Spatial variations of sheet flow and sediment transport on an agricultural field

Abstract

This paper presents the spatial and temporal variations of sheet flow and sediment transport on an agricultural field under natural rainfall. The study site is located in western France (Rennes, Brittany) where rainfall amount and intensity are moderate. It is a field of garden-peas presenting a convex-concave gentle slope where only sheet flow is observed. A network of simple, low-cost collectors is used to measure sheet flow and sediment transport along the slope and to estimate the spatial variability for a given position on the slope. The water and sediment discharge was measured for each rainfall event from February to June. The analysis of space and time variations according to the characteristics of the rainfall events, changes in vegetation and soil crusting shows that the sheet flow is low and the runoff coefficient decreases as the slope length increases. Infiltration is particularly active in concave parts of the hillslope whatever the characteristics of the rainfall events. Sediment transport decreases in time as the soil crusts and vegetation develops.