Method for fixing ditch and protecting tableland in loess tableland
By transforming farmland into horizontal terraces, constructing water-retaining embankments, planting vegetation, and reinforcing gully banks in the Loess Plateau region, the problems of soil erosion and headward erosion have been solved, and the stability and protection of the plateau surface have been achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202512010388.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-29
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-30
AI Technical Summary
The Loess Plateau region has long been plagued by soil erosion. Intensified headward erosion has led to the fragmentation of the plateau surface and the expansion of gullies, threatening agricultural production and the safety of residents.
After conducting on-site surveys in the Loess Plateau region, the farmland was transformed into horizontal terraces and water-retaining embankments were constructed. On slopes with an inclination of 20° to 25° or higher, fish-scale pits were excavated and native trees and herbaceous plants were planted. Ditches were planted with shrubs with well-developed root systems. Longitudinal drainage channels were constructed and rainwater collection and storage devices were introduced. Concrete grid slope protection was used to reinforce the ditch banks, combined with village optimization and monitoring systems.
It significantly reduced gully runoff and sediment load, enhanced the soil-fixing capacity of slope vegetation, stabilized gully banks, prevented headward erosion and collapse, and achieved the effect of gully stabilization and loess protection in the Loess Plateau region.
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Figure CN121428971A_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of ditch consolidation and loess tableland protection, and particularly relates to a method for ditch consolidation and loess tableland protection in a loess tableland area. BACKGROUND
[0002] The loess plateau area, especially the Dongzhi tableland as a representative, has long been plagued by water and soil loss problems. The source erosion aggravates the fragmentation of the tableland surface and the expansion of the ditch bank, threatening agricultural production and the safety of residents.
[0003] The Dongzhi tableland is the largest loess tableland in China, and its tableland surface is the core space of regional agricultural production, residential life and urban development. In recent years, with the effective development of soil and water conservation work, the sediment discharge of the tableland surface and the surrounding basins has decreased, but with the expansion of infrastructure construction, the source erosion of some tableland edge ditches continues to intensify, leading to the continuous retreat of the tableland surface and the serious fragmentation. SUMMARY
[0004] The purpose of the present application is to overcome the problems in the prior art and provide a method for ditch consolidation and loess tableland protection in a loess tableland area.
[0005] The present application provides a method for ditch consolidation and loess tableland protection in a loess tableland area. The target loess tableland area is surveyed in the field to determine the distribution of tableland surface farmland, slope gradient and ditch erosion degree. All farmland on the tableland surface of the loess tableland area after field survey is improved into horizontal terraces, and a water retaining dike is built around the terrace block. Fish scale pits are excavated on the slope land with a slope of 20°-25° at a row distance of 1.5m-2m and a plant distance of 1m-1.5m, and native trees and herbaceous plants are planted in the fish scale pits and on the slope surface to form a slope surface vegetation protection layer. The ditch includes a ditch head, a ditch bank and a ditch valley. A shrub belt with developed root systems is planted on the edge of the ditch bank, a longitudinal drainage channel is built along the ditch head to guide rainwater into a rainwater storage device, and a soil valley or a stone valley is built every 50m-100m in the ditch valley.
[0006] Preferably, the height of the water retaining dike is 30cm-50cm higher than the terrace surface.
[0007] Preferably, for the slope land with a slope of less than 20°, horizontal terraces are built and the water retaining dike is set according to the runoff treatment of the tableland surface.
[0008] Preferably, the native trees are poplar and locust, and the herbaceous plants are alfalfa and sand dandelion.
[0009] Preferably, the fish scale pit is 50cm-60cm deep and 80cm-100cm in diameter.
[0010] Preferably, a scouring forest and grass belt is created in the ditch bottom and the ditch beach area of the ditch valley.
[0011] Ideally, concrete grid slope protection should be used to reinforce the banks of gullies that threaten the division of the plateau, gully heads with strong headward erosion, and areas with severe gravity erosion, and slender tributary ditches should be backfilled.
[0012] Preferably, monitoring piles or observation stations are set up along the head of the gully for monitoring the amount of erosion at the head of the gully.
