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Effect of topographic slope on the interaction between debris flows and riparian forests

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Abstract

Forests, serving as natural barriers in mountainous regions, can reduce surface erosion, enhance water flow resistance and facilitate sedimentation. While extensive research has been conducted for forests and their capacity to withstand debris flows, there has been relatively little investigation into the interactions between riparian forests and debris flows. In this paper, a field investigation of Keze gully was conducted through section surveys, quadrat surveys and unmanned aerial vehicle field investigations. Based on the flow calculation results, analysis of sediment characteristics, gully morphology change and analysis of stand characteristics, the interaction model between the riparian forest and debris flow in the complex channel was discussed. The results further emphasise the role of forests in mitigating debris flows. Furthermore, the results show that the identified critical slope for the study area provides a threshold to explain two different flow interaction dynamics with riparian forests. Above the critical slope, debris flows predominantly follow the main channel, where the root-soil complex of riparian forests reduces channel bank erosion. However, this erosion can also lead to the uprooting and destruction of trees. Below the critical slope, floodplains are vital in accommodating overflow. Debris flows interact not only with the roots of trees near the riverbank but also with the trunks of trees on floodplains. Trees with a diameter less than 30 cm may also suffer damage due to broken stems.

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Funding

This study is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41925030) and the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. XDA23090403).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Earth Surface Process, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China

    Wen-rong Cui, Jian-gang Chen, Xiao-qing Chen, Dong-ri Song, Wan-yu Zhao & Ke Jin

  2. University of Chinese Academy Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Wen-rong Cui, Jian-gang Chen, Xiao-qing Chen, Dong-ri Song, Wan-yu Zhao & Ke Jin

Authors
  1. Wen-rong Cui
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  2. Jian-gang Chen
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  3. Xiao-qing Chen
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Correspondence to Xiao-qing Chen.

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Appendix: Calculation of debris flow density

Appendix: Calculation of debris flow density

In this study, the method proposed by Chen et al. (2003) was used to calculate the debris flow density through the clay grain content of debris flows, which applies to a wide range of debris flows in the non-frozen zone.

$$\begin{array}{c}{\gamma }_{\mathrm{d}}=-1320{x}^{7}-513{x}^{6}+891{x}^{5}-55{\mathrm{x}}^{4}+34.6{x}^{3}-67{x}^{2}+12.5x+1.55\end{array}$$
(7)

where γd (kg/m3) is the density of debris flow, and x (%) is the mass fraction of debris-flow clay particle.

Mass fraction of debris-flow clay particle comes from samples collected in the field for particle-size analysis experiment. To reduce the error, three samples were collected to calculate the average density, as shown in Table 6.

Table 6 Calculation of debris flow density
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Cui, Wr., Chen, Jg., Chen, Xq. et al. Effect of topographic slope on the interaction between debris flows and riparian forests. Landslides 21, 889–900 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-023-02183-8

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