Progress of Study on Interception of Soil Mulching with an Insight into Karst Soil Leakage Control: A Review

Abstract

Soil erosion is a global issue of great concern, especially in karst areas with special environments, where subsurface soil leakage is closely related to soil erosion, which has become a key factor limiting agricultural development. To explore how to improve soil erosion in karst areas to enhance soil quality and maintain the sustainable use of the land in the long term, a total of 176 studies on the interception characteristics of soil mulching and erosion management were reviewed using a systematic review approach, through the WoS and CNKI databases. Firstly, quantitative analysis was conducted in terms of the annual volume, content and countries of the published literature. Secondly, from four aspects (theoretical research, mechanism research, technology research and technical demonstration), the main progress and landmark achievements of soil mulching interception and erosion management were classified. It is shown that the interception characteristics of soil mulching can produce an effective blockage for soil leakage in karst areas. Based on the global classification, compared to synthetic materials, natural materials have received more attention. We propose five key scientific questions that still need to be addressed. This review explores the insightful role of soil mulching for karst soil leakage management and aims to provide theoretical support for future research on sustainable land development in karst areas.

Performance And Adoptability Of Mulching Technology To Control Soil Erosion: Case Study Of The Sebeya Catchment In Rwanda

“…These materials create a barrier against rainfall impact, minimize surface runoff, and enhance soil moisture retention (Iqbal et al, 2020). Field experiments across different terrains have shown that organic mulches effectively reduce soil detachment and erosion rates, promoting soil stability and improving overall soil health (Parhizkar et al, 2021;Wu et al, 2022). Firstly, inorganic mulches, including materials like plastic sheeting, gravel, and geotextiles, have shown promising results in reducing soil erosion by forming physical barriers that impede water runoff and limit soil movement (Tibash et al, 2023).…”

A New Attempt to Estimate Underground Soil Leakage through High-Density, Fixed-Point Monitoring in a Typical Karst Rocky Desertification Region

“…The special soil surface loss and underground leakage structure limits the application of traditional soil erosion monitoring methods in karst areas to a certain extent, e.g., runoff plots and erosion lines. To study the soil leakage loss of karst areas, researchers have conducted many explorations of monitoring methods [8,9]. For example, Yang et al [10] indicated the source of cave leakage soil by analyzing the composition of cave soil particles and their hydrogeochemical indices.…”

Effects of Film-Mulched Rock Outcrops on Rainwater Redistribution and Maize Growth in the Cropland of a Rocky Karst Area

“…In summary, rock outcrops can have positive and negative influences on the hydrology of karst areas. Significantly, a method to control the preferential flow at the rock-soil interface can change the infiltration process and redistribution of rainwater and is expected to maximize the rock's output capability for gathering rainwater toward the surrounding soil, but there are few studies that have particularly explored this [36].…”

“…At the same time, it is also necessary to pay attention to the collection and utilization of rainwater to improve the utilization efficiency of water resources [18,25,31]. Agrotechnical measures that improve soil properties can help increase water retention, such as mulching (i.e., leaving crop residues) and the introduction of practices that increase the humus content of the soil [36][37][38]. Recently, an in situ rainwater gathering measure, plastic film-mulched rock outcrops, has proven to be an effective method of preventing preferential flow at the rock-soil interface [37].…”