ABSTRACT
A mathematical model called SLEMSEP (Soil Loss Estimation Model for Slope Erosion Process) was developed for simulating soil change caused by human activity in arid areas and was verified on the Zhuanyaogou watershed, in the northwest Shanxi Province, China. SLEMSEP continuously simulates the process of slope erosion realistically, using a daily time step and readily available inputs. The model can be used in quantitatively evaluating the soil erosion impacted by human activities, forecasting the direction of the soil change, providing scientific basis for making strategic decisions on soil and water conservation and selecting practices to control soil erosion. Since soil change can be a relatively slow process, SLEMSEP is capable of long-term simulation if necessary.
