The WEPP Model Application in a Small Watershed in the Loess Plateau

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 11; no. 3; p. e0148445
• Main Authors: Han, Fengpeng, Ren, Lulu, Zhang, Xingchang, Li, Zhanbin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 10.03.2016; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adaptability; Agricultural land; Agricultural production; Annual runoff; Biology and Life Sciences; Calibration; China; Computer simulation; Conservation of Natural Resources; Earth Sciences; Ecological effects; Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Ecosystem; Environmental management; Erosion control; Erosion mechanisms; Farming; Farmlands; Geography; Grasslands; Hydrology; Laboratories; Loess; Methods; Models, Theoretical; Precipitation; Reproducibility of Results; Restoration; Runoff; Sediments; Simulation; Slopes; Social Sciences; Soil; Soil erosion; Soil sciences; Vegetation; Water; Water conservation; Watersheds; China; Loess Plateau; India
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148445

In the Loess Plateau, soil erosion has not only caused serious ecological and environmental problems but has also impacted downstream areas. Therefore, a model is needed to guide the comprehensive control of soil erosion. In this study, we introduced the WEPP model to simulate soil erosion both at the slope and watershed scales. Our analyses showed that: the simulated values at the slope scale were very close to the measured. However, both the runoff and soil erosion simulated values at the watershed scale were higher than the measured. At the slope scale, under different coverage, the simulated erosion was slightly higher than the measured. When the coverage is 40%, the simulated results of both runoff and erosion are the best. At the watershed scale, the actual annual runoff of the Liudaogou watershed is 83 m(3); sediment content is 0.097 t/m(3), annual erosion sediment 8.057 t and erosion intensity 0.288 t ha(-1) yr(-1). Both the simulated values of soil erosion and runoff are higher than the measured, especially the runoff. But the simulated erosion trend is relatively accurate after the farmland is returned to grassland. We concluded that the WEPP model can be used to establish a reasonable vegetation restoration model and guide the vegetation restoration of the Loess Plateau.