Experimental Study on the Mechanism of Artificial Runoff Generation on
Typical Slopes in North China
Abstract
Runoff generation and concentration are essential processes of the
hydrological cycle. Understanding runoff generation patterns is crucial
for improving the accuracy of hydrological forecasting and regional
water resource assessment. This research aims to explore runoff
generation mechanisms in the plains’ farmlands of North China and
analyze the impact of wheat growth on runoff generation in typical slope
farmland. Seven scenarios of experiments were designed on two soil tanks
as the farm-sample of different slopes, which are 2° and 4° separated.
These scenarios took into account local climate types, cropping
structures, and slope by setting a uniform rainfall intensity of 60 mm/h
through an artificial rainfall device located in Yongnian County, Hebei
Province, China. These experiments were conducted, and the runoff
generation process in different scenarios were observed from October
2019 to June 2021. Through the comparison of the observed runoff
processes, the results indicate that surface runoff varies
significantly, while interflow remains relatively stable. Vegetation
cover has a greater impact than slope on runoff process. As winter wheat
grew, the initial time of surface runoff was delayed, and runoff yield
decreased, whereas the runoff generation of interflow exhibited the
opposite trend. Under the same vegetation cover conditions, the increase
in slope led to an advance in the T Rs and an
increase in runoff volume and peak value, while the interflow findings
were inverse. The bare land in the winter wheat scenario has a
significantly greater runoff volume, likely benefiting from the impact
of the crop rotation system on soil characteristics in North China. The
findings of this research provide insight into understanding runoff
patterns in North China, reducing the uncertainty between runoff model
parameters and watershed characteristics, and offering beneficial
references for research and practice in related fields.