Articles | Volume 30, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-3351-2026
© Author(s) 2026. 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-30-3351-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Regulatory role of permanent gullies in dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus transport under different rainfall types
Zhuoxin Chen
State Key Laboratory of Black Soils Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin, China
State Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Control, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
Mingming Guo
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
State Key Laboratory of Black Soils Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin, China
Lixin Wang
State Key Laboratory of Black Soils Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin, China
Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, China
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
State Key Laboratory of Black Soils Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin, China
Jinshi Jian
State Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Control, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
Qiang Chen
Harbin Normal University, Harbin, China
Xingyi Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Black Soils Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harbin, China
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Gully headcut erosion is always a difficult issue in soil erosion, which hinders the revelation of gully erosion mechanisms and the establishment of a gully erosion model. This study clarified the spatiotemporal changes in flow properties, energy consumption, and soil loss, confirming that gully head consumed the most of flow energy (78 %) and can contribute 89 % of total soil loss. Critical energy consumption initiating soil erosion of the upstream area, gully head, and gully bed is confirmed.
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Short summary
We examined how permanent gully in farmland regulate the transport of runoff and dissolved nitrogen and phosphorus during natural rainfall. Measurements at both the gully head and the outlet showed that the gully facilitates runoff production, yet diluted nutrient concentrations. High-erosivity storms triggered disproportionately large nutrient losses and markedly altered the gully’s contribution. These findings provide insights for improving nutrient management in gully-dominated landscapes.
We examined how permanent gully in farmland regulate the transport of runoff and dissolved...