[0013] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: By converting farmland into horizontal terraces and constructing water-retaining embankments, the originally concentrated runoff flowing down the slope is transformed into a process of stratified retention and slow infiltration. Terraces effectively shorten the runoff path and reduce the slope velocity; water-retaining embankments act as physical barriers, intercepting most of the surface runoff and causing it to infiltrate on-site or become groundwater runoff, thus significantly reducing the amount of runoff and sediment carried into the gullies from the source. For steep slopes of 20°–25°, a combination of fish-scale pits and native vegetation is used. The fish-scale pits can effectively intercept and store slope runoff and deposit sediment. The vegetation protection layer composed of trees and herbs planted in the pits and on the slope not only further enhances the interception and soil stabilization capacity, but also improves the soil structure through the layer of dead branches and leaves and the root network, increases the infiltration rate, and converts more rainwater into soil water or groundwater, which greatly weakens the energy and sediment carrying capacity of slope runoff. By constructing longitudinal drainage channels at the head of the gully and introducing rainwater collection and storage devices, the dangerous water flow that gathers at the head of the gully is safely discharged and utilized as a resource, thus avoiding the cutting and damage to the plateau surface caused by headward erosion. Planting shrub belts with well-developed root systems along the edge of the gully bank acts as a natural biological dam, effectively stabilizing the slope toe of the gully bank, resisting water erosion, and preventing the gully bank from expanding and collapsing. Attached Figure Description
[0014] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the present invention. Detailed Implementation
[0015] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1 To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the described embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used herein should have the ordinary meaning understood by those skilled in the art.
[0016] The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in this invention and its claims do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Terms such as "comprising" or "including" mean that the element or object preceding the term encompasses the elements or objects listed after the term and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as "inner," "outer," "upper," "lower," "far," "near," "front," and "rear" are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly. The drawings in this invention are not strictly drawn to scale; the specific dimensions and quantity of each structure can be determined according to actual needs. The drawings described in this invention are merely structural schematic diagrams.
[0017] This invention provides a method for stabilizing gullies and protecting loess plateaus in the Loess Plateau region, such as... Figure 1 As shown, a field survey was conducted in the target Loess Plateau area to clarify the distribution of cultivated land on the plateau surface, slope gradient, and degree of gully erosion. After the field survey, all cultivated land on the Loess Plateau surface was converted into horizontal terraces, and water-retaining embankments were built around the terrace plots. For slopes with a gradient of 20° to 25° or higher, fish-scale pits were excavated with a row spacing of 1.5m to 2m and a plant spacing of 1m to 1.5m. Native trees and herbaceous plants were planted in the fish-scale pits and on the slope to form a slope vegetation protection layer. For gullies, including the gully head, gully bank, and gully valley, shrubs with well-developed root systems were planted along the gully bank edges. Longitudinal drainage channels were constructed along the gully head to introduce rainwater harvesting devices. Earthen or stone dams were built every 50m to 100m in the gully valley.
[0018] In this embodiment, by transforming farmland into horizontal terraces and constructing water-retaining embankments, the originally concentrated runoff flowing down the slope is transformed into a process of stratified retention and slow infiltration. The terraces effectively shorten the runoff path and reduce the slope velocity; the water-retaining embankments act as physical barriers, intercepting most of the surface runoff and causing it to infiltrate on-site or become groundwater runoff, thus significantly reducing the amount of runoff and sediment carried into the ditch from the source. For steep slopes of 20°–25°, a combination of fish-scale pits and native vegetation is used. The fish-scale pits can effectively intercept and store slope runoff and deposit sediment. The vegetation protection layer composed of trees and herbs planted in the pits and on the slope not only further enhances the interception and soil stabilization capacity, but also improves the soil structure through the layer of dead branches and leaves and the root network, increases the infiltration rate, and converts more rainwater into soil water or groundwater, which greatly weakens the energy and sediment carrying capacity of slope runoff. By constructing longitudinal drainage channels at the head of the gully and introducing rainwater collection and storage devices, the dangerous water flow that gathers at the head of the gully is safely discharged and utilized as a resource, thus avoiding the cutting and damage to the plateau surface caused by headward erosion. Planting shrub belts with well-developed root systems along the edge of the gully bank acts as a natural biological dam, effectively stabilizing the slope toe of the gully bank, resisting water erosion, and preventing the gully bank from expanding and collapsing.
