Effects of land-use pattern change on rainfall-runoff and runoff-sediment relations: a case study in Zichang watershed of the Loess Plateau of China

The purpose of this article is to identify the effect of land use pattern on rainfall runoff and runoff sediment relations in Zichang Watershed of the Loess Plateau. From 1986 to 1997, many farmlands changed into grassland or woodland, especially the farmland in steep slope positions or far away from the river. The change of land use pattern altered the rainfall runoff and runoff sediment relationships, and led to higher slope of trend curves(STCs) of annual rainfall runoff mass curve and runoff sediment mass curve in 1990s than that in 1980s. It is implied that more soil and water loss yielded in 1990s. In order to reduce soil loss, more attentions should be paid to land use pattern and some grass or other herbaceous filter strips should be built along rivers.