MUSLE: Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation
In VFS: Vegetated Filter Strip and Erosion Model

Description Usage Arguments Details Value Author(s) References See Also Examples

Simulation of soil erosion on a daily timestep.

1	MUSLE(Q, qp, A, K, LS, C = 0.085, P = 0.40, a = 11.8, b = 0.56)

`Q`	Runoff volume (m^3/d).
`qp`	Runoff peak discharge (m^3/s).
`A`	Field area (ha).
`K`	Soil erodibility factor.
`LS`	Landscape factor.
`C`	Crop management factor. Default is for a corn field.
`P`	Erosion control practice factor.
`a`	Location coefficient. Default value from Williams 1975.
`b`	Location coefficient. Default value from Williams 1975.

Uses the Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation to estimate daily sediment yield. If K and LS are not known, they can be estimated from soil or field properties using MUSLE.K and MUSLE.LS.

If the location coefficients are known from measured sedimentation data, more accurate estimates can be made.

Sediment yield (t/day).

Sarah Goslee

Williams, J. R. (1975) Sediment-yield prediction with universal equation using runoff energy factor. Pp. 244–251 in: Present and prospective technology for predicting sediment yield and sources. ARS.S-40, US Gov. Print. Office, Washington, DC. 244-252.

Wischmeier, W. H. and Smith, D. D. (1978) Predicting rainfall erosion losses-a guide to conservation planning. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook No. 537.

MUSLE.K, MUSLE.LS, peak

# Approximate erodibility factor from soil texture.
Kf <- MUSLE.K(.3, .5, .2)

# Calculate landscape factor from field size and shape.
# 100-m field length with 2% slope
# note that MUSLE.LS takes feet
LS <- MUSLE.LS(100 * 3.28, .02)

# assume 0.4 ha cornfield with known rainfall intensity
peakd <- peak(intensity = 55, area = 0.4)

SedYield <- MUSLE(85, qp = peakd, A = .4, K = Kf, LS = LS)