Runoff and soil erosion mitigation with sieved forest residue mulch strips under controlled laboratory conditions

The results showed that overall runoff, interrill and rill erosion were strongly reduced and leaching was increased by covering the flume with 2 m and 3 m mulch strips at 70% ground cover (overall mulch application rates of 2.6 and 1.3 Mg ha−1). The 1 m mulch strips at 70% mulch cover (1 Mg ha−1) also reduced significantly erosion but not runoff. The three mulch strips at 50% ground cover were less effective, and only the application over the whole plot was able to reduce interrill and rill erosion. Apparently, runoff depended most on mulch cover, while soil losses depended most on strip width. Even so, the new mulch blend was poorly effective in reducing runoff but effective in reducing interrill erosion and even highly effective in reducing rill erosion.