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Rainfall simulation and overland-flow experiments enhance understanding of surface hydrology and erosion processes, quantify runoff and erosion rates, and provide valuable data for developing and testing predictive models. We present a unique dataset (1021 experimental plots) of rainfall simulation (1300 plot runs) and overland-flow (838 plot runs) experimental plot data paired with measures of vegetation, ground cover, and surface soil physical properties spanning point to hillslope scales. The experimental data were collected at three sloping sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) sites in the Great Basin, USA, each subjected to woodland encroachment and with conditions representative of intact wooded shrublands and 1–9 years following wildfire, prescribed fire, and/or tree cutting and shredding tree-removal treatments. The methodologies applied in data collection and the cross-scale experimental design uniquely provide scale-dependent, separate measures of interrill (rain splash and sheet flow processes, 0.5 m 2 plots) and concentrated overland-flow runoff and erosion rates (∼9 m 2 plots), along with collective rates for these same processes combined over the patch scale (13 m 2 plots). The dataset provides a valuable source for developing, assessing, and calibrating/validating runoff and erosion models applicable to diverse plant community dynamics with varying vegetation, ground cover, and surface soil conditions. The experimental data advance understanding and quantification of surface hydrologic and erosion processes for the research domain and potentially for other patchy-vegetated rangeland landscapes elsewhere. Lastly, the unique nature of repeated measures spanning numerous treatments and timescales delivers a valuable dataset for examining long-term landscape vegetation, soil, hydrology, and erosion responses to various management actions, land use, and natural disturbances. The dataset is available from the US Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Library at https://data.nal.usda.gov/search/type/dataset (last access: 7 May 2020) (doi: 10.15482/USDA.ADC/1504518; Pierson et al., 2019). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rainfall simulation and overland-flow experiments enhance understanding of surface hydrology and erosion processes, quantify runoff and erosion rates, and provide valuable data for developing and testing predictive models. We present a unique dataset (1021 experimental plots) of rainfall simulation (1300 plot runs) and overland flow (838 plot runs) experimental plot data paired with measures of vegetation, ground cover, and surface soil physical properties spanning point to hillslope scales. The experimental data were collected at three sloping sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) sites in the Great Basin, USA, each subjected to woodland-encroachment and with conditions representative of intact wooded-shrublands and 1–9 yr following wildfire, prescribed fire, and/or tree cutting and shredding tree-removal treatments. The methodologies applied in data collection and the cross-scale experimental design uniquely provide scale-dependent, separate measures of interrill (rainsplash and sheetflow processes) and concentrated overland-flow runoff and erosion rates along with collective rates for these same processes combined over the patch scale (tens of meters). The dataset provides a valuable source for developing, assessing, and calibrating/validating runoff and erosion models applicable to diverse plant community dynamics with varying vegetation, ground cover, and surface soil conditions. The experimental data advance understanding and quantification of surface hydrologic and erosion processes for the research domain and potentially for other patchy-vegetated rangeland landscapes elsewhere. Lastly, the unique nature of repeated measures spanning numerous treatments and time scales delivers a valuable dataset for examining long-term landscape vegetation, soil, hydrology, and erosion responses to various management actions, land use, and natural disturbances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing trends in wildfire activity on semi-arid rangelands necessitate advancement in understanding of fire impacts on vegetation, soils, and runoff and erosion processes. This study used artificially applied rainfall and concentrated overland flow experiments to evaluate the ecohydrologic response and recovery of a semi-arid shrubland in the Great Basin Region, USA, following fire. Rainfall experiments were conducted at the 0.5 m 2 plot scale to assess fire impacts on rainsplash and sheetflow processes. Concentrated flow experiments were applied on 9 m 2 plots to evaluate fire impacts on concentrated overland flow processes. Vegetation, soil, hydrologic, and erosion variables were assessed at each scale pre-fire and 1, 2, and 5 yr post-fire. Infiltration and runoff on rainfall simulation plots were affected more by measured background soil water repellency than fire effects on vegetation and soils. Runoff from rainfall on shrub-dominated plots was unchanged 1 yr post-fire, but runoff from interspace plots between shrubs declined 1 yr post-fire. Runoff increased on shrub and interspace rainfall plots 2 yr post-fire and then declined in the 5 yr post-fire. Bare ground generally declined across study years, implicating the temporal variability in soil water repellency as the causal factor for infiltration and runoff trends. Erosion on rainfall plots increased