Soil erosion assessment by RUSLE with improved P factor and its validation: Case study on mountainous and hilly areas of Hubei Province, China

• DOI: 10.1016/j.iswcr.2021.04.007
• Publication Date: 2021-04-26T17:40:42Z
• Authors: Pei Tian; Zhanliang Zhu; Qimeng Yue; Yi He; Zhaoyi Zhang; Fanghua Hao; Wenzhao Guo; Lin Chen; Muxing Liu
• Keywords: Monitoring data; 15. Life on land; Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General); 01 natural sciences; 6. Clean water; 13. Climate action; Land use; 11. Sustainability; Soil erosion; Conservation practice factor (P); RUSLE; TA1-2040; Soil and water conservation measure; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences

The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) is widely used to estimate regional soil erosion. However, quantitative impacts of and water conservation (SWC) measures on practice factor (P) the RUSLE remain largely unclear, especially for mountainous hilly areas. In this study, we improved by considering different SWC P value. was validated against long-term (2000–2015) erosion monitoring data obtained from 96 runoff plots (15–35°) in areas Hubei Province, China; result presented a high accuracy with determination coefficient 0.89. Based 2018 2019, Root Mean Square Error 28.0% smaller than that original decrement 19.6%–24.0% average values, indicating modelling significantly enhanced RUSLE. Relatively low values appeared farmlands tillage (P < 0.53), grasslands engineering 0.23), woodlands biological 0.28), other land use types 0.51). modulus showed downward trend corresponding 1681.21, 1673.14, 1594.70, 1482.40 1437.50 t km−2 a−1 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 respectively. applicability verified measurements typical China, arrangements area were proposed.