2.2. Field and laboratory methods
2.2.1. Hillslope morphometry and morphology
The pantometer method was adopted to measure the consecutive
angles (α) of each 1.5 m ground length (L) along the studied hillslope
profile with an accuracy of 0.5° (Finlayson and Statham, 1980; Pitty,
1968). The horizontal equivalent length H (H = Lcosα) of the 447
collected angles was calculated, and the data were plotted in a
cross-section (Finlayson and Statham, 1980). Angle discontinuities
and the hillslope morphological units delimited by them (Cooke and
Doornkamp, 1990) were recognized mainly through differences in
the numerical patterns in the angle series: differences of 7° and 8° between
two consecutive angles along the hillslope were considered
changes of slope, whereas differences greater than 8.5° were considered
breaks of slope.
Descriptive statistical attributes of the collected angles (mean,
median, mode, and standard deviation) were calculated for both the
whole transect and each morphological unit.
Transect