Abstract:Rill erosion constitutes a significant mode of erosion in slope farmlands. To elucidate the impact of diverse planting patterns on the morphological characteristics of rills, this study aims to identify appropriate planting strategies for specific regions.In order to investigate the characteristics of rill erosion on slopeSfarmland with various planting patterns in alpine canyon areas, this study selected several primary planting configurations as research subjects: Zanthoxylum +Plum+Candian fleabane, Zanthoxylum+Cherry +Artemisia indica,SZanthoxylum+SGreenSbean,SPlum+Soybean,San dSthe bare slope was used as a control. The erosion evolution and morphological parameters of hillslope rills underSdifferentSscour dischargeSratesS(6,S10SandS14SL.min-1,Srespe ctively) were analyzed utilizing in situ runoff plot scour tests combined with the Structure from Motion (SfM) technique. STheSresultSshowedSthat (1) Under conditions of rill erosion, the eroded area of the slope and the proportion of grid in the southern slope direction for various planting patterns are smaller than those observed on bare slopes. Under conditions of small to medium flow, the surface roughness exhibited a decreasing trend. Additionally, the proportion of grids within the range of 15° to 25° has increased, while the proportion of grids in the range of 60° to 90° has decreased. (2) Compared to the bare slope, the confluence morphology exhibited by various planting patterns is dendritic in nature and displays distinct fractal characteristics. With the exception of the 10 L.min-1 flow rate, the slope fractal dimension D for the Zanthoxylum+Plum+Candian fleabane exhibited the highest value. It has a good sand reduction effect. The rill density across all planting patterns surpassed that of the bare slope, while the ratio of rill width to depth was lower than that observed in the bare slope, except for the combinations of Zanthoxylum+SGreenSbean and Plum+SoybeanSunder a scour flow rate of 10 L.min-1. Rill morphology is characterized as“broad and shallow.” (3) In comparison to micro-aspect and micro-slope, the surface roughness associated with different planting patterns exhibited a stronger correlation with rill morphology (P < 0.01). Stepwise regression analysis indicated that surface roughness is the primary factor influencing the width-to-depth ratio of rills, as well as the density and fractal dimension of various planting patterns. The findings of this research can offer a theoretical foundation for the rational allocation of soil and water conservation measures, as well as for the effective prevention and control of soil and water loss in sloping farmland located in alpine canyon regions.