The dramatic effect of flow through macropores and hardpan fissures on artificial drainage in shallow sloping soils is demonstrated. Implications of these preferential flow mechanisms on drainage design and water management are discussed. In designing drainage systems on these types of soils, more emphasis should be given to the characteristics of the hardpan.

Roofs are the first candidates for rainwater harvesting in urban areas. This research integrates quantitative and qualitative data of rooftop stormwater runoff in an urban Mediterranean-weather environment. The objective of this paper is to provide criteria for the roof selection in order to maximise the availability and quality of rainwater. Four roofs have been selected and monitored over a p...

In order to reduce soil erosion and desertification, the Sloping Land Conversion Program has been conducted in China for more than 15 years, and large areas of farmland have been converted to forest and grassland. However, this large-scale vegetation-restoration project has faced some key problems (e.g. soil drying) that have limited the successful development of the current ecological-recovery...