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Assessment of Soil and Water Conservation Practices in the Loess Hilly Region Using a Coupled Rainfall-Runoff-Erosion Model

Author

Listed:
  • Mengfan Cai

    (Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada)

  • Chunjiang An

    (Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada)

  • Christophe Guy

    (Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada)

  • Chen Lu

    (Institute for Energy, Environment and Sustainable Communities, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada)

Abstract

Soil and water conservation practices (SWCPs) are widely used to control soil and water loss. Quantifying the effect of SWCPs and climate change on soil and water erosion is important for regional environmental management. In this study, the Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) and the Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation (MUSLE) were employed to investigate the patterns of surface runoff and soil erosion with different SWCPs in the hilly region on the Loess Plateau of China. The impact of climate change under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 emission scenarios was considered from 2020 to 2050. Surface runoff grew with the increased rainfall and rainfall erosivity, while soil erosion presented large variations between years due to uneven distribution of rainfall and rainfall erosivity under two scenarios. Different SWCPs significantly reduced surface soil and water loss. Compared with bare slopes, the reduction rates were 15–40% for surface runoff and 35–67% for soil erosion under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 emission scenarios, respectively. The combination of shrub and horizontal terracing was recommended due to its low water cost for sediment control among seven SWCPs.

Suggested Citation

  • Mengfan Cai & Chunjiang An & Christophe Guy & Chen Lu, 2020. "Assessment of Soil and Water Conservation Practices in the Loess Hilly Region Using a Coupled Rainfall-Runoff-Erosion Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-18, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:3:p:934-:d:313549
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Luca Montanarella, 2015. "Agricultural policy: Govern our soils," Nature, Nature, vol. 528(7580), pages 32-33, December.
    2. David Pimentel & Michael Burgess, 2013. "Soil Erosion Threatens Food Production," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 3(3), pages 1-21, August.
    3. Carina B. Colman & Paulo Tarso S. Oliveira & André Almagro & Britaldo S. Soares-Filho & Dulce B. B. Rodrigues, 2019. "Effects of Climate and Land-Cover Changes on Soil Erosion in Brazilian Pantanal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-16, December.
    4. Abdul Samad Abdul-Rahim & Chenglong Sun & A. W. Noraida, 2018. "The Impact of Soil and Water Conservation on Agricultural Economic Growth and Rural Poverty Reduction in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-12, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lei Hua & Jianen Gao & Meifang Zhou & Shilun Bai, 2021. "Impacts of Relative Elevation on Soil Nutrients and Apple Quality in the Hilly-Gully Region of the Loess Plateau, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-11, January.
    2. Cai, Mengfan & An, Chunjiang & Guy, Christophe, 2021. "A scientometric analysis and review of biogenic volatile organic compound emissions: Research hotspots, new frontiers, and environmental implications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    3. Chunjiang An & Mengfan Cai & Christophe Guy, 2020. "Rural Sustainable Environmental Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-5, August.
    4. Feng, Qi & An, Chunjiang & Chen, Zhi & Wang, Zheng, 2020. "Can deep tillage enhance carbon sequestration in soils? A meta-analysis towards GHG mitigation and sustainable agricultural management," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).

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