Effect of Ridge Height, Row Grade, and Field Slope on Nutrient Losses in Runoff in Contour Ridge Systems under Seepage with Rainfall Condition

Juan An, Jibiao Geng, Huiling Yang, Hongli Song and Bin Wang
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Juan An: Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water and Soil Conservation and Environmental Protection, College of Resources and Environment, Linyi University, Linyi 276005, China
Jibiao Geng: Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water and Soil Conservation and Environmental Protection, College of Resources and Environment, Linyi University, Linyi 276005, China
Huiling Yang: Linyi Hydrology Bureau, Linyi 276005, China
Hongli Song: Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water and Soil Conservation and Environmental Protection, College of Resources and Environment, Linyi University, Linyi 276005, China
Bin Wang: Jinyun Forest Ecosystem Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 4, 1-18

Abstract: Seepage plays a key role in nutrient loss and easily occurs in widely-used contour ridge systems due to the ponding process. However, the characteristics of nutrient loss and its influential factors under seepage with rainfall condition in contour ridge systems are still unclear. In this study, 23 seepage and rainfall simulation experiments are arranged in an orthogonal rotatable central composite design to investigate the role of ridge height, row grade, and field slope on Nitrate (NO 3 ? –N) and Orthophosphate (PO 4 +3 –P) losses resulting from seepage in contour ridge systems. In total, three types of NO 3 ? –N and PO 4 +3 –P loss were observed according to erosion processes of inter-rill–headward, inter-rill–headward–contour failure, and inter-rill–headward–contour failure–rill. Our results demonstrated that second-order polynomial regression models were obtained to predict NO 3 ? –N and PO 4 +3 –P loss with the independent variables of ridge height, row grade, and field slope. Ridge height was the most important factor for nutrient loss, with a significantly positive effect and the greatest contribution (52.35–53.47%). The secondary factor of row grade exerted a significant and negative effect, and was with a contribution of 19.86–24.11% to nutrient loss. The interaction between ridge height and row grade revealed a significantly negative effect on NO 3 ? –N loss, whereas interactions among the three factors did not significantly affect PO 4 +3 –P loss. Field slope only significantly affected NO 3 ? –N loss. The optimal design of a contour ridge system to control nutrient loss was obtained at ridge height of 8 cm, row grade of 2°, and field slope of 6.5°. This study provides a method to assess and model nutrient loss, and improves guidance to implement contour ridge systems in terms of nutrient loss control.

Keywords: seepage; ridge height; row grade; nutrient loss; rainfall simulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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