A method for vegetation creation on alluvial rockfall riverbanks

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of cultivation technology for specific crops or plants not mentioned above, and discloses a method for creating vegetation on alluvial and rockfall riverbanks. The method involves identifying weak erosion zones less affected by unstable landslides and alluvial deposits left by flash floods through exploration. Perennial vines are then planted at these locations to cover the remaining riverbank area, preventing damage to the vegetation from alluvial deposits and fallen rocks. Microenvironmental wells are dug within the weak erosion zones, and the perennial vines are planted inside to block flash floods from damaging the vegetation and surrounding soil. The soil within the wells is rotated, with topsoil containing a large amount of sand and gravel, being infertile and unable to retain water, being turned to the bottom of the well, thus no longer hindering vegetation growth and facilitating groundwater infiltration. The deeper soil, free of sand and gravel, relatively fertile, and with better water retention, is turned to the top layer, allowing the vegetation within the well to grow better. The combination of these methods overcomes the damage and stress to vegetation, enabling the creation of vegetation on riverbanks where normal growth is impossible.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of cultivation technology for specific crops or plants not mentioned, and in particular to a method for creating vegetation along alluvial rockfall riverbanks. Background Technology

[0002] Soil and water conservation along riverbanks is directly related to river water quality and channel stability. In the upper reaches of rivers, where flow is relatively low and channels are narrow, levees are generally not constructed; soil and water conservation relies primarily on artificial slope protection structures and vegetation. However, artificial slope protection structures require regular maintenance, are costly, and cannot sustain themselves without upkeep. Therefore, they are mainly used in relatively flat river sections near residential areas. In most of the upper reaches of rivers, slope protection relies primarily on vegetation.

[0003] However, some rivers are highly detrimental to the development of vegetation on their banks, a typical example being seasonal rivers located in valleys formed by unstable mountains. These rivers experience multiple destructive effects on vegetation simultaneously, including:

[0004] 1. The physical damage and burial of vegetation caused by soil and rocks falling from unstable mountains;

[0005] 2. The burial of vegetation by alluvial deposits;

[0006] 3. Physical damage to vegetation and the soil around vegetation roots caused by flash floods;

[0007] 4. The stress that numerous sand and gravel themselves exert on the growth of plant root systems;

[0008] 5. The barren soil on the riverbank (because repeated erosion has taken away the nutrients in the soil) and inability to retain water (because there is too much sand and gravel in the soil) put pressure on vegetation growth.

[0009] Due to the above factors, the vegetation on these riverbanks cannot exist stably for a long time. It can only be scattered on the riverbanks for a period of time before the flood season. Moreover, it is generally an annual plant with shallow roots and short lifespan in spring, which cannot play a role in slope protection at all.

[0010] Taking the rivers in the upper reaches of the Haihe River basin, located in the suburbs of Beijing, which this invention aims to address, as an example, these rivers originate in valleys in the Beijing suburbs. Many unstable mountains exist along their banks, and the river flow is greatly affected by the seasons, with frequent flash floods after summer rainfall. These flash floods sweep away the vegetation and soil on the riverbanks, carrying large amounts of particulate matter into the main stream of the Haihe River, severely impacting its water quality. During the dry season, the river flow is very low, and the riverbanks are covered with alluvial deposits, mainly sand and gravel, making it difficult for vegetation to grow. In areas farther from the river channel and less affected by flash floods during the flood season, the proximity to mountains causes further damage and burial of vegetation due to falling soil and rocks. These factors result in a chronic lack of vegetation protection on the riverbanks, leading not only to severe soil erosion but also to frequent changes in the shape of the riverbanks. Summary of the Invention

[0011] This invention provides a method for creating vegetation along alluvial rockfall riverbanks.

[0012] The technical problem to be solved is that vegetation cannot grow normally on the riverbank sandwiched between an unstable mountain and a river channel that will cause flash floods, resulting in serious soil erosion and river channel instability.

