Abstract
Several authors describe the effectiveness of cover crop management practice as an important tool to prevent soil erosion, but at the same time, they stress on the high soil loss variability due to the interaction of several factors characterized by large uncertainty. In this paper the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model is applied to two Sicilian vineyards that are characterized by different topographic factors; one is subjected to Conventional Practice (CP) and the other to Best Management Practice (BMP). By using climatic input data at a high temporal scale resolution for the rainfall erosivity (R) factor, and remotely sensed imagery for the cover and management (C) factor, the importance of an appropriate R and C factor assessment and their inter and intra-annual interactions in determining soil erosion variability are showed. Different temporal analysis at ten-year, seasonal, monthly and event scales showed that results at events scales allow evidencing the interacting factors that determine erosion risk features which at other temporal scales of resolution can be hidden. The impact of BMP in preventing soil erosion is described in terms of average saved soil loss over the 10-year period of observation. The evaluation of soil erosion at a different temporal scale and its implications can help stakeholders and scientists formulate better soil conservation practices and agricultural management, and also consider that erosivity rates are expected to raise for the increase of rainfall intensity linked to climate change.
Highlights
Soil erosion in vineyards represent several environmental issues
Using the input data-set described in the previous section, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model was applied at different time-scales of aggregations
The weekly data, which corresponds to the minimum C factor temporal scale of observation, were aggregated in annual, seasonal, monthly and the RUSLE input factors were analyzed
Summary
In the semi-arid environment, where the soil is maintained bare, to limit water competition with weeds and rainfall trend is variable and considerable mainly in the winter period, protective practices are supported from an economic point of view both for soil erosion control and soil organic matter improvement. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and its family of models have been widely applied in order to evaluate the soil erosion risk [1]. The RUSLE model integrates a number of sub-factors describing the main components of the erosion processes, including rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, topographic factors, and cover and practices management. Very important information about rainfall erosivity, which in the RUSLE approach is considered by the R sub-factor, is the time or month of the year when erosivity is at its maximum as well as when it is at its minimum, and its variability within the considered time or period.
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