In collaboration with Iranian Watershed Management Association

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Professor at Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan

2 Ph.D. Student of Soil Science, Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan

Abstract

Runoff is one of the major components of the hydrological cycle, which leads to soil loss from steep slopes and sediment production in watersheds. Investigation of effective factors in runoff coefficient is important in watershed management. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of soil properties on runoff coefficient in Alanagh, Livar and Shekaralichay sub-basins in East Azarbaijan Province. After soil sampling, some physicochemical properties were measured and runoff data were obtained from the relevant stations. Based on the results, runoff coefficient in the studied sub-basins is affected by various soil properties such as particle size distribution, gravel, organic matter, lime, aggregate size and stability, and saturated hydraulic conductivity. As the percentage of sand and gravel increases and the percentage of clay and silt decreases, soil permeability increases and runoff coefficient decreases. Organic matter and lime are two important factors in the aggregate formation and stability, and improving the saturation hydraulic conductivity which plays a key role in reducing runoff production. The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that runoff production in the Alangh sub-basin has a significant relationship with soil organic matter (r=-0.95, p<0.01) and bulk density (r=0.9, p<0.01). Organic matter content has the main role in runoff production in Livar sub-basin (r=-0.94, p<0.01) and Shekaralichay sun-basin (r=-0.95, p<0.01). Runoff coefficient in all sub-basins in the area is strongly related to organic matter content (r=-0.86, p<0.01), soil structure stability (r=-0.68, p<0.01) and stream density (r=0.49, p<0.01). This study showed that preserving and increasing soil organic matter can be an effective strategy in conserving rainwater and reducing runoff by improving soil structure and permeability.

Keywords

  1. 1.Barzegar, A., R. Ebnejalal and A. Savaedi. 2011. Advanced soil physics. Shahid Chamran University Press, 434 pages (in Persian).

    1. Behtari, M. and A.R. Vaezi. 2018. Effect of initial moisture on runoff generation and soil loss in different soil textures under simulated rainfall condition. Iranian Journal of Watershed Management Science and Engineering, 11 (39): 11-21 (in Persian).
    2. Bouyoucos, G.J. 1962. Hydrometer method improved for making particle size analysis of soils. Agronomy Journal, 54: 464-465.
    3. Bulgakov, D.S., D.I. Rukhovich, E.A. Shishkonakova and E.V. Vil’chevskaya. 2016. Separation of agroclimatic areas for optimal crop growing within the framework of the natural–agricultural zoning of Russia. Eurasian Soil Science, 49(9):1049–1060.
    4. Chow, V. T. 2010. Handbook of applied hydrology. McGraw Hill Education, 46 pages.
    5. Dragicevig, N., B. Karleusa and N. Ozanic. 2018. Improvement of drainage density parameter estimation within erosion potential method. Proceedings, 2(620): 1-8.
    6. Eslami, S.F. and A.R. Vaezi. 2016. Runoff and sediment production under the similar rainfall events in different aggregate size of an agricultural soil. Journal of Water and Soil, 29(6): 1590-1600.
    7. Greenbaum, N., A. Ben-zri, I. Haviv and Y. Ennel. 2006. The hydrology and pale hydrology of the Dead Sea tributaries. Geological Society of America, 30 pages.
    8. Hong, Y. and Q. Ran. 2018. Influence of soil properties on water and sediment transport during the revegetation: a case study at a small catchment in the loess plateau. Hydrology, 18(7): 134-142.
    9. Jourgholami, M. and E.R. Labelle. 2020. Effects of plot length and soil texture on runoff and sediment yield occurring on machine-trafficked soils in a mixed deciduous forest. Annals of Forest Science, 77(19): 225-234.
    10. Kahlon, M.S., R. Lal and M. Ann-Varughese. 2013. Twenty-two years of tillage and mulching impacts on soil physical characteristics and carbon sequestration in Central Ohio. Soil Tillage Research, 126:151–158
    11. Karamage, F., C., Zhang, X. Fang, L., Nahayo, A. Kayiranga and J.B. Nesengiyumga. 2017. Modeling rainfall-runoff response to land use and land cover change in Rwanda (1990–2016). Water, 9(147): 1-24.

    13.Kavian, A., A. Azmoudeh, K. Soleymani and Gh. Vahabzadeh. 2010. Effect of soil properties on runoff and soil erosion in frost lands. Journal of Range and Watershed Management, 63(1): 89-104 (in Persian).