[0019] Preferred, such as Figure 1 As shown, the height of the water-retaining embankment is 30cm to 50cm higher than the surface of the terraced field.
[0020] In this embodiment, the embankment is set 30cm to 50cm above the terrace surface. This ensures that under typical heavy rainfall intensity, the embankment can effectively intercept most of the surface runoff, preventing it from overflowing the embankment top and causing local erosion and runoff. It takes into account both the runoff depth caused by short-duration heavy rainfall common in loess areas and the stability of the embankment and the amount of earthwork.
[0021] Preferred, such as Figure 1 As shown, for slopes with a gradient of less than 20°, horizontal terraces should be constructed in accordance with the management of runoff from the plateau, and water-retaining embankments should be set up.
[0022] In this embodiment, for slopes with a gradient of less than 20°, the same method of constructing horizontal terraces and setting up water-retaining embankments is used for soil and water conservation. This achieves a unified standard for soil and water conservation measures for different types of slopes in the Loess Plateau region, expands the effective treatment area, and improves the overall treatment efficiency: slopes with a gradient of less than 20° have the basic topographical conditions for transformation into horizontal terraces, and after transformation, they can effectively eliminate surface runoff and accelerated erosion, just like the plateau surface, avoiding gaps or ineffective effects in the treatment measures.
[0023] Preferred, such as Figure 1 As shown, the native trees are poplar and black locust; the herbaceous plants are alfalfa and safflower.
[0024] In this embodiment, poplars such as Populus simonii and Populus davidii grow rapidly, have large crowns, and well-developed and deep root systems, which can effectively hold deep soil, reduce raindrop splash and erosion, and provide good shade; Robinia pseudoacacia has particularly large root systems and rhizobia, with strong nitrogen-fixing ability, which can significantly improve soil fertility. The combination of the two can provide different levels of root soil stabilization and canopy interception; Alfalfa is a perennial leguminous forage grass with well-developed root systems, dense creeping stems and leaves, and extremely high coverage, which can effectively inhibit surface evaporation, reduce splash erosion, and increase infiltration. Its nitrogen-fixing function can also enrich the soil; Alfalfa is extremely drought-resistant and tolerant of poor soil, with a robust root system and good windbreak and sand-fixing effect, making it particularly suitable as a pioneer grass species in areas with poor conditions.
[0025] Preferred, such as Figure 1 As shown, the fish scale pit is 50cm to 60cm deep and 80cm to 100cm in diameter.
[0026] In this embodiment, the fish-scale pit is 50cm to 60cm deep, which can effectively store the slope runoff generated by a typical light or moderate rain, while ensuring sufficient soil cover thickness for the roots of trees or shrubs to extend downwards, avoiding root exposure or water stress due to being too shallow; the pit diameter of 80cm to 100cm provides sufficient surface area to receive and collect the runoff from the slope above the pit, while ensuring that there is sufficient soil volume in the pit to accommodate the silt.
[0027] Preferred, such as Figure 1 As shown, erosion-resistant forest and grassland belts are created at the bottom and beach areas of the gullies.
[0028] In this embodiment, the gully is the final confluence channel. During flood season, the water flow is rapid and the energy is concentrated, resulting in extremely strong scouring of the gully bottom and gully beach. This is the main driving force for the gully bottom to erode and widen. Relying solely on gully barriers for interception may lead to the destruction or erosion of the foundation. This application creates a scour-resistant forest and grass belt on the gully bottom and gully beach, composed of water-resistant, well-developed root systems and erosion-resistant native trees, shrubs and grasses. The crisscrossing root systems of the plants tightly connect the loose gully bed sediments like a steel mesh, significantly improving the shear strength and scour resistance of the riverbed, effectively resisting the scouring and downcutting of the water flow, and ensuring the long-term stability of the gully management.
[0029] Preferred, such as Figure 1 As shown, concrete grid slope protection was used to reinforce the banks of gullies that threaten the division of the plateau, the headwaters of gullies with strong headward erosion, and areas with severe gravity erosion. Slender tributary ditches were backfilled.
