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DEM spatial resolution sensitivity in the calculation of the RUSLE LS-Factor and its implications in the estimation of soil erosion rates in Ecuadorian basins

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Abstract

The length and steepness of the slope (LS-Factor) describe the role that topography plays in the hazard of soil erosion and constitutes one of the five factors that allow the determination of soil loss using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) mathematical model. This factor is calculated using Digital Elevation Models (DEM); however, its spatial scale may affect the quality of its estimation. The objective of the present investigation was to analyze the sensitivity of the DEM spatial resolution in the calculation of RUSLE LS-Factor and to determine its implications in the estimation of soil erosion rates in Ecuadorian basins. The methodology considered the delimitation of the hydrographic basins and the evaluation of data from SRTM, HydroSHEDS and ALOS PALSAR as providers of DEMs databases through the implementation of two statistical methods. The delimitation of the basins was obtained from the regional literature and the DEMs databases from web servers. Comparisons of the results at the national scale and at the basin scale were established using the original spatial scales and a common scaling of 1 and 4 km. The results will make it possible to determine the most appropriate spatial scale of DEM database to determine soil erosion rates considering the particular conditions of the study area, applying the RUSLE model.

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Acknowledgements

Authors thank the FSPI—Doctoral Schools Project of the French Embassy in Ecuador, funded by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens, Université de Perpignan, Via Domitia, UMR 5110, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan CEDEX, France

    Daniel Delgado, Mahrez Sadaoui & Wolfgang Ludwig

  2. Departamento de Construcciones Civiles y Arquitectura, Facultad de Ciencias Matemáticas, Físicas y Químicas, Universidad Técnica de Manabí, Avenida José María Urbina, Portoviejo, EC130105, Manabí, Ecuador

    Daniel Delgado & Williams Méndez

  3. Centro de Investigación Estudios del Medio Físico Venezolano, Instituto Pedagógico de Caracas, Universidad Pedagógica Experimental Libertador, Venezuela University, El Paraíso 1020, Distrito Capital, Caracas, Venezuela

    Williams Méndez

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  1. Daniel Delgado
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  2. Mahrez Sadaoui
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  3. Wolfgang Ludwig
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  4. Williams Méndez
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All authors worked equally in the preparation of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Daniel Delgado.

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Delgado, D., Sadaoui, M., Ludwig, W. et al. DEM spatial resolution sensitivity in the calculation of the RUSLE LS-Factor and its implications in the estimation of soil erosion rates in Ecuadorian basins. Environ Earth Sci 83, 36 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-023-11318-y

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