Assessment of hydrological response to soil and water conservation measures in the Loess Plateau based on a novel modeling framework

Xixi Wu, Xuehua Zhao, Xuerui Gao, Bowen Zhu, Xueping Zhu, Xining Zhao, Pan Chen, Xiaoqi Guo and Marie Rose Iribagiza

Agricultural Water Management, 2025, vol. 316, issue C

Abstract: Soil and water conservation (SWC) measures play a critical role in controlling soil erosion and protecting water resources on the Loess Plateau (LP). However, their impacts on hydrological processes remain insufficiently understood. This study develops a novel hydrological modeling framework that integrates both infiltration-excess and shallow saturation-excess runoff mechanisms. We applied the model to two pilot areas on the LP and systematically evaluated the hydrological response under various SWC measures based on qualified simulated rainfall-runoff events. The results showed that the berm measure had a high Manning roughness coefficient of 0.12, the artificial grassland measure showed a high stable infiltration rate of 0.79 mm/min, and the terracing measure demonstrated the highest initial infiltration rate of 2.23 mm/min. Compared to other measures, the berm measure was most effective in reducing surface runoff, with its runoff component was mainly in the form of interflow, accounting for 94.2 %. Additionally, terracing and artificial grassland measures showed relatively small percentages of shallow saturation-excess runoff, accounting for 0.7 % and 0.4 %, respectively. This study highlights that, when balancing hydrological benefits with socio-economic feasibility, the berm measure on steep slopes has greater potential for reducing runoff, while terracing and artificial grassland measures on gentle slopes offer a more ecologically sustainable watershed management approach.

Keywords: Loess Plateau; Soil and water conservation; Hydrological model; Hydrological process; Runoff components (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:316:y:2025:i:c:s0378377425002914

DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109577

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