A new RUSLE slope length factor and its application to soil erosion assessment in a Loess Plateau watershed

Qin, Wei; Guo, Qiankun; Cao, Wenda; Yin, Zhe; Yan, Qinghong; Shan, Zhijie; Zheng, Fenli

doi:10.1016/j.still.2018.04.004

Cited by 48 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…Due to the different algorithms and different model parameters, the calculation period, area and resolution had some differences and deviations with the other considered studies. The results of this study were close to those of Sun et al [37] and Qin et al [38], which suggested that the calculations performed in this study were credible. VFC and precipitation are the most direct and important factors affecting soil erosion change, and their annual variation ranges are much larger than other factors [37,[41][42].…”

Section: Accuracy Verificationsupporting

confidence: 91%

Spatial Pattern of Soil Erosion Drivers and the Contribution Rate of Human Activities on the Loess Plateau from 2000 to 2015: A Boundary Line from Northeast to Southwest

Guo

Shao

2019

Remote Sensing

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The Loess Plateau is one of the most fragile areas in the world, where the problem of soil erosion is particularly prominent. The spatial and temporal variation characteristics and mechanisms of soil erosion in this region have always been hot topics for researchers. In this study, Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) is used to estimate the soil erosion modulus of the Loess Plateau from 2000 to 2015, the dynamic characteristics of its temporal and spatial variations and driving mechanisms are determined, and meteorological data are combined with remote sensing data to quantitatively calculate the contribution rate of human activities. The results show that from 2000 to 2015, the soil erosion modulus of the Loess Plateau had a downward trend as a whole, with a rate of −0.6408 t/ha/a, but the downward trend gradually slowed down. Precipitation mainly resulted in changes in the soil erosion modulus in the northwestern part of the Loess Plateau, where a significant positive correlation was seen. Meanwhile, the Vegetation Fractional Coverage (VFC) mainly affected the southeastern part, where a significant negative correlation was measured. The human-activity contribution rate was −1.0774 on the Loess Plateau, which means human activities effectively reduced the soil erosion modulus while climate change promoted soil erosion combined with the result of the analysis of variance (ANOVA). “Hilly and gully regions” and “Gully region of Loess Plateau” as the main implementation areas of ecological projects, human activities had contribution rate of 0.5513 and 0.7805 toward the declining of soil erosion, respectively. Interestingly, the spatial differentiation characteristic of the soil erosion driving mechanisms and human contribution rates on the Loess Plateau showed the same boundary line from northeast to southwest, which was well explained by the 400-mm isohyetal line and Hu’s Line. This boundary can guide the geographical layout of the ecological management projects and urban development spaces on the Loess Plateau.

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Section: Accuracy Verificationsupporting

confidence: 91%

Spatial Pattern of Soil Erosion Drivers and the Contribution Rate of Human Activities on the Loess Plateau from 2000 to 2015: A Boundary Line from Northeast to Southwest

Guo

Shao

2019

Remote Sensing

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“…The research on the relationship between soil erosion and different underlying surface conditions mainly has the following two aspects. On the one hand, the characteristics of soil erosion are assessed based on empirical models [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. For example, Thomas et al [19] calculated the long-term average annual soil loss and sediment yield by using a combination of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and the sediment delivery ratio (SDR) models in the Southern Western Ghats, India.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial Variabilities of Runoff Erosion and Different Underlying Surfaces in the Xihe River Basin