by factors of 8 to more than 10 following fire removal of vegetation and ground cover and declined with vegetation recovery through five growing seasons. Concentrated overland flow plots generated slightly more total runoff and 26-fold more total sediment 1 yr following burning relative to pre-fire measures. Erosion from concentrated overland flow remained greater on burned than unburned plots after five growing seasons even though ground cover returned to approximately 85%. The relative recovery of vegetation and total ground cover were typical for the shrubland community assessed, but elevated erosion with 85% ground cover 5 yr post-fire was unexpected. The persistent high sediment delivery from concentrated plots is attributed to the fine textured soils and thin litter accumulation. The importance of considering erodibility in context with sediment supply and vegetative recovery is discussed. The results demonstrate the complexity of post-fire ecohydrologic interactions, advance process understanding of post-fire ecohydrologic responses for semi-arid rangelands, and underscore the need for additional studies on post-fire recovery over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pinyon (Pinus spp.) and juniper (Juniperus spp.) woodland encroachment has imperiled a broad ecological domain of the sagebrush steppe (Artemisia spp.) ecosystem in the Great Basin Region, USA. As these conifers increase in dominance on sagebrush rangelands, understory vegetation declines and ecohydrologic function can shift from biotic (vegetation) controlled retention of soil resources to abiotic (runoff) driven loss of soil resources and long-term site degradation. Scientists, public land management agencies, and private land owners are challenged with selecting and predicting outcomes to treatment alternatives to improve ecological structure and function on these rangelands. This study is the first of a two-part study to evaluate effectiveness of prescribed fire to re-establish sagebrush steppe vegetation and improve ecohydrologic function on mid- to late-succession pinyon-and juniper-encroached sagebrush sites in the Great Basin. We used a suite of vegetation and soil measures, small-plot (0.5 m2) rainfall simulations, and overland flow experiments (9 m2) to quantify the effects of tree removal by prescribed fire on vegetation, soils, and rainsplash, sheetflow, and concentrated flow hydrologic and erosion processes at two woodlands 9-yr after burning. For untreated conditions, extensive bare interspace (87% bare ground) throughout the degraded intercanopy (69–88% bare ground) between trees at both sites promoted high runoff and sediment yield from combined rainsplash and sheetflow (~45 mm, 59–381 g m−2) and concentrated flow (371–501 L, 2343–3015 g) processes during high intensity rainfall simulation (102 mm h−1, 45 min) and overland flow experiments (15, 30, and 45 L min−1, 8 min each). Burning increased canopy cover of native perennial herbaceous vegetation by >5-fold, on average, across both sites over nine growing seasons. Burning reduced low pre-fire sagebrush canopy cover (<1% to 14% average) at both sites and sagebrush recovery is expected to take >30 yr. Enhanced herbaceous cover in interspaces post-fire reduced runoff and sediment yield from high intensity rainfall simulations by >2-fold at both sites. Fire-induced increases in herbaceous canopy cover (from 34% to 62%) and litter ground cover (from 15% to 36%) reduced total runoff (from 501 L to 180 L) and sediment yield (from 2343 g to 115 g) from concentrated flow experiments in the intercanopy at one site. Sparser herbaceous vegetation (49% cover) and litter cover (8%) in the intercanopy at the other, more degraded site post-fire resulted in no significant reduction of total runoff (371 L to 266 L) and sediment yield (3015 g to 1982 g) for concentrated flow experiments. Areas underneath unburned shrub and tree canopies were well covered by vegetation and ground cover and generated limited runoff and sediment. Fire impacts on vegetation, ground cover, and runoff and sediment delivery from tree and shrub plots were highly variable. Burning litter covered areas underneath trees reduced perennial herbaceous vegetation and increased invasibility to the fire-prone annual cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.). Cheatgrass cover increased from <1% pre-fire to 16–30%, on average, post-fire across the sites and was primarily restricted to areas around burned trees. High herbaceous cover (73%) under burned trees at the less degraded site resulted in similar low total runoff and sediment from concentrated flow experiments as pre-fire (136–228 L, 204–423 g). In contrast, fire-reduction of litter (from 79% to 49%) resulted in increased total runoff (from 103 L to 333 L) and sediment yield (from 619 g to 2170 g) from concentrated flow experiments in burned tree areas at the more degraded site. The experimental results demonstrate pinyon and juniper removal by prescribed fire can effectively re-establish a successional trajectory towards sagebrush steppe vegetation structure and thereby improve ecohydrologic function. Responses to burning at the more degraded site suggest results should be interpreted with caution however. Although burning substantially increased perennial grass cover and reduced fine-scale runoff and erosion at the more degraded site, poor sagebrush recovery, delayed litter recruitment, and persistent high concentrated flow erosion at that site suggest not all sites are good candidates for prescribed fire treatments. Furthermore, high