[0030] In this embodiment, the ditch bank is reinforced by concrete grid slope protection: In areas where the ditch bank is eroded, planting shrub belts alone may not be enough to stabilize the bank slope in the short term; at this time, precast or cast-in-place concrete grids, such as frame beams or hexagonal blocks, are used to cover the ditch bank slope, providing high-strength physical protection: the concrete grid provides a rigid shell that directly resists water erosion and gravity collapse, immediately preventing the development of erosion; the grid divides the slope into small blocks, constraining the displacement of the internal soil and preventing shallow sliding; topsoil can be filled inside the grid and drought-resistant shrubs / grass can be sown or planted, and after the plants grow, their roots penetrate deep into the grid and work synergistically with the concrete.
[0031] Preferred, such as Figure 1 As shown, monitoring piles or observation stations are set up along the head of the gully to monitor the amount of erosion at the gully head.
[0032] In this embodiment, by setting up fixed monitoring piles or establishing simple observation stations before and after treatment, the rate and magnitude of gully head erosion can be measured, avoiding the ambiguity of relying solely on experience; continuous monitoring can promptly detect abnormal changes in gully head erosion activity, provide early warning of potential instability risks, and provide a basis for taking emergency measures.
[0033] Based on the aforementioned modules of preliminary survey and planning, plateau runoff control, slope runoff control, and gully erosion control, and further including modules for village and land optimization, key area engineering reinforcement, and post-monitoring and maintenance, a complete closed-loop governance system comprising seven modules has been established, achieving a systematic breakthrough in gully stabilization and plateau protection in the Loess Plateau region. Figure 1 As shown.
[0034] By constructing a closed-loop governance system consisting of seven modules—preliminary survey and planning, plateau surface runoff management, slope runoff management, gully erosion management, village and land optimization, key area engineering reinforcement, and post-monitoring and maintenance—a systematic breakthrough has been achieved in stabilizing gullies and protecting the plateau in the Loess Plateau region.
[0035] The specific operations of the preliminary survey and planning module include: conducting on-site surveys of the target Loess Plateau area to clarify the distribution of cultivated land on the plateau surface, slope gradient, degree of gully erosion, village locations, and the scope of abandoned homesteads; and delineating key treatment areas and general treatment areas in conjunction with regional development plans to provide accurate spatial and target basis for the implementation of subsequent modules.
[0036] The plateau runoff management module includes a farmland management unit and a village road network management unit. The farmland management unit transforms the plateau farmland into horizontal terraces and builds water-retaining embankments with a height of 30-50 cm around the terrace plots to ensure that rainwater does not flow out of the farmland. The village road network management unit forms a "road network-village" runoff interception network by building wet ponds, reservoirs, flood ponds or water cellars on both sides of the roads and around the villages, controlling the convergence of rainwater into the gullies.
[0037] The specific operations of the slope runoff management module include: for gently sloping farmland with a slope of less than 20° to 25°, constructing horizontal terraces and setting up water-retaining embankments; for steep slopes with a slope of more than 20° to 25°, adopting the "fish-scale pit + forest and grass planting" model, digging fish-scale pits with a row spacing of 1.5m to 2m and a plant spacing of 1m to 1.5m, with a pit depth of 50cm to 60cm and a pit diameter of 80cm to 100cm, and planting native trees and herbaceous plants in the pits and on the slope to form a slope vegetation protection layer.
[0038] The gully erosion control module includes: gully head and bank control unit and gully valley control unit; the gully head and bank control unit prevents headwater erosion and bank expansion by backfilling and reinforcing the eroded area with earth, planting shrubs with well-developed root systems, and constructing longitudinal drainage ditches; the gully valley control unit achieves the purpose of intercepting sediment and stabilizing the gully bed by constructing earthen or stone dams in the tributary gullies, constructing silt-retaining dams with a height of 3m to 15m in the tributary gullies and main gullies, and creating anti-erosion forest and grass belts at the bottom of the gully.
[0039] The specific operations of the village and land optimization module include: relocating residents from the gully areas on the edge of the plateau to the construction communities in the flat areas of the plateau, and providing them with public service facilities; constructing breeding parks in the ridge and mound areas around the resettlement sites; and simultaneously reorganizing abandoned homesteads within the plateau and restoring them to arable land or vegetation in order to improve land utilization and ensure residents' production and livelihood.
