Adaptation of the RUSLE2 Model to Assess Soil Losses Due To Water Erosion in the Northern Part of the Great Chinese Plain (Using the Example of Beijing)

Water erosion is one of the most extensive processes of soil and land degradation. This process significantly deteriorates the quality of ecosystem services provided. Studying the mechanism and consequences of this phenomenon will help develop strategies to mitigate its impact on the environment. One of the challenges in studying water erosion is the high cost of conducting field research over large areas. Another challenge is the limitation of existing models, which are often developed for specific regions. Our research aims to address these problems by adapting the widely used RUSLE2 model to local conditions. Beijing was chosen as the study area due to its rich information resources and extensive results from field measurements of soil water erosion. Calculations were performed using a raster data model, which included a slope angle model, slope length, soil erodibility, rainfall erosion potential factors from precipitation and snowmelt, land use types, and vegetation cover management factors. All data were taken from open sources. The average soil erosion in the studied area was 25 t · ha–1 per year. The discrepancy with other studies was less than 1%. The modified RUSLE2 model showed good results, correlating with other studies in this area.