Runoff and water erosion on road side-slopes: Effects of rainfall characteristics and slope length

Abstract

To investigate the effects of rainfall and slope length on water erosion on road side-slopes, runoff and soil loss are measured from natural runoff plots along the Qinghai-Tibet highway near Tuotuo River. Rainfall erosivity used in the revised universal soil loss equation is a good predictor for runoff and soil loss from road side-slopes. Runoff depth, sediment concentration and soil loss decreases as slope length increases.