年的3639.491 km²; 1976~2001年为城市化阶段, 耕地面积扩张速率减缓, 城市化进程加快, 2001年绿洲总面积为5042.440 km². 随着绿洲耕地面积的持续扩大, 大量河水被引入到灌渠或平原水库中, 使进入尾闾湖泊的河水逐渐减少, 并最终导致尾闾湖泊干涸; 同时不合理的灌溉也造成绿洲内部低洼地带的大量耕地出现盐渍化现象, 部分耕地被撂荒. 分析可知, 过去50年来玛纳斯河流域绿洲扩张及生态环境演变是由高强度的人类活动造成的, 玛纳斯河下游河水断流以及尾闾湖泊干涸对近距离的沼生植被具有重要影响, 而对较远距离的荒漠植被并没有太大影响; 相比而言, 未来玛纳斯河流域的发展必须解决农牧业的结构调整和水资源的合理利用等关键问题, 这样才能抑制绿洲外部的荒漠化进程和内部盐渍化问题, 促进天山北坡绿洲经济带的可持续发展.     

WRF-Hydro模型与新安江模型在陈河流域的应用对比

本文利用全球陆面数据同化系统与降雨观测数据,以陕西半湿润区陈河流域为研究对象,驱动WRF-Hydro模型,研究该模型的表现和适用性,并在结构、参数、输入输出和模拟结果方面与新安江模型对比.考虑到次表面层与实际包气带的区别,引入土层厚度乘子ZSOILFAC对前者进行等比缩放,发现其与新安江模型反推包气带的厚度有较好的一致性.研究表明:在陈河流域中WRF-Hydro计算步长须在建议值的基础上缩小; WRF-Hydro模型善于模拟洪水细节,新安江模型表现好且稳定;前者的径流深和洪峰合格率平于或略低于后者;在两个指标均合格的洪水中,前者平均均方根误差比后者小21.5%,但对于其他洪水,前者平均均方根误差比后者大56.2%; WRF-Hydro在洪水起涨时刻模拟较好,表现出其在中小流域应用的潜力.     

三峡水库香溪河流域梯级水库浮游植物群落结构特征

于2005年10月、2006年1、4、7月对三峡水库香溪河流域3座水库(古洞口一级水库、古洞口二级水库和香溪河库湾)组成的梯级水库的浮游植物种类组成、优势种、群落结构、密度和生物多样性指数进行了周年调查研究.共鉴定出浮游植物7门58属121种(含变种),以绿藻和硅藻种类最多,绿藻有26属49种,占40.50%;硅藻14属41种,占33.88%;其次是甲藻,3属11种,占9.09%;蓝藻5属7种,占5.79%;隐藻3属7种,占5.79%;其它藻类仅占4.96%.浮游植物在古洞口一级水库共有25属31种,古洞口二级水库29属40种,香溪河库湾46属81种.优势度分析显示:古洞口一级水库藻类优势类群为硅藻门、绿藻门,古洞口二级水库为硅藻门、隐藻门和甲藻门,香溪河库湾为绿藻门、硅藻门、甲藻门和隐藻门.3座水库浮游植物年均密度分别为1.110×106、4.837×105和1.734×106 cells/L;其中,最高密度出现在香溪河库湾(4.87×106 cells/L),最低密度出现在古洞口二级水库(5.76×105 cells/L).运用主成分分析对梯级水库进行水质分析,表明沿着水库的梯度水质逐渐恶化.Shannon-Wiener多样性指数和Pielou均匀度指数在3座水库间无明显差异,而香溪河库湾Margalef丰富度指数显著大于古洞口一级、二级水库.前两个指数与浮游植物优势种的评价结果显示,香溪河流域梯级水库处于中污染状态.     

