Cover Crop Effects on Surface Runoff and Subsurface Flow in Rainfed Hillslope Farming and Connections to Water Quality

Víctor Hugo Durán Zuazo (), Belén Cárceles Rodríguez, Simón Cuadros Tavira, Baltasar Gálvez Ruiz and Iván Francisco García-Tejero
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Víctor Hugo Durán Zuazo: IFAPA Centro “Camino de Purchil”, 18004 Granada, Spain
Belén Cárceles Rodríguez: IFAPA Centro “Camino de Purchil”, 18004 Granada, Spain
Simón Cuadros Tavira: Departamento de Ingeniería Forestal, Universidad de Córdoba, Campus de Rabanales, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
Baltasar Gálvez Ruiz: IFAPA Centro “Camino de Purchil”, 18004 Granada, Spain
Iván Francisco García-Tejero: IFAPA Centro “Las Torres”, Alcalá del Río, 41200 Sevilla, Spain

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 7, 1-17

Abstract: Surface runoff and subsurface flow patterns were monitored in hillside runoff plots in almond and olive orchards with soils covered with spontaneous plants over two hydrological years. The experimental runoff plots were located on the south flank of the Sierra Nevada (Lanjarón, SE Spain) at 580 m a.s.l. with an area of 40 m 2 (10 m × 4 m). The surface and subsurface discharge were collected and measured at different soil depths (0, 5, 10, 25, and 50 cm), and the dissolved nutrient concentrations (NO 3 –N, NH 4 –N, PO 4 –P, and K) were determined. According to the findings, the subsurface flow pathways drained most of the rainfall water compared with surface runoff, which was affected by plant cover. The influence of rainfall intensity (I 30 ) on surface runoff was more meaningful than that on subsurface flow. Throughout the monitoring period, the runoff coefficients at soil depths of 0, 5, 10, 25, and 50 cm averaged 0.04, 0.11, 0.14, 0.17, and 0.18, respectively. Subsurface flow was one of the dominant pathways for N and K loss, whereas P loss mainly occurred via surface runoff. Moreover, the concentrations in subsurface flow were higher than the recommended level for standard water quality for NO 3 –N, NH 4 –N, and PO 4 –P. Subsurface flow was the main route of dissolved nutrient delivery, making these nutrients available to the root systems of trees, where nutrient uptake is more likely to occur. Thus, by lessening surface runoff and encouraging surface vegetation coverage to facilitate the recycling of nutrients and buffer the rainfall’s impact on the soil surface, nutrient loss control can be achieved.

Keywords: runoff; nutrient transport; hillslope farming; surface and subsurface flows; Mediterranean climate (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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