Vegetation plays an important role in reducing soil erosion. By exploring the allocation and coverage of different types of vegetation, we can improve management practices that can significantly reduce soil erosion. In this experiment, we study runoff and sediment losses on a shrub-grass planted, grass planted, and bare slope under different rainfall intensities. Results showed that the runoff generation time for the three subgrade types decreased as rainfall intensity increased (p < 0.05). The slopes planted with either grass or shrub-grass were able to effectively delay runoff generation. As rainfall intensity increased, the runoff amount increased for all treatments, with runoff in the bare slope increasing the most. The runoff reduction rate from the shrub-grass slope ranged from 54.20% to 63.68%, while the reduction rate from the slope only planted with grass ranged from 38.59% to 55.37%. The sediment yield from the bare slope increased from 662.66 g/m² (15 mm/h) to 2002.95 g/m² (82 mm/h) with increasing rainfall intensity in the plot. When compared with the bare slope, both the shrub-grass and planted grass slopes were able to retain an additional 0.9 g/m² to 4.9 g/m² of sediment, respectively. An accurate relationship between rainfall intensity, sloped vegetation types, and runoff reduction rate was obtained by regression analysis and validated. These results can provide a reference for improving soil and water conservation via improved vegetation allocation on a sloped roadbed.

Vegetation restoration plays a significant role in the restoration of expressways in the arid zone of China, but we still do not know which soil and vegetation types are most effective. We investigated soil particle size (SPZ), volume weight of the soil (VWS), soil water content (SWC), total porosity of soil (TP), soil organic matter (SOM), water erosion (W_rE), and wind erosion (W_dE) of eight sites (S1–S8) and evaluated them using the gray correlation method (GCM). Based on our results, the average SWC of the treatments ranged from 9.6% to 18.8%, following the order S4 > S5 > S8 > S6 > S3 > S7 > S1 > S2. The average SPZ of soils in S1, S2, S4, S5, S6, and S8 was larger, ranging from 0.23 to 0.68 mm, while that of soils in S3 and S7 was smaller, ranging from 0.01 to 0.09 mm. The TP in different treatment areas ranged from 50% to 60%, which is not conducive to soil and water conservation. The SOM levels varied widely among the different soils and were always below the threshold levels established by the second National Soil Census, rendering the soils not suitable for plant growth. The W_rE (36–80 t/ha) was greater than the W_dE (7–24 t/ha). In general, to achieve high soil and water conservation outcomes in this area, S1 and S7 offered the best protection benefits in terms of soil and water conservation.

The frequent occurrence of cyanobacterial blooms, caused by the eutrophication of water bodies, has triggered several ecological issues. Metal-controlled cyanobacteria are resulting in a series of secondary environmental problems and thus limiting environmental sustainability. Whether there is a more environmentally friendly way to replace metals in the removal of cyanobacteria is still unclear. To explore whether common heavy metals inhibit algal growth and whether Eucalyptus leaves (EL) can replace heavy metal ions in controlling algae outbreaks, here, we add Fe³⁺, Al³⁺, 3 mol/L of zinc (Zn₃), 10 mol/L zinc (Zn₁₀), and EL to a medium containing Cyanobacteria. We determine the medium’s color (456 nm), UV (254 nm), chlorophyll a, turbidity, temperature, pH, total dissolved solids, conductivity, and blue-green algae (BGA) at days 1, 4, 7, 11, 14, 19, and 21. We find that Fe³⁺, Al³⁺, Zn₃, Zn₁₀, and EL can inhibit chlorophyll synthesis, thereby impeding algae biomass growth due to metal ions’ disruption of the chlorophyll structure. The toxicity of Zn²⁺ may be higher than that of Fe³⁺ and Al³⁺ since it can completely destroy the structure of chlorophyll a. The damage of Zn (10) to chlorophyll a is stronger than that of Zn (3), indicating that high concentrations of metals have a stronger inhibitory effect on algae. The toxicity of EL to algae is lower than that of other metals, but it can significantly inhibit the growth of algae. We suggest the use of Eucalyptus leaves to inhibit algal growth in eutrophic water bodies. Our results provide a scientific basis for an environmentally friendly approach to controlling cyanobacteria outbreaks.