    1. Khaksarfard, M. 1994. Water losses and methods of reduce it. National Journal of Water and Sewage, 9: 25-29 (in Persian).
    2. Klute, A. 1986. Methods of soil analysis. Part 1: physical and mineralogical methods. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI, 1188 pages.
    3. Lotfalian, M., T. Yousef Bababei and H. Akbari. 2019. Impacts of soil stabilization treatments on reducing soil loss and runoff in cutslope of forest roads in Hyrcanian forests. Catena, 172: 158-162.
    4. Morvan, X., S. Verbeke, A. Laratte and R. Schneider. 2018. Impact of recent conversion to organic farming on physical properties and their consequences on runoff, erosion and crusting in a silty soil. Catena, 165: 398-407.
    5. Mousavi, S.A., A. Ranjbar Fordoei and S.J. Sadatinejad. 2018. Assessment of spatial distribution of soil erodibility in Khoor and Biabanak regions. Iranian Journal of Ecohydrology, 4(2): 561-571 (in Persian).
    6. Page, A.L. 1982. Method of soil analysis. Part 2: chemical and microbiological properties. Soil Science Society of American, Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
    7. Parsakhoo, A., M. Lotfalian, A. Kavian and S.A. Hosseini. 2014. Assessment of soil erodibility and aggregate stability for different parts of a forest road. Journal of Forestry Research, 25(1): 193-200.
    8. Refahi, H. 2015. Soil erosion and its control. University of Tehran Press, 674 pages (in Persian).
    9. Rodriguez, M., N. Ohlanders, F. Pellicciotti, M.W. Williams and J. McPhee. 2016. Estimating runoff from a glacierized catchment using natural tracers in the semi-arid Andes cordillera. South American Hydrology, 30(20): 3609-3626.
    10. Tangchuan, L., S. Mingan, J. Yuhua, J. Xiaoxu and H. Laiming. 2018. Profile distribution of soil moisture in the gully on the northern loess plateau, China. Catena, 171:460-468.
    11. Todd, D. 2004. Ground water hydrology. Wiely and sons Inc., 656 pages.
    12. Vaezi, A.R., S.H.R. Sadeghi, H.A. Bahrami and M.H. Mahdian. 2008. Modeling the USLE K-factor for calcareous soils in northwestern Iran. Geomorphology, 97 (3-4): 414-423.
    13. Vaezi, AR., H. Gharedaghli and S. Marzavan. 2016. The role of slope steepness and soil properties in rill erosion in the hillslopes, a case study: Taham Chai Catchment, NW Zanjan). Journal of Water and Soil Conservation, 23(4): 83-92 (in Persian).
    14. Vaezi, A.R., E. Zarrinabadi and K. Auerswald. 2017. Interaction of land use, slope gradient and rain sequence on runoff and soil loss from weakly aggregated semi-arid soils. Soil and Tillage Research, 172: 22-31
    15. Vaezi, A.R. and Y. Salehi. 2021. The role of physicochemical soil properties in the gully formation in rainfed wheat lands, northwest of Iran. Iran Watershed Management, 14(51): 1-10.
    16. Vaezi, A.R., S.F. Eslami and S. Keesstra. 2018. Interrill erodibility in relation to aggregate size class in a semi-arid soil under simulated rainfalls. Catena, 167: 385-398.
    17. Vaezi, A.R. 2019. Soil and plant system. Zanjan Jahad Daneshgahi Press, 285 pages (in Persian).
    18. Walkley, A. and I.A. Black. 1934. An examination of the degtjareff method for determining soil organic matter and a proposed modification of the chromic acid titration method. Soil Science, 37(1): 29-38.
    19. Wischmeier, W.H. and D.D. Smith. 1978. Predicting rainfall erosion losses: a guide to conservation planning. In: Agriculture Handbook No. 537, USDA, Washington, DC, 58 pages.
    20. Yoder, R.E. 1936. A direct method of aggregate analysis of soils and a study of the physical nature of erosion losses. Journal of American Society of Agronomy, 28: 337–351
    21. Yousofvand, SH., M. Habibnejad, K. Soleimani and M. Rezaie Pasha. 2013. Lithological and geological impacts on gully erosion, case study: Seif Abad Watershed, Lorestan. Journal of Science and Technology of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Water and Soil Science, 17(65): 139-151 (in Persian).
    22. Zarea Khormizi, M., A. Najafinejad, N. Noura and A. Kavian. 2013. The effects of soil properties on runoff and soil loss generation in the farmlands of the Chehel-Chai Watershed, Golestan Province. Journal of Water and Soil Science, 17 (64):173-183 (in Persian).
    23. Zhang, J., L. Adrian Bruijnzee, C.M. Quiñones, R. Tripoli, V.B. Asio and H.J. van Meerveld. 2019. Soil physical characteristics of a degraded tropical grassland and a reforest: implications for runoff generation. Geoderma, 333:163-177.