In this study, variations in infiltration, runoff production and
soil loss with different levels of wheat-seedling cover and
antecedent soil moisture produced by the application of different
water levels were investigated in small-flumes. The lowest
infiltration, and the highest runoff and soil losses, were observed
for the highest levels of wheat-seedling cover and antecedent soil
moisture. A critical value of antecedent soil water content above
which the effect of antecedent soil moisture on runoff and soil loss
would be markedly enhanced would exist in this study. Antecedent
soil moisture mainly determined infiltration, runoff production
and soil loss and, in most cases, obscured the effect of wheatseedling
cover; the role of wheat-seedling cover could not be
detected under the study experimental conditions that produced
relatively low wheat-seedling covers (9.7–37.2%). The effective
vegetation cover occurred in response to the different antecedent
soil water contents. Further research should investigate these
combined effects on infiltration, runoff production and soil loss of
vegetation cover and antecedent moisture over a wider range of
conditions, including wider ranges of vegetation cover, antecedent
soil water content,
flume scale, soil types, and vegetation species