Effects of Different Spatial Distributions of Vegetation on the Hydraulic Characteristics of Overland Flow

Vegetation plays a crucial role in mitigating and controlling soil erosion caused by overland flow. However, variations in the hydraulic characteristics of overland flow induced by the spatial distribution of vegetation with different row and column spacings are often overlooked in existing literature, potentially leading to significant deviations in predicting these characteristics. In this study, 180 lab-scale runoff tests were conducted to clarify the hydraulic characteristics of overland flow considering six α (the ratio of the lateral distance of vegetation to stem diameter) levels, six β (the ratio of the slope distance of vegetation to stem diameter) levels, and three slope angles (θ) under five flow discharges (Q) conditions. The results show that the observed flow regime of overland flow belongs to the transition flow regions, shifting from slow to rapid as α and/or β increase. The friction coefficient and the proportion of frictional resistance in the total flow resistance increase with increasing α and β. The local resistance dominates the total flow resistance of bare glass slopes. The local resistance coefficient ξ decreases with increasing α and β, however, it initially increases and then decreases with increasing θ. The impact of β on the local resistance is greater for gentle slopes, whereas the impact of α is more significant for steep slopes. ξ exhibits a negative correlation with Re and the ξ-Re curves gradually level off as α or β increases, while they become steeper with increasing θ. A prediction model for the total flow resistance was established taking into account the combined effects of Re, α, β and θ, which provides better prediction performance than two other relevant models. The results obtained from this study provide valuable insights into the hydraulic characteristics of overland flow and offer clear guidance for vegetation management in controlling soil erosion on slopes with heterogeneous vegetation coverage.