[0013] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a method for vegetation creation on alluvial and rockfall riverbanks, wherein the riverbank is sandwiched between an unstable mountain and a river channel that will cause flash flood erosion, and the topsoil and vegetation cannot exist stably due to the accumulation of alluvial deposits and falling soil and rocks from the unstable mountain. The soil and water conservation method includes the following steps:

[0014] Step 1: Explore weak erosion strips along the riverbank. The weak erosion strips are strip-shaped areas located between alluvial deposits and fallen soil and rocks from unstable mountains, extending along the river channel.

[0015] Step 2: Drill microenvironment creation wells along the weak erosion strips. These wells are filled with cultivation soil and are spaced apart along the extension direction of the weak erosion strips, meeting the following conditions:

[0016] Condition 2.1: The well wall can protect the cultivated soil inside the well from being washed away by flash floods;

[0017] Condition 2.2: The well wall allows water and plant roots to pass through;

[0018] Condition 2.3: The wellhead is higher than the surrounding area and higher than all existing alluvial deposits between the microenvironment creation well and the river channel;

[0019] Condition 2.4: The coverage areas of the slope protection climbing vines cultivated in two adjacent microenvironment creation wells can be combined or overlapped into one;

[0020] Step 3: Cultivate slope protection climbing vines in the microenvironment creation wells. The slope protection climbing vines are perennial vines, and the slope protection climbing vines in each microenvironment creation well extend towards the river channel and the unstable mountain.

[0021] Furthermore, in step one, the weak erosion strip is explored in the following way: query the historical hydrological data of the river channel, select the time period before the flood season of the river channel to examine the deposits on the riverbank and the temporary vegetation, and select the location with the most lush temporary vegetation at the boundary between the alluvial deposits and the fallen soil and rocks from the unstable mountain as the weak erosion strip.

[0022] Furthermore, the microenvironment creation well is a well composed of sand-free concrete well pipes. The sand-free concrete well pipes are segmented near the ground surface and are called root extension well pipes. The root extension well pipes have holes for the roots of climbing vines to extend out of the well to assist the slope protection.

[0023] Furthermore, the bottom of the microenvironment creation well is not higher than the river's dry season water level. The soil excavated from the well, free of sand and gravel, is mixed with a water-retaining agent and organic fertilizer and then filled into the root extension well pipe as cultivation soil. The remaining soil is filled into the well pipe below the root extension well pipe as filter material.

[0024] Furthermore, in step three, the slope-protecting climbing vines are cultivated into the microenvironment creation well using a Waldem box planting device. The upper part of the Waldem box planting device is a Waldem box with seedlings of slope-protecting climbing vines and soil for seedling growth, and the lower part is a soil-breaking tip for inserting the Waldem box into the soil. The soil-breaking tip is detachably connected to the Waldem box, and the soil in the Waldem box planting device is level with the soil in the microenvironment creation well.

[0025] In step three, after the Waldemars box planter is inserted into the cultivation soil of the microenvironment creation well, the growth of the climbing vines on the slope is observed regularly. After their growth is stable, the transparent top cover of the Waldemars box is removed, so that the soil inside the Waldemars box is integrated with the cultivation soil of the microenvironment creation well.

[0026] Furthermore, in the Wald box planting device, the soil-breaking tip is a cone with the tip pointing downwards, and it is made of sand-free concrete; the Wald box is a transparent plastic bottle with the original bottom removed, the transparent plastic bottle is inserted into the soil-breaking tip and the soil-breaking tip is used as the bottom;

[0027] The Huade box planter is made using the following method:

[0028] The soil-breaking point is poured with the pointed end facing downwards.

[0029] Before the concrete at the breaking point hardens, place the seedlings of the vines that support the slope, along with the soil covering their roots, above the breaking point.

[0030] Place the transparent plastic bottle (with the original bottom and cap removed) cap-up onto the soil-breaking point, inserting the transparent plastic bottle into the concrete of the soil-breaking point, and then place the vine seedlings for the slope protection inside, and then screw the cap back on.

