Effectiveness of soil and water conservation associated with a natural gas pipeline construction project inChina

Abstract

A natural gas pipeline extends over a distance of 310 km in the Hebei Province of China and passes through various zones of natural vegetation, mostly wooded. Construction required a working width of about 40 m and a 1.4‐m‐wide trench to be dug to a depth of 2.4 m to enable the installation of a pipe with a diameter of 1,016 mm. The construction process had to manage an irregular configuration of terrain with steep slopes, varying degrees of instability, and a propensity for erosion and land degradation. To prevent potentially massive soil erosion and further deterioration of the affected environment, a comprehensive soil and water conservation plan was designed and implemented. A 3.25‐km‐long study area was selected in rugged hilly country and was divided into seven topographic zones, with slopes ranging from <10° to over 50°. Different soil and water conservation measures were adopted in each zone, including engineering measures, revegetation measures, and maintenance measures. One year after installation, trees planted in individual holes grew well in each zone and the vegetation cover on the slopes treated by hydroseeding exceeded 90%. In addition, run‐off and sediment yield on slopes were significantly reduced. These conservation measures were conducive to environmentally sustainable development and may serve as a scientific reference for ecological restoration and vegetation reconstruction in future pipeline construction projects in similar terrain. Furthermore, these measures also helped to ensure the safe operation of the pipeline and provided protection for people living and working along the pipeline route.

Dynamic Portfolio Selection in Gas Transmission Projects Considering Sustainable Strategic Alignment and Project Interdependencies through Value Analysis

“…Destruction of the soil structure and disturbance of vegetation occur along both sides of pipelines and might affect wildlife habitat. Damage of surface vegetation aggravated soil erosion [63]. The pipelines sometimes traverse rivers or sea and change ecological function and marine life [64].…”

Environmental analysis for the selection of long-distance natural gas pipeline routes using MACBETH

“…Although NGP project construction has significant impacts on socio-economic development, it has serious environmental impacts as a linear project because it passes through areas with MEQ 33,2 diverse topologies. The removal extent of land cover for construction machines is dependent on the diameter of the pipe (Luo et al, 2019). The construction phase has a decisive impact on the environment due to immense topsoil and land cover removal.…”

Erosion‐reducing effects of revegetation and fish‐scale pits on steep spoil heaps under concentrated runoff on the Chinese Loess Plateau

“…Since the 1980s on the Chinese Loess Plateau, production and construction activities, such as coal mining, mineral mining, and expressway construction, have altered landforms, removed vegetation, and excavated a large amount of surface material, which is deposited in heaps (Fu, Lin, Ma, & Zhu, 2010; Guo et al, 2020; Zhang, Gao, Yang, Li, & Tian, 2015). Due to their loose structure, these abandoned spoil heaps have caused considerable soil erosion (Wang et al, 2012), which has resulted in land degradation and severely damaged the ecology and environment (Luo, Xie, & Lv, 2019; Zhang, Gao, et al, 2015). For instance, massive abandoned spoil heaps produced by opencast mining in the Shenfu‐Dongsheng Coalfield in the Loess Plateau have caused serious soil and water loss (Guo, Wang, et al, 2020).…”

“…Vegetation is often considered the most fundamental measure for controlling soil erosion (Cao et al, 2008; Loch, 2000). Vegetation cover on a slope can protect the soil from raindrop splash, and the reinforcement provided by roots can improve the soil structure stability; both of these effects can decrease soil erosion (Han, Feng, & Ouyang, 2018; Luo et al, 2019). Extensive studies have shown that plants have significant effects on the prevention of soil erosion and can reduce the movement of sediments on natural hillslopes (Casermeiro et al, 2004; Wang, Innes, et al, 2012).…”

“…Zhang, Wang, Bai, and Lv (2015) reported that vegetation recovery could help control soil erosion on spoil heaps comprised of mine tailings. After vegetation restoration, runoff and sediment yield on disturbed slopes are significantly reduced (Luo et al, 2019). In the Meandu Mine in Queensland, the soil erosion decreased from 30 to 35 t ha −1 on bare slopes to 0.5 t ha −1 on slopes with 47% vegetative cover after vegetation restoration (Loch, 2000).…”