Crop-management factor calculation using weights of spatio-temporal distribution of rainfall erosivity

Abstract

Inappropriate integration of USLE or RUSLE equations with GIS tools and Remote Sensing (RS) data caused many simplifications and distortions of their original principles. Many methods of C and R factor estimation were developed due to the lack of optimal data for calculations according to original methodology. This paper focuses on crop-management factor evaluation (C) weighted by fully distributed form of rainfall erosivity factor (R) distribution throughout the year. We used high resolution (1-min) data from 31 ombrographic stations (OS) in the Czech Republic (CR) for monthly R map creation. All steps of the relatively time-consuming C calculation were automated in GIS environment with an innovative procedure of R factor weight determination for each agro-technical phase by land parcel geographic location. Very high spatial and temporal variability of rainfall erosivity within each month and throughout the year can be observed from our results. This highlights the importance of C factor calculation using a correctly presented method with emphasis on the geographic location of given land parcels.

Keywords

• geostatistics
• c factor
• r factor
• rainfall total
• rainfall intensity
• usle/rusle-gis method