Handbook of Erosion Modelling

The movement of sediment and associated pollutants over the landscape and into water bodies is of increasing concern with respect to pollution control, prevention of muddy floods and environmental protection. In addition, the loss of soil on site has implications for declining agricultural productivity, loss of biodiversity and decreased amenity and landscape value. The fate of sediment and the conservation of soil are important issues for land managers and decision-makers. In developing appropriate policies and solutions, managers and researchers are making greater use of erosion models to characterise the processes of erosion and their interaction with the landscape. A study of erosion requires one to think in terms of microseconds to understand the mechanics of impact of a single raindrop on a soil surface, while landscapes form over periods of thousands of years. These processes operate on scales of millimetres for single raindrops to mega-metres for continents. Erosion modelling thus covers quite a lot of ground. This book introduces the conceptual and mathematical frameworks used to formulate models of soil erosion and uses case studies to show how models are applied to a variety of purposes at a range of spatial and temporal scales. The aim is to provide land managers and others with the tools required to select a model appropriate to the type and scale of erosion problem, to show what users can expect in terms of accuracy of model predictions and to provide an appreciation of both the advantages and limitations of models. Problems covered include those arising from agriculture, the construction industry, pollution and climatic change and range in scale from farms to small and large catchments. The book will also be useful to students and research scientists as an up-to-date review of the state-of-art of erosion modelling and, through a knowledge of how models are used in practice, in highlighting the gaps in knowledge that need to be filled in order to develop even better models.

The movement of sediment and associated pollutants over thelandscape and into water bodies is of increasing concern withrespect to pollution control, prevention of muddy floods andenvironmental protection. In addition, the loss of soil on site hasimplications for declining agricultural productivity, loss ofbiodiversity and decreased amenity and landscape value. The fate ofsediment and the conservation of soil are important issues for landmanagers and decision-makers. In developing appropriate policiesand solutions, managers and researchers are making greater use oferosion models to characterise the processes of erosion and theirinteraction with the landscape.A study of erosion requires one to think in terms ofmicroseconds to understand the mechanics of impact of a singleraindrop on a soil surface, while landscapes form over periods ofthousands of years. These processes operate on scales ofmillimetres for single raindrops to mega-metres for continents.Erosion modelling thus covers quite a lot of ground. This bookintroduces the conceptual and mathematical frameworks used toformulate models of soil erosion and uses case studies to show howmodels are applied to a variety of purposes at a range of spatialand temporal scales. The aim is to provide land managers and otherswith the tools required to select a model appropriate to the typeand scale of erosion problem, to show what users can expect interms of accuracy of model predictions and to provide anappreciation of both the advantages and limitations of models.Problems covered include those arising from agriculture, theconstruction industry, pollution and climatic change and range inscale from farms to small and large catchments. The book will alsobe useful to students and research scientists as an up-to-datereview of the state-of-art of erosion modelling and, through aknowledge of how models are used in practice, in highlighting thegaps in knowledge that need to be filled in order to develop evenbetter models.

List of contributors.1 Introduction (R.P.C. Morgan).PART 1 MODEL DEVELOPMENT.2 Model Development: A User's Perspective (R.P.C.Morgan).3 Calibration of Erosion Models (V.G. Jetten and M.P.Maneta).4 Dealing with Uncertainty in Erosion Model Predictions (K.J.Beven and R.E. Brazier).5 A Case Study of Uncertainty: Applying GLUE to EUROSEM (J.N.Quinton, T. Krueger, J. Freer, R.E. Brazier and G.S.Bilotta).6 Scaling Soil Erosion Models in Space and Time (R.E.Brazier, C.J. Hutton, A.J. Parsons and J. Wainwright).7 Misapplications and Misconceptions of Erosion Models (G.Govers).PART 2 MODEL APPLICATIONS.8 Universal Soil Loss Equation and Revised Universal Soil LossEquation (K.G. Renard, D.C. Yoder, D.T. Lightle and S.M.Dabney).9 Application of WEPP to Sustainable Management of aSmallCatchment in South west Missouri, US, Under Present Land Useand with Climatic Change (J.M. Laflen).10 Predicting Soil Loss and Runoff from Forest Roads andSeasonal Cropping Systems in Brazil using WEPP (A.J.T. Guerraand A. Soares da Silva).11 Use of GUEST Technology to Parameterize a Physically-BasedModel for Assessing Soil Erodibility and Evaluating ConservationPractices in Tropical Steeplands (C.W. Rose, B. Yu, R.K. MisraK. Coughlan and B. Fentie).12 Evaluating Effects of Soil and Water Management and Land UseChange on the Loess Plateau of China using LISEM (R. HesselV.G. Jetten, B. Liu and Y. Qiu).13 Modelling the Role of Vegetated Buffer Strips in ReducingTransfer of Sediment from Land to Watercourses (J.H. DuzantR.P.C. Morgan, G.A. Wood and L.K. Deeks).14 Predicting Impacts of LandUse and Climate Change on Erosionand Sediment Yield in River Basins using SHETRAN (J.C.Bathurst).15 Modelling Impacts of Climatic Change: Case Studies using theNew Generation of Erosion Models (J.P. Nunes and M.A.Nearing).16 Risk-Based Erosion Assessment: Application to ForestWatershed Management and Planning (W.J. Elliot and P.R.Robichaud).17 The Future Role of Information Technology in ErosionModelling (D.P. Guertin and D.C. Goodrich).18 Applications of Long-Term Erosion and Landscape EvolutionModels (G.R. Willgoose and G.R. Hancock).19 Gully Erosion: Procedures to Adopt When Modelling SoilErosion in Landscapes Affected by Gullying (J.W.A. Poesen, D.B.Torri and T. Vanwalleghem).PART 3 FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS.20 The Future of Soil Erosion Modelling (M.A. Nearing andP.B. Hairsine).Index.Colour plates.