Developing a USLE cover and management factor (C) for forested regions of southern China
Conghui LI1, Lili LIN1,2, Zhenbang HAO1,2, Christopher J. POST3, Zhanghao CHEN1,2, Jian LIU1,2, Kunyong YU1,2()
1. Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China 2. University Key Laboratory for Geomatics Technology and Optimized Resources Utilization in Fujian Province, Fuzhou 350002, China 3. Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson SC 29634, USA
The Universal Soil Loss Equation model is often used to improve soil resource conservation by monitoring and forecasting soil erosion. This study tested a novel method to determine the cover and management factor (C) of this model by coupling the leaf area index (LAI) and soil basal respiration (SBR) to more accurately estimate a soil erosion map for a typical region with red soil in Hetian, Fujian Province, China. The spatial distribution of the LAI was obtained using the normalized difference vegetation index and was consistent with the LAI observed in the field (R2 = 0.66). The spatial distribution of the SBR was obtained using the Carnegie–Ames–Stanford Approach model and verified by soil respiration field observations (R2 = 0.51). Correlation analyses and regression models suggested that the LAI and SBR could reasonably reflect the structure of the forest canopy and understory vegetation, respectively. Finally, the C-factor was reconstructed using the proposed forest vegetation structure factor (Cs), which considers the effect of the forest canopy and shrub and litter layers on reducing rainfall erosion. The feasibility of this new method was thoroughly verified using runoff plots (R2 = 0.55). The results demonstrated that Cs may help local governments understand the vital role of the structure of the vegetation layer in limiting soil erosion and provide a more accurate large-scale quantification of the C-factor for soil erosion.
. [J]. Frontiers of Earth Science, 2020, 14(3): 660-672.
Conghui LI, Lili LIN, Zhenbang HAO, Christopher J. POST, Zhanghao CHEN, Jian LIU, Kunyong YU. Developing a USLE cover and management factor (C) for forested regions of southern China. Front. Earth Sci., 2020, 14(3): 660-672.
December 10, 2014; 2 m spatial resolution multispectral data and 0.5 m spatial resolution panchromatic data; view number 0719-04222 and 0519-03996
France (available at L3Harris Geospatial website)
Meteorological data
Data were used to calculate net primary productivity, including mean monthly temperature, precipitation, multi-year mean precipitation, and solar radiation
Changting County Meteorological Bureau
Soil respiration
Measured by Li-8100A Carbon Flux Automatic Measurement System (LiCOR, USA) and used to verify the soil basl respiration inversion
Field survey
Leaf area index
Measured by LAI-2200 plant canopy analyzer (PCA, USA) and used to verify LAI inversion
Field survey
Runoff plot data
Observation data from runoff plots in Weifang watershed
Fujian Soil and Water Conservation Monitoring Station
Tab.1
Model
Tree, shrub, and litter control model
Shrub and litter control model
Litter clearance model (shrub control model)
Farmland management model
Runoff depth/mm
81.4
89.1
123.7
142.4
Tab.2
VI
Model type
Estimation model
Validation indicators
R2
RMSE
MRA
MEA
RVI
Linear
y=0.983x-0.594
0.63
0.51
78.83%
96.37%
RVI
Logarithmic
Y=3.289lnx-1.255
0.62
0.57
81.35%
97.85%
RVI
Quadratic
y=-0.005x2+0.977x-0.661
0.63
0.51
78.97%
96.37%
NDVI
Power
y=7.895x1.791
0.66
0.59
82.99%
98.14%
NDVI
Exponential
y=0.351e3.656x
0.65
0.52
82.48%
99.66%
Tab.3
Fig.5
Forest type
Sample (n)
Measured Rs /(μmol·m−2·s−1)
Estimated Rs /(μmol·m−2·s−1)
MRA
MEA
Min
Mean
Max
Min
Mean
Max
Masson pine
59
0.37
0.95
1.76
0.45
0.92
1.82
77.83%
97.27%
Tab.4
Fig.6
Fig.7
Factor
LLT
UVC
SBR
LLT
1
0.457**
0.527**
UVC
−
1
0.729**
SBR
−
−
1
Tab.5
Factor
Best-fit model
RMSE
MRA
MEA
UVC
y=0.173x+7.440
1.67
84.42%
98.04%
LLT
y=1.294+6.925
1.96
84.39%
97.31%
Tab.6
Item
Tree
Shrub and grass
Litter
Reduction ratio/%
5.41
13.13
24.30
Reduction flow coefficient of unit coverage
0.090
0.164
0.243
Weight
0.181
0.330
0.489
Tab.7
Fig.8
Fig.9
Fig.10
Fig.11
Relationship equations of other researchers
Validation at Weifang watershed
References
Relationship equations
R2
Bu et al. (1993)
C = 0.450-0.00786 fc
0.423
Jiang et al. (1996)
C = exp[-0.0085(fc -5)1.5]; fc>5% C = 1; fc≤5%
0.269
Cai et al. (2000)
C = 1; fc = 0 C = 0.6508-0.3436lg fc; 0<fc<78.3% C = 0; fc≥78.3%
0.483
Jiang (2005)
C = 1; fc = 0 C = 0.6665-0.3436 lg fc; 0<fc<87% C = 0; fc>87%
0.359
Tab.8
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