自适应时间步长法在土体冻结水热耦合模型中的应用

由于相变的存在,土体冻结过程中的温度传导与水分迁移是一个复杂的物理过程。为了更好地描述冻结过程中水分与温度的变化规律,通过对不饱和土体水分传导方程的研究,考虑冻结过程中的相变,建立了一维冻土水热耦合模型。给出了相应的差分与有限元程序,并对室内冻结实验进行了模拟。提出误差因子的概念,通过对程序计算中时间步长与计算用时、误差关系的分析,论证了进行时间步长优化的必要性。在两种不同数值方法的对比中,体现了有限元计算的稳定性。提出了调整后的自适应时间步长计算方法。计算结果表明,优化时间步的自适应步长法,在不影响模型计算准确度的前提下,可以大幅减少计算用时,提高计算效率。     

降雨动态系统响应曲线修正方法在黄土区域水沙模拟中的应用

采用水沙模型对流域水沙过程进行计算是目前分析和研究黄土地区水土流失、水沙锐减等问题的有效途径由于降雨的时段均化和缺测、漏测、误测等问题,导致水沙模型的重要输入项和动力因子——降雨资料存在误差,进而影响水流和泥沙过程模拟精度因此,本研究将降雨动态系统响应曲线的误差修正方法与概念性水沙模拟模型相结合以提高水沙过程模拟精度此方法将水沙模型的水流模拟部分看作响应系统,通过修正水沙模型的重要输入项——面平均雨量,利用修正之后的面平均雨量系列,通过模型重新计算以提高模型对产汇流和产汇沙过程的模拟精度通过理想案例验证该方法可行性后,选择黄土地区曹坪流域进行检验,结果表明修正后的水流和泥沙过程模拟精度均有显著提高,平均提高幅度分别为17.56%和15.86%.     

频率域声-弹耦合地震波波动方程有限差分方法

本文针对声-弹耦合介质,为尽可能的减少频率域正演模拟的计算内存,提高计算效率,在一阶非均质位移-应力波动方程的基础上,借助等效交错网格思想并充分考虑密度参数空间变化对地震波传播的影响,推导了声-弹耦合地震波波动方程.在流相介质和固相介质中分别采用非均质情况频率域二阶声压标量波、二阶纯位移控制方程,为保证流、固相介质间地震波能量的稳定传输和有效交换,提出了声-弹耦合界面转换过渡层方法,并详细阐述了过渡层与上下介质空间差分具体耦合方法.在与非均质纯位移波动方程正演结果对比分析的基础上,首先采用各向同性单层流相介质模型进行正演模拟验证了声-弹耦合方程数值模拟中过渡层策略的有效性和准确性,随后又数值模拟了地震波在声-弹耦合介质简单模型和复杂Marmousi2模型中的传播,验证了本文方法稳定性和准确性,同时该方法可以简单的推广到三维情况.

     

裂隙的弹性耦合模型及应用

将裂隙视为两种半无限均匀介质经弹簧联结起来的应力连续而应变非连续的物理模型。依据平面波的传播理论提出由振幅比或裂隙耦合动刚度表示裂隙的粘合程度。推导了裂隙两侧地震波振幅的比值与裂隙耦合动刚度的关系。最后介绍了该项研究在对敦煌榆林窟崖体裂隙灌浆效果进行的人工地震检测中的应用情况     

基于双源蒸散和混合产流的分布式水文模型构建及应用--以辽河老哈河流域为例

以北方半干旱地区的辽河老哈河流域为研究对象,采用网格离散化方法进行水文模拟单元划分,利用具有物理基础的双源蒸散发能力估算模型,计算每个栅格单元的截留蒸发、植被蒸腾能力和土壤蒸发能力,并取代蒸发皿资料作为混合产流模型的蒸散发能力输入,从而构建摹于双源蒸散与混合产流的分布式水文模型,并对老哈河流域1970-1979年的日径...     

