Objective To reveal the runoff potential and its influencing factors under different land use types and rainfall conditions in the third subregion of the hilly-gully region of the Loess Plateau. Methods Based on field observation data from 17 standard runoff plots at the Luoyugou experimental site in Tianshui City, Gansu Province from 2011 to 2020, the standard SCS-CN model was calibrated by optimizing the λ and CN values for different local land use types and rainfall events, thereby enabling more accurate simulation of runoff in the loess hilly-gully region. Results 1) The optimal initial abstraction ratio (λ) values for forest land, grassland, agricultural land, and bare land were 0.17, 0.16, 0.25, and 0.36, respectively, and the optimal curve number (CN) values were 56, 55, 67, and 74, respectively. Both parameters decreased with increasing soil infiltration rate. 2) The optimal λ value increased with increasing rainfall, and the CN values for the four land use types gradually approached 60 as rainfall amounts increased. 3) During the conversion from forest land and grassland to agricultural land and bare land, the λ value increased with rainfall duration and rainfall amount. The CN value was negatively correlated with rainfall duration, rainfall amount, mean rainfall intensity per event, and runoff depth. Conclusion The study considers the complexity of different slopes and rainfall amounts. The SCS-CN model shows significantly improved accuracy after parameter optimization. However, for plots with other soil types and slope lengths, further verification and optimization of the model parameters may be required to ensure its applicability across broader regions.
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