Factors and thresholds determining sediment delivery pathways between forest road and stream in mountainous watershed

Wang, An; Zhao, Qinghe; Yu, Zaihui; Yu, Jinhai; Liu, Yi; Wang, Peng; Zhang, Guiju; Zhou, Jiliang; Ding, Shengyan

doi:10.1016/j.catena.2023.106976

Cited by 4 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…However, due to the spatiotemporal variability of factors governing sediment transport and storage, it is inaccurate to proportionally convert forest road-induced soil erosion into watershed sediment discharge [76]. Generally, the transport processes of forest road-eroded sediment can be decomposed into three distinct phases: the road surface transport process [77], the road-stream slope trans-port process [16], and the stream transport process upon entering the stream network [65]. Therefore, we delve into the specific mechanisms and inherent interconnections of these three transport processes (Figure 4).…”

Section: Transport Process Of Eroded Sediment On Forest Road Surfacesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Once discharged from the road surface, sediment-laden runoff proceeds downhill toward the stream, initiating slope erosion and the creation of sediment transport routes connecting the road to the stream [15]. Typically, these established sediment transport pathways can be classified into three main categories: diffuse pathways, gully pathways, and partially gullied pathways (Figure 5) [16]. The diffuse pathways are generally found on lower hillslopes that have not been significantly eroded by road runoff.…”

Section: Sediment Transport Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They consist of a primary runoff plume and multiple dendritic plumes and lack well-defined channels or gullies, but some rills smaller than 5 cm can be observed [50]. Influenced by the interception and infiltration effects of surface soil, vegetation, and litter layers, sediment-laden runoff in the diffuse pathway is typically dispersed with weak hydrodynamic force and sediment-laden capacity [15,16]. As a result, the diffuse pathway is seldom observed to extend beyond 30 m on vegetated slopes [80] (Table 4), making it challenging for sediment-laden runoff discharged from road drains to reach streams when the distance from the road to the stream is considerable.…”

Section: Sediment Transport Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The concept of a threshold based on slope-area (S-A) has been widely used to explain the formation of gully pathways [82]. Research has shown that the critical topographic thresholds for the initiation of the gully pathways and the continued development of gullies from partial to complete gully pathways could be expressed as D s = 0.35E ca −0.13 and D s = 0.41E ca −0.17 , respectively, where D s represents the slope gradient of lower hillslope and E ca represents the effective contribution area [16]. Furthermore, changes in vegetation or land use can alter the formation threshold of gully pathways by modifying effective rainfall intensity and runoff characteristics [16], making gully pathways more likely to occur on slopes with roads [38].…”

Section: Sediment Transport Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Road erosion encompasses various erosion processes occurring within the road prism, involving sediment detachment and deposition on cut slopes, road surfaces, side ditches, and fill slopes [15]. Substantial research efforts have been devoted to comprehending the mechanisms of sediment production through forest road erosion, the processes and mechanisms of sediment transport, and management measures for erosion control aimed at protecting soil resources and mitigating forest road erosion [16,17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Review of the Sediment Production and Transport Processes of Forest Road Erosion

Yu,

Zhao,

et al. 2024

Forests

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Forest roads are a common land use feature with a significant impact on sediment yield and the water sediment transport processes within a watershed, seriously disrupting the safety and stability of the watershed. Previous studies have focused on the sediment production processes within the road prism. However, there has been limited attention given to the transport processes of road-eroded sediment at various scales, which is crucial for understanding the off-site effects of road erosion. This paper reviews research conducted on forest road erosion over the past two decades. It summarizes the mechanisms of sediment production from road erosion and provides a detailed analysis of the transport mechanisms of eroded sediments from roads to streams at the watershed scale. The paper also examines the ecological and hydrological effects, research methods, and control measures related to sediment transport caused by forest road erosion. It identifies current research limitations and outlines future research directions. The findings of this review highlight several key points: (1) Most research on forest road erosion tends to be specific and unilateral, often neglecting the broader interaction between roads and the watershed in terms of water–sediment dynamics. (2) Various research methods are employed in the study of forest road erosion, including field monitoring, artificial simulation experiments, and road erosion prediction models. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, but the integration of emerging technologies like laser scanning and fingerprint recognition remains underutilized, hindering the simultaneous achievement of convenience and accuracy. (3) The transport processes of forest road-eroded sediment, particularly on road–stream slopes, are influenced by numerous factors, including terrain, soil, and vegetation. These processes exhibit significant spatial and temporal variability, and the precise quantification of sediment transport efficiency to the stream remains challenging due to a lack of long-term and stable investigation and monitoring methods. The establishment and operation of runoff plots and sedimentation basins may help offer a solution to this challenge. (4) Both biological and engineering measures have proven effective in reducing and limiting sediment erosion and transport. However, the costs and economic benefits associated with these regulation measures require further investigation. This review provides a comprehensive summary of relevant research on sediment erosion and transport processes on unpaved forest roads, enhancing our understanding of sediment yield in watersheds and offering valuable insights for reducing sediment production and transport to streams.

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Section: Transport Process Of Eroded Sediment On Forest Road Surfacesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Sediment Transport Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Sediment Transport Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Sediment Transport Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Review of the Sediment Production and Transport Processes of Forest Road Erosion

Yu,

Zhao,

et al. 2024

Forests

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Soil erosion associated with roads—A global review and statistical analysis

Yu,

Zhao,

Liu

et al. 2024

Land Degrad Dev

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Global soil degradation due to road erosion is an escalating concern. This study employed bibliometric analysis using the Science Citation Index‐Expanded dataset to gain insights into research trends in road erosion. It covered the years 2000–2021, revealing a steady increase in annual research publications, particularly after 2018. The United States and Catena was the leading contributor and the most popular journal, respectively. The primary research areas identified by keywords and statistical analysis are the forests and arid regions in the temperate climate zone (including temperate continental climate and temperate monsoon climate) and the tropical climate zone (including tropical rainforest climate and tropical monsoon climate). Since 2012, a noticeable shift from traditional methods to emerging technologies like isotope tracing (e.g., 137Cs, 210Pb) and machine learning (e.g., random forest) was observed, indicating evolving in methodologies with changes in research scales. The study emphasized the inevitability of road erosion, highlighting the crucial role of effective road management and restoration. It proposed integrating best management practices and ecosystem restoration strategies into watershed management, combined with advanced technological approaches, to foster sustainable watershed development.

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Annual soil erosion characteristics of unpaved roads in the Loess Plateau hilly and gully region, China

Liao,

Fu,

Wei

et al. 2024

CATENA

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Factors and thresholds determining sediment delivery pathways between forest road and stream in mountainous watershed

Cited by 4 publications

References 57 publications

A Review of the Sediment Production and Transport Processes of Forest Road Erosion

A Review of the Sediment Production and Transport Processes of Forest Road Erosion

Soil erosion associated with roads—A global review and statistical analysis

Annual soil erosion characteristics of unpaved roads in the Loess Plateau hilly and gully region, China

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