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Soil Erosion and Deposition in a Taiwanese Watershed Using USPED

Author

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  • Walter Chen

    (Department of Civil Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei 10608, Taiwan)

  • Wu-Hsun Wang

    (Department of Civil Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei 10608, Taiwan)

  • Kieu Anh Nguyen

    (Department of Civil Engineering, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei 10608, Taiwan)

Abstract

Soil erosion is a global problem that has been exacerbated in recent decades by global warming and the increased frequency of extreme weather events. It is also a global issue addressed by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #15 that seeks to recover degraded land and create a world free of land degradation by 2030. In this study, we used the Unit Stream Power-based Erosion Deposition (USPED) model to investigate the distribution of soil erosion and deposition in an important reservoir watershed in Taiwan, which is known to have a high risk of sediment hazard. We found the average soil erosion rate to be 136.4 Mg/ha/year using the model’s recommended m = 1.3 and n = 1.2 empirical coefficients for a combined occurrence of sheet and rill erosion. Additionally, we selected the Sule sub-watershed and the Kala area as examples to illustrate the pattern of soil erosion and deposition and their relationship to rivers, roadways, and anthropogenic activity, and 3D terrain was employed to further enhance visualization of the model output. It was estimated that 12.6% of eroded soil was deposited with a 200 m buffer of the rivers in the watershed and might be swept into the river system by the next typhoon, torrential rain, landslide, or earthquake. In comparison to previous USLE- and RUSLE-based soil erosion modeling in the same research area, our USPED modeling is unique in that it included the amount and distribution of soil deposition. This successful implementation of USPED in Taiwan establishes a new modeling alternative in addition to the widely used USLE and RUSLE models. The findings can be used to direct future erosion pin placement in the research area, allowing for improved monitoring of sediment movement and avoiding sediment hazards.

Suggested Citation

  • Walter Chen & Wu-Hsun Wang & Kieu Anh Nguyen, 2022. "Soil Erosion and Deposition in a Taiwanese Watershed Using USPED," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-17, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:6:p:3397-:d:770937
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Dario Gioia & Antonio Minervino Amodio & Agata Maggio & Canio Alfieri Sabia, 2021. "Impact of Land Use Changes on the Erosion Processes of a Degraded Rural Landscape: An Analysis Based on High-Resolution DEMs, Historical Images, and Soil Erosion Models," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-18, June.
    2. Liu, Jinxun & Sleeter, Benjiamin & Selmants, Paul C. & Diao, Jiaojiao & Zhou, Qiang & Worstell, Bruce & Moritsch, Monica, 2021. "Modeling watershed carbon dynamics as affected by land cover change and soil erosion," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 459(C).
    3. Bor-Shiun Lin & Chun-Kai Chen & Kent Thomas & Chen-Kun Hsu & Hsing-Chuan Ho, 2019. "Improvement of the K-Factor of USLE and Soil Erosion Estimation in Shihmen Reservoir Watershed," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-16, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Walter Chen & Kieu Anh Nguyen & Yu-Chieh Huang, 2023. "Soil Erosion in Taiwan," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-18, October.

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