Statistical Soil Erosion Model for Burnt Mountain Areas in Korea—RUSLE Approach
Publication: Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 17, Issue 2
Abstract
The objective of this paper is to develop a model to estimate soil erosion based on data from natural rainstorms on the hillslopes of burnt mountains. For this research, 52 plots were established on mountain slopes in the eastern coastal region of South Korea and operated for 6 years after the fire. Runoff and soil erosion were influenced greatly by rainfall and vegetation factors, respectively. The vegetation index that reflects the structure of vegetation recovered after the forest fire and the soil index that reflects soil characteristics in burnt forest lands showed higher correlations than factors of the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE). Sediment yield decreased generally with increasing slope steepness and length because of the effects of depression storage and flow interception by stems and litter on forest lands. The Soil Erosion Model for Mountain Areas in Korea (SEMMA), used to compute sediment yield from hillslopes, is a statistical model composed of four variables: rainfall, vegetation cover, soil, and topography. According to sensitivity analysis for each parameter, rainfall and vegetation showed high sensitivities. The SEMMA model was improved by developing several equations that were classified by rainfall depth and vegetation coverage. This model may be applied usefully to assess soil erosion risks in burnt mountains.
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Acknowledgments
The financial support of the National Institute for Disaster Prevention in Korea is gratefully acknowledged. The authors thank students in the Hydro-Engineering Laboratory of the Department of Civil Engineering and the Ecological Laboratory of the Department of Biology of Gangneung-Wonju National University, Korea, for their assistance in measuring data and building plots.
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Published In
Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 17 • Issue 2 • February 2012
Pages: 292 - 304
Copyright
© 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 28, 2010
Accepted: May 20, 2011
Published online: May 23, 2011
Published in print: Feb 1, 2012
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