2018 Volume 100 Issue 5 Pages 178-181
To clarify the effects of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) on surface soil movements we measured the transport of materials on a range of sloping forest stands and compared our findings with those of related studies using a simple transport rate (g m−1mm−1) as the indicator of soil erosion. We placed sediment traps at the site to analyze the following factors: gradient, material type and time period. At the site, transport rates of steeper slope were larger than those of gentler slope. However, the magnitude of transport rates was small. The possible reason was high litter coverage rate even on the steeper slope. Compared with other tree species, the Chinese fir stand has the same material transport rates as that of mixed stands of Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora) and broad-leaved trees, which are also said to have high surface soil conservation.
