Impacts of different slash disposals on soil and water erosion of high-intensity management Eucalyptus grandis × urophylla plantation

Lin Zhang; Qinzhan Wu; Kangting Huang; Xiaolong Chen; Sen Liu; Shengyuan Liu; Lijun Chen; Lichao Wu

Heliyon (May 2024)

Impacts of different slash disposals on soil and water erosion of high-intensity management Eucalyptus grandis × urophylla plantation

Lin Zhang,
Qinzhan Wu,
Kangting Huang,
Xiaolong Chen,
Sen Liu,
Shengyuan Liu,
Lijun Chen,
Lichao Wu

Affiliations

Lin Zhang: Central South University of Forestry and Technology, 1) Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Combating of Hunan Province, 2) Key Laboratory of Cultivation and Protection for Non-Wood Forest Trees, Ministry of Education, Changsha, 410004, China
Qinzhan Wu: State-owned Daguishan Forest Farm, Hezhou, 542800, China
Kangting Huang: State-owned Daguishan Forest Farm, Hezhou, 542800, China
Xiaolong Chen: State-owned Daguishan Forest Farm, Hezhou, 542800, China
Sen Liu: Central South University of Forestry and Technology, 1) Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Combating of Hunan Province, 2) Key Laboratory of Cultivation and Protection for Non-Wood Forest Trees, Ministry of Education, Changsha, 410004, China
Shengyuan Liu: Central South University of Forestry and Technology, 1) Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Combating of Hunan Province, 2) Key Laboratory of Cultivation and Protection for Non-Wood Forest Trees, Ministry of Education, Changsha, 410004, China
Lijun Chen: Central South University of Forestry and Technology, 1) Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Combating of Hunan Province, 2) Key Laboratory of Cultivation and Protection for Non-Wood Forest Trees, Ministry of Education, Changsha, 410004, China; Corresponding author.
Lichao Wu: Central South University of Forestry and Technology, 1) Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Combating of Hunan Province, 2) Key Laboratory of Cultivation and Protection for Non-Wood Forest Trees, Ministry of Education, Changsha, 410004, China; Corresponding author.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 10, no. 9
p. e30550

Abstract

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Background: The slash disposal-burning forest-in high-intensity management Eucalyptus grandis × urophylla plantation has accelerated soil degradation. Statement of the problem: Slash disposals is a contributing factor, but its specific role in the correlation between rainfall-runoff and soil erosion remains elusive. Objectives: his study investigated the characteristics of rainfall-runoff and soil erosion resistance in different methods of slash disposals in plantation. Methods: Three methods of slash disposal, namely burning forest (BF), moving away (MA), and spreading evenly (SE), were established. A field simulation experiment of rainfall was conducted, and path analysis was used. Results: The findings revealed that the water holding, infiltrating properties and the time the rainfall-runoff generated of SE were increased by approximately 10∼20 %, 100 %, and 80 %, respectively, compared with BF and MA. Water loss, soil loss and nutrient loss were significantly reduced by 62.23 % and 61.56 %, 69.06 % and 49.55 %, and 58.8 % and 65.42 % in SE and BF compared to MA. Path analysis suggested that different from BF and MA, the correlation between soil water properties and rainfall-runoff factors in SE was weakened, simultaneously considering the result that SE had the lower proportions of silt for sediment component (75.31 %), it stabilized the soil structure. Conclusions and prospect: Consequently, SE mitigated the erosion force by reducing rainfall-runoff and enhancing the anti-erosion of soil through improved water properties, making it a viable slash disposal. This work provides a detailed description of the soil erosion characteristics of plantation, including water, soil, and nutrient losses caused by rainfall-runoff, as well as the soil anti-erosion due to different slash disposals. These findings offer valuable insights for the management of high-intensity Eucalyptus grandis × urophylla plantations.

Published in Heliyon

ISSN: 2405-8440 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science: Science (General); Social Sciences: Social sciences (General)
Website: https://www.cell.com/heliyon/home

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