Hydrological effects of forest litter and soil in the Simianshan Mountains in Chongqing, China

Abstract

A preliminary study of the hydrological effects of forest litter and soils in the Simianshan Mountains was carried out. Results indicate that the annual accumulation of different forest litters is about 6.80 20.21 t/hm² and the maximum water carrying capacity ranges from 1.8 to 4.6 mm. Among them the water carrying abilities of the litter of Lithocarpus glabra and natural deciduous forests are larger than that of Pinus massoniana. A power function relationship exists between the accumulated water-carrying volume and time. An investigation of the physical properties shows that forest soils, to a depth of 1 m, have a powerful water-carrying ability, varying from 7.84 to 18.87 mm. Non-linear regression analysis shows that the soil infiltration rate is significantly correlated with time.