[0031] Furthermore, the vine is kudzu, ivy, honeysuckle, or creeping violet.

[0032] The vegetation creation method for alluvial rockfall riverbanks of the present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0033] In this invention, weak erosion strips with minimal impact from unstable landslides and alluvial deposits are identified through exploration. Perennial vines are planted at these locations to cover the remaining riverbank, preventing damage to the vegetation from alluvial deposits and fallen rocks, thus overcoming their influence on vegetation growth. Microenvironmental wells are created within the weak erosion strips, and the perennial vines are planted inside to block flash floods from damaging the vegetation and surrounding soil. The soil within the wells is rotated, with topsoil containing a large amount of sand and gravel, being infertile and unable to retain water, being moved to the bottom of the well, thus no longer hindering vegetation growth and facilitating groundwater infiltration. Deeper soil, free of sand and gravel, relatively fertile, and with better water retention, is moved to the top layer, allowing the vegetation within the well to grow better. The combination of these methods overcomes various forms of damage and stress to vegetation growth, successfully creating a layer of vegetation on the riverbank that plays a role in soil and water conservation. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a riverbank where climbing vines have just been planted, in which a vegetation creation method for alluvial rockfall riverbanks, according to the present invention, is applied.

[0035] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A magnified view of part A in the middle;

[0036] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a riverbank after the climbing vines have fully grown, in which the vegetation creation method for alluvial rockfall riverbanks of the present invention has been applied.

[0037] In the image, 1-river channel, 2-unstable mountain, 3-alluvial deposits, 4-fallen soil and rocks, 5-Wald box planting device, 6-microenvironment creation well, 7-slope protection vines. Detailed Implementation

[0038] Taking the technology and demonstration of watershed ecological restoration and biodiversity conservation in Xiong'an New Area as an example, such as Figure 1-3As shown, a method for vegetation creation on alluvial rockfall riverbanks is described. The riverbank is sandwiched between an unstable hillside 2 and a river channel 1 that can cause flash flood erosion. Due to the accumulation of alluvial deposits 3 and falling soil and rocks 4 from the unstable hillside 2, the topsoil and vegetation cannot exist stably. The soil and water conservation method includes the following steps:

[0039] Step 1: Explore weak erosion strips along the riverbank. The weak erosion strips are strip-shaped areas located between alluvial deposits 3 and fallen soil and rocks 4 from unstable mountain 2, extending along the river channel 1.

[0040] The physical damage and burial of vegetation caused by falling soil and rocks (4) and alluvial deposits (3) at this location are relatively weak, making it difficult to bury. There are usually observable differences in the topsoil on both sides of this location, which can be identified visually. For locations with severe mixing that are difficult to pinpoint, the topsoil can be dug up to assist in the search, or vegetation can be used as a guide.

[0041] Step 2: Drill microenvironment creation wells 6 along the weak erosion strip. These wells are filled with cultivation soil and are spaced apart along the extension direction of the weak erosion strip, meeting the following conditions:

[0042] Condition 2.1: The well wall can protect the cultivated soil inside the well from being washed away by flash floods;

[0043] This condition can be met as long as the well wall is intact.

[0044] Condition 2.2: The well wall allows water and plant roots to pass through;

[0045] The limited soil and water in the well allowed plants to utilize a wider range of soil and water resources.

[0046] Condition 2.3: The wellhead is higher than the surrounding area. Generally, the wellhead needs to be 20 centimeters higher than the ground surface within a half-meter radius around the well to prevent soil and rocks from falling into the well. It should also be higher than all existing alluvial deposits 3 between the microenvironment creation well 6 and the river channel 1; this is to ensure that alluvial deposits 3 will not enter the well when they are generated.

[0047] Condition 2.4: The coverage areas of the slope protection climbing vines 7 cultivated in two adjacent microenvironment creation wells 6 can be combined or overlapped into one;

[0048] In other words, the vines on the slope need to cover the entire riverbank.