Factors controlling sediment yield in China's Loess Plateau

The Loess Plateau in China, an area with some of the highest sediment yield in the world, contributes predominant proportion of the sediments found in the Yellow River. We examined sediment yield and its control variables in the plateau based on a multi‐year dataset from 180 gauging stations in areas varying in size from 10² to 10⁴ km². Various morphometric, hydrologic, climatic and land cover variables were estimated in order to understand and predict the variations in sediment yield. The results show a spatial pattern of sediment yield exhibiting an obvious zonal distribution and a coupling between precipitation and vegetation cover that fits the Langbein–Schumm law. A critical threshold of precipitation and vegetation cover was observed among the relationships of sediment yield and precipitation/vegetation cover. A multiple regression equation with three control variables, i.e. vegetation cover, percentage of cultivated loess and annual runoff, explains 65% of the total variation in sediment yield. For the loess dominated basins, where the cultivated loess accounts for more than 60% of the total area, annual runoff was the dominant variable, explaining 76% of the observed variation in sediment yield. The established equation could be a valuable tool for predicting total sediment yield in the Loess Plateau. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Loess magnetic properties in the Ili Basin and their correlation with the Chinese Loess Plateau

Over the past two decades, magnetoclimatological studies of loess-paleosol sequences in the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) have made outstanding achievements, which greatly promote the understanding of East Asian paleomonsoon evolution, inland aridification of Asia, and past global climate changes. Loess magnetic properties of the CLP have been well studied. In contrast, loess magnetic properties from outside the CLP in China have not been fully understood. We have little knowledge about the magnetic properties of loess in the Ili Basin, an intermontane depression of the Tianshan (or Tien Shan) Mountains. Here, we present the results of rock magnetic measurements of the Ili loess including mass magnetic susceptibility (χ) and anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM), high/low temperature dependence of susceptibility (TDS) and hysteresis, as well as X-ray diffraction (XRD) for mineral analysis. Based on the comparison with loess-paleosol sequences in the CLP (hereafter referred to as the Chinese loess), we discuss the possible magnetic susceptibility enhancement mechanism of the Ili loess. The results show that 1) the total magnetic mineral concentration of the Ili loess is far lower than that of the Chinese loess, though they have similar magnetic mineral compositions. The ferrimagnetic minerals in the Ili loess are magnetite and maghemite, and the antiferromagnetic mineral is hematite; XRD analysis also identifies the presence of ilmenite. The ratio of maghemite is lower in the Ili loess than in the Chinese loess, but the ratios of magnetite and hematite are higher in the Ili loess than in the Chinese loess. 2) The granularity of magnetic minerals in the Ili loess, dominated by pseudo-single domain (PSD) and multi-domain (MD) grains, is generally much coarser than that of the Chinese loess. Ultrafine pedogenically-produced magnetic grains have a very limited contribution to the susceptibility enhancement. Rather, PSD and MD particles of magnetite and maghemite are the main contributors to the enhancement of susceptibility in the Ili loess. 3) The susceptibility enhancement mechanism for the Ili loess is complicated and superimposes both a wind velocity/vigor model (Alaskan or Siberian model) and the in situ ultrafine grain pedogenic model; the former might play an important role in the Ili loess. 4) Magnetic susceptibility enhancements of the Ili loess are related not only to the eolian input of the source area, but also to the local climate, landform, and geological background. Therefore, great care should be taken when reconstructing paleoclimate using magnetic susceptibility data from the Ili loess.     

Runoff responses to afforestation in a watershed of the Loess Plateau,China

Afforestation has been suggested as a means of improving soil and water conservation in north‐western China, especially on the Loess Plateau. Understanding of the hydrological responses to afforestation will help us develop sustainable watershed management strategies. A study was conducted during the period of 1956 to 1980 to evaluate runoff responses to afforestation in a watershed on the Loess Plateau with an area of 1·15 km², using a paired watershed approach. Deciduous trees, including locust (locusta L.), apricot (praecox L.) and elm (ulmus L.), were planted on about 80% of a treated watershed, while a natural grassland watershed remained unchanged. It was estimated that cumulative runoff yield in the treated watershed was reduced by 32% as a result of afforestation. A significant trend was also observed that shows annual runoff reduction increases with the age of the trees planted. Reduction in monthly runoff occurred mainly from June to September, which was ascribed to greater rainfall and utilization by trees during this period. Afforestation also resulted in reduction in the volume and peak flow of storm runoff events in the treated watershed with greater reduction in peak flow. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The role of run-on for overland flow and the characteristics of runoff generation in the Loess Plateau,China

