Effects of Underlay on Hill-Slope Surface Runoff Process of Cupressus funebris Endl. Plantations in Southwestern China

Abstract

Clarifying the impact of underlay (i.e., the combination of near-surface vegetation and surface micro-topography) on the surface runoff process would provide a significant theoretical basis for the adjustment of vegetation patterns and the control of soil erosion on steep slopes in mountainous areas of southwestern China. In the current study, the runoff process under different rainfall characteristics was observed based on 10 natural runoff plots, and the correlation between the spatial pattern of cypress (Cupressus funebris), micro-topography, and runoff characteristic parameters was tested using the Pearson correlation coefficient method. The coupling effects of the spatial pattern of cypress and micro-topography on surface runoff also were analyzed using the Response Surface Method (RSM). The results showed that (1) under the conditions of long-duration moderate rainfall or long-duration rainstorm, topographic relief, surface roughness, runoff path density, contagion index of cypress, and stand density of cypress were the main reasons for the difference in the peak flow of each runoff plot, while under the condition of the short-duration rainstorm, the factors previously mentioned were no longer the dominant factors; (2) under the conditions of long-duration heavy rainfall or long-duration rainstorm, the common laws reflected by the response of the peak flow to the composite index of the spatial pattern of cypress and micro-topography were that (1) when the composite index of the spatial pattern of cypress (V) was below 21 and the composite index of micro-topography (U) was below 10.5, the peak flow would not be significantly affected; (2) when U > 10.5, increasing the composite index of the spatial pattern of cypress within a certain range would promote peak flow; (3) when U < 7.5 and V > 18, the increase of V value could significantly reduce the peak flow, and on this basis, adjusting the V value to 41, the reduction rate of peak flow could reach 84%.

Towards Forest Conservation Planning: How Temperature Fluctuations Determine the Potential Distribution and Extinction Risk of Cupressus funebris Conifer Trees in China

“…Moreover, Ref. [34] revealed that there is a negative correlation between the spatial pattern of Funeral Cypress and micro-topography. Furthermore, the probability of the presence of Funeral Cypress is mostly influenced by mean diurnal range (Bio2), temperature seasonality (Bio4), and precipitation of the warmest quarter (Bio18).…”

“…The moisture and nutrient availability in the soil are impacted by precipitation, which is a significant environmental factor that affects C. funebris development, distribution, and physiology [16]. A recent study by [34] clarified that C. funebris grows best under longduration moderate rainfall. It prefers moderately moist soils and can tolerate drought once established.…”

Influence of Wood Knots of Chinese Weeping Cypress on Selected Physical Properties

“…China, the main area of natural distribution for Cupressus funebris Endl., known also as Chinese weeping cypress, has four endemic species in the genus Cupressus, one of which is C. funebris [1]. C. funebris is one of the representative evergreen coniferous species in China's subtropics; it is found in major vegetation restoration forests and is a timber forest species in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River of China, such as in the Sichuan, western Hubei, and Guizhou provinces [2][3][4][5]. Some botanists accept Franco's reclassification of C. funebris as Chamaecyparis funebris (Endl.)…”

Response Strategies of Root System Architecture to Soil Environment: A Case Study of Single-Species Cupressus funebris Plantations

“…Cupressus funebris Endl is a common coniferous tree in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, where it is significant for promoting soil and water conservation, combating desertification, and restoring vegetation (Wang et al, 2021 ). As a consequence of extensive logging and mismanagements, the growth and development of forest stands dominated by C. funebris are poor, rendering the forest ecosystem more fragile (Wu and Qi, 2021 ). In this context, most of the previous studies on ecological restoration have focused on stand structure (Baran et al, 2020 ), the diversity of understory species (Wang et al, 2021 ), and the soil physicochemical parameters, whereas few studies on root systems have also paid attention to their distribution, decomposition, and release (Chen et al, 2021 ), or the biomass and morphology of fine roots (Sierra Cornejo et al, 2020 ).…”