[0049] Step 3: Cultivate slope protection vines 7 in microenvironment creation well 6. Slope protection vines 7 are perennial vines. The slope protection vines 7 in each microenvironment creation well 6 extend towards the river channel 1 and the unstable mountain 2 respectively.

[0050] When perennial vines grow close to the ground, their aerial roots at the ground-facing location will penetrate into the soil. At the same time, the tendrils, suckers, leaves, and other structures on the vines will also grip the ground surface, playing a role in fixing the ground surface outside the location of the main root system.

[0051] In step one, the weak erosion strips are explored in the following way: query the hydrological data of river channel 1 over the years, select the period before the flood season of river channel 1 to examine the deposits on the riverbank and the temporary vegetation, and select the location where the temporary vegetation is most lush (highest coverage) at the junction between alluvial deposits 3 and fallen soil and rocks 4 from unstable mountain 2 as the weak erosion strip.

[0052] Typically, in the period one or two months before the flood season in river channel 1, the boundary between alluvial deposits 3 and fallen rocks 4 is relatively clear. At the same time, the location can be aided by the temporary vegetation that appears at this location, because this location is one of the few places where some plants can grow and plant seeds can be left during this period.

[0053] Microenvironment creation well 6 is a well composed of sand-free concrete well pipes. The sand-free concrete well pipes are divided into sections near the ground surface and are called root extension well pipes. The root extension well pipes have holes for the roots of the vines 7 that are used to assist the slope protection to extend out of the well.

[0054] No-fines concrete is concrete that does not contain fine aggregate (i.e., sand). No-fines concrete well pipes allow water to pass through, but most plant roots cannot, so additional holes are required. Climbing plants do not have particularly deep root systems, so holes can be made in the root extension well pipes.

[0055] The bottom of the microenvironment creation well 6 is not higher than the dry season water level of the river channel 1 to facilitate water infiltration. The soil excavated from the well, which is free of sand and gravel, is mixed with water-retaining agent and organic fertilizer and then filled into the root extension well pipe as cultivation soil. The remaining soil is filled into the well pipe below the root extension well pipe as filter material.

[0056] In other words, soil excavated from the well was used as backfill soil for cultivation. During backfilling, the soil was inverted to overcome the adverse effects of the upper soil on plant growth. At the same time, to promote better plant growth, a certain amount of water-retaining agent and organic fertilizer were mixed into the soil. Although the fertility of the raw soil is stronger than that of alluvial deposits 3 and fallen rocks 4 after repeated leaching by river water, it is more sticky and lacks humus.

[0057] In step three, the slope protection vine 7 is planted into the microenvironment creation well 6 through the Wald box planting device 5. The upper part of the Wald box planting device 5 is a Wald box with the seedling of the slope protection vine 7 and soil for the seedling to grow. The lower part is a soil-breaking tip for inserting the Wald box into the soil. The soil-breaking tip is detachably connected to the Wald box. The soil in the Wald box planting device 5 is level with the soil in the microenvironment creation well 6.

[0058] The Waldemar box is a container used for the long-distance transport and preservation of plants. It is a transparent, sealed container that holds the soil and the plant together. Water in the soil evaporates naturally and flows back into the soil, while the plant can still photosynthesize through sunlight through the container. This allows for long-distance and long-term plant transplantation to various continents.

[0059] Here, a simple Waldemar box made from discarded mineral water bottles is used to preserve the slope protection vines 7 to ensure a sufficient survival rate. Because the survival rate of the slope protection vines 7 is crucial in this invention, sowing is not suitable. Furthermore, since the construction site is a long, narrow area along the river, the slope protection vines 7 need to be transported and stored for a long time before planting. If conventional transplanting methods are used, the seedlings' vitality will be severely reduced or even die before planting. However, using Waldemar boxes to preserve the slope protection vines 7 would introduce additional workload, as the boxes need to be opened before each planting. Therefore, the Waldemar boxes are integrated with the soil-breaking point, allowing planting without opening the boxes.

