Erosion control of Chinese loess using polymer SH and ryegrass

• Published in: Journal of mountain science Vol. 21; no. 6; pp. 2043 - 2058
• Main Authors: Ying, Chunye, Li, Lanxing, Makeen, Gehad Mohamed Hossam, Liu, Yabin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Science Press 2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Disintegration; Dry density; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Ecology; Electron microscopy; Environment; Erosion control; Geography; Loess; Microstructure; Original Article; Polymers; Precipitation; Rain erosion; Raindrops; Rainfall; Scanning electron microscopy; Sediment yield; Soil erosion; China; Loess Plateau; Loess erosion; Erosion control; Polymer SH; Ryegrass; Microstructure; Loess Plateau
• ISSN: 1672-6316; 1993-0321; 1008-2786
• DOI: 10.1007/s11629-024-8616-x

The China Loess Plateau is subjected to severe soil erosion triggered by intense rainfall, resulting in significant harm and losses to both human society and the natural surroundings. In this study, a novel technique for managing loess erosion is introduced, which involves the utilization of a combined polymer SH and ryegrass. A comprehensive series of tests were undertaken, including rainfall erosion tests, disintegration experiments, and scanning electron microscopy examinations, to assess the accumulative sediment yield (ASY), disintegration ratio, and microstructural features of both untreated and treated loess samples. The results showed a significant reduction in ASY with increased dry density of untreated loess. Furthermore, the combined technique effectively controlled erosion, limiting ASY to 266.2 g/cm 2 in 60 minutes. This was approximately one-sixth, one-ninth, and one-fifteenth of the ASY in SH-treated loess (L-SH), ryegrass-treated loess (L-R), and untreated loess, respectively. It resisted disintegration better than ryegrass alone but slightly less than SH. This improvement was due to the combined effect of SH and ryegrass, which reduced raindrop impact, improved loess microstructure, and boosted ryegrass growth. The innovative technique holds the potential to be applied as a field-scale technique in the Loess Plateau region of China.