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i^ <br />CHAPTER V <br />~• ERODIBILITIES AND EROSION POTENTIAL <br />Application of Universal Soil Loss Equation <br />Basis for comparison <br />The Universal Soil Loss Equation was chosen to quantify specific <br />estimates of soil loss for comparison between sampling sites. The equa- <br />tion is A = R x K x LS x C x P; where A is average annual soil loss in <br />tonnes per hectare per year (tons per acre per year),1 R is rainfall <br />erosivity factor, K is soil erodibility factor, LS is slope length and <br />slope gradient factor, C is ground cover factor, and P is conservation <br />practice factor. Since the equation isolates the factors affecting soil <br />loss, including factors directly influenced by land management practices <br />and factors mostly beyond the control of land management practices, the <br />equation can be used as a tool to select mined land reclamation techniques. <br />Specifically, LS, C, and P can be manipulated by reclamation practices so <br />J when those factors are combined with Rand Kan acceptable level of A is <br />achieved. Additionally, the estimated soil loss of topsoiled regraded <br />J land can be compared to the estimated "soil" loss of the same land if it <br />were not topsoiled, simply by holding all factors, except K, constant. <br />J The obvious difficulty in the estimation of soil loss when using the <br />Universal Soil Loss Equation is choosing accurate values for each of the <br />factors determining A. <br />1Soi1 lass in the United States is usually expressed in tons per <br />I acre per year (one tonne per hectare is equal to 2.24 tons per acre). <br />_ I $NOM1T Tc,i (u as ca s~ x .9~7$ l 'roN NE <br />lNKT, RE- .1.4'7/ i1[RE ,} <br />/ 7ouNE \\ l Htc1nRE I/lS!$.ClBs ! Ton, 35 TeN <br />1 NECTr RE I M (a .~n i n~aaS)x \ I Te NNe ~ ~ (~aoe ces~- .367V ncRF <br />I <br />