Terrace and check dam construction has substantially changed land surface morphology, which in turn affects modern surface processes. Digital elevation models (DEMs) provide an effective way to quantitatively analyze surface morphology and processes. However, existing DEMs lack sufficient ability to express artificial terrain. Based on 1:10000 topographic maps of the Zhifanggou watershed, a series of artificial terrain DEMs for the study site were constructed by both field investigation and remote sensing images from 1938 to 2010. Digital terrain analysis was used to quantitatively assess the influence of terrace and check dam construction on the watershed terrain. The results showed that the artificial terrain DEM could capture the spatial distribution patterns of terraces and dam lands and improved the ability of DEM to express terrain. The construction of terraces and check dams clearly changed the surface elevation. The average elevation change of each terrace mainly ranged between —1.5 and 1.5 m, while the annual average deposition height of the dam lands was 9.16 cm. The average slope, slope length, and slope length and steepness factor of the watershed decreased with the effect of the artificial terrain on the surface, and their averages decreased by 0.65°, 6.75 m, and 0.83, respectively, from 1938 to 2010. Although the construction of terraces reduced their surface slope to nearly 0°, the slope of terrace embankments rapidly increased, to more than 45°, which may lead to gravitational erosion and potential terrace damage. Terracing reduced the slope length in both the terrace distribution area and downslope of the terraces. Check dam deposition reduced the slope and slope length of the channel. This study contributes to a better understanding of the topographic change rules after terrace and check dam construction, and aids in elucidating the mechanisms of soil erosion process influenced by artificial topography.

中文翻译：

---

阶地和止水坝建设对流域地形影响的定量评估

梯田和止水坝的建设已大大改变了土地表面形态，进而影响了现代地表过程。数字高程模型（DEM）提供了一种有效的方法来定量分析表面形态和过程。但是，现有的DEM缺乏表达人工地形的足够能力。根据纸坊沟流域的1：10000地形图，通过野外调查和遥感图像，从1938年至2010年构建了用于研究地点的一系列人工地形DEM。数字地形分析用于定量评估阶地和地形的影响。检查流域地形上的大坝建设。结果表明，人工地形DEM可以捕获阶地和坝地的空间分布格局，提高了DEM表达地形的能力。梯田和防洪坝的建设明显改变了地面高度。每个梯田的平均海拔变化主要在-1.5至1.5 m之间，而坝地的年平均沉积高度为9.16 cm。受人工地形影响，该流域的平均坡度，坡度，坡度和陡度因数降低，从1938年至2010年，它们的平均值分别降低了0.65°，6.75 m和0.83。梯田的建造将其表面坡度降低到接近0°​​，梯级路堤的坡度迅速增加到超过45°，这可能导致重力侵蚀和潜在的梯田破坏。梯田减少了梯田分布区域和梯田下坡的斜坡长度。检查坝的沉积减少了河道的坡度和坡度。这项研究有助于更好地理解梯田和检查大坝建造后的地形变化规律，并有助于阐明人工地形影响土壤侵蚀过程的机制。