[0060] In step three, after the Waldemars box planter 5 is inserted into the cultivation soil of the microenvironment creation well 6, the growth of the climbing vines 7 on the slope is observed regularly. After their growth is stable, the transparent top cover of the Waldemars box is removed so that the soil inside the Waldemars box is integrated with the cultivation soil of the microenvironment creation well 6.

[0061] During transportation, the seedlings' root systems may suffer some damage. Therefore, it's important to allow sufficient time for the roots to recover. Once recovered, removing the cover will result in a higher survival rate. If the cover is removed hastily, the roots, before they have recovered, cannot utilize the water and soil from the well, and the moisture inside the seed box will slowly evaporate, affecting the survival rate.

[0062] like Figure 2 As shown, in the Wald box planting device 5, the soil-breaking tip is a cone with the tip pointing downwards, and it is made of sandless concrete; the Wald box is a transparent plastic bottle with the original bottom removed, the transparent plastic bottle is inserted into the soil-breaking tip and the soil-breaking tip is the bottom.

[0063] The absence of sand in the concrete is detrimental to the sealing of the Waldersee box, resulting in a small amount of moisture loss along the soil-breaking tip. However, this has little impact because the Waldersee box in this invention does not need to sustain plant growth for months or even years; it only needs to sustain it for days or even weeks. Afterward, once the soil-breaking point is inserted into the ground, there will be no further moisture loss; in fact, moisture can be replenished. At the same time, the permeable soil-breaking tip has even less impact on plant root growth.

[0064] At the same time, the structure of the entire Huade box planting device 5 is also very suitable for downward insertion or burial, and it will not break into two pieces during the downward force process; however, if needed later, it can be broken into two pieces by pulling it upward.

[0065] No-fines concrete has relatively low bond strength (because the aggregate is not graded), and the bonding force between the plastic and the concrete is also weak. Therefore, plastic bottles inserted into the concrete are easily pulled out, thus achieving a detachable connection. However, care should be taken not to leave burrs when cutting off the bottom of the plastic bottle, otherwise it will affect its removal from the concrete.

[0066] The Huade box planter 5 is manufactured using the following method:

[0067] The soil-breaking point is poured with the pointed end facing downwards.

[0068] Before the concrete at the breaking point hardens, place the seedlings of the slope protection vine 7 along with the soil covering their roots above the breaking point.

[0069] No-fines concrete has a very low slump, and the shape of the piercing point makes it difficult for the concrete to be squeezed upwards, so the seedlings and the surrounding soil will not sink in. However, care should be taken to control the slump during concrete mixing to avoid adding too much mixing water and water-reducing agents.

[0070] Place the transparent plastic bottle (with the original bottom and cap removed) cap-up onto the soil-breaking point, inserting the transparent plastic bottle into the concrete of the soil-breaking point, and then place the seedling of the slope-climbing vine 7 inside, and then screw the cap back on.

[0071] In this embodiment, the vines are kudzu, ivy, honeysuckle, or creeping violet.

[0072] These vines will grow roots at each node, making them even more effective for soil and water conservation when used here.

[0073] In condition 2.4, the coverage area of ​​each climbing vine 7 on the slope is based on its condition after two years of growth.

