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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Boise, Idaho » Northwest Watershed Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #319261

Title: Estimating Sediment Yield on Disturbed Rangeland Using the Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model (RHEM)

Author
item AL-HAMDAN, OSAMA - University Of Idaho
item Pierson Jr, Frederick
item Nearing, Mark
item HERNANDEZ, MARIANO - US Department Of Agriculture (USDA)
item Williams, Christopher - Jason
item Stone, Jeffry
item BOLL, JAN - University Of Idaho
item Weltz, Mark

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/22/2014
Publication Date: 4/19/2015
Citation: Al-Hamdan, O., Pierson Jr, F.B., Nearing, M.A., Hernandez, M., Williams, C.J., Stone, J.J., Boll, J., Weltz, M.A. 2015. Estimating Sediment Yield on Disturbed Rangeland Using the Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model (RHEM) [abstract]. Joint Federal Intergagency Conference.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The Rangeland Hydrology and Erosion Model (RHEM) is an event-based model that 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 erosion processes on normal rangeland, as well as, rangeland that exhibit some disturbance (such as fire or woody plant encroachment). RHEM adopts a new splash erosion and thin sheet-flow transport equation, and a new stream-power based concentrated flow erosion equation developed from rangeland data. It links the model hydrologic and erosion parameters with rangeland plant communities by providing a new system of parameter estimation equations. It is designed for government agencies, land managers, and conservationist to predict erosion processes on rangeland and assess the effects of rangeland conservation practices. RHEM was tested on rangeland sites that exhibit some degree of disturbance by fire and/or by tree encroachment and showed the capability of predicting the effects of such disturbances on soil loss.