In karst regions, surface rock coverage and underlying undulating bedrock (UB) can profoundly influence soil erosion. However, the effect of surface rock coverage and UB on multi-layered hydrological and sediment transport processes (surface, rock and soil interface, and subsurface) is still not clear. To address this issue, this study aimed to investigate the effects of rock coverage and bedrock morphologies on runoff generation and sediment yield in karst slopes. Experimental slopes with flat bedrock (FB) and UB were constructed, each designed with seven levels of surface rock coverage ranging from 0 % to 60 %. Runoff and sediment data were collected from surface, rock and soil interface and subsurface layers under a 30 min simulated rainfall with an intensity of 120 mm & centerdot; h(-)(1). Results showed that, on UB slopes, surface runoff (SR) was significantly positively correlated with rock coverage (P < 0.01), while subsurface runoff (SBR) exhibited a significant negative correlation (P < 0.05). On FB slopes, SR was also extremely positively correlated with rock coverage (P < 0.01), whereas rock and soil interface runoff (RSR) showed a significant negative correlation (P < 0.05). UB can significantly alter runoff partitioning. In UB slopes, SBR was significantly negatively correlated with rock coverage (P < 0.05), decreasing from 77.8 % at 0 % coverage to 21.8 % at 60 % coverage. Across all rock coverage levels, UB slopes exhibited higher proportions of SR but lower proportions of RSR compared with FB slopes. In FB slopes, RSR was also significantly negatively correlated with rock coverage (P < 0.05), declining from 39.6 % to 18.7 % as coverage increased from 0 % to 60 %. These findings indicate that both surface rock coverage and bedrock morphology exert substantial effects on soil erosion processes in karst regions. The results provide valuable insights for future experimental simulations and practical soil and water conservation strategies in rocky desertification areas.