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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Boise, Idaho » Northwest Watershed Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #314746
Title: Modeling the effects on water erosion processes of rangeland conservation practices in the Great Basin region

Author
item AL-HAMDAN, OSAMA
item Pierson Jr, Frederick
item Nearing, Mark
item Williams, Christopher - Jason
item HERNANDEZ, MARIANO
item BOLL, JAN
item Weltz, Mark

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/22/2015
Publication Date: 2/17/2015
Citation: Al-Hamdan, O., Pierson Jr, F.B., Nearing, M.A., Williams, C.J., Hernandez, M., Boll, J., Weltz, M.A. 2015. Modeling the effects on water erosion processes of rangeland conservation practices in the Great Basin region [abstract]. Meeting Abstract.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model (RHEM) is an event-based model developed by the USDA-ARS. The model has been developed to estimates runoff, erosion, and sediment delivery rates and volumes at the spatial scale of the hillslope and the temporal scale of a single rainfall event. It represents runoff and water erosion processes on undisturbed and disturbed rangeland. The data used for the development and parameterization of the model’s main components were collected from field experiments conducted on sites located over diverse rangeland landscapes within the Great Basin Region. Many of these sites exhibit some degree of disturbance, such as wildfire, prescribed fire, tree encroachment, and tree removal by mastication and/or cutting. Evaluations of the model on sites located in the Great Basin Region show its capability to match the predicated effect of disturbances across a wide range of ecological sites with diverse vegetation and ground cover conditions. The results of these evaluations shows the capability of RHEM to be a practical management tool to predict water erosion processes and assess the effects of rangeland conservation practices in the Great Basin Region.