Objective This study investigates the response characteristics of water storage at gully heads to rainfall in the black soil region of Northeast China, reveals the variation patterns of water storage at gully heads before and after rainfall, and establishes a quantitative prediction method for its changes before and after rainfall. Methods Four gully heads with similar developmental stages and scales in three study areas (Jiusan, Binxian and Jiutai) were selected as research objects. Differences in soil hydraulic parameters, decay coefficients of water storage, and variation patterns of water storage before and after rainfall were investigated through transient water release and imbibition method (TRIM), numerical fitting, and prediction model construction. Results Obvious hysteresis effects were observed in soil-water characteristic curves (SWCC) of soils at gully heads, with the intensity ranking as gully 1 ≈ gully 2 < gully 3 < gully 4. After rainfall, water storage decayed exponentially over time, showing rapid decline in the initial stage and slower decline in the later stage. The decay coefficient (Kd) of water storage decreased progressively with increasing soil depth. Model simulations showed that water storage changes at 85.7 % of the monitoring sites were best predicted using 1 h maximum rainfall intensity (I1 h) as the rainfall input parameter, whereas 14.3 % of the sites were better simulated using 2 h average maximum continuous rainfall intensity (I2 h) as input. Therefore, in predicting soil water storage changes, I1 h could be selected as the rainfall input parameter for sites with good infiltration performance, such as gully heads or severely eroded sites. However, I2 h should be selected as the rainfall input parameter for sites with poor infiltration performance or strong water redistribution. Conclusion The evolution of water storage at gully heads after rainfall in the black soil region of Northeast China can be effectively characterized using exponential decay patterns and short-duration rainfall indices. The constructed model can accurately and quantitatively predict short-duration water storage changes at gully heads at the event scale, which provides methodological support for prediction and early warning of gully erosion processes.
土壤水力学参数测定:采用瞬态脱湿吸湿试验装置(transient water release and imbibition method,TRIM)对4条切沟的土壤样品进行测定以获取关键水力学参数;随后以Van Genuchten土水特征函数[17]与Mualem导水率函数[18]为理论基础,借助Hydrus-1D对脱湿与吸湿阶段观测数据开展反演分析,相关计算公式为:
ZhangGuanghui, YangYang, LiuYingna, et al. Advances and prospects of soil erosion research in the black soil region of Northeast China[J].Journal of Soil and Water Conservation,2022,36(2):1-12.
[3]
水利部.2024年中国水土保持公报[EB/OL].[2025-03-21].
[4]
Ministry of Water Resources. China soil and water conservation bulletin 2024[EB/OL].[2025-03-21].
ChenJiazhou, HeYangbo, GaoYuhao, et al. Farmland damage speed and development stage of gully erosion in typical black soil region from 1970 to 2021[J].Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering,2023,39(12):51-59.
[7]
WenY, LiuB, YuQ, et al. Response of soil moisture to prewinter conditions and rainfall events at different distances to gully banks in the mollisol region of China[J].Earth Surface Processes and Landforms,2024,49(6):1858-1868.
SongShuang, FanHaoming, NiuTianyi. Comparative analysis of the development the geometric forms of gully in different seasons in black soil area of Northeast China[J].Journal of Soil and Water Conservation,2022,36(1):18-23.
[10]
张光辉.切沟侵蚀研究进展与展望[J].水土保持学报,2020,34(5):1-13.
[11]
ZhangGuanghui. Advances and prospects for gully erosion researches[J].Journal of Soil and Water Conservation,2020,34(5):1-13.
YangRunze, ZhangYan, LiKunheng, et al. Response of ephemeral gully erosion to rainfall variability and its prediction model based on UAV survey in the black soil region[J].Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering,2025,41(18):92-100.
[14]
TangJie, XieYun, WuYongqiu, et al. Influence of precipitation change and topography characteristics on the development of farmland gully in the black soil region of Northeast China[J].Catena,2023,224:e106999.
[15]
PoesenJ, NachtergaeleJ, VerstraetenG, et al. Gully erosion and environmental change: Importance and research needs[J].Catena,2003,50(2/4):91-133.
[16]
郑粉莉,徐锡蒙,覃超.沟蚀过程研究进展[J].农业机械学报,2016,47(8):48-59.
