Implementation of RUSLE in Mediterranean vineyards.

Soil erosion by water has been identified as one of the major threats that affect European agricultural soils. Olive groves and vineyards are often situated on steep hill slopes in areas where the annual rainfall is low but subject to high intensity rainstorms. Measured data showed that in the Mediterranean region the highest runoff rates are related to tree crops and vineyard land use. Some of the highest rates of soil erosion in the Mediterranean region have been found in olive groves and vineyards on sloping land, where soil is tilled to maintain a bare soil surface to save water for the crops (Cerdan et al., 2010). Analysis with simulation models is a way to evaluate the impact of changes in soil management on soil erosion risk under contrasting situations, and the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) remains as the most widely used. Despite its relative simplicity, a proper calibration for a given situation can be challenging, especially in situations outside of those widely covered in the USA. To overcome this problem some authors have proposed simplified procedures, such as the summary model proposed by Gómez et al. (2003) for use of RUSLE in olives, the determination of USLE C factors from cumulative field measurement soil erosion in vineyards (e.g. Novara et al., 2011) or calibration of the parameters required to determine the USLE C factor (Auerswald and Schwab, 1999).