MISURA DELL’ERODIBILITA’ DEL SUOLO NELLE PARCELLE SPERIMENTALI DI SPARACIA, IN SICILIA

The study conducted an experimental determination of the soil erodibility factor, K, of the USLE based on measurements taken in the clayey soil of Sparacia. The mean annual value of the aforementioned factor, measured on plots of length, , between 11 and 44 m, decreased with . The indirect estimate of the erodibility factor was 46% lower than the measurement taken on the reference plot, i.e., 22 m long, and was intermediate between the K measurements obtained on the 33 and 44 m plots. A similar scale effect was also recognized with reference to the annual and seasonal values ​​of the erodibility factor. For all plots, erodibility was greater in the dry season than in the wet season. The investigation led to the conclusion that the USLE can be used to estimate the order of magnitude of the average annual soil loss, taking into account that the maximum difference between the measured and estimated values ​​is a factor of approximately 2.6, which can be considered relatively small for some practical purposes.