Himalayan watersheds in Nepal record high soil erosion rates estimated using the RUSLE model and experimental erosion plots.

ABSTRACT: The rising unpredictability in the food supply chain in many parts of the world is related to soil loss and poor agricultural output. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), widely used for estimating soil loss, was applied in the western mid-hills in Nepal, with steep slopes and fragile geology. This region is at high risk for rapid soil erosion and mass wasting. To estimate soil loss, this study utilized the RUSLE model with experimental erosion plots in the Aadhikhola and Tinahukhola watersheds, capturing real-time erosion in the field. The annual soil loss for the Aadhikhola watershed is estimated at ∼41.4 tons ha^-1 yr^-1. In contrast, in the Tinahukhola watershed, soil loss is low (∼24.1 tons ha^-1 yr^-1). Although annual rainfall sho

SUBMITTER: Joshi P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10192770 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature