Abstract
The Chinese Loess Plateau has long been plagued by severe soil erosion and water scarcity.In this study,we proposed a technique involving the combined use of polymer SH and ryegrass and evaluated its effectiveness in modifying the water-holding characteristics of loess on the Chinese Loess Plateau(Chinese loess).We analysed the volumetric water content and water potential of untreated loess,treated loess with single polymer SH,treated loess with single ryegrass,and treated loess with both polymer SH and ryegrass using the loess samples collected from the Chinese Loess Plateau in July 2023.Moreover,fractal theory was used to analyse the fractal characteristics of the soil structure,and wet disintegration tests were conducted to assess the structural stability of both untreated and treated loess samples.The results showed that the loess samples treated with both polymer SH and ryegrass presented much higher volumetric water content and water potential than the untreated loess samples and those treated only with ryegrass or polymer SH.Moreover,the planting density of ryegrass affected the combined technique,since a relatively low planting density(20 g/m2)was conducive to enhancing the water-holding capacity of Chinese loess.The fractal dimension was directly correlated with both volumetric water content and water potential of Chinese loess.Specifically,since loess treated with both polymer SH and ryegrass was more saturated with moisture,its water potential increased,thus improving its water-holding capacity and fractal dimension.The combined technique better resisted disintegration than ryegrass alone but had slightly less resistance than polymer SH alone.This study provides insight into soil reinforcement and soil water management using polymetric materials and vegetation on the Chinese Loess Plateau.
维普
万方数据