Runoff and sediment yield under simulated rainfall on hillslopes in the Loess Plateau of China

Runoff volume, sediment yield and infiltration on hillslope in the hilly region of Loess Plateau were studied using a rainfall simulator. Two land cover (natural grassland, NG, and bare hillslope, BS) and three different rainfall intensities (2.0, 1.5, 0.75mm min(-1)) were implemented. The runoff time of the NG(2.0) treatment was 4.8 min earlier, the average infiltration rate was 5.60% lower, the runoff rate was 1.12 times higher and the sediment production rate was 3.28 times lower than those in the BS2.0 treatment. The runoff time for the NG(1.5) and the NG(0.75) treatments were 6 and 27 min slower, respectively, the average infiltration rate were 10.78 and 23.52% higher, respectively, the runoff rate were 1.67 and 4.25 times lower, respectively, and the sediment production rate were 5.21 and 16.75 times lower, respectively, than those for the BS1.5 and BS0.75 treatments. The effects of slope on sediment reduction were significantly greater than the effects of its runoff reduction, and there occurred more significant sediment-reducing effects with the decrease of rainfall intensity. Efficient use of rainfall runoff in the natural grassland at high intensity should be taken into considerations especially under current conditions of the co-existing drought-caused water shortage and soil erosion in the loess hilly regions.