Wen et al. (2026) Preferential flow reduces overland flow on slopes: insights from a field experiment on the Chinese Loess Plateau

Identification

• Journal: Journal of Hydrology
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-03-06
• Authors: Yongfu Wen, Chaojun Gu, Peng Gao, Jiahui Zhou, Xiaoxue Guo, Xingmin MU, Xucheng Ai, Siyu Ren
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.135241

Research Groups

• Hebei University of Water Resources and Electric Engineering, Cangzhou, Hebei, China
• State Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Control, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
• Hebei Technology Innovation Center for Coastal Wetland Water Resources Allocation and Ecological Protection, Cangzhou, Hebei, China
• Yangtze River Basin Monitoring Center Station for Soil and Water Conservation, Changjiang Water Resources Commission, Wuhan, China
• Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi, China

Short Summary

This study investigated how preferential flow influences slope runoff under various vegetation restoration conditions on the Chinese Loess Plateau, revealing that vegetation restoration significantly increases preferential flow, thereby reducing overland flow.

Objective

• To investigate the occurrence, contribution, and influencing factors of different preferential flow patterns (non-sequential response type and high wetting-front velocity type) under varying vegetation restoration types and ages, and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms by which preferential flow influences slope runoff.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Field experiments on slopes within the Chinese Loess Plateau.
• Temporal Scale: Different vegetation restoration ages were considered.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Not explicitly mentioned; the study primarily relied on field experimental methods.
• Data sources: Artificial rainfall experiments, high-frequency soil moisture monitoring, and the surface covering method.

Main Results

• Vegetation restoration significantly increased preferential flow occurrence, showing a positive correlation with revegetation age.
• The occurrence of preferential flow ranged from 18.9% to 40.0%.
• Preferential flow contributed 59.6% to 78.7% of the total infiltration.
• In revegetated land, the cumulative infiltration, initial infiltration rate, and stable infiltration rate for both matrix flow and preferential flow were significantly higher than those in cropland (P < 0.05).
• Soil structure and root characteristics were identified as the primary factors influencing preferential flow occurrence.
• Vegetation restoration increased preferential flow occurrence, shortened the response time between soil layers, and increased infiltration rates, consequently reducing slope runoff.

Contributions

• Provides important insights into the soil hydrological processes associated with vegetation restoration on the Loess Plateau and in other arid and semi-arid regions.
• Elucidates the mechanism by which increased preferential flow due to vegetation restoration leads to reduced slope runoff.

Funding

• Not mentioned in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Wen2026Preferential,
  author = {Wen, Yongfu and Gu, Chaojun and Gao, Peng and Zhou, Jiahui and Guo, Xiaoxue and MU, Xingmin and Ai, Xucheng and Zhang, Ruidun and Ren, Siyu},
  title = {Preferential flow reduces overland flow on slopes: insights from a field experiment on the Chinese Loess Plateau},
  journal = {Journal of Hydrology},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.135241},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2026.135241}
}