Scale effects on soil erosion debunked: new insights revolutionize environmental protection.
Soil erosion on hillslopes varies at different scales. A study used a mix of equations to understand how scale affects erosion. They found that small-scale erosion decreases with slope length, while large-scale erosion increases. Rainfall duration and intensity impact erosion, while factors like soil type and slope gradient also play a role. Different erosion models show consistent results only when rill erosion is the main cause of soil loss. This study helps us understand how erosion changes with scale, which can help in studying larger environmental processes.