Journal of Range and Watershed Managment

Performance of rangeland hydrology and erosion model for estimating sediment yield on rangeland’s hill slopes in dry regions (A Case study: Shahid Noori watershed, Khorasan Razavy)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Ali Golkarian 1
Davoud Davoudi Moghaddam 2
Seyed Amir Naghibi 2
Masoud Eshghizadeh 3

1 Assistant Prof., College of Natural Resources and Environmental studies, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

2 M.Sc. Student, College of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University

3 Ph. D. Student, Faculty of Natural resources and Desert Studies, University of Yazd, I.R. Iran

https://doi.org/10.22059/jrwm.2013.36520
Abstract
Soil erosion is undoubtedly one of the most important problems in natural areas and has a devastating impact on grassland ecosystems. The present study was conducted to assess the ability of Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model for estimating sediment yield on rangeland’s hill slopes in dry regions at Shahid Noori paired watershed of Kakhk. RHEM is a mathematical, distribution and physical model that is capable to simulate hydrological and erosional processes with climatic data and hill slope’s characteristics. Measuring of sediment yield performed on 18 erosion plots in both disturbed and undisturbed rangeland conditions. In order to implement the model, the parameters of climate, soil texture, slope length, slope steepness, canopy cover and ground cover were measured and entered into the model to estimate amount of runoff and sediment yield in each year. The analysis showed no significant difference between observed and estimated values at 5% level in both all erosion plots and the average of measured values of all three different aspects. The results indicate that the model is capable to determine the quantity effects of rangeland conservation practices in hydrological and soil erosion processes. Overall, the present study suggested good potential for application of the model in the same rangelands of dry regions.
 

Keywords

dry regions
erosion plot
Kakhk
RHEM
Runoff
Sediment
Journal of Range and Watershed Managment
Volume 66, Issue 3 - Serial Number 3
Autumn 2013
Pages 457-467

  • Receive Date 06 April 2013
  • Revise Date 14 November 2013
  • Accept Date 09 June 2013
  • Publish Date 23 October 2013

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