 |
| Titel |
Assessing soil erosion intensity using revised universal soil loss equation
(RUSLE) in a typical hilly watershed of the Loess Plateau, China |
| VerfasserIn |
Wei Qin, Changqing Zuo, Zhijie Shan, Yang Yu |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2017
|
| Medientyp |
Artikel
|
| Sprache |
en
|
| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 19 (2017) |
| Datensatznummer |
250137603
|
| Publikation (Nr.) |
 EGU/EGU2017-371.pdf |
|
|
|
|
|
| Zusammenfassung |
| Soil erosion is a major threat to the soil resources. It has been considered as the primary cause
of soil degradation. Recent changes in soil erosion and hydrological processes in the Loess
Plateau of China, are immediate responses to land use or land cover changes induced by
vegetation restoration, which lead to a long term decrease in soil erosion. Erosion and
sediment yield between the upper and lower of valleys shoulder line in Loess Plateau are very
different. Uncertainty exists while applying mechanism model in big and middle scale
watershed and detailed erosion changes have not been clearly evaluated. In our study, the
algorithm of slope length factor in terms of up-slop runoff area was mended and new
algorithm of slope length factor considering the effect of land use/cover for up-slop
runoff was produced. By using the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE), soil
erosion intensity and its relationship with environmental factors were studied in a
typical hilly watershed of the Loess Plateau. The results indicated that the average
annual soil erosion intensity in the watershed was 4399.79 t/(km2 a), which was in
the category of moderate degree erosion. Both soil erosion intensity and amount
increased significantly with the increasing of the slop gradient. 80.59% of the total
soil loss occurred in the region with a gradient more than 25 degree, of which the
area was 59.06% of the total watershed area. Soil erosion intensity varied with
slope aspects in a trend of sunny slope>half-sunny slope>half-shady slope>shady
slope. The area of sunny slope occupied 45.07% of the total watershed area, but the
erosion amount of which occupied 56.50% of the total erosion amount. In different
land use types, the grassland occupied 57.07% of the total watershed area, but the
erosion amount of which occupied 96.37% of the total erosion amount. Consequently,
grassland became the major erosion and sediment source in the watershed. Our study
provides technical basis for applying RUSLE to assess soil erosion on Loess Plateau
and offers useful references for water and soil resource utilization in the region. |
|
|
|
|
|
|