Potential soil erosion map per plot (2014)

The potential soil erosion map per parcel (2014) shows the total potential erosion of a particular agricultural parcel based on a class classification. The total potential erosion does not take into account the current land use (grassland or arable land) and is the sum of processing erosion and water erosion. Erosion by water is a process in which soil particles are loosened and transported by the impact of raindrops and flowing water, either lowly over a large surface, or concentrated in channels and ravines. This leads, among other things, to a decrease in soil quality and productivity, but also to significant damage caused by mud nuisance in downstream (residential) areas. Erosion is one of the most important forms of soil degradation in Flanders. The potential soil erosion map per parcel is based on the 2013 parcel map. Because the 2013 parcel map is not area-covering for the whole of Flanders, part of the agricultural usage data was derived from a classified satellite image of OCGIS Flanders. However, this image contains only land use information and no plot information, so the calculations for this area will obviously be of a much lower quality. The potential soil erosion map per plot was drawn up through computer modeling with a spatial resolution of 5 m (Research group Physical and Regional Geography, Department of Earth and Environment Sciences, K.U.Leuven). The calculation of water erosion is based on the revised universal soil loss equation or R.U.S.L.E. (Revised Soil Loss Equation, Renard et al, 1991). It is an empirical model that calculates the average annual soil erosion rate per unit area due to intergeal and geulerosion as a product of 6 factors: The machining erosion was calculated using Software based on the water edema model.