A new expression of the slope length factor to apply USLE-MM at Sparacia experimental area (Southern Italy)

Scales in soil erosion

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)

BAGARELLO, V.

Dip. dei Sistemi Agro-Ambientali, Univ. degli Studi, Palermo, Italie

FERRO, V.

Dip. dei Sistemi Agro-Ambientali, Univ. degli Studi, Palermo, Italie

PAMPALONE, V.

Dip. dei Sistemi Agro-Ambientali, Univ. degli Studi, Palermo, Italie

CERDÀ, A.

Soil Erosion and Degradation Research Group (SEDER), Dept. de Geografia, Univ., Valencia, Espagne

BRAZIER, R.

Geography, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Univ., Exeter, Royaume-Uni

NEARING, M.

USDA-ARS Southwest Watershed Research Center, AZ, Tucson, Etats-Unis

DE VENTE, J.

Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Sup. de Investigaciones Científicas (EEZA-CSIC), Desertification and Geoecology Dept., Almeria, Espagne

Description :
The USLE scheme cannot be used at the Sparacia experimental area (near Palermo,Sicily) to predict event soil loss per unit plot area, Ae, because experimental data suggest that, generally, Ae does not increase with plot length, λ. The USLE-MM scheme uses the runoff coefficient, QR, as an additional independent variable in order to develop an empirical model allowing prediction of storm soil loss values that do not necessarily increase with λ. This model allows Ae predictions that both increase and decrease with plot length. Improving runoff coefficient prediction at the field scale is desirable.

Type de document :
Article de monographie

Source :
Catena (Giessen), issn : 0341-8162, 2013, vol. 102, p. 21-26, nombre de pages : 6, Références bibliographiques : 32 ref.

Date :
2013

Editeur :
Pays édition : Allemagne, Cremlingen-Destedt, Catena

Langue :
Anglais