Wind tunnel test of the influence of moisture on the erodibility of loessial sandy loam soils by wind

Loessial sandy loam soils are the major soil categories in the northern Loess Plateau, China. Owing to a dry, windy climate and sparse surface cover, wind erosion is a serious problem and dust (sand) storms occur frequently. Soil moisture is one of the most important factors influencing resistance to wind erosion. The influence of moisture content on the erodibility of sandy loam soils was investigated through wind tunnel simulations. Results showed that the threshold velocity for soil particle movement by wind increases with increasing soil moisture by a power function. The intrinsic factor in the increase in soil resistance due to moisture content is the cohesive force of soil water. Cohesive forces of the film and capillary water are different; the influence of soil moisture on threshold velocity was shown to follow a step-like pattern. The wind erosion modulus of sandy loam was directly proportional to the cube of the wind velocity or the square of the effective wind velocity (V−Vt). There existed a negative exponential relationship between the wind erosion rate and soil moisture content. Initially, as soil moisture increased the decrease in the wind erosion rate was rather rapid. When the moisture content reached more than 4%, the rate of decrease in erosion slowed and became almost constant with successive increments of moisture. This suggests that different soil moisture contents can prevent wind erosion at different levels. Four percent soil moisture could only reduce the erodibility of the sandy loam soil by a small degree.