Does vegetation affect runoff?

Does vegetation affect runoff?

Trees and other vegetation in urban areas considerably reduce urban-water runoff. As rain falls upon vegetation, it clings to the rough surfaces of leaves, branches, and trunks. By intercepting and slowing precipitation hitting the ground, vegetation substantially reduces the volume and rate of stormwater runoff.

How does vegetation affect runoff and infiltration?

Trees and other vegetation in urban areas considerably reduce urban-water runoff. By intercepting and slowing precipitation hitting the ground, vegetation substantially reduces the volume and rate of stormwater runoff.

How does vegetation limit the amount of runoff in an area?

Trees and forests reduce stormwater runoff by capturing and storing rainfall in the canopy and releasing water into the atmosphere through evapotranspiration. In addition, tree roots and leaf litter create soil conditions that promote the infiltration of rainwater into the soil.

How does bare soil surface type affect the amount of runoff?

How does the bare soil surface type affect the amount of runoff? Bare soil surface type increases the amount of runoff more than vegetation surface type, but less than smooth mountain rock surface. Vegetation slows down the speed of water movement over the surface of the ground.

How does vegetation affect erosion?

Woody crops reduce water erosion by improving water infiltra- tion, reducing impacts by water droplets, intercepting rain and snow and physically stabilizing soil by their roots and leaf lit- ter. Harvesting of woody plants may be followed by increased erosion.

What are the effects of vegetation?

According to the above authors, vegetation plays an important role in water and soil erosion control. Vegetation cover can reduce the kinetic energy of raindrops. Vegetation covered plots and the litter layer protect soil surfaces, increase soil surface roughness, impede overland flow and increase infiltrating time.

Is forest and other vegetation promotes surface runoff?

Forest and other vegetation promote surface run-off. (a)Rainwater harvesting is a method to save surface runoff. (b) The canals used for irrigation should be properly lined to minimise losses by water seepage. (c) In dry regions with high rates of evaporation drip or trickle irrigation is recommended.

What factors affect surface runoff?

Meteorological factors affecting runoff:

• Type of precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, etc.)
• Rainfall intensity.
• Rainfall amount.
• Rainfall duration.
• Distribution of rainfall over the drainage basin.
• Direction of storm movement.
• Precipitation that occurred earlier and resulting soil moisture.

What affects the amount of runoff?

Meteorological factors affecting runoff: Rainfall amount. Rainfall duration. Distribution of rainfall over the watersheds. Direction of storm movement. Antecedent precipitation and resulting soil moisture.

How does vegetation affect infiltration?

With the increase of vegetation cover, soil infiltration was lowered. Stable infiltration rate on perennial was lowered than that on annual plot. Existence of surface vegetation protected the soil from direct splash of raindrop; microbiotic soil crust decreased soil infiltration rates.

How does vegetation allow greater infiltration?

Organic materials in the soil (including plants and animals) all increase the infiltration capacity. Vegetation contains roots that extent into the soil which create cracks and fissures in the soil, allowing for more rapid infiltration and increased capacity.

How does slope and vegetation influence erosion?

Leaves and branches that fall from the plants shield the soil surface from rain drop impact, slow the movement of water across the soil surface, and encourage rainfall to soak into the soil. Soil saturation can trigger erosion and landslides. Plants improve slope stability by removing water from the soil.

How does precipitation intensity affect surface runoff?

The intensity of rainfall has a dominating effect on runoff yield. If rainfall intensity is greater than the infiltration rate of the soil, then the surface runoff takes place very shortly, while in case of low intensity rainfall, there is found a reverse trend of the same. Thus, high intensities rainfall yield higher runoff and vice-versa.

How does vegetation affect runoff?

Vegetation can intercept precipitation and reduce runoff. Leaves and stems can capture rain and prevent it from reaching the ground. It will eventually reach the ground but the process will have been slowed by the vegetation and therefore water will infiltrate into the ground rather than runoff.

How does bare soil affect runoff?

The bare soil surface affects runoff because it has no nutrients or real resistants. Run-off rate increases because there is nothing there to absorb the rain water. A porous surface type will absorb a little runoff. A non-porous surface will not absorb much at all. It increases it since there is less plant material to slow down the water.

How does surface runoff affect the watershed?

Precipitation and runoff sculpt the land surface. Each watershed has its own runoff patterns and erosion rates that depend on geology, vegetation, land use and topography. Changes in runoff can increase erosion and sedimentation of the land surface. Excessive runoff can cause downstream flooding and accelerated erosion of the land.