Hydrological responses of pine needle litter to rainfall erosional processes on Chinese karst hillslopes

ABSTRACT

The restoration of native vegetation like pines helps mitigate soil erosion, but the effects of pine needle litter on runoff, erosion, and hydrology in karst hillslopes are unclear. This study investigated these factors during the rainy season from June to August 2021 under six treatments (flat, gentle, and steep slopes with and without pine needle coverings). The results showed that pine needle litter significantly increased the soil water content, particularly on steeper slopes, by improving the water-holding capacity. It also substantially reduced runoff (by 23.8%) and soil erosion (by 92.5%). The critical rainfall threshold for generating runoff did not occur in the pine needle covering treatment, whereas it was 19.3 ± 8.8 mm in the bare soil treatment under wet conditions. These findings highlight the efficacy of pine needle cover in reducing runoff and erosion in karst areas, promoting it as a sustainable method for restoring degraded soil.

KEYWORDS:

• karst hillslope
• pine needle covering
• rainfall threshold
• soil water content
• runoff
• soil erosion
• degraded soil restoration

Editor K. Soulis; Associate Editor O. Link

Editor K. Soulis; Associate Editor O. Link

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2024.2349261.

Additional information

Funding

We acknowledge and are grateful for the financial support provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China through grant no. 42067004, Guizhou Provincial Science and Technology Foundation (YQK[2023]005), and China Scholarship Council.