Erosion control in South China

Severe soil erosion is common in South China where torrential rainfall erodes the deeply weathered and denuded granitic hills. Locally developed control measures have been applied successfully to reduce erosion, including the benching of steep slopes, the construction of check dams and reforestation. Of particular importance is the treatment of large gullies, locally called broken hills. These have led to the disintegration of hillslopes and the deposition of colluvium and fines on the agricultural land. Gully treatment includes the stabilization of the headwalls, the containment of sediments in the gully floor zone and the reclamation of flatland below the gully mouth. Re-vegetation of the slopes is essential and the planting of economic crops provides incentive to the farmers to preserve the vegetation cover.