Experimental Study on the Effects of Vegetation and Slope on Rainfall
Erosion of Reconstructed Iron Tailings Slopes
Abstract
[Research Objective and Significance] This study addresses soil and
water loss from iron tailings by reconstructing the tailings and
evaluating the impact of vegetation at various growth stages and slope
gradients on runoff erosion. [Methods] Continuous monitoring of
runoff initiation time, volume, and sediment yield enables a
quantitative analysis of the effects of these factors on rainfall
infiltration and slope erosion. [Results] Results show that bare
soil slopes had average infiltration rates of 0.916, 0.891, and 0.857
mm/min, stabilizing within 9 to 12 minutes, with rates decreasing as
slope gradients increased. In contrast, vegetation significantly
enhances infiltration; for example, on a 15° slope, the average
infiltration rates for vegetated slopes at 30, 60, and 90 days were
0.923, 0.936, and 0.943 mm/min, stabilizing at 15, 24, and 27 minutes,
respectively. Furthermore, vegetation cover effectively reduces runoff
rates, with cumulative runoff volume decreasing by 13%, 40%, and
53.2% at 30, 60, and 90 days. Vegetation also substantially suppresses
soil erosion, with sediment yield reductions of 12.5% to 76.56%,
11.77% to 77.57%, and 11.97% to 78.66% across varying slopes.
[Conclusion]After 60 days of growth, significant improvements in
runoff and erosion control were observed, providing crucial insights for
soil stabilization and the advancement of vegetation-based slope
protection technologies.