Abstract

The Loess Plateau in China is overlain by deep and loose soil. As in other semi-arid regions, convective precipitation produces storms, typically of short duration, relatively high intensity and limited areal extent. Infiltration excess (Hortonian mechanism) of precipitation is conventionally assumed to be more prominent than saturation excess (Dunne mechanism) for storm runoff generation. This assumption is true at a point during the storm. However, the runoff generation mechanism is altered when the runoff is conditioned by a lateral redistribution movement of water, i.e. run-on, as the spatial scale increases. In the Loess Plateau, the effects of run-on may be significant, because of the deep and loose surface soil layer. In this study, the role of run-on for overland flow in the Upper Wei River basin, located in the Loess Plateau, is evaluated by means of a simple numerical model at the hillslope scale. The results show that almost all the Hortonian overland flow infiltrates into the soil along the flat hillslope and dry gully before it reaches the river channel. Most of the runoff is generated from the saturated soil near the river channel and from the subsurface. The run-on process takes much longer than the infiltration, facilitating rainfall–runoff modelling at a daily time step. A hydrological model is employed to investigate the characteristics of runoff generation in the Upper Wei River basin. The analysis shows that the subsurface flow contribution to total streamflow is more than 53% from October to March, while the overland flow contribution exceeds 72% from April to September.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Associate editor Dawen Yang

Citation Liu, D.F., Tian, F.Q., Hu, H.C., and Hu, H.P., 2012. The role of run-on for overland flow and the characteristics of runoff generation in the Loess Plateau, China. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 57 (6), 1107–1117.     

Environmental evolution of Zoigê Basin since 900 kaB.P. and comparison study with Loess Plateau

The Zoige Basin is located in the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, in which two cores, RH and RM, have been drilled, with the depths of 120 m and 310 m respectively. The former with the bottom age of 826 kaB. P. has been divided into 21 stages according to the multi-proxy analysis, which could be basically compared with the oxygen isotope record of deep-sea core. The palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental process of the Zoigê Basin over the past 900 kaB. P. is reconstructed, and the comparison of core RH with the Luochuan Loess record is made.     

Assessing climate change impacts on the ecohydrology of the Jinghe River basin in the Loess Plateau,China

Abstract

Quantifying the impacts of climate change on the hydrology and ecosystem is important in the study of the Loess Plateau, China, which is well known for its high erosion rates and ecosystem sensitivity to global change. A distributed ecohydrological model was developed and applied in the Jinghe River basin of the Loess Plateau. This model couples the vegetation model, BIOME BioGeochemicalCycles (BIOME-BGC) and the distributed hydrological model, Water and Energy transfer Process in Large river basins (WEP-L). The WEP-L model provided hydro-meteorological data to BIOME-BGC, and the vegetation parameters of WEP-L were updated at a daily time step by BIOME-BGC. The model validation results show good agreement with field observation data and literature values of leaf area index (LAI), net primary productivity (NPP) and river discharge. Average climate projections of 23 global climate models (GCMs), based on three emissions scenarios, were used in simulations to assess future ecohydrological responses in the Jinghe River basin. The results show that global warming impacts would decrease annual discharge and flood season discharge, increase annual NPP and decrease annual net ecosystem productivity (NEP). Increasing evapotranspiration (ET) due to air temperature increase, as well as increases in precipitation and LAI, are the main reasons for the decreasing discharge. The increase in annual NPP is caused by a greater increase in gross primary productivity (GPP) than in plant respiration, whilst the decrease in NEP is caused by a larger increase in heterotrophic respiration than in NPP. Both the air temperature increase and the precipitation increase may affect the changes in NPP and NEP. These results present a serious challenge for water and land management in the basin, where mitigation/adaption measures for climate change are desired.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz; Associate editor D. Yang

