Plant canopy

one of most important factor influencing soil and water conservation

has been studied for a long time. Crop characteristics

with great seasonal changes through the year

influence the soil loss significantly. The purpose of this study is to measure and analyse the plant characteristics and their seasonal change in the Loess Plateau. A small watershed

Danangou in the Loess Plateau of north China

was selected for this study. Crop characteristics including plant cover

plant height and leaf area index (LAI) had been measured every two weeks in 1998

1999 and 2000. In Danangou watershed

half of the lands are used as cropland for maize

foxtail millet

pearl millet

potato

buckwheat and soybean

and the others are wasteland

fallow

shrub

woodland and orchard.For cropland

LAI

height and cover changed greatly during the measurement season. The cover of cropland increased lately and slowly during the spring

and reached their highest values in August. For non cropland

cover increased from April

arrived the high value in May or June

and kept it to September even October. Annual precipitation has big influences for the crop characteristics. The individual rainfall event also has an important effect on plant characteristics. Because cropland consists of half of the watershed

landuse condition of the Danangou is not very good for soil and water conservation.