levels of cheatgrass in burned tree areas (~30% of area) at both sites increases wildfire risk, but cheatgrass is expected to decline over time in absence of fire. Our results in context with the literature suggest fire-surrogate tree-removal treatments (e.g., tree cutting or shredding) may be more appropriate on degraded sites with limited pre-treatment sagebrush and perennial herbaceous vegetation and that seeding may be necessary to improve post-fire establishment of sagebrush steppe vegetation structure and associated ecohydrologic function under these conditions. Lastly, vegetation, runoff, and erosion responses in this study are not directly applicable outside of the Great Basin, but similar responses in woodland studies from the southwestern US suggest potential application of results to woodlands in that region. The concept of re-establishing vegetation structure to improve ecohydrologic function is broadly applicable to sparsely vegetated lands around the World. • Burning increased grass in the bare intercanopy at two woodlands 9 yr post-fire. • Grass increases improved infiltration and erosion in degraded interspaces (0.5 m2). • Litter regulated overland flow whereas runoff and flow velocity controlled erosion. • Increased grass and litter reduced intercanopy (9 m2) runoff and erosion at 1 site. • More degraded initial conditions limited ecological improvements at a 2nd site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Physical erosivity factor is the effective energy of rainfall and surface runoff. • Work of interrill erosion shows the highest correlation with effective energy. • In vegetated slopes sediment yield depends on effective kinetic energy. • On bare soil sediment yield depends on effective potential energy. • Energy efficiency for interrill erosion decreases with vegetation coverage. Abstract The process of interrill erosion is complex by interaction of raindrop impact and sheet flow. Their relative contribution to interrill erosion is difficult to be evaluated even on bare soil. This study presents the new erosivity factor to evaluate the interrill erosion on steep vegetated hillslope with the more relevant understanding of the physical processes. The effective energy, the erosivity factor, is defined as the sum of the effective kinetic energy of rainfall and effective potential energy of surface runoff based on the energy balance. The effective kinetic energy of rainfall is determined by the horizontal component for slope of kinetic energy deducting energies dissipated by structure of vegetation canopies and a litter layer. The effective potential energy of surface runoff is equal to potential energy of the available surface water following rain-mass allocations of interception and infiltration. The data from experimental field plots with various vegetation coverage after wildfire were used to verify the effective energy equation. On densely vegetated slopes sediment yield depended greatly on effective kinetic energy of rainfall, while they from hillslopes having sparse coverage were dominated by effective potential energy of surface runoff. The dissipated energy due to interrill erosion showed the highest correlation coefficient with the effective energy under various cover conditions. The kinetic energy of raindrops was greatly reduced by the litter layer and the potential energy of rainwater decreased predominantly due to infiltration. The ratio of effective potential energy of surface runoff to total effective energy was the highest at 71.2% in the plots with low vegetation coverage. The energy efficiency for interrill erosion increased with decreasing vegetation coverage and reached maximum 1.35% in extreme rainfall event under low vegetation coverage. The constant and exponent of power-law functions between the effective energy and the soil erosion work were strongly correlated with gravel ratio and litter coverage, respectively. The results indicate that the effective energy is useful erosivity factor to evaluate the interrill erosion occurred by the complicated interaction of rain splash and sheet flow on vegetated hillslopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Runoff and erosion estimates are needed for rangeland management decisions and evaluation of ecosystem services derived from rangeland conservation practices. The information on the effect of scale on runoff and erosion and on the choice of runoff and erosion predictors remains scarce. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of scale on the selection of runoff and erosion predictors with the data from rich National Range Study database containing data from 444 coupled large (3.05 m by 9.1 m) and small (0.61 m by 1.22 m) plot field experiments. With data from both plot sizes, we assessed the usefulness of adding site-specific soil surface information to basic soil and rainfall data in order to estimate runoff and erosion in rangelands. We observed the scale-dependence of the runoff coefficient and the sediment yield. Smaller values of both variables were found at large plots as compared to small plots. Regression trees were used to build predictive relationships and evaluate the relative importance of predictors. Rainfall and basic soil properties were identified as the major predictors of runoff coefficients and sediment yields at both scales. Differences in the importance of predictors were observed between the two plot sizes and between predictions of runoff and sediment yield at the same plot sizes. The antecedent soil water content was not as important as