[0074] The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention should fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for vegetation creation on alluvial rockfall riverbanks, wherein the riverbank is sandwiched between an unstable mountain (2) and a river channel (1) that will cause flash flood erosion, and the topsoil and vegetation cannot exist stably due to the accumulation of alluvial deposits (3) and falling soil and rocks (4) from the unstable mountain (2), characterized in that: Includes the following steps: Step 1: Explore weak erosion strips along the riverbank. The weak erosion strips are strip-shaped areas located between alluvial deposits (3) and fallen soil and rocks (4) from unstable mountains (2), and extending along the river channel (1). Step 2: Drill microenvironment creation wells (6) along the weak erosion strip. The microenvironment creation wells (6) are wells filled with cultivation soil, and are set at intervals along the extension direction of the weak erosion strip, and meet the following conditions: Condition 2.1: The well wall can protect the cultivated soil inside the well from being washed away by flash floods; Condition 2.2: The well wall allows water and plant roots to pass through; Condition 2.3: The wellhead is higher than the surrounding area and higher than all existing alluvial deposits (3) between the microenvironment creation well (6) and the river channel (1); Condition 2.4: The coverage of the slope protection climbing vines (7) cultivated in two adjacent microenvironment creation wells (6) can be combined or overlapped into one; Step 3: Cultivate slope protection climbing vines (7) in the microenvironment creation well (6). The slope protection climbing vines (7) are perennial vines. The slope protection climbing vines (7) in each microenvironment creation well (6) extend towards the river channel (1) and the unstable mountain (2), respectively. The microenvironment creation well (6) is a well composed of sand-free concrete well pipes. The sand-free concrete well pipes are divided into sections near the ground surface and are called root extension well pipes. The root extension well pipes have holes for the roots of the vines (7) that help the slope protection to extend out of the well. The bottom of the microenvironment creation well (6) is not higher than the water level of the river channel (1) during the dry season. The soil excavated from the well, which does not contain sand and gravel, is mixed with water-retaining agent and organic fertilizer and then filled into the root extension well pipe as cultivation soil. The remaining soil is filled into the well pipe below the root extension well pipe as filter material. In step three, the slope protection climbing vine (7) is planted into the microenvironment creation well (6) through the Wald box planting device (5). The upper part of the Wald box planting device (5) is a Wald box with seedlings of slope protection climbing vine (7) and soil for seedling growth, and the lower part is a soil-breaking tip for inserting the Wald box into the soil. The soil-breaking tip is detachably connected to the Wald box. The soil in the Wald box planting device (5) is level with the soil in the microenvironment creation well (6). In step three, after the Wald box planter (5) is inserted into the cultivation soil of the microenvironment creation well (6), the growth status of the seedlings of the slope climbing vine (7) is observed regularly. After their growth is stable, the transparent top cover of the Wald box is removed so that the soil inside the Wald box is integrated with the cultivation soil of the microenvironment creation well (6). In the Wald box planting device (5), the soil-breaking tip is a cone with the tip pointing downwards, and is made of sand-free concrete; the Wald box is a transparent plastic bottle with the original bottom removed, the transparent plastic bottle is inserted into the soil-breaking tip and the soil-breaking tip is the bottom.

2. The method for vegetation creation on alluvial rockfall riverbanks according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step one, the weak erosion strip is explored in the following way: query the hydrological data of the river channel (1) over the years, select the time period before the flood season of the river channel (1) to examine the deposits on the riverbank and the temporary vegetation, and select the location with the most lush temporary vegetation at the junction between the alluvial deposits (3) and the fallen soil and rocks (4) from the unstable mountain (2) as the weak erosion strip.

3. The method for vegetation creation on alluvial rockfall riverbanks according to claim 1, characterized in that: The Waldemars box planter (5) is made in the following way: The soil-breaking point is poured with the pointed end facing downwards. Before the concrete at the breaking point solidifies, place the seedlings of the slope climbing vine (7) along with the soil covering their roots above the breaking point. Place the transparent plastic bottle with the original bottom and cap removed onto the soil tip with the cap on top, so that the transparent plastic bottle is inserted into the concrete of the soil tip, and the seedling of the slope climbing vine (7) is placed inside, and then the cap is screwed on.

4. A method for vegetation creation on alluvial rockfall riverbanks according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vines mentioned are kudzu, ivy, honeysuckle, or creeping violet.

5. A method for vegetation creation on alluvial rockfall riverbanks according to claim 1, characterized in that: In condition 2.4, the coverage area of ​​each slope protection vine (7) is based on its state after two years of growth.

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