[17]
ZhengFenli, XuXimeng, QinChao. A review of gully erosion process research[J].Transactions of the Chinese Society for Agricultural Machinery,2016,47(8):48-59.
YangLijuan, WangChunmei, ZhangChunmei, et al. Occurrence and development of newly formed gullies under extreme rainstorm conditions using remote sensing images[J].Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering,2022,38(6):96-104.
HuangMeng, FanHaoming. Development characteristics and topographic differentiation features of erosion gully in Liaoning Province of China[J].Journal of Soil and Water Conservation,2017,31(5):93-98.
[22]
TangJie, LiuGang, XieYun, et al. Annual variation of ephemeral gully erosion in a cultivated catchment[J].Geoderma,2021,401:e115166.
[23]
TangJie, XieYun, LiuChuan, et al. Effects of rainfall characteristics and contour tillage on ephemeral gully development in a field in northeastern China[J].Soil and Tillage Research,2022,218:e105312.
[24]
DongYifan, WuYongqiu, QinWei, et al. The gully erosion rates in the black soil region of northeastern China: Induced by different processes and indicated by different indexes[J].Catena,2019,182:e104146.
[25]
MaChao, WangShoupeng, ZhengDongshuo, et al. Understanding soil loss in mollisol permanent gully head cuts through hydrological and hydromechanical responses[J].Hydrology and Earth System Sciences,2025,29(4):823-839.
[26]
Van GenuchtenM T. A closed-form equation for predicting the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated soils[J].Soil Science Society of America Journal,1980,44(5):892-898.
[27]
MualemY. A new model for predicting the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated porous media[J].Water Resources Research,1976,12(3):513-522.
WangSheng, BaoXiaohuai, RongYing, et al. Study on soil moisture variation and runoff characteristics on typical karst slope under different rainfall intensities[J].Research of Agricultural Modernization,2020,41(5):889-898.
[30]
WilsonR C, WieczorekG F. Rainfall thresholds for the initiation of debris flows at La honda, California[J].Environmental and Engineering Geoscience,1995,1(1):11-27.
[31]
BaumR L, GodtJ W. Early warning of rainfall-induced shallow landslides and debris flows in the USA[J].Landslides,2010,7(3):259-272.
WangShoupeng, MaChao, ZhengDongshuo, et al. Comparative analysis of the hydro-mechanical properties of different texture types in the Hebei River basin of Northeast China[J].Science of Soil and Water Conservation,2025,23(4):87-95.
HuoSiyuan, YuLongbiao, WangDeng, et al. Research advances in hysteresis effect of soil water characteristic curve[J].Chinese Journal of Soil Science,2025,56(4):1178-1188.
[36]
沈荣开.非饱和土壤水运动滞后效应的研究[J].土壤学报,1993,30(2):208-216.
[37]
ShenRongkai. Effect of hysteresis on water movement in unsaturated soils[J].Acta Pedologica Sinica,1993,30(2):208-216.
LiuXinping, ZhangTonghui, ZhaoHalin, et al. Infiltration and redistribution process of rainfall in desert mobile sand dune[J].Journal of Hydraulic Engineering,2006,37(2):166-171.
[40]
HortonR E. The Rôle of infiltration in the hydrologic cycle[J].Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union,1933,14(1):446-460.
HuangYiting, ChenJunxi, GaoYuhao, et al. Effects of long-term tillage on hydraulic properties of typical black soils[J].Acta Pedologica Sinica,2024,61(4):998-1008.
[43]
WenYongfu, LiMengzhen, GaoPeng, et al. Soil physicochemical properties and roots promoted preferential flow development after vegetation restoration[J].Journal of Hydrology,2025,659:e133349.
[44]
JiChenlin, WangTianyi, BaoHan, et al. Time series analysis and temporal stability of shallow soil moisture in a high-fill slope of the Loess Plateau, China[J].Water,2025,17(8):e1140.
LiRuofan, XieYun, XinYan, et al. Soil infiltration characteristics and simulation of different eroded degrees in the black soil region of Northeast China[J].Science of Soil and Water Conservation,2024,22(2):17-24.