Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are non- ignorable influence factors of soil and
water loss in the Loess Plateau region of China, however the impact of biocrusts on slope runoff
generating is poorly understood so far. In Liudaogou small catchment that locates in Shenmu
County, north of Shaanxi Province, the impact of four types of biocrusts and bare soil (no
biocrusts) on runoff generating were studied in the runoff plots through simulated overland flow
experiment. The four types of biocrusts were light cyanobacterial crust, dark cyanobacterial
crust, cyanobacterial with moss crust (mixed crust hereafter) and moss dominated crust, which
represent four different succession stages of biocrusts in the region. The results showed that: 1)
compared with bare land, both light, dark cyanobacterial crusts and mixed crusts significantly
reduced the time of runoff initiation by 89.0%, 96.2% and 96.0%; While the moss dominated
crust markedly increased the time of runoff initiation. 2) The duration of runoff recession on
light cyanobacterial crust and mixed crust were respectively 2.28 and 2.13 times higher than
that on bare land; while that on dark cyanobacterial crust had no significant difference with that
on bare land plot. 3) The runoff velocity was reduced by 29.1% by the dark cyanobacterial crust
and 67.3% by the moss dominated crust compared with that on bare land; The runoff velocity
on moss dominated crust was markedly slower than that on the other biocrust land. The runoff
depth in biocrust plots did not show significant difference with that in bare land plot; The runoff
depth on light cyanobacterial crust was significantly deeper than that on dark cyanobacterial
crust. 4) The process and the amount of runoff in plots with different types of biocrusts showed
obvious differences with that in bare land plots; The runoff coefficient in light cyanobacterial
crust plot was significantly higher than that in bare land plots, while the runoff coefficient in
dark cyanobacterial crust plots and mixed crust plots had no significant difference with thatin
bare land plot. The runoff coefficient in light cyanobacterial crust plot was 2.44 times higher
than that in dark cyanobacterial crust plots; No runoff generated on moss dominated crust
during the runoff period. The results suggested that biocrusts are important influence factors on
runoff generation, and the extend of influence was related to the succession stages and the
composition of the biocrusts.
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