Dataset and code for "Vegetation Density Controls Rainfall-Driven Erosion and Microtopographic Evolution on Hillslopes," Submitted to Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface

This repository contains the dataset and codes associated with the manuscript “Vegetation Density Controls Rainfall-Driven Erosion and Microtopographic Evolution on Hillslopes,” submitted to Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface. The uploaded files include the main processed results file (Data.xlsx) alongside comprehensive raw data files in CSV format. The CSV datasets are systematically categorized by slope gradient (30° and 45°) and vegetation coverage (B for Bare slope, V for Vegetated slope). For vegetated slopes, the data is further detailed by specific planting densities (24, 48, and 72). These datasets are divided into center slope measurements (e.g., Center-V-30-24.csv) and slope bottom measurements (e.g., SlopeBottom-V-45-48.csv). Additionally, the repository provides a suite of MATLAB scripts (Csv2tiffPro.m, Plot_DEM.m, Cut.m, MeanXY.m, NetElveation.m, Zmeam.m). These datasets and scripts are used to investigate how varying planting densities influence rainfall-driven soil erosion processes and the subsequent microtopographic evolution of hillslopes. The bare slope data provides baseline reference cases for isolating vegetation effects, whereas the vegetated datasets are used to examine the specific erosion resistance and runoff characteristics at different planting densities. The MATLAB scripts are utilized for Digital Elevation Model (DEM) processing and microtopographic data analysis. The accompanying Data.xlsx file contains the main processed outputs used for analysis and figure preparation in the study. The files are provided to support transparency, reproducibility, and further development of the analytical framework. The code files require MATLAB to open and run. Detailed experimental setups, parameter settings, and interpretation of the results should be read together with the associated manuscript.