Comparison of Accuracy of Some Soil Erosion and Sediment Yield Models in Rangeland

The accurate data is essential for proper designing of soil and water conservation structures. The development and/or recognition of accurate techniques based on available data is also necessary for engineers and managers, since the sediment measurement is not taken place in many watersheds. In the present study, an attempt has been made to assess the applicability of some erosion and sediment yield models viz. USLE, MUSLE-S, AOF, MUSLT, MUSLE-E, USLE-M and AUSLE in estimation of storm-wise sediment yield from standard plots in rangeland. For this propose, the entire input data were collected from three plots installed in Khosbijan Natural Resources Research Station in Arak township. The models’ estimates were then compared with observed sediment data for 12 storm events. The results of the evaluation verified the significant difference among models in estimation of erosivity index. Besides that, the significant correlation was recognized only between MUSLE-E and observed sediment data with correlation coefficient of 99.4%