A review of the application of the MUSLE model worldwide

Figures & data

Table 1 Details of application of the MUSLE in different parts of the world (WMd: Wischmeier and Smith diagram; N.A.: Not provided or unavailable data or information).

No.	Researcher(s)	Region(s)	Area (ha)	Land use (and scale)	Goal	Reference data	Methods of estimation and calculation of factors and model variables						Results	Changes in model
							Peak flow—Volume of runoff	Soil erodibility	Slope length	Slope steepness	Crop management	Control practice		Coefficient	Power
1	Williams (1977)	Elm Creek (USA)	19 400	Forest and grassland (sub-watershed)	Storm-wise sediment	N.A.	SCS method	Existing studies and WMd	Measured in sub watershed				Acceptable results (R^2 = 80%)	Unchanged
2	Cordova (1981)	Richland County (USA)	304	Pasture and forest (watershed)	Storm-wise sediment	Sampling of six storm events	Measuring storm-wise	Field measurements and WMd	Topographic Map		Field measurements		Overestimate (R^2 = 80%)	Unchanged
3	Jackson et al. (1987)	23 watersheds in three regions (USA)	N.A.	Pasture (watershed)	Annual sediment	Existing data	Average annual runoff	Field measurements and WMd	Topographic Map		Field measurements		Overestimate and calibration model	0.09	1.11
4	Banasik et al. (1988)	Trazebunka (Poland)	300	Forest (watershed)	Storm-wise sediment	1 storm event	Measuring storm-wise	Field measurements and WMd	Field measurements				Acceptable results and increased sediment after deforestation extent 126%	Unchanged
5	Madeyski and Banasik (1989)	Six small watersheds (Poland)	3200 to 7700	Forest (watershed)	Storm-wise sediment	78 events (3-year period)	Measuring storm-wise	Estimated from soils maps	Estimated from topography map		Estimated from cropping history		Acceptable results (r = 0.87)	0.00278	0.8
6	Santos and Canino (1997)	Southern Puerto Rico	400	Forest, agricultural and urban (watershed)	Storm-wise sediment	6 events with 24-h periods	Measuring storm-wise	Existing studies and WMd	Topographic Map		Available statistics and weighted average		Acceptable results	Unchanged
7	Epifanio et al. (1991)	Foothill Range Field Station (California)	26	Oak forest (watershed)	Storm-wise sediment	Statistic 20 events available	Measuring storm-wise	Existing studies and WMd	Topographic Map		Available statistics and weighted average		Overestimate and Significant difference even after calibration	0.21	0.76
8	Epifanio et al. (1991)	Foothill Range Field Station (California)	106	Oak forest (watershed)	Storm-wise sediment	Statistic 20 events available	Measuring storm-wise	Existing studies and WMd	Topographic Map		Available statistics and weighted average		Overestimate and Significant difference even after calibration	1.7	0.7
9	McConkey et al. (1997)	Western Canada	14.58	Rectangular fields (cropland)	Annual sediment	Storm data (31-year period)	Average annual	Seasonality sample	Measuring field				Appropriate estimates after calibration	0.852	0.09
10	Golson et al. (2000)	Thomas—Agricultural Research Station (USA)	N.A.	Agricultural Plots (0.02 and 0.45 ha)	Storm-wise sediment	Sampling of 6 storm events	Measuring storm-wise	Existing studies and WMd	Measurement				Appropriate estimates	Unchanged
11	Mahmoudzadeh et al. (2002)	12 watersheds, Sydney, (Australia)	N.A.	Forest, agricultural and pasture (watersheds)	Annual sediment	6–28 year period	Average annual	Sampling	Topographic Map		Measurement		Insignificant relationship between estimations with observation values	Unchanged
12	Rezaiifard et al. (2002)	AfchhvLatyan (Iran)	2876	Pasture (watershed)	Annual and Storm-wise sediment	Statistic 19 events available	Available statistics	Existing studies and WMd	Topographic Map		Available statistics and weighted average		Overestimate (16–24) and calibration with 4 events (R^2 = 93%)	Calibrated, but was not provided
13	Khajehie et al. (2002)	Shahrchii (Iran)	41 330	Pasture (watershed)	Annual and Storm-wise sediment	Statistic 30 events available	Available statistics	Existing studies and WMd	Topographic Map		Available statistics and weighted average		Overestimate and calibration model (R^2 = 99%)	0.001	1.082
