Comparison of EPM with Rusle for soil erosion modeling in the Strumica river basin
https://doi.org/10.24057/2071-9388-2024-0580
Abstract
The most recent climate change scenarios indicate an increase in extreme climate events (rainfall) and therefore an increase in soil loss. Strumica River is a tributary of river Struma/Strimon – a transboundary basin in North Macedonia (Strumica), Bulgaria and Greece that flows to the Aegean Sea. Most of the models incorporated in several software packages, use the USLE (Universal Soil Loss Equation). USLE-based models (RUSLE, MUSLE) are designed to model soil loss on gentler slopes and in agricultural areas. Furthermore, the model considers soil removal, but not the mass movement processes. On the other hand, the EPM (Erosion Potential Method by Gavrilovic), considers all soil particles (including rocks and mass movement) as well as all slope topography. The EPM considers the whole basin area. The aim of this research is to assess the differences between the two methods in the case study of the Strumica river basin. The results show differences in the quantities of the produced sediment. On the basin level, according to EPM, the quantity of annual produced sediment is 3.38 m3 ha year-1 while RUSLE depicted an annual soil loss at 1.59 t ha-1year-1. When observing just the agricultural land, according to EPM, the annual produced sediment is 4.22 m3 ha year-1 while according to RUSLE, the annual produced sediment is 2.84 t ha-1year-1. The EPM yields higher quantities because it takes into account the gully erosion and mass movement processes.
About the Authors
Bozhin Trendafilov
Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Hans Em Faculty of Forest Sciences, Landscape Architecture and Environmental Engineering
Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of
16-ta Makedonska brigada No.1, 1000 Skopje
Ivan Minchev
Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Hans Em Faculty of Forest Sciences, Landscape Architecture and Environmental Engineering
Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of
16-ta Makedonska brigada No.1, 1000 Skopje
Aleksandar Trendafilov
Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Hans Em Faculty of Forest Sciences, Landscape Architecture and Environmental Engineering
Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of
Ivan Blinkov
Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Hans Em Faculty of Forest Sciences, Landscape Architecture and Environmental Engineering
Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of
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Review
For citations:
Trendafilov B., Minchev I., Trendafilov A., Blinkov I. Comparison of EPM with Rusle for soil erosion modeling in the Strumica river basin. GEOGRAPHY, ENVIRONMENT, SUSTAINABILITY. 2024;17(4):44-49. https://doi.org/10.24057/2071-9388-2024-0580
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