rainfall parameters. Overall, including site-specific soil surface properties did not improve the predictability of the runoff coefficient and the sediment yield. The difference in runoff and sediment yield between small and large plots was found most likely because the small plots only contained a single soil/vegetation expression, whereas there was a matrix of vegetation clumps and bare interspaces arranged in a non-uniform pattern at the large plots. The variability of runoff and sediment yield may depend on how the latter pattern expresses itself in each of the large plots. More research or a different approach is required to account for vegetation-driven spatial hydrologic processes and their influence on rangeland runoff and soil erosion processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meteorological, snow, streamflow, topographic, and vegetation height data are presented from the South Mountain experimental catchments. This study site was established in 2007 as a collaborative, long-term research laboratory to address the impacts of western juniper encroachment and woodland treatments in the interior Great Basin region of the western USA. The data provide detailed information on the weather and hydrologic response from four highly instrumented catchments in the late stages of woodland encroachment in a sagebrush steppe landscape. Hourly data from six meteorologic stations and four weirs have been carefully processed, quality-checked, and are serially complete. These data are ideal for hydrologic, ecosystem, and biogeochemical modeling. Data presented are publicly available from the USDA National Agricultural Library administered by the Agricultural Research Service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weather, snow, stream, topographic, and vegetation data are presented from the South Mountain Experimental Catchments. This study site was established in 2007 as a collaborative, long-term research laboratory to address the impacts of western juniper encroachment and woodland treatments in the interior Great Basin region of the western USA. The data provide detailed information on the weather and hydrologic response from four highly instrumented catchments in the late stages of woodland encroachment in a sagebrush steppe landscape. Hourly data from six meteorologic stations and four weirs have been carefully processed, quality checked, and are serially complete. These data are ideal for hydrologic, ecosystem, and biogeochemical modeling. Data presented are publicly available from the USDA National Agricultural Library administered by the Agricultural Research Service [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Prescribed fire promoted herbaceous growth in bare interspaces. • Litter enhanced infiltration and provided protection against erosion. • Increased vegetation cover altered flow paths and reduced runoff and soil loss. • Reduced soil surface connectivity post-fire improved hydrologic function. • Hydrologic function continues to improve 9 yr after fire. Woody species encroachment into herbaceous and shrub-dominated vegetations is a concern in many rangeland ecosystems of the world. Arrival of woody species into affected rangelands leads to changes in the spatial structure of vegetation and alterations of biophysical processes. In the western USA, encroachment of pinyon (Pinus spp.) and juniper (Juniperus spp.) tree species into sagebrush steppes poses a threat to the proper ecohydrological functioning of these ecosystems. Prescribed fire has been proposed and used as one rangeland improvement practice to restore sagebrush steppe from pinyon-juniper encroachment. Short-term effects of burning on the ecohydrologic response of these systems have been well documented and often include a period of increased hydrologic and erosion vulnerability immediately after burning. Long-term ecohydrologic response of sagebrush steppe ecosystems to fire is poorly understood due to lack of cross-scale studies on treated sites. The aim of this study is to evaluate long-term vegetation, hydrologic, and erosion responses at two pinyon-juniper-encroached sagebrush sites 9 years after prescribed fire was applied as a restoration treatment. Thirty-six rainfall simulation experiments on 6 m × 2 m plots were conducted for 45 min under two conditions: a dry run (70 mm h−1; dry antecedent soils) and a wet run (111 mm h−1; wet antecedent soils). Runoff and erosion responses were compared between burned and unburned plots. Overall, increases in herbaceous cover in the shrub-interspace areas (intercanopy area between trees) at both sites 9 years post-burn resulted in runoff- and erosion-reduction benefits, especially under the wet runs. While the initially more degraded site characterized by 80% bare ground pre-burn, registered a higher overall increase (40% increase) in canopy cover, greater post-fire reductions in runoff and erosion were observed at the less degraded site (57% bare ground pre-burn). Runoff and erosion for the wet runs decreased respectively by 6.5-fold and 76-fold at the latter site on the burned plots relative to control plots, whereas these decreases were more muted at the more degraded site (2.5 and 3-fold respectively). Significant fragmentation of flow paths observed at the more-degraded site 9 years post-fire, suggests a decreased hydrologic connectivity as a mechanism of runoff and erosion reduction during post-fire recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postfire livestock grazing management in the higher-elevation, mesic portions of the sagebrush