Artificial culture of biological soil crusts and their effects on runoff and infiltration under simulated rainfall on the Loess Plateau of China

摘要

On the Loess Plateau of China, biological soil crusts were artificially cultured in the laboratory, and then its effects on runoff and infiltration were studied under simulated rainfall. The results showed that (1) it was feasible to artificially culture biological soil crusts dominated by moss in the laboratory, and biological soil crusts inoculated by sprinkling crushed fragments of stems and leaves of natural biological soil crusts would almost completely cover the soil surface after about 15 months, (2) The artificially cultured biological soil crusts would significantly increase infiltration and subsequently decrease runoff, and the effects were positively linearly correlated to the surface coverage by biological soil crusts, (3) the effect ofslope gradient on the partition of water between infiltration and runoff on biological soil crusts was similar to bare soil, but it seems that the effects of biological soil crusts in increasing infiltration and decreasing runoff may be more effective onsteep slopes than on gentle slopes, (4) the start time of the runoff process was delayed by the presence of biological soil crusts, and also the soil-water redistribution process of biological soil crusts is significant than that of bare soil. These results may be useful for helping to control desertification by biological soil crusts in the Loess Plateau of China or similar regions.