Evaluating the effectiveness of forest crop to mitigate erosion using a sediment delivery distributed model

In this paper sediment yield data, measured from 1978 to 1997 in a small ex perimental Calabrian basin reafforested with Eucalyptus trees (Eucalyptus o ccidentalis Engl.), and RUSLE (Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation) couple d with a sediment delivery distributed model are used to evaluate the antie rosive effects of this forest cover. At first, the soil loss measurements c arried out in two experimental plots, located in the basin, are used to eva luate the crop and management factor C of RUSLE for Eucalyptus coppice. The reliability of the selected C factor value is verified by comparing, at an event scale, the measured and the calculated sediment yield values at the basin outlet. Then, a Monte Carlo technique is used for evaluating the effe cts of the knowledge uncertainty and the stochastic variability of the mode l parameters on calculated sediment yield. Finally, at basin scale, the spa tial variability of the crop cover is considered in order to estimate the s ediment yield corresponding to scenarios having different percentages of th e crop cover.