Effects of soil encrustation on rainfall infiltration,runoff and sediment generation

Effects of soil encrustation and non-encrustation on rainfall infiltrating, runoff and sediment yield were studied under condition of 250 simulated rainfalls indoor and data of runoff and sediment accordingly. By comparison analysis, results showed that average infiltration rate of non-encrustation soil was 1.5 times as much as that of encrustation soil, and average total amount of sediment generation was 1.28 times as much as that of encrustation soil, but average total amount of runoff generation of encrustation soil was 1.15 times as much as that of non-encrustation soil. Therefore, soil encrustation had a function of slowing down rainfall infiltration, increasing surface runoff and restraining sediment generation. The weaker rainfall intensity, the bigger the function is, and the reverse is also true.