[0040] Key Area Engineering Reinforcement Module: For gullies that threaten the division of the plateau, gully heads with strong headward erosion, and areas with severe gravity erosion, special engineering reinforcement is carried out by one or more combinations of concrete grid slope protection, tributary ditch backfilling, slope cutting piles, and improved drainage facilities.
[0041] The method of using the loess plateau stabilization and soil conservation measures of the present invention is as follows: Before use, a preliminary survey and planning module must be executed to conduct on-site surveys of the target area, clarifying the topographical farmland, slope gradient, gully erosion level, and village distribution. This, combined with development planning, delineates key and general treatment areas, providing precise data for subsequent module implementation. For example, by measuring the erosion rate at gully heads and the extent of abandoned homesteads, priority treatment areas can be determined, ensuring a scientifically sound and rational project layout.
[0042] During the implementation phase, modules for plateaus, slopes, gullies, villages, and key areas are executed sequentially or in tandem. For example, horizontal terraces and water-retaining embankments are constructed on plateaus, and reservoirs are built along roads to intercept runoff; fish-scale pits are excavated on slopes to plant trees and grasses; earthwork is carried out to backfill gullies, and grain dams and drainage ditches are constructed; at the same time, residents are resettled in centralized locations, supporting aquaculture parks are provided, and abandoned land is reclaimed. The synergistic effect of each module forms a closed loop of runoff regulation, erosion control, and improvement of people's livelihoods.
[0043] After the project is completed, the post-construction monitoring and maintenance module will be activated, including the deployment of erosion monitoring stakes and runoff observation stations. The integrity of the facilities will be checked regularly, and water-retaining embankments and dams will be repaired in a timely manner, with degraded vegetation replanted. For example, the erosion at the gully head will be measured monthly, and the reservoir will be maintained quarterly to ensure the long-term stability of the treatment effect and achieve a virtuous cycle of ecology and economy.
[0044] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims
1. A method for solidifying the ditch and preserving the loess plateau, characterized in that, The application relates to a loess tableland runoff control method. The method comprises the following steps:
1. Field surveying of the target loess tableland region to determine the distribution of cultivated land on the tableland surface, the slope gradient and the erosion degree of the gully; 2. Regulating all cultivated land on the tableland surface of the loess tableland region into horizontal terraces after the field surveying, and building a water retaining dike around the terraces; 3. For the slope land with a gradient of 20-25 degrees or above, excavating fish-scale pits with a row distance of 1.5-2 m and a plant distance of 1-1.5 m, and planting native trees and herbaceous plants in the fish-scale pits and on the slope surface to form a slope vegetation protection layer; 2. The method for solidifying the ditch and preserving the loess terrace according to claim 1, characterized in that, 4. The gully comprises a gully head, a gully bank and a gully valley, a shrub belt with developed root systems is planted on the edge of the gully bank, a longitudinal drainage channel is built along the gully head to guide rainwater into a rainwater storage device, and a soil or stone valley is built every 50-100 m in the gully valley.
3. The method for solidifying the ditch and preserving the loess terrace according to claim 1, characterized in that, 5. The height of the water retaining dike is 30-50 cm higher than the terrace surface.
4. The method for solidifying the ditch and preserving the loess terrace according to claim 1, characterized in that, 6. For the slope land with a gradient of less than 20 degrees, horizontal terraces are built by referring to the runoff control of the tableland surface, and the water retaining dike is arranged.
5. The method for solidifying the ditch and preserving the loess terrace according to claim 1, characterized in that, 7. The native trees are poplar and locust trees, and the herbaceous plants are alfalfa and sand dandelion.
6. The method for solidifying the ditch and preserving the loess terrace according to claim 1, characterized in that, 8. The fish-scale pit is 50-60 cm deep and 80-100 cm in diameter.
7. The method for solidifying the ditch and preserving the loess terrace of claim 1, wherein, 9. A scouring forest and grass belt is built in the gully bottom and gully beach area of the gully valley.
8. The method for solidifying the ditch and preserving the loess terrace of claim 1, wherein, 10. For the gully that endangers the division of the tableland surface, the gully head with strong source erosion and the region with serious gravity erosion, a concrete grid slope protection is used to reinforce the gully bank, and the slender branch gully is backfilled.
11. A monitoring pile or observation station is arranged along the gully head to monitor the erosion amount of the gully head.