14	Erskine et al. (2002)	Shale Sydney, (Australia)	N.A.	N.A.	Annual sediment	6–28-year period	Average annual	Sampling	Topographic Map		Measurement		Appropriate estimates	Unchanged
15	Blaszczynski (2003)	N.A.			Annual and Storm-wise sediment	N.A.	SCS method	N.A.	Existing data and GIS				Appropriate estimates	Unchanged
16	Sadeghi et al. (2004)	Amameh (Iran)	3712	Pasture (watershed)	Storm-wise sediment	Statistics 15 storm events	Measuring storm-wise	Existing studies and WMd	Topographic Map		For each storm event	Available statistics and weighted average	Overestimate and calibration (R^2 = 98%) and Application necessary for large storm events	Unchanged	0.081
17	Sadeghi and Mahdavi (2004)	Amameh (Iran)	3712	Pasture (watershed)	Storm-wise sediment	Statistics 15 storm events	Reverse routing (Sadeghi and Singh 2010)	Existing studies and WMd	Topographic Map		Available statistics and weighted average		Underestimate and Significant difference	Unchanged
18	Sarkhosh et al. (2004)	Darakeh (Iran)	2460	Pasture (watershed)	Annual sediment	Statistic 14 events available	Measuring storm-wise	Sampling and WMd	Topographic Map		Laflan’s Classification		Comparison MUSLE and MPSIAC and Priority Results MUSLE	0.234	0.53
19	Cambazoglu and Gogos (2004)	Western Black Sea Region (Turkey)	N.A.	Land use not mentioned (42 watersheds)	Annual and Storm-wise sediment with return period 2, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100	8 storm events	Measuring storm-wise	161 Samples	Topographic Map		Available statistics and weighted average		Underestimate and Significant difference	Unchanged
20	Chen and Mackay (2004)	Pheasant Branch (USA)	2871	Pasture and agricultural (watershed)	Storm-wise sediment	Sampling in 4 years	Measuring storm-wise	N.A.	Existing data and GIS				Overestimate and Significant difference	Unchanged	1.12
21	Appel et al. (2006)	Isábena (Spain)	N.A.	Four badlands	Storm-wise sediment	Sampling for 1 storm event	Measuring storm-wise	Sampling	Existing data and GIS				Underestimate and Significant difference	Unchanged
22	Basson (2005)	40 sub-watersheds in Mbuluzi (Switzerland)	N.A.	Pasture and agricultural (watershed)	Annual sediment	Sampling for storm event	Measuring storm-wise	N.A.	Existing data and GIS				Appropriate estimates	Unchanged
23	Porabdullah (2005)	Latyan (Iran)	37.2	Pasture (watershed)	Storm-wise sediment	Statistic 19 events (calibration) and 4 events (validation)	Available statistics	Existing studies and WMd	Topographic Map		Available statistics and weighted average		Accurate estimates of model compared with SWAT and calculation K intermediate 0.16–0.32	Unchanged
24	Ma (2006)	Nyando (Kenya) Nzoia (Kenya)	356 200	Forest, agricultural and pasture (watershed)	Storm-wise sediment	Existing data for 55 years	Measuring storm-wise	Sampling	Measured in each sub watershed and GIS				Overestimate and Good estimates after calibration	N.A.
26	Varvani et al. (2006)	Gharachay (Iran)	175 092	Pasture (watershed)	Storm-wise sediment	Sampling of 5 storm events	Measuring storm-wise	Existing studies and WMd	Topographic Map		Available statistics and weighted average		Overestimate and calibration (Estimated average difference of about 133 176 ton)	Unchanged	0.324
27	Arekhi (2007)	Dolikhan (India)	40	Agricultural (watershed)	Annual sediment	7 events (3-year period)	Through KW-GIUH model help GIS	Existing studies and WMd	Through GIS		Available statistics and weighted average		Good estimates based validation with 11 events with average relative error of 7%	Unchanged
28		Salarotola (India)	47	Forest (watershed)	Annual sediment	Existing data	Through KW-GIUH model help GIS	Existing studies and WMd	Through GIS		Available statistics and weighted average		Appropriate estimates based validation with 4 events with average relative error 49%	Unchanged
29		Nola (India)	42	Forest (watershed)	Annual sediment	Existing data	Through KW-GIUH model help GIS	Existing studies and WMd	Through GIS		Available statistics and weighted average		Appropriate estimates based validation with 4 events with average relative error 49%	Unchanged
30	Chakrabarty et al. (2007)	Kistobazar (India)	N.A.	Forest and agricultural (watershed)	Storm-wise sediment	One storm event	SCS method	N.A.					Appropriate estimates	Unchanged
