AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF INFILTRATION AND EROSION UNDER SLOPE GRADIENTS AND VEGETAL COVERS

The effect of slope gradient and vegetal cover on soil infiltration and erosion were studied with field simulator. Results showed that infiltration decreases with slope gradients (especially for gradient less than 10°) and increases with vegetal covers, while soil erosion increases with slope gradients and decreases with vegetal covers. Fittlng the data by Philip’s infiltration equation it was found that in the equation, gravitational conductivity decreases with gradient and increases with vegetation, while diffusion decreases with vegetal cover and does not vary with slope gradient In the erosion process, the formation of a layer of thin water is crucial in dctermining the rainsplash and sheetwash. The increasing of erosion with slope gradient contributes mainly to the increase of velocity.