SOTER—Based Soil Water Erosion Simulation in Hainan Island
摘要
The actual and potential water erosion rates of soils with different land covers in Hainan Island, China,were estimated based on the universal soil loss equation (USLE) and a 1:200 000 Soils and Terrain Digital Database (SOTER) database, from which soil water erosion factors could be extracted. 92.8% of the whole island had a current erosion rate of lower than 500 t km-2 a-1. Soil erosion risk was considered to be high because of its abundant rainfall. Without vegetation cover, the potential soil erosion rate would be extremely high and 90.8% of the island would have a soil erosion rate higher than 2 500 t km-2 a-1. Relative erosion vulnerability of different soil zones, landform types, and lithological regions of the island was compared by introducing a relative erosion hazard parameter α. Cambosols developed from siltstone and mudstone in low hill regions were pinpointed as soils with the highest erosion risk in the island.