• Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
• /
• v.9 no.6
• /
• pp.119-124
• /
• 2009

In this study, the characteristics of estimating methodology for RUSLE factors such as soil erodibility factor, slope length-steepness factor, and cover management factor were reviewed and then the relative error according to each methodology was analyzed. RUSLE was applied to experimental watershed for 42 storm events and their results were compared with measured sediment yield to examine the applicability of RUSLE. As a result, this paper found that it should be necessary to consider vegetation effect for forest application of RUSLE as cover management was the most sensitive factor. Also, soil erodbility factor was calculated from data of soil series by National Academy of Agricultural Science caused sediment yield to be overestimated because there were big differences between the soil series and on-site soil texture. The 22.7% of maximum relative error was shown according to selecting the rain energy equation. In addition, it will be necessary to verify the RUSLE factors with more data in order to improve their accuracy.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.107-113
• /
• 1976

This study is conducted to find out soil erodibility factor K value which is one of the most important factor to estimate soil loss using a new method for predicting K value, the nomograph, that was first proposed by Whischmeier. K values for 83 soil series including upland and forest soils in Korea were checked up. The result were as follows: The average K value was 0.27 with ranging between 0.05 and 0.51. K values were higher for finer textured soils than for coarser textured soils widely ranged in a textural class, and higher for silty textured and low permeable soils. K value was correlated inversely with organic matter content in range of 3 to 13 percent, but the tendency was not related in range of lower than 3 percent.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Environmental Restoration Technology
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.141-150
• /
• 1998

This study was conducted to find out the possibility of seeding of Zoysia japonica and woody plants for the revegetation of rock-exposed-cutslopes by Natural Topsoil Restoration Methods (NTRM). The 5cm thick layer of artificial soil was attached at rock-exposed cutslopes for the growth of Zoysia japonica and native woody plants by NTRM. The main results were summarized as follows. 1. Artificial soil attached at rock-exposed-slopes by NTRM was not eroded until recovered by Zoysia japonica and native woody plants. It shows extremely low soil erodibility. 2. One year later after seeding, woody plants show 100% ground coverage. But, in early stage, they grew more quickly at northwest slopes than at southeast slopes. 3. In seeding of Zoysia japonica, it grew more quickly at southeast slopes than at northwest slopes. Also, it grew better at lower part of the slopes than at middle part of the slopes. 4. After one year from seeding, the height of Lespedeza cyrtobotrya and Indigo/era pseudo-tinctoria were longer than any other plants. The next were Albizzia julibrissin, Lespedeza cuneata and wild flowers. The tree height of Rhus chinensis shows 28cm length, so it has enough possibility to be used for roadside revegetation works. 5. Lespedeza cyrtobotrya and Indigo/era pseudo-tinctoria show different importance values according to slope aspect. But, they show tendency to outweigh the other plants at all slope-aspects. 6. Most of the plants seeded by NTRM were germinated well and they covered rock-exposed-slopes so quickly and effectively. Thus it leads to conclusion that the revegetation methods used in this experiment was a very effective methods to recover rock-exposed-slopes by seeding of zoysia japonica and native woody plants.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.373-377
• /
• 1985

This experiment was designed to find out the soil properties to control the soil erodibility. Two kinds of soil conditioners, hydrophilic Uresol and hydrophobic Bitumen were treated to sandy loam and silt loam. Soil erodibility was tested during a simulated rainfall in a soil pan which was covered with a 2cm layer of treated and untreated aggregates (< 5.36mm) on a soil layer. The runoff starting time was delayed 8-20 minutes by Uresol treatment and it was hasten 1-21 minutes by Bitumen treatment. Runoff rates were reduced by Uresol to 62.5% in sandy loam and 93.7% in silt loam, but it was increased by Bitumen treatment. Erosion from the Uresol treated soil was remarkably reduced to 1.7-23.6% of that in the untreated soil. In case of the Bitumen treatment, the soil loss from silt loam was reduced to 55.5% of the control, but it was increased in sandy loam soil by 52% over the control. The ratio of soil loss and runoff, sediment concentration in runoff, was noticeably increased when the soil structure was unstable. There was significant correlation between soil loss and logarithm of wetting angle-stability index. Soil loss was greatly increased when the index was less than 0.2.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers
• /
• v.58 no.6
• /
• pp.23-30
• /
• 2016

Soil loss is an accompanying phenomenon of hydrologic cycle in watersheds. Both rainfall drops and runoff lead to soil particle detachment, the detached soil particles are transported into streams by runoff. Here, a sediment-laden water problem can be issued if soil particles are severely detached and transported into stream in the watershed. There is a need to estimate or simulate soil erosion in watersheds so that an adequate plan to manage soil erosion can be established. Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), therefore, was developed and modified by many researchers for their watersheds, moreover the simple model, USLE, has been employed in many hydrologic models for soil erosion simulations. While the USLE has been applied even in South-Korea, the model is often regarded as being limited in applications for the watersheds in South-Korea since monthly conditions against soil erosion on soil surface are not capable to represent. Thus, the monthly USLE factors against soil erosion, soil erodibility and crop management factors, were established for four major watersheds, which are Daecheong-dam, Soyang-dam, Juam-dam, and Imha-dam watersheds. The monthly factors were established by recent fifteen years from 2000 to 2015. Five crops were selected for the monthly crop management factor establishments. Soil loss estimations with the modified factors were compared to conventional approach that is average annual estimations. The differences ranged from 9.3 % (Juam-dam watershed) to 28.1 % (Daecheong-dam watershed), since the conventional approaches were not capable of seasonally and regionally different conditions.

