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USLE Application-1

- The Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) is used to estimate annual soil erosion, design conservation measures, and assess the impact of conservation practices. - It has limitations including only considering rainfall erosivity and not other factors like gully erosion or wind erosion. It also does not account for variables like runoff volume that can impact soil loss. - The Modified USLE (MUSLE) addresses some limitations by allowing estimation of soil loss from individual storms and applicability to larger areas. - Numerical problems demonstrate using USLE to calculate factors like soil erodibility and topographic factors, and to estimate soil loss under different conditions. Conservation practice factors can be determined to meet soil loss targets.

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269 views12 pages

USLE Application-1

- The Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) is used to estimate annual soil erosion, design conservation measures, and assess the impact of conservation practices. - It has limitations including only considering rainfall erosivity and not other factors like gully erosion or wind erosion. It also does not account for variables like runoff volume that can impact soil loss. - The Modified USLE (MUSLE) addresses some limitations by allowing estimation of soil loss from individual storms and applicability to larger areas. - Numerical problems demonstrate using USLE to calculate factors like soil erodibility and topographic factors, and to estimate soil loss under different conditions. Conservation practice factors can be determined to meet soil loss targets.

Uploaded by

roy4gaming.yt
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Applications of USLE

Applications of USLE
◼ Used for estimating quantity of soil erosion annually

◼ Used for designing soil conservation measures and

structures

◼ Popularly used for estimation of the values of C and P

◼ Knowing R,K,L,S the values of C & P are optimized to


keep soil loss (A) within a permissible limit

◼ Used to assess the impact of soil conservation


measures implemented
◼ Compare soil losses before and after implementation
Drawbacks of USLE
◼ It was developed based on American conditions only
◼ May not be valid in other regions
◼ It is not applicable to large watersheds

◼ Non-availability of measured data limits application

◼ It can not be used for estimating soil loss from individual


rainfall events

◼ It considers only rainfall erosivity, but gully erosion &


wind erosion is not considered

◼ In case of high intensity rainfall it underestimates soil loss


Drawbacks of USLE
◼ Being an generalized empirical equation it suffers
from predictive errors
◼ It does not compute sediment deposition during
transportation
◼ The equation has conceptual limitations in
considering interdependency between the variables
(eg. some effects are counted twice; terracing effect is
counted in both L and P)
◼ In computation of rainfall erosivity drop-size
distribution is not considered
◼ Runoff volume and velocity can affect soil erosion
significantly; but it is not taken into account
Modified USLE (MUSLE)
◼ Rainfall Erosivity Factor replaced by a Ruoff Factor
◼ Sediment yield can be calculated for individual
rainfall events
◼ Applicable to large watersheds up to 70 km2 area
◼ The MUSLE is given as:
Y = 11.8 (Q qp)0.56 K L S C P
◼ Where, Y = sediment yield from an individual rainfall
Q = total runoff volume (m3)
qp = peak or maximum rate of runoff (m3/s)
◼ Other terms are same as USLE
Numerical Problems on USLE
◼ Problem 1:
◼ Determine the value of soil erodibility factor for a soil sample
which was analyzed for the following parameters:
(Silt + fine sand) = 65%, Sand = 10%, Gravel = 0%,
Organic matter = 3%. Soil structure is fine granular
and soil permeability is moderate
◼ Solution:
◼ Given: Soil structure code (b) = 2 (for fine granular)
Permeability class (c) = 3 (for moderate)
% clay = [100 – (65+10+3)] = 22%
M = (% silt + % fine sand)(100 - % clay) = 65 × (100 – 22) = 5070
K = 2.8 × 10-7 (5070)1.14 (12 – 3)
= 0.042 (ton/ha)/(MJ.mm/ha.h) (Answer)
◼ Problem 2:

◼ Determine topographic factor if length of slope is 400


m with a 9% land slope. Assume m = 0.5 for 9% slope.

◼ Solution:
◼ Given: Lp= 400 m, s = 9% and m = 0.5
◼ We know, topographic factor (LS) is given as:
LS = (Lpm/100) (1.36 + 0.97s + 0.1385s2)
= (4000.5/100) (1.36 + 0.97 × 9 + 0.1385 × 81)
= 4.25 (Answer)
◼ Problem 3:
◼ In a 20 ha catchment soil erosion is to be evaluated. The
information available are: rainfall erosivity 1000 (ton-
m/ha)(mm/h) per year, soil erodibility 0.25 ton/ha per unit
rainfall erosivity and topographic factor is 0.1. The value of C
for the crops cultivated is 0.5. Two conservation practices are
adopted: Contour farming in 12 ha (P = 0.6) and Strip
cropping in 8 ha (P = 0.3). Estimate annual soil loss from the
catchment. What will be soil loss if no conservation methods
were adopted?
◼ Solution:
◼ Given: R = 1000 (ton-m/ha)(mm/h) per year
K = 0.25 ton/ha per unit R
LS = 0.1
C = 0.5
◼ Average value of P has to be determined

◼ We calculate weighted average of P as:

◼ P = [(12 × 0.6) + (8 × 0.3)] / 20 = 0.48

◼ Annual soil loss (A) = 1000 × 0.25 × 0.1 × 0.5 × 0.48


= 6 ton/ha (Answer)
◼ In case no conservation practice adopted: P = 1
◼ Annual soil loss (A) = 1000 × 0.25 × 0.1 × 0.5 × 1
= 12.5 ton/ha (Answer)
◼ Problem 4:
◼ The soil loss from a field with a given set of
conditions is 5 ton/ha/year for a 60 m length of slope
and 10% slope. What will be the soil loss from a field
with 240 m slope length under identical conditions.

◼ Solution:

◼ Given: Land slope = tanθ = (s/100) = (10/100)

θ = tan-1(10/100) = 5.7106 o

m = (sinθ)/[sinθ + 0.269 (sinθ)0.8 + 0.05] = 0.5183


◼ For the first plot: Lp = 60 m and soil loss (A1) = 5
ton/ha/year

◼ Soil loss = A1 = RK (Lp/22.13)m SCP


or, 5 = RKSCP (60/22.13)0.5183 …(1)

◼ For the second plot all other conditions are same


except Lp = 240 m
◼ Soil loss = A2 = RKSCP (240/22.13)0.5183 …(2)
◼ Dividing equation (1) by equation (2) we get:
(5/A2) = (60/240)0.5183
or, A2 = 10.2574 ton/ha/year (Answer)
◼ Problem 5:
◼ In a 20 ha watershed soil loss is required to be kept at
25 ton/ha/year. Suggest a conservation practice factor
for the area if rainfall erosivity is 100 (t-m/ha)(mm/h)
per year, soil erodibility factor 6.3 t/ha/unit R,
topographic factor 0.3 and crop cover factor 0.5
◼ Solution:
◼ Given: R = 100 (t-m/ha)(mm/h) per year, A = 25 t/ha
per year, K = 6.3 t/ha/R, LS = 0.3, C = 0.5
From USLE we can solve for (P):
P = [25 / (100 × 6.3 × 0.3 × 0.5)] = 0.26
Note: P = 0.26 can be achieved by adopting contour strip
cropping in the entire watershed

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