Slope
Figure 6 shows the impact of the earthquake on ecosystem functions with different ground slopes.
Water retention and carbon storage losses significantly increased at steeper slopes: for instance, for gentle
slopes at low elevations, water retention function loss was also low. At slopes < 25°, the function loss
increased slowly. The water retention function decreased rapidly at slopes > 25°, evidence that the
earthquake’s influence on water retention was most prominent in steeply sloping areas.
The impact of the earthquake on ecosystem services differed at different elevations and slopes. The
landscape in the study area was complex, with mountains and plateaux at high altitudes. Of the two types
of landform, the effect of the earthquake on the former was small due to their gentle slope, but the effect
on the latter was more marked due to their steep slope.