Influence of soil cover on surface runoff, infiltration, and percolation

The main goal of this study was to determine the effect of surface cover on soil percolation. Many previous papers have focused on reducing soil loss on steep slopes using geotextiles, but not on the intensity of percolation. Reducing surface runoff can help reduce soil loss, but increased infiltration can also increase the risk of slope collapse. For this research, Enkamat 7220 (plastic geotextile) in six different cover variations was used, as well as bare soil for comparison. A laboratory rainfall simulator with variable rainfall intensity and adjustable slope was used for the experiments, which were conducted at rainfall intensities of 60-160 mm/h. The results showed that the lowest soil percolation occurred on the plot with bare soil and on the plot where the entire surface was covered with geotextile and fully backfilled, likely due to soil compaction. The highest percolation was observed on the plot where the geotextile was fixed on top of the surface using ground anchors. The hypothesis that percolation at the foot of the slope is higher than at the top of the slope due to surface and subsurface flow was also confirmed. In future studies on the effectiveness of geotextiles, additional measurements of percolation would be beneficial for a deeper understanding of these processes. This research was supported by the research projects QK22010261, SS05010180 and CTU in Prague, grant No. SGS OHK1-086/23/11143.