31	Jaramillo (2007)	Jozeph (Spain)	4100	Forest, agricultural and urban (watershed)	Storm-wise sediment	Sampling of 12 storm events	Measuring storm-wise	Existing studies and WMd			Existing data and GIS		Overestimate and provide good estimates for storms more than 10 mm	Unchanged
32	Sadeghi et al. (2007a)	Matash (Iran)	0.004	Pasture plot with free grazing and hand picked	Storm-wise sediment	Sampling of 24 storm events	Measuring storm-wise	Existing studies and WMd	Measurement				Overestimate (R^2 = 86%)	Unchanged
33	Sadeghi et al. (2007b)	Mie (Japan)	4.8	Forest (watershed)	Storm-wise sediment	Sampling of 8 storm events	Measuring storm-wise	Existing studies and WMd	Topographic Map		Classification Laflan (2003)		Overestimate and calibration (R^2 = 88%)	0.781	60.63
34	Abdulla and Eshtawi (2007)	Kufranja (Jordan)	N.A.	Rural and agricultural watershed	Storm-wise sediment	Existing data	Measuring storm-wise	N.A.					Appropriate estimates	Unchanged
35	Sadeghi et al. (2008)	Khosbijan (Iran)	0.004	Experimental plots, rain-fed	Storm-wise sediment	Statistic 12 events available	Measuring storm-wise	Existing studies and WMd	Topographic Map		Available statistics and weighted average		Insignificant relationship between estimations with observation values	Unchanged
36	Rostamian et al. (2008)	Beheshtabad (Iran)	386 000	Pasture and agricultural (watershed)	Storm-wise sediment	Existing data	Measuring storm-wise	N.A.					Accurate estimates of model in SWAT model sediment (R^2 = 85%)	Unchanged
37	Pandey et al. (2009)	Karso (India)	2800	Forest and agricultural (watershed)	Storm-wise sediment	345 storm events	Measuring storm-wise	Existing studies and WMd	Using GIS		Land studies and RS		Appropriate estimates	Unchanged
38	Esmali and Abedini (2009)	Pole-Almasi (Iran)	103 200	N.A.	Erosion	N.A.							Acceptable results in the pixel level and inappropriate in watershed level	N.A.
39	Khaledi Darvishan et al. (2009)	Chehelgazi (Iran)	27 233	Pasture and agricultural (watershed)	Storm-wise sediment	Sampling of 11 storm events	Measuring storm-wise	Existing studies and WMd	Topographic Map		Available statistics and weighted average		Overestimate (26–66) and calibration with 3 events and relative estimation and verification errors of 29.05 and 38.40%, respectively	0.003	0.73
40	Zhang et al. (2009)	Black Hawk (USA)	2420	Agricultural (watershed)	Storm-wise sediment	Data registered 2 years storm	SCS method	Existing studies and WMd	Using GIS				Appropriate estimates	Unchanged
41	Mishra and Ravibabu (2009)	Bhalukanala (India)	1006	Agricultural (watershed)	Storm-wise sediment	15 storm events registered	SCS method	Existing studies and WMd	Using GIS		Land studies and RS		Appropriate estimates	Unchanged
42	Wambua et al. (2009)	Njoro (Kenya)	N.A.	Land use not mentioned (watershed)	Storm-wise sediment	N.A.	Measuring storm-wise	N.A.					Appropriate estimates	Unchanged
43	Shen et al. (2009)	Zhangjiachong (China)	162	Forest and agricultural (watershed)	Monthly sediment	N.A.							Overestimate (R^2 = 67%)	Unchanged
44	Noor et al. (2010)	Kojor (Iran)	13 000	Forest (watershed)	Phosphorus losses	Sampling of 7 storm events	Measuring storm-wise	Existing studies and WMd	Existing data		Vegetation map	Available statistics and weighted average	Overestimate and calibration (R^2 = 93%)	0.087	0.34
45	Smith et al. (1984)	Oklahoma (USA)	0.04 to 122	Pastoral and agricultural (25 watersheds)	Storm-wise sediment	Storm data for 3–5 years	Measuring storm-wise	Sampling	Measurement				Appropriate estimates	Unchanged
46	Lpez-Tarazn et al. (2012)	Isábena (Spain)	44 500	Land use not mentioned (watershed)	Storm-wise sediment	Sampling	N.A.						Appropriate estimates	Unchanged
47	Qiu et al. (2012)	Zhifanggou watershed (China)	827	Woodland, grassland and cropland	Daily and applied for the SWAT model	1998–2008	N.A.						Under estimate of SWAT	Unchanged
48	Yang et al. (2012)	Huaihe River watershed (China)	27 000 000	Paddy, farmland and woodland	Flood events and coupling with the Xinanjiang model	2000–2008	Xinanjiang model	Xixian soil survey	Using DEM and GIS		National land-use map of 2000		Appropriate estimates	Unchanged

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