Response of soil aggregate stability and rill erodibility to soil electric field

• Published in: Catena (Giessen) 2022-08, Vol.215, p.106338, Article 106338
• Main Authors: Liu, Junyang, Yang, Yanan, Zheng, Qunwei, Su, Xuemeng, Zhou, Zhengchao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Herbaceous root; Rill erosion; Soil electric field; Soil repulsive force
• ISSN: 0341-8162; 1872-6887
• DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2022.106338

•The pathways of roots affecting soil electric field are analysed.•Different root parameters for predicting soil electric field are compared.•Effect of soil electric field on soil aggregate stability is elucidated.•Effect of soil electric field on rill erodibility is quantified. Soil electric field (E0) might have strong effects on rill erosion, and it is in turn largely affected by root growth. This study aimed to quantify the ability of roots to predict E0 and elucidate the effects of E0 on the mean weighted diameter of soil aggregates (MWD) and rill erodibility (Kr). Samples were collected from three typical areas in the Loess Plateau of China, and each area had two typical grasslands. Soil detachment rates were measured using a hydraulic flume under five discharges (0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.6 L s−1) on a slope of 15°. The results indicated that plant roots negatively contributed to E0. The mean E0 of grasslands (rooted soil) was lower by 3.27 times compared with that of fallow lands (root-free soil). With significant correlation (P