Articles | Volume 29, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-823-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-823-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Understanding soil loss in Mollisol permanent gully head cuts through hydrological and hydromechanical responses
School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Shoupeng Wang
School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Dongshuo Zheng
School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Yan Zhang
School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
Jie Tang
Advanced Institute of Natural Sciences, Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai, Zhuhai 519087, China
Yanru Wen
Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Jie Dong
Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Clarkson University, Potsdam, 13699 NY, USA
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In a localized area with the same vegetation, an overwhelming propensity of shallow landslides on the south-facing slope over the north-facing slope could not be attributed to plant roots. We provide new evidence from the pore water pressure of failing mass, unsaturated hydraulic conductivity, water storage, and drainage and the hillslope stability fluctuation to prove that the infinite slope model may be suitable for elucidating the aspect-dependent landslide distribution in the study area.
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Short summary
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We compare shallow landslides in shrubland and woodland on the Chinese Loess Plateau. Field monitoring, dye tracing and root tests show that woodland has deeper roots, stable preferential flow and stronger soil reinforcement, which enhance infiltration and delay shallow saturation. Shrubland hillslopes fail more frequently and at shallower depths. These contrasts imply lower landslide susceptibility and sediment yield in woodland.
Chao Ma, Shoupeng Wang, Dongshuo Zheng, Yan Zhang, Jie Tang, Yanru Wen, and Jie Dong
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-795, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-795, 2024
Preprint archived
Short summary
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In the study domain of soil and water conservation, the prediction of gravitational mass-wasting is often not satisfied. In fact, they occur by the mechanics of soil strength decrease due to water infiltration. Alternatively, this work adopts some basic concepts of Unsaturated Soil Mechanics, together with the field observations of soil moisture, rainfall records and temperature, to examine the potential relationship between erosion intensity and hydrological and hydro-mechanical response.
Yanglin Guo and Chao Ma
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Short summary
Short summary
In a localized area with the same vegetation, an overwhelming propensity of shallow landslides on the south-facing slope over the north-facing slope could not be attributed to plant roots. We provide new evidence from the pore water pressure of failing mass, unsaturated hydraulic conductivity, water storage, and drainage and the hillslope stability fluctuation to prove that the infinite slope model may be suitable for elucidating the aspect-dependent landslide distribution in the study area.
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Short summary
Soil loss results from the hydrological and hydromechanical responses. The soil loss intensity theoretically relates to the soil water storage and the suction stress. This work contributes to exhibiting the close relationship between erosion intensity in the bed and on the slope and the soil water storage and suction stress. The results of this work highlight that antecedent precipitation should be considered in predicting soil loss in the permanent gully rather than solely from rainfall amount.
Soil loss results from the hydrological and hydromechanical responses. The soil loss intensity...