Response Pattern of Rainfall to the Efficiency and Threshold of Soil Water Recharge in Different Slopes

Xinlong Zhou, Fengwan Xia, Henglin Xiao (), Qiang Ma, Lifei Zheng, Yunfeng Shi and Zifeng Lin
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Xinlong Zhou: Key Laboratory of Intelligent Health Perception and Ecological Restoration of Rivers and Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
Fengwan Xia: Key Laboratory of Intelligent Health Perception and Ecological Restoration of Rivers and Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
Henglin Xiao: Key Laboratory of Intelligent Health Perception and Ecological Restoration of Rivers and Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
Qiang Ma: Key Laboratory of Intelligent Health Perception and Ecological Restoration of Rivers and Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
Lifei Zheng: State Key Laboratory of Precision Blasting, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, China
Yunfeng Shi: Key Laboratory of Intelligent Health Perception and Ecological Restoration of Rivers and Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
Zifeng Lin: Key Laboratory of Intelligent Health Perception and Ecological Restoration of Rivers and Lakes, Ministry of Education, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 9, 1-18

Abstract: Rational and effective utilization of rainfall is crucial to vegetation restoration and ecological reconstruction for engineering slopes. However, plant and vegetated concrete considerably affect soil water distribution and rainfall replenishment, which is rarely accounted for in current studies. To this end, the effects of plant and vegetated concrete on spatiotemporal distribution and soil water recharge were explored. First, four field model slopes were constructed to monitor soil water content. The spatiotemporal variations and distribution characteristics of soil water under different restoration modes were analyzed. The indicators including amount, efficiency, and threshold of soil water recharge in ecological slopes were assessed. At last, the effects of plant and vegetated concrete on the spatiotemporal distribution and recharge characteristics of soil water were discussed. Results showed that ecological restoration alters spatiotemporal distribution characteristics and reduces soil water content of engineering slopes. During rainfall process, ecological restoration extends the lag time but increases amount and efficiency of rainfall replenishment. Comparably, ecological shrub slope gains the highest lag time and rainfall threshold. Cynodon dactylon is superior to Magnolia multiflora in raising rainfall replenishment capacity. Additionally, vegetated concrete enhances rainfall replenishment efficiency by altering soil properties and interacting with plants. This study deepened the understanding of hydrological effects of ecological restoration on slopes and provided a theoretical basis for ensuring sustainable slope management.

Keywords: ecological restoration; plant; vegetated concrete; soil water recharge; rainfall replenishment capacity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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