Effects of the undecomposed layer and semi‐decomposed layer of Quercus variabilis litter on the soil erosion process and the eroded sediment particle size distribution

Abstract

Simulated rainfall experiments were performed on bare, undecomposed litter layer and semi-decomposed litter layer slopes with litter biomasses of 0, 50, 100 and 150 g m À2 , respectively, to evaluate the effect of the undecomposed layer and semidecomposed layer of Quercus variabilis litter on the soil erosion process and the particle size distribution of eroded sediment. The undecomposed layer and semidecomposed layer of litter reduced the runoff rate by 10.91-27.04% and 12.91-36.05%, respectively, and the erosion rate by 13.35-40.98% and 17.16-59.46%, respectively. The percentage of smaller particles (clay and fine silt particles) decreased and the percentage of larger particles (coarse silt and sand particles) increased with an increased rainfall duration on all treated slopes, while the extent of the eroded sediment particle content varied among the treated slopes with the rainfall duration, with bare slopes exhibiting the largest variability, followed by undecomposed litter layer slopes and finally semi-decomposed litter layer slopes. The clay and sand particles were transported as aggregates, and fine silt and coarse silt particles were transported as primary particles. Compared with the original soil, sediment eroded from all treated slopes was mainly enriched in smaller particles. Furthermore, the loss of the smaller particles from the undecomposed litter layer slopes was lower than that from the semi-decomposed litter layer slopes, indicating that the undecomposed litter layer alleviated soil coarsening to some extent. The findings from this study improve our understanding of how litter regulates slope erosion and provide a reference for effectively controlling soil erosion.

Mechanisms of influence of forest ecosystems on the aggregate composition and water stability of soil aggregates in the semi-arid area of southeast Ukraine

“…The influence of the specific conditions of a slope with a northern exposure contributes to a decrease in the content of soil organic matter in luvic chernozem compared to luvic chernozem on a slope of southern exposure, which can be explained by the presence of a higher clay content (Zheng et al, 2023). Some researchers have found opposite trends -increased organic matter content in forest soils on a northern slope compared to forest soils on a southern slope (Liu et al, 2021), which can be explained by the characteristics of the soils and forest vegetation that were studied. The results of analysis of variance confirm the significant influence of the features of slope exposures on the content of soil organic matter in luvic chernozems, as well as the reliable influence of forest vegetation on the content of organic matter in chernozems, which can be explained by the protective role of the forest, which protects the soil from degradation (Yakovenko et al, 2024), limiting the loss of soil organic matter (Dong et al, 2022) and the reduction of upper soil horizons (Wiśniewski & Märker, 2019).…”

Size Characteristics of Sediments Eroded under Different Masson Pine Litter Covers in South China

“…The litter layer is one of the three hydrologic layers in the forest ecosystem and is crucial for controlling soil erosion [15]. Liu [16] studied the effects of the undecomposed layer and semi-decomposed layer of Quercus variabilis litter on soil erosion, and found that they reduced the runoff rate by 10.91-27.04% and 12.91-36.05%, respectively. The litter layer can consume the kinetic energy of raindrops, delay the runoff generation time, decrease the impact of the surface soil erosion ratio, reduce soil erosion and improve soil infiltration [17].…”