Effects of Vegetation Cover and Slope Length on Nitrogen and Phosphorus Loss from a Sloping Land under Simulated Rainfall

In order to evaluate the effects of different slope lengths (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 m) and different vegetation coverage ratios (20%, 45%, 60%, and 90%) on the mechanisms of nutrient loss and runoff producing processes, we have conducted 14 simulated rainfall experiments. The results show that N and P loss are decided by the concentration and the runoff volume, but when the amounts of N and P in topsoil are small, their loss content mostly depends on runoff volume. Dissolved nitrogen is the main form in the nitrogen loss, while nitrate nitrogen is the main component in dissolved nitrogen, but the proportion in the total nitrogen gradually decreases with slope length increasing or with the increase of vegetation cover; the main form of phosphorus losses is particulate phosphorus, and the excessive sediment-bound nutrient loss released into water might cause secondary pollution of an aquatic environment.