Citation Peng, H., Jia, Y.W., Qiu, Y.Q., and Niu, C.W., 2013. Assessing climate change impacts on the ecohydrology of the Jinghe River basin in the Loess Plateau, China. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (3), 651–670.     

Changes in sediment transport in the Kuye River in the Loess Plateau in China

In this paper, the changes in sediment transport over 51 years from 1955 to 2006 in the Kuye River in the Loess Plateau in China are assessed. Key factors affecting sediment yield and sediment transport, such as precipitation depth, discharge, and human activities are studied. To investigate the changes in sediment yield in this watershed, a trend analysis on sediment concentration, precipitation depth, and discharge is conducted. Precipitation depths at 2 Climate Stations （CSs）, as well as discharge and sediment transport at 3 Gauging Stations （GSs） are used to assess the features of sediment transport in the Kuye River. The rtmoff modulus （defined as the annual average discharge per unit area, L/（s·km^2）） and the sediment transport modulus （defined as the annual suspended sediment transport per unit area, t/（yr km^2）） are introduced in this study to assess the changes in runoff and sediment yield for this watershed. The results show that the highest average monthly discharge during the study period in the Kuye River is 66.23 m^3/s in August with an average monthly sediment concentration of 88.9 kg/m^3. However, the highest average monthly sediment concentration during the study period in the Kuye River is 125.34 kg/m^3 and occurs in July, which has an average discharge of 42.6 m^3/s that is much less than the average monthly discharge in August. It is found that both the runoff modulus and sediment transport modulus at Wenjiachuan GS on the Kuye River has a clear downward trend. During the summer season from July to August, the sediment transport modulus at Wenjiachuan GS is much higher than those at Toudaoguai and Longmen GSs on the Yellow River. The easily erodible loess in the Kuye River watershed and the sparse vegetation are responsible for the extremely high sediment yield from the Kuye River watershed. The analyses of the grain size distribution of suspended load in the Kuye River are presented. The average monthly median grain size of suspended load in the Kuye River is largest in February and then decreases until June. In July, the average monthly median grain size of suspended load approaches another peak and decreases until September. Then, the median grain size of suspended load starts to increase until February of the following year. However, the average monthly median grain size of suspended load in the Yellow River at Toudaoguai and Longmen GSs is the smallest between early summer and late fall The median grain size in the Yellow River starts to increase in November and approaches the largest size in January.     

考虑记忆时间的LSTM模型在赣江流域径流预报中的应用

在气候变化条件下,准确的径流预测对水资源的规划与管理十分重要。本文基于长短时记忆神经网络(LSTM)模型,采用赣江流域外洲、峡江以及栋背水文站的逐日流量以及CN05.1日降水数据构建3个不同面积流域的径流预测模型,并通过设置不同情景分析:模型的有效预见期与不同流域平均产汇流时间之间的关系,有效预见期内LSTM径流预测模型精度与记忆时间之间的关系,不同长度的预见期与模型最佳记忆时间之间的关系,同时探讨LSTM径流预测所需的记忆时间与流域面积的关系。结果表明:(1)综合考虑降水和前期径流情景下的径流预测效果最好,当预见期为1 d时,外洲、峡江、栋背站的纳什效率系数(NSE)分别可达0.98、0.96以及0.90;且其有效预见期与仅考虑降水信息的有效预见期相同,均与流域平均产汇流时间相近。(2)随着预见期的延长,不同情景下的预测精度均有不同程度的下降,其中仅考虑前期径流情景的下降率最大,说明降水信息较前期径流对径流预测效果的提升更重要。同时,随着流域面积的增加,相同预见期内径流预测精度均有所提升。(3)当预见期相同时,随记忆时间的延长,不同径流预测模型的预测精度均先上升至最高,接着具有下降趋势,最后逐渐趋于稳定。且在有效预见期内,随着预见期的延长,最佳记忆时间均有增大趋势,当达到最长的有效预见期时,对应的最佳记忆时间均为14 d。此外,在赣江流域的模拟结果表明,随着流域面积的增大,LSTM的最佳记忆时间减小。研究结果可为赣江流域的径流预报提供参考,同时有助于推求其他流域采用机器学习进行径流预测所需的最佳记忆时间。     