steppe lacks a firm scientific foundation to support decision making. Following a prescribed fire conducted in fall 2002, we evaluated effects of different lengths of rest from mid-summer (July) cattle grazing on postfire ground cover and plant species diversity responses in mesic sagebrush steppe. Treatment levels representing no rest; 1, 2, or 3 years of rest from grazing, and a burned-ungrazed control, all had similar effects on graminoid and forb basal cover and plant species density and frequency. However, grazing reduced litter cover and increased bare ground exposure relative to the control. A synthesis of this and other case studies of postfire grazing in sagebrush steppe indicates multiple years of rest from grazing are not strictly necessary for effective and timely recovery of vegetation but, on sloping terrain where potential runoff and erosion hazards exist, multiple years of rest may be needed to promote sufficient rates of litter recovery and reduction of bare ground exposure. These findings support calls for increased flexibility in policies governing postfire grazing management on federal lands and, as such, could influence ecosystem health, livestock production and other services throughout much of the western US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probit models for estimating hydrothermal germination rate yield model parameters that have been associated with specific physiological processes. The desirability of linking germination response to seed physiology must be weighed against expectations of model fit and the relative accuracy of predicted germination response. Computationally efficient empirical models have been proposed that do not require a priori assumptions about model shape parameters, but the accuracy of these models has not been compared to the more common probit-optimization procedure. Thirteen seedlots, representing six native perennial rangeland grasses and an invasive annual weed, were germinated over the constant temperature range of 3 to 36°C and water potential range of 0 to -2.5 MPa. Hydrothermal germination models were generated using probit optimization, optimized regression, and statistical gridding. These models were evaluated for the pattern and magnitude of residual model error and the relative magnitude of predictive errors under field-simulated temperature and moisture conditions. Residual model errors in predictions of germination rate were greatest for the probit optimization procedure. Statistical gridding and optimized regression produced lower predictive model error, but the latter procedure could not resolve germination response for slower-germinating seed populations. The more computationally efficient and accurate regression and statistical-gridding procedures may be desirable for identifying germination strategies and syndromes that are based on predicted response to simulated conditions of field temperature and moisture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Rock cover, surface physical and hydraulic roughness increased as rainfall progressed. • Steeper slopes developed greater surface physical and hydraulic roughness. • Final soil loss rates decreased to a relative similar value across three slope gradients. • Erosion rates evolved toward being less sensitive to slope gradient than they would otherwise be. • Flow velocity and effective shear stress were appropriate predictors for soil loss. The dynamic interaction between erosion, surface morphology and flow hydraulics, causes steeper slopes to develop greater physical and hydraulic roughness, such that the slope can evolve toward a state of equilibrium wherein runoff velocity is independent of slope gradient. This study tests, under controlled condition, the hypothesis that erosion rate may also evolve toward a state wherein erosion rate is uniform across slope gradients after slope-velocity-equilibrium is established. A series of rainfall simulations (intensities of 59 and 178 mm hr−1) were conducted on 2 m by 6.1 m stony soil plot under three slope treatments (5%, 12% and 20%, replicated) with surface elevation, rock cover, flow velocity and sediment measurements. The results showed: 1) rock cover, and both surface physical (random roughness) and hydraulic roughness (Darcy–Weisbach friction) increased as rainfall progressed, leading to reductions in flow velocities and soil loss rates; 2) steeper slopes developed greater surface physical and hydraulic roughness; 3) the final soil loss rates ranged from 0.87 to 1.28 g min−1 m−2, and from 5.36 to 16.01 g min−1 m−2, which were approximately 6% to 15% of the initial maximum values, under low and high rainfall intensity, respectively; 4) soil loss rate was inversely correlated with rock cover while exhibiting no correlation with the random roughness index; 5) the linear coefficient of slope gradient relative to erosion rate measured on the most evolved surface were only 6.5% and 7.3% of those on initial surfaces under low and high rainfall intensity, respectively, implying that erosion rate evolved toward being less sensitive to slope gradient than it would otherwise be; 6) flow velocity and effective shear stress were found to be appropriate predictors for soil loss rate. This study supports the hypothesis of erosion equilibrium, implying that erosion rate decreases as a function of erosion pavement and that influence of slope gradient on soil erosion declines due to the dynamic interactions between soil erosion, surface morphology, and flow hydraulics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]