Appraisement and comparison of Arciform, Lozenge and Square shape microcatchments in order to rainwater storage in soil profile.

In the Eastern area of Golestan province due to an semiarid condition and insufficient precipitation, cultivated lands are managed mainly in rain fed program and pasture land are also used for livestock feeding. Most people in the area earn through cultivation and grazing. Culture on the steep lands and over grazing, induced degradation of valid soils in this area. Change the land type utilization with a new procedure that lead to change the tasks of habitant is a good. Alternative approach for development in the area and reducing the damaging of pastures. With this aim, we concentrated on rainfall harvesting system, in Maravehtappeh area. A limited surface about 1 hectare in loessian Maravehtappeh regions near the Chenaran synoptic station were selected. Microcatchments with Lozenge, Arciform and Square shape as main treatments and treatments on harvesting surface water contain as: Nylon cover with gravel treatment , remove vegetation cover and compressed of soil surface with 20 Kg roller , and control treatment without change the soil surface as secondary treatment in split plot design were evaluated. Also , in order to determine the role of the treatments on harvesting surface water the microcatchments in respect of runoff content, nylon cover plus gravel , compressed soil surface treatment and control treatment in three replication in completely randomized block design were evaluated. Investigation of factors consists of moisture content (%) in 50 cm depth of soil profile and runoff content of harvesting source. Water content percentage was measured after every 10 days and also after each severe precipitation, runoff was determined. Analysis of volumetric content data illustrated that among the applied systematic shapes, the lozenge and arciform shape have better effects soil profile volumetric water content relative to square form. Use of nylon plus gravel, relative to the other treatments increased VWC so significant. Although compacted soil surface treatment in the first year showed different results on VWC relative to control, but, in next years had no significant difference. Analysis of runoff data show that nylon cover plus gravel significantly could harvest runoff into the resources relative to another treatment. In the first year of the study period, compacted soil surface treatment had difference with control significantly.