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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » Northwest Sustainable Agroecosystems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #115018
Title: IMPROVEMENTS IN SCIENCE IN RUSLE2

Author
item FOSTER, GEORGE - RETIRED USDA-ARS
item YODER, DANIEL - UNIV. OF TENNESSEE
item McCool, Donald
item WEESIES, GLENN - USDA-NRCS
item TOY, TERRY - UNIV. OF DENVER
item Wagner, Larry

Submitted to: ASAE Annual International Meeting
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/15/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: The USDA-ARS, in cooperation with the University of Tennessee, the USDA- NRCS, and the University of Denver, has reconstructed the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) to increase its usefulness as a conservation-planning tool. These changes have improved ease of use, expanded the conditions under which the technology can be applied, and have increased the information available to the user. This new version has been named RUSLE2. RUSLE2, as was its predecessors the USLE and RUSLE1, is grounded on an extensive empirical base. As had begun with RUSLE1, RUSLE2 expands on this empirical database through the application of fundamental process- based relationships to expand the applicability to situations not included in the original database. Such changes increase its flexibility and power as a conservation-planning tool. For example, RUSLE2 allows estimates of sediment delivery and particle size distributions below depositional areas, thus removing some of the earlier restrictions on where the model could be applied. Substantial changes have also been made in the RUSLE2 interface, basing it on Windowsr technology, and allowing users much greater power in controlling their working environment. This paper describes these changes in general terms, and discusses RUSLE2 status and availability.

Technical Abstract: The USDA-ARS, in cooperation with the University of Tennessee, the USDA- NRCS, and the University of Denver, has been involved in a major reconstruction of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) to increase its usefulness as a conservation-planning tool. These changes have improved ease of use, expanded the conditions under which the technology can be applied, and have increased the information available to the user. This new version has been named RUSLE2. As was the case with its predecessor, the USLE, RUSLE2 is grounded on an extensive empirical base. As had begun with RUSLE1, RUSLE2 expands on this through the application of fundamental process-based relationships to expand the applicability to situations not included in the original database. Such changes have been made to each of the familiar RUSLE factors (R, K, LS, C, P), thereby increasing its flexibility and power as a conservation planning tool. For example, RUSLE2 allows estimates of sediment delivery and particle size distributions below depositional areas, thus removing some of the earlier restrictions on where the model could be applied and thereby increasing its usefulness as a conservation- planning tool. Substantial changes have also been made in the RUSLE2 interface, basing it on Windows technology, and allowing users much greater power in controlling their working environment. This paper describes these changes in general terms, and discusses RUSLE2 status and availability.