Regionalising MUSLE factors for application to a data-scarce catchment
The estimation of soil loss and sediment transport is important for effective management of catchments. A model for semi-arid catchments in southern Africa has been developed; however, simplification of the model parameters and further testing are required. Soil loss is calculated through the Mo...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2018-04-01
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| Series: | Proceedings of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences |
| Online Access: | https://www.proc-iahs.net/377/19/2018/piahs-377-19-2018.pdf |
| Summary: | The estimation of soil loss and sediment transport is important for
effective management of catchments. A model for semi-arid catchments in
southern Africa has been developed; however, simplification of the model
parameters and further testing are required. Soil loss is calculated through
the Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation (MUSLE). The aims of the current
study were to: (1) regionalise the MUSLE erodibility factors and; (2) perform
a sensitivity analysis and validate the soil loss outputs against
independently-estimated measures. The regionalisation was developed using
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) coverages. The model was applied to a
high erosion semi-arid region in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Sensitivity
analysis indicated model outputs to be more sensitive to the vegetation
cover factor. The simulated soil loss estimates of
40 t ha<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup> were within the range of estimates by previous
studies. The outcome of the present research is a framework for parameter
estimation for the MUSLE through regionalisation. This is part of the
ongoing development of a model which can estimate soil loss and sediment
delivery at broad spatial and temporal scales. |
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| ISSN: | 2199-8981 2199-899X |