Preface
Presently, soil erosion has become one of the most common environmental problems in the world. Experimenting is an important means to study the regularity and
control measures of soil erosion. This book presents a new subject,
EXPERIMENTAL EROSION, as a member of the discipline of soil and water
conservation. Experimental erosion is defined to explore the transportation law and
control method of soil and water loss by performing field or laboratory tests under
closely monitored or controlled experimental conditions. The similarity theory,
simulation and observation technology, and data processing method are the three
pillars of the experimental erosion.
The book includes a chapter Introduction and other two parts. Chapter 1 is an
overall introduction of the book mainly about the background and significance of
this study together with the framework of the experimental erosion. Part I elaborates
on the theories and methods for the soil conservation experiments, and Part II
presents some representative case studies of soil conservation experiments. In
Part I. Chapter 2 reviews the development of experiments on soil conservation at
first and then puts forward the definition and scope of soil conservation experiments
including the scale model, semi-scale model, segment of natural watershed, analog
model, and response model. Then, an emphasis in the chapter is paid on the
experimental method of a semi-scale physical model that can predict the amount of
soil loss in a catchment. An applicable and controllable experimental device is
crucial to obtain credible data in a soil and water conservation experiment. Chapter 3
contains a review of the simulation devices in soil conservation experiments and
rainfall simulators designed by the first author and his students. Chapter 4 presents the
measurement devices and data processing methods to observe the gravity erosions.
Investigations of gravity erosion usually require special techniques and methods due
to its unique origin and nature. The Topography Meter invented by the authors can be
applied to quantitatively observe the process of mass failures on the steep slope.
Chapter 5 demonstrates a portable landslide laboratory applicable for the remote
regions and a few sets of rainfall simulators, which have gained over 10 patent
authorizations.
xiii
Presently, soil erosion has become one of the most common environmental problems in the world. Experimenting is an important means to study the regularity and
control measures of soil erosion. This book presents a new subject,
EXPERIMENTAL EROSION, as a member of the discipline of soil and water
conservation. Experimental erosion is defined to explore the transportation law and
control method of soil and water loss by performing field or laboratory tests under
closely monitored or controlled experimental conditions. The similarity theory,
simulation and observation technology, and data processing method are the three
pillars of the experimental erosion.
The book includes a chapter Introduction and other two parts. Chapter 1 is an
overall introduction of the book mainly about the background and significance of
this study together with the framework of the experimental erosion. Part I elaborates
on the theories and methods for the soil conservation experiments, and Part II
presents some representative case studies of soil conservation experiments. In
Part I. Chapter 2 reviews the development of experiments on soil conservation at
first and then puts forward the definition and scope of soil conservation experiments
including the scale model, semi-scale model, segment of natural watershed, analog
model, and response model. Then, an emphasis in the chapter is paid on the
experimental method of a semi-scale physical model that can predict the amount of
soil loss in a catchment. An applicable and controllable experimental device is
crucial to obtain credible data in a soil and water conservation experiment. Chapter 3
contains a review of the simulation devices in soil conservation experiments and
rainfall simulators designed by the first author and his students. Chapter 4 presents the
measurement devices and data processing methods to observe the gravity erosions.
Investigations of gravity erosion usually require special techniques and methods due
to its unique origin and nature. The Topography Meter invented by the authors can be
applied to quantitatively observe the process of mass failures on the steep slope.
Chapter 5 demonstrates a portable landslide laboratory applicable for the remote
regions and a few sets of rainfall simulators, which have gained over 10 patent
authorizations.
xiii