Effect of hydro-mulches on runoff and soil loss rate from steep slopes

Document Type : Scientific article

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Forestry, Faculty of Forest Resources, Gorgan University of ‎‎Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan‎, I. R. Iran

2 Ph.D. student of forest management, Faculty of Natural Resources, Gorgan University of Agricultural ‎Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan‎, I. R. Iran

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of hydro-mulches on runoff and soil loss from steep slopes. So, 13 treatments consist of polyacrylamide, sugar cane molasses, wood mulch, Festuca, straw mulch and bare soil (control) were established in wooden plots with dimensions of 0.6 m in width, 1.2 m in length and 0.1 m in depth with slope gradient of 1:3. 60 days after the implementation of the treatments, rainfall simulation with intensity of 50 mm hr-1 and duration of 15 minute was done on each plot and then runoff volume was collected every 5 minutes. Runoff rate was in % and sediment concentration were in g l-1, beside soil loss rate was calculated in g m-2. Investigation of the runoff behavior in 15 minutes showed that the peak of Runoff was occurred during first 5 minutes. In addition, results indicated that,runoff rates decreased 77.4% and 73.7% in wood mulch and seed (WM+S) and wood mulch, seed and polyacrylamide (WM+S+P) treatments, respectively. Minimum amount of soil loss with reduction of 89.82%, 87.46% and 83.90% was observed for treatments of WM+S+P, wood mulch, seed and molasses (WM+S+M) and straw mulch, seed and polyacrylamide (SM+S+P). In rainfall intensity of 80 mm h-1, minimum runoff and soil loss was recorded for treatments of WM+S+P, WM+S+M and SM+S+P. It was concluded that polyacrylamide, molasses and Festuca seed as supplementary of mulch increased the efficiency of treatment.

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References

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Forest Research and Development
Volume 7, Issue 1
June 2021
Pages 15-26

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