Wang

Yao

Liu

et al. 2019

Water

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Runoff erosion capacity has significant effects on the spatial distribution of soil erosion and soil losses. But few studies have been conducted to evaluate these effects in the Loess Plateau. In this study, an adjusted SWAT model was used to simulate the hydrological process of the Xihe River basin from 1993 to 2012. The spatial variabilities between runoff erosion capacity and underlying surface factors were analyzed by combining spatial gradient analysis and GWR (Geographically Weighted Regression) analysis. The results show that the spatial distribution of runoff erosion capacity in the studying area has the following characteristics: strong in the north, weak in the south, strong in the west, and weak in the east. Topographic factors are the dominant factors of runoff erosion in the upper reaches of the basin. Runoff erosion capacity becomes stronger with the increase of altitude and gradient. In the middle reaches area, the land with low vegetation coverage, as well as arable land, show strong runoff erosion ability. In the downstream areas, the runoff erosion capacity is weak because of better underlying surface conditions. Compared with topographic and vegetation factors, soil factors have less impact on runoff erosion. The red clay and mountain soil in this region have stronger runoff erosion capacities compared with other types of soils, with average runoff modulus of 1.79 × 10−3 m3/s·km2 and 1.68 × 10−3 m3/s·km2, respectively, and runoff erosion power of 0.48 × 10−4 m4/s·km2 and 0.34 × 10−4 m4/s·km2, respectively. The runoff erosion capacity of the alluvial soil is weak, with an average runoff modulus of 0.96 × 10−3 m3/s·km2 and average erosion power of 0.198 × 10−4 m4/s·km2. This study illustrates the spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of hydraulic erosion in the Xihe River Basin from the perspective of energy. It contributes to the purposeful utilization of water and soil resources in the Xihe River Basin and provides a theoretical support for controlling the soil erosion in the Hilly-gully region of the Loess Plateau.

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“…The study found that the two simple algorithms-the Wischmeier model and the half-month model-performed better for the hilly Loess Plateau. Although the half-month model was of higher accuracy and more appropriate to be used in the hilly areas, input data for the Wischmeier model were more easily available [49,50]. Thus, monthly rainfall (P i ) and annual rainfall (P) were used to estimate the R factor with the Wischmeier model in this study [45]:…”

Section: Mulse Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the original erosion model, slope length is regarded as the horizontal distance from the origin of runoff to the end where soil begins to deposit or runoff starts to concentrate in the defined channel with decreased slope gradient [52]. Rainfall redistribution due to interception and evaporation of vegetation canopies can preserve and reduce surface runoff, so the surface runoff is affected by the specific area and land-use changes along the flow paths [50]. Some calculating methods for the L-factor have been applied in different models at different scales and scopes [18,50,53].…”

Section: Mulse Modelmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Soil and Water Conservation Practices in the Loess Hilly Region Using a Coupled Rainfall-Runoff-Erosion Model

Cai

Guy

et al. 2020

Sustainability

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Soil and water conservation practices (SWCPs) are widely used to control soil and water loss. Quantifying the effect of SWCPs and climate change on soil and water erosion is important for regional environmental management. In this study, the Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) and the Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation (MUSLE) were employed to investigate the patterns of surface runoff and soil erosion with different SWCPs in the hilly region on the Loess Plateau of China. The impact of climate change under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 emission scenarios was considered from 2020 to 2050. Surface runoff grew with the increased rainfall and rainfall erosivity, while soil erosion presented large variations between years due to uneven distribution of rainfall and rainfall erosivity under two scenarios. Different SWCPs significantly reduced surface soil and water loss. Compared with bare slopes, the reduction rates were 15–40% for surface runoff and 35–67% for soil erosion under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 emission scenarios, respectively. The combination of shrub and horizontal terracing was recommended due to its low water cost for sediment control among seven SWCPs.

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A new RUSLE slope length factor and its application to soil erosion assessment in a Loess Plateau watershed

Cited by 48 publications

References 51 publications

Spatial Pattern of Soil Erosion Drivers and the Contribution Rate of Human Activities on the Loess Plateau from 2000 to 2015: A Boundary Line from Northeast to Southwest

Spatial Pattern of Soil Erosion Drivers and the Contribution Rate of Human Activities on the Loess Plateau from 2000 to 2015: A Boundary Line from Northeast to Southwest

Spatial Variabilities of Runoff Erosion and Different Underlying Surfaces in the Xihe River Basin

Assessment of Soil and Water Conservation Practices in the Loess Hilly Region Using a Coupled Rainfall-Runoff-Erosion Model

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