• Proceedings of the KSRS Conference
• /
• 2005.10a
• /
• pp.357-360
• /
• 2005

Soil loss is widely recognized as a threat to farm livelihoods and ecosystem integrity worldwide. Soil loss prediction models can help address long-range land management planning under natural and agricultural conditions. Even though it is hard to find a model that considers all forms of erosion, some models were developed specifically to aid conservation planners in identifying areas where introducing soil conservation measures will have the most impact on reducing soil loss. Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) computes the average annual erosion expected on hillslopes by multiplying several factors together: rainfall erosivity (R), soil erodibility (K), slope length and steepness (LS), cover management (C), and support practice (P). The value of these factors is determined from field and laboratory experiments. This study calculated soil erosion using GIS-based RUSLE model in Imha basin and examined soil erosion source area using SPOT 5 high-resolution satellite image and land cover map. As a result of analysis, dry field showed high-density soil erosion area and we could easily investigate source area using satellite image. Also we could examine the suitability of soil erosion area applying field survey method in common areas (dry field & orchard area) that are difficult to confirm soil erosion source area using satellite image.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Landscape Architecture
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.115-132
• /
• 1996

The purpose of this study is to estimate the soil loss amount with Geographic Information System according to the land use change of Buju mountain area in Mokpo city. To estimate the soil loss, Universal Soil Loss Equation which is the most proper technique to predict soil loss in this site condition is adopted and IDRISI, a raster GIS software, is used. GIS application with USLE is very efficient to estimate soil loss accurately and fastly. In order to decide value and to find application method of USLE factors, we used existing rainfall erosion index, soil erodibility analysis, slope length, slope steepness, vegetation management and practices, which are rated by GIS through the analysis of various studies related USLE. The result of this study was compared with the previous other researches to verify our method of constructing numerical data of USLE's factors. The result of verification of our way showed significance for the soil loss in forest area. But the result of verification for the soil loss in forest area. But the result of verification for the soil loss of cultivated area showed some errors. It seems that this result was due to local variation of topographical map.

• Journal of the Korean Geotechnical Society
• /
• v.20 no.3
• /
• pp.67-74
• /
• 2004

A case study was performed to verify the applicability of existing formulae for predicting bridge scour in cases where its piers are founded in fine-grained soils. The object of study was the Kanghwa Choji Bridge area where the streambed consists of mainly clayey soil. Site investigation included: direct measurement of scour depths around piers using an ultrasonic probe; and collection of undisturbed soil samples which were later used to determine geotechnical properties and scour rate under different stream velocities. Scour depth prediction was made by employing several conventional methods and compared with the measured value. All methods, not taking soil's intrinsic property against erosion into consideration, overestimated scour depth by a factor of 3.6 to 6.5. On the other hand, the SRICOS method yielded a reasonably acceptable overestimation by a factor of 1.7.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Surveying, Geodesy, Photogrammetry and Cartography
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.89-97
• /
• 2006

Soil erosion has caused serious environmental problems which threaten the foundation of natural resources. In this paper, we chose RUSLE erosion model, which could be connected easily with GSIS and available generally in mid-scale watershed among soil erosion models, and extracted factors entered model by using GSIS spatial analysis method. First, this study used GIS database as soil map, DEM, land cover map and rainfall data of typhoon Memi (2003) to analyze soil loss amount of Dam basin. To analyze the changes of soil loss in considering basin characteristics as up-, mid- and downstream, this study calculated soil erodibility factor (K), topographic factors (LS), and cover management factor (C). As a result of analysis, K and LS factors of upstream showed much higher than those of downstream because of the high ratio of forest. But C factor of downstream showed much higher than that of upstream because of the high ratio of agricultural area. As a result of analysis of soil loss, unit soil loss of upstream is 4.3 times than soil loss of downstream. Therefore, the establishment of countermeasures for upstream is more efficient to reduce soil loss.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.9-16
• /
• 1976

In order to investigate inherent erodibility of the soil, which is a major factor is soil erosion prediction, a survey on runoff and soil loss of reclaimed upland soil was carried out by using a portable rainulator. The relations of soil loss and some physical properties of the soil were discussed. The soil erodibility factor for Universal soil loss equation was calculated and compared with that of Wischmeier's nomograph. The result were as follows: 1. Total runoff increased for finer textured soil in order of Jeonnam silty clay loam, Songjeong clay loam, Yesan loam, Samgag and Sangju sandy loam. Total soil loss and soil content in runoff were not correspondently related with textural characteristic in order of Jeonnam, Samgag, Sangju, Yesan, and Songjeong. Total runoff, soil loss, and soil content in runoff were increased for steeper slope. 2. Soil loss and soil content in runoff negatively correlated with organic matter content of surface soil, while positively correlated with dispersion ratio, clay ratio, silt content, and significantly correlated with Middleton erosion ratio for coarser textured soil but not correctly related for finer textured soil. 3. The soil erodibilty factor K values for Universal soil loss equation were 0.32 for Jeonnam, 0.22 for Samgag, 0.17 for Sangju, 0.15 for Yesan, and 0.13 for Songjeong respectively. These values were close to those from Wischmeier's nomograph. So, it seems that the nomograph is useful for estimation of soil loss in Korea.