Evaluation and modeling of runoff and sediment yield for different land covers under simulated rain in a semiarid region of Brazil

• Published in: International journal of sediment research Vol. 33; no. 2; pp. 117 - 125
• Main Authors: Silva, Richarde Marques da, Santos, Celso Augusto Guimarães, dos Santos, José Yure Gomes
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-06-2018; Department of Geosciences, Federal University of Paraíba, Brazil%Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Paraíba, 58051-900 Jo(a)o Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil%Federal University of Western Bahia, Center for Humanities, Barreiras, Brazil
• Subjects: Erosion; Runoff; Semiarid region; WESP model; Runoff; WESP model; Semiarid region; Erosion
• ISSN: 1001-6279
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijsrc.2017.04.005

This paper quantifies the runoff and sediment yield for four different land covers in a semiarid region of Brazil. The WESP model, a distributed, event-oriented runoff-erosion model, was applied and its physical parameters, Ns and KR, were adjusted based on observed runoff and sediment yield data using simulated rainfall with an average intensity of 53 mm h-1. The sediment yield obtained was 53.02kg ha-1 (caatinga vegetation), 231.96kg ha-1 (bare soil), 309.75kg ha-1 (beans), and 847.38kg ha-1(corn). The results showed that caatinga cover yields the lowest erosion and runoff when compared to the other treatments. The results also show that the sediment yield and runoff values simulated with Ns, KI, and KR parameters were well calibrated, within acceptable deviations. The caatinga vegetation was more effective in protecting the soil, when compared to the other types of coverage. The beans and corn covers had the highest values of runoff and sediment yield, even higher than those observed for bare soil.