Affiliations: Key Lab. of Systems Ecology, Research Center for
Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085,
China | Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural
Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
Abstract: The purpose of this article is to identify the effect of land-use
pattern on rainfall-runoff and runoff-sediment relations in Zichang watershed
of the Loess Plateau. From 1986 to 1997, many farmlands changed into grassland
or woodland, especially the farmland in steep slope positions or far away from
the river. The change of land-use pattern altered the rainfall-runoff and
runoff-sediment relationships, and led to higher slope of trend curves (STCs)
of annual rainfall-runoff mass curve and runoff-sediment mass curve in 1990s
than that in 1980s. It is implied that more soil and water loss yielded in
1990s. In order to reduce soil loss, more attentions should be paid to land-use
pattern and some grass or other herbaceous filter strips should be built along
rivers.
Keywords: land-use, rainfall, runoff, sediment concentration, double mass curve, slope of trend curve, Loess Plateau
