1.School of Soil and Water Conservation,Beijing Forestry University,Beijing 100083,China
2.National Forest Ecosystem Observation and Research Station of Jinyun Mountain,Three-Gorges Reservoir Area (Chongqing),Beijing Forestry University,Beijing 100083,China
Objective This study investigates the effects of freeze-thaw cycles on the rill erodibility parameters estimated by the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model, aiming to provide a scientific basis for improving the model′s accuracy in predicting erosion in seasonal freeze-thaw regions. Methods Agricultural soil from a typical black soil region in Northeast China was selected as the research object. Different water discharge rates (1, 2, 3 L/min), number of freeze-thaw cycles (0, 1, 3, 5, 10 cycles), and initial soil moisture contents (16.5%, 24.8%, and 33.0% by mass) were set. Laboratory simulated scouring experiments under controlled conditions were conducted to investigate the combined effects of freeze-thaw cycles and initial soil moisture on rill erosion rates and erodibility variations. Additionally, the reliability of the WEPP model′s rill erodibility parameters under freeze-thaw cycles was evaluated based on measured critical shear stress. Results (1) Both the number of freeze-thaw cycles and initial soil moisture content significantly influenced rill erosion rates (p<0.01). As the number of freeze-thaw cycles and initial soil moisture content increased, the rill erosion rate progressively increased, with the greatest increase observed after the first freeze-thaw cycle, followed by stabilization after 3~5 cycles. Moreover, an increase in initial soil moisture content intensified the effect of freeze-thaw cycles on the erosion rate. (2) The average rill erodibility of black soil was 3.6×10⁻3 s/m, which increased by 1.84 times under freeze-thaw cycles. Under unfrozen conditions, the WEPP model demonstrated satisfactory fitting performance. However, under freeze-thaw cycles, the model generally overestimated critical shear stress, with an average overestimation of 58.59%. Conclusion Freeze-thaw cycles significantly increase rill erosion rates and erodibility, with higher initial soil moisture content intensifying these effects. Furthermore, the WEPP model demonstrates increased uncertainty in estimating erodibility parameters under freeze-thaw cycles.
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