A study of scale effect on specific sediment yield in the Loess Plateau,China

Based on data from 148 hydrometric stations in the Yellow River Basin, an analysis of regional scale relationship, or the relationship between specific sediment yield and drainage basin area, has been undertaken in the study area of the Loess Plateau. For different regions, scale relationship in log-log ordinate can be fitted by two types of lines: straight and parabola, and for each line, a function was fitted using regression analysis. The different scale relationships have been explained in terms of the difference in surface material distribution and landforms. To offset the scale-induced influence, calcu-lation has been done based on the fitted functions, in order to adjust the data of specific sediment yield to a common standard area. Based on the scaled data, a map of specific sediment yield was con-structed using Kriging interpolation. For comparison, a map based on the un-scaled data of specific sediment yield was also constructed using the same method. The two maps show that the basic pattern of specific sediment yield was basically the same. The severely eroded areas (Ys >10000 t km-2a-1) were at the same locations from Hekouzhen to Longmen in the middle Yellow River Basin. However, after the adjustment to a common standard area, the very severely eroded area (Ys >20000 t km-2a-1) became much enlarged because after the adjustment, all the values of Ys in the lower river basin in those regions became much larger than before.     

Runoff and sediment loss responses to rainfall and land use in two agricultural catchments on the Loess Plateau of China

Soil erosion is a severe problem hindering sustainable agriculture on the Loess Plateau of China. Plot experiments were conducted under the natural rainfall condition during 1995–1997 at Wangdongguo and Aobao catchments in this region to evaluate the effects of various land use, cropping systems, land slopes and rainfall on runoff and sediment losses, as well as the differences in catchment responses. The experiments included various surface conditions ranging from bare soil to vegetated surfaces (maize, wheat residue, Robinia pseudoacacia L., Amorpha fruticosa L., Stipa capillata L., buckwheat and Astragarus adsurgens L.). The measurements were carried out on hill slopes with different gradients (i.e. 0 ° to 36 °). These plots varied from 20 to 60 m in length. Results indicated that runoff and erosion in this region occurred mainly during summer storms. Summer runoff and sediment losses under cropping and other vegetation were significantly less than those from ploughed bare soil (i.e. without crop/plant or crop residue). There were fewer runoff and sediment losses with increasing canopy cover. Land slope had a major effect on runoff and sediment losses and this effect was markedly larger in the tillage plots than that in the natural grass and forest plots, although this effect was very small when the maximum rainfall intensity was larger than 58·8 mm/h or smaller than 2·4 mm/h. Sediment losses per unit area rose with increasing slope length for the same land slope and same land use. The effect of slope length on sediment losses was stronger on a bare soil plot than on a crop/plant plot. The runoff volume and sediment losses were both closely related to rainfall volume and maximum intensity, while runoff coefficient was mainly controlled by maximum rainfall intensity. Hortonian overland flow is the dominant runoff process in the region. The differences in runoff volume, runoff coefficient and sediment losses between the catchments are mainly controlled by the maximum rainfall intensity and infiltration characteristics. The Aobao catchment yielded much larger runoff volume, runoff coefficient and sediment than the Wangdongguo catchment. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.