Conservation measures and experimental setup
Experimental setup
(a) 3 adjacent slope cropland of around 0.1 ha each with different gradients (8-10 degree, 14-16 degree and 19-21 degree). In each patch, there are 3 treatments, conventional tillage (CK), contour tillage (CT) and mulching (M) with half top residue. The treatment will be applied since the cultivating.
(b) 1 sparse forest without practice around 1 ha, the treatments would be original condition and patch with infiltration contour ditch.
At the bottom of each monitoring plots a small ditch is dug that leads to a sediment trap, consisting of a dug-out storage tank lined with metal plates.
Runoff ditches and sediment collection tanks
Expected effects
Contour tillage, mulching and infiltration contour ditch will reduce runoff and increase infiltration to reduce soil erosion and improve the soil moisture. Mulching can also resistance to protection against splash erosion.
