Literature Review on Estimating Erosion Potential in the Tropics

Abstract

Erosion is an event that causes the destruction and transportation of soil aggregates to transform and translocate the topsoil layer. Erosion has the capacity to wear away rocks, soil, and various dissolved substances, leading to the depletion of nutrient-rich soil layers. This, in turn, diminishes the soil's capacity to retain water reserves, absorb nutrients, and support plant growth. Increased erosion intensity occurