Use of the USPED model for mapping soil erosion and managing best land conservation practices

The paper describes the implementation of the USPED model proposed by Mitasova et al. [1996]by the Romagna River Basin authority. The method is based on a detailed terrain analysis performed on a 10m grid DEM, and includes an evaluation of the USLE K and C factors to predict soil erosion and depositionpatterns at the landscape scale. The method is implemented within a GIS environment and used to map soilerosion hazard and to decide about land use constraints towards soil conservation. The predicted patterns arecompared with those detectable in the field and with the prediction of the shallow landslide hazard predictorSHALSTAB (Dietrich and Montgomery, 1998). As a result, a guideline map for soil conservation is issuedfor use in practical land management. The paper describes the theoretical assumptions and limitations of themodels used in the analysis, and delineates the potential benefits from such parameter-free andphenomenologic models in landscape pattern recognition and conservation.