Determining RUSLE P- and C-factors for stone bunds and trenches in rangeland and cropland, North Ethiopia

Ethiopian Highlands; RUSLE; Digital storage; Erosion; Land use; Sediment transport; Soils; Water conservation; Revised universal soil loss equations; Sediment deposition; Semi-arid environments; Soil and water conservation; Soil erosion; Temporal variation; Soil conservation

Abstract :

[en] The implementation of soil and water conservation (SWC) measures in the Ethiopian Highlands is a top priority to reduce soil erosion rates. However, the effectiveness of these measures for different hillslope gradients and land use conditions remains poorly understood. This study addresses this knowledge gap by determining support practice (P) and cover-management (C) factors of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation for commonly used SWC structures in semi-arid environments. The factor values were calculated on the basis of soil loss data collected with 21 large runoff plots installed in rangeland and cropland sites. The P- and C-factors were calculated following the recommended procedures. Results show P-factors ranging from 0.32 to 0.74 for stone bunds, from 0.07 to 0.65 for trenches, and from 0.03 to 0.22 for stone bunds with trenches. Reduced storage capacities due to sediment deposition resulted in significant declines of the effectiveness of SWC structures over time. For example, the average P-factor value for trenches increased from 0.1 in the first year after installation to 0.51 after 3 years. C-factor values ranged from 0.23 to 0.82 in rangeland and from 0.03 to 0.35 in cropland. For rangeland, this large variability is due to vegetation cover changes caused by grazing. In cropland, C-factors vary with crop types and tillage practices. The results of this study not only aid in modelling and quantifying the short-term impacts of SWC structures on soil erosion rates but also highlight the importance of considering temporal variations of the effectiveness of SWC measures. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Disciplines :

Earth sciences & physical geography

Author, co-author :

Taye, G.; Department of Land Resources Management and Environmental Protection, Mekelle University, P.O. Box 231, Mekelle, Ethiopia, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, Leuven, Belgium

Vanmaercke, Matthias ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de géographie > Géographie physique et du quaternaire

Poesen, J.; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, Leuven, Belgium

Van Wesemael, B.; Georges Lemaitre Center for Earth and Climate Research, Earth and Life Institute, Universite Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

Tesfaye, S.; Department of Land Resources Management and Environmental Protection, Mekelle University, P.O. Box 231, Mekelle, Ethiopia, Soil Physics and Land Management Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47, Wageningen, Netherlands

Teka, D.; Department of Land Resources Management and Environmental Protection, Mekelle University, P.O. Box 231, Mekelle, Ethiopia, Georges Lemaitre Center for Earth and Climate Research, Earth and Life Institute, Universite Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

Nyssen, J.; Department of Geography, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

Deckers, J.; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, Leuven, Belgium

Haregeweyn, N.; International Platform for Dryland Research and Education, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan

Language :

English

Title :

Determining RUSLE P- and C-factors for stone bunds and trenches in rangeland and cropland, North Ethiopia

Publication date :

2018

Journal title :

Land Degradation and Development

ISSN :

1085-3278

eISSN :

1099-145X

Publisher :

John Wiley and Sons Ltd

Volume :

Issue :

Pages :

812-824

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Name of the research project :

Improving water resource planning at the scale of Micro‐dam catchments inTigray, Northern Ethiopia: learning from success and failure (WAREP)

Funders :

CUD - Commission Universitaire pour le Développement
Coimbra Group Scholarship

Available on ORBi :

since 27 June 2018

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