Towards multi-model soil erosion modelling : an evaluation of the Erosion Potential Method (EPM) for global soil erosion assessments

Bezak, Nejc (author), Borrelli, Pasquale (author), Mikoš, Matjaž (author), Jemec Auflič, Mateja (author), Panagos, Panos (author)

Soil erosion is expected to increase in the future due to climate change. Soil erosion models are useful tools that can be used by decision makers and other stakeholders to deal with soil erosion problems or the implementation of soil protection measures. Most of the modelling applications are using Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE)-type models. In this study, we evaluate the applicability of the Erosion Potential Model (EPM) and its modified version (mEPM) for the estimation of the gross and net erosion rates at a global scale. The sensitivity analysis shows that the model results have the highest variability due to the soil protection (land cover) coefficient followed by the soil erodibility parameter. The models’ evaluations indicate that that the EPM cannot be applied to cold regions while the mEPM overcomes this issue. The erosion rates based on the EPM were 1.5–2.5 times larger than the ones obtained from the mEPM. Increasing the number of catchment properties as inputs to the model may help in improving the performance of the tested EPM and mEPM. Moreover, a comparison of net soil losses by mEPM with long-term suspended sediment yield data for 116 catchments located around the globe indicates a median bias of less than 10%, although the bias for around 1/3 of catchments was above 100%. Furthermore, a direct comparison with other soil erosion models such as USLE-type models is not possible since the EPM and mEPM do take into consideration other processes such as soil slumps and gully erosion and not just sheet and rill erosion. Therefore, as expected, the gross erosion rates by the EPM and mEPM are higher compared to the USLE-type models. Hence, the mEPM, despite its limitations, could be regarded as an interesting approach for the describing erosion processes around the globe and should be further tested using small- and medium-sized catchments from various climate zones.

• Language: English
• Keywords: global assessment, Erosion Potential Model, EPM, soil erosion, modified Erosion Potential Model, mEPM, sediment yield, model evaluation
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FGG - Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: 12 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 234, art. 107596
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-151971
• UDC: 504.12:551.311.21
• ISSN on article: 0341-8162
• DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2023.107596
• COBISS.SI-ID: 168494083
• Publication date in RUL: 26.10.2023

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Catena : an interdisciplinary journal of soil science - hydrology- geomorphology focusing on geoecology and landscape evolution
• Shortened title: Catena
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 0341-8162
• COBISS.SI-ID: 25199104

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: globalna ocena, Gavrilovićeva metoda, erozija tal, prilagojena Gavrilovićeva metoda, dotok sedimentov, vrednotenje modela