Dynamics of runoff and sediment trapping performance of vegetative filter strips: Run-on experiments and modeling

Daili Pan; Xiaodong Gao; Miles Dyck; Yaqian Song; Pute Wu; Xining Zhao

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.03.158

Dynamics of runoff and sediment trapping performance of vegetative filter strips: Run-on experiments and modeling

Sci Total Environ. 2017 Sep 1:593-594:54-64. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.03.158. Epub 2017 Mar 22.

Authors

Daili Pan¹, Xiaodong Gao¹, Miles Dyck², Yaqian Song³, Pute Wu¹, Xining Zhao⁴

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; Institute of Water Saving Agriculture in Arid Regions of China, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China.
² Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E3, Canada.
³ Institute of Water Saving Agriculture in Arid Regions of China, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; College of Water Resources and Architectural Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China.
⁴ Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China; Institute of Water Saving Agriculture in Arid Regions of China, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China. Electronic address: zxn@nwafu.edu.cn.

PMID: 28342418
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.03.158

Abstract

Vegetative filter strips (VFSs) are a labor-saving and cost-effective agricultural best management practice to trap water runoff and sediment from the source areas. They also provide forage and/or fuel and are therefore potentially profitable for land owners. VFSs are however a dynamic system: the runoff delivery ratio (RDR) and sediment delivery ratio (SDR) vary with growth stage and vegetation types. The impacts of vegetation characteristics as well as soil physical properties modified by vegetation growth, on the RDR and SDR of VFS were evaluated by a flume experiment. Two plant species (cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.)) were tested at three stages in the growing season of 2016 (May, July, and August). The measured RDR and SDR were compared with the simulated results from Vegetative Filter Strip Modeling System (VFSMOD). In the early stages of the growing season, the cocksfoot formed a dense network of stems with high strip Manning's roughness faster than white clover. The runoff and sediment trapping effects of the white clover VFS were greater than that of cocksfoot VFS in all the three stages (lower RDR and SDR). This is likely attributed to strongly tillering, creeping stem posture and high infiltration capacity of the white clover VFS. VFSMOD simulated the RDR and SDR reliably except under low vegetation coverage conditions (white clover in May). The results suggested that (1) both soil physical properties and vegetation characteristics should be considered for the species-specific, temporally variable performance of VFS; and (2) when using VFSMOD inform the VFS design, modelers should take the dynamics of vegetation, mainly through vertical saturated hydraulic conductivity, stem spacing and strip Manning's roughness into account, and select parameters that reflect the actual field conditions.

Keywords: Growth stage; Runoff and sediment trapping; Soil physical properties; VFSMOD; Vegetation characteristics; Vegetation types; Vegetative filter strips.