Objective The development characteristics of preferential flow and the differences in hydraulic response among different structural soils in shallow landslide zones of granite residual soils were investigated in order to clarify the controlling effects of vegetation roots and soil-rock structures on the rainfall infiltration process and to provide experimental support for understanding slope infiltration processes and parameterizing landslide hydrodynamic models. Methods A typical shallow landslide area of granite residual soils in Wuping County, Fujian Province, was selected as the study area. Three representative soil types, residual soils covered by Schima superba (MH), bare residual soils (BR), and completely weathered granite (QW), were investigated. Field dye tracer experiments were conducted, and image processing was used to quantify the dyed area ratio, matrix flow depth, mean maximum infiltration depth, preferential flow ratio, length index, and coefficient of variation of dyed area. A comprehensive preferential flow index (PFI) was then constructed to systematically analyze the spatial distribution characteristics of preferential flow in different structural soils and the differences among them. Results ① Preferential flow occurred in all three soil types, but the spatial distribution patterns and infiltration depths differed significantly. In MH, preferential flow was dominated by finger flow associated with root pores, the preferential flow pathways were well developed, and the maximum infiltration depth exceeded 40 cm. In QW, preferential flow was mainly controlled by structural planes and fractures, and dye staining was concentrated mostly at depths of 20—40 cm. In BR, the structure was compact and porosity was low, so dye staining was mainly confined to the 0—10 cm shallow layer. ② Significant differences in the spatial heterogeneity of preferential flow were observed among the soil types. BR had the largest coefficient of variation of dyed area, indicating the strongest spatial dispersion, whereas MH showed relatively uniform dye distribution. ③ The comprehensive PFI differed clearly among soil types, with mean values ranked as MH (0.596 9) > QW (0.472 9) > BR (0.325 4), indicating that vegetation root disturbance and structural discontinuities significantly enhanced preferential flow connectivity and vertical infiltration capacity. Conclusion The degree of preferential flow development differs significantly among different structural soils in shallow landslide zones of granite residual soils, and vegetation roots and structural discontinuities are key factors controlling preferential flow pathway formation and rapid vertical water infiltration.
文献参数: 樊秀峰, 王采诗, 郑国明, 等.花岗岩残积土浅层滑坡区优先流的特征与水力响应[J].水土保持通报,2026,46(4):1-9. Citation:Fan Xiufeng, Wang Caishi, Zheng Guoming, et al. Preferential flow characteristics and hydraulic response in shallow landslide zones of granite residual soils [J]. Bulletin of Soil and Water Conservation,2026,46(4):1-9.
Li 与Cv 共同刻画染色沿深度分布的非均匀性。MH与QW的Li 较高,说明染色面积比随深度变化起伏更明显,符合通道结构型优先流导致的分段式入渗特征;而BR的Cv 最大,表明其染色分布高度离散,局部性强,可能与表层结皮、微地形径流汇聚或局部孔隙突变有关。综合来看,MH的优势在于整体渗透强,通道连通性好,QW的特征为结构控制的中深层优势通道,BR则表现为浅层受限与分布离散的入渗模式。
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