ABSTRACT
Tidal flat reclamation generates several excavated saline-sodic soil slopes. However, there are limited studies on the hydraulic flow characteristics and dynamic erodibility of saline-sodic soil slopes. This study was conducted to quantify the effects of the soil bulk density (1.35 and 1.40 g cm−3), rainfall intensity (85, 110, and 125 mm h−1), and slope gradient (11°, 22°, and 35°) on the hydraulic characteristics and soil erodibility of saline–sodic soil slopes under simulated rainfall conditions. The mean sediment loss significantly increases with the slope gradient (pr = 0.9, p < 0.01), rainfall intensity (pr = 0.6, p < 0.05), and soil bulk density (pr = 0.6, p < 0.05). The hydraulic shear stress (τ) and stream power (ω) are good sediment loss predictors for all soil bulk densities (R2 = 0.4 and 0.6). The stream power equation SL = Kω(ω − ωcr) outperforms both hydraulic shear stress equations [SL = Kτ(τ − τcr)3/2; SL = Kτ(τ − τcr)]. In most cases, the soil erodibility exponentially increases to a maximum and then exponentially decreases (R2 > 0.6). Consequently, the dynamic changes in the saline-sodic soil erodibility during a rainfall event cannot be neglected.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
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