The wind erosion prediction system and its use in conservation planning

Authors: Tatarko, John; Wagner, Larry; Fox, Jr, Fred

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/5/2017
Publication Date: 2/15/2019
Citation: Tatarko, J., Wagner, L.E., Fox, F.A. 2019. The wind erosion prediction system and its use in conservation planning. In: Wendroth, O., Lascano, L., Ma, L., Wendroth, R.J. Lascano, L. Ma, editors. Bridging Among Disciplines by Synthesizing Soil and Plant Processes, Advances in Agricultural Systems Modeling 8, 2019. 8th edition. Madison, WI. American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc. p. 71-109. https://doi.org/10.2134/advagricsystmodel8.2017.0021.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2134/advagricsystmodel8.2017.0021

Interpretive Summary: Soil erosion by wind is a threat to a sustainable agriculture as well as human, soil, air, and water resources. The Wind Erosion Prediction System (WEPS) computer model was developed with a goal of making an accurate, universal, and simple tool available for simulating soil wind erosion. WEPS incorporates nearly 70 years of wind erosion research by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and utilizes advances in computer technology to provide a powerful research and decision-support tool for producers and policy-makers. WEPS simulates the field surface conditions and wind erosion processes. It operates on a daily or shorter time-frame to simulate field water, plant growth and decomposition, land management, and soil surface erodibility as affected by local weather and accounts for soil loss by wind in various size classes. The model was designed for easy selection of inputs from the provided databases and basic outputs that are straightforward to interpret. However, when taking full advantage of the detailed inputs and reports, WEPS is a powerful tool for studying erosion processes in detail and developing more efficient control strategies. The strongest utility of WEPS is its ability to apply different “what-if” management scenarios to the land for developing and evaluating alternative wind erosion control practices. We present examples of using WEPS to develop alternative erosion control strategies for common U.S. Great Plains cropping systems.

Technical Abstract: Soil erosion by wind is a threat to a sustainable agriculture as well as human, soil, air, and water resources. The Wind Erosion Prediction System (WEPS) model was developed with a goal of making an accurate, universal, and simple tool available for simulating soil wind erosion. WEPS incorporates nearly 70 years of wind erosion research by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and utilizes advances in computer technology to provide a powerful research and decision-support tool for producers and policy-makers. WEPS models the surface state of soil and vegetation and wind erosion is simulated as physically based processes where possible. It operates on a daily or shorter time-step to simulate field hydrology, plant growth and decomposition, land management, and soil surface erodibility as affected by measured or stochastically simulated local weather. It accounts for soil loss by wind as total, saltation plus creep, suspension, and particulate matter less than 10 µm in aerodynamic diameter (PM-10) sizes. The model interface was designed for easy selection of inputs from the provided databases and basic outputs that are straightforward to interpret. However, when taking full advantage of the detailed inputs and reports, WEPS is a powerful research tool for studying surface state and erosion processes in detail and developing more efficient control strategies. The strongest utility of WEPS is its ability to apply different “what-if” management scenarios to the land for developing and evaluating alternative wind erosion control practices. We present examples of using WEPS to develop alternative erosion control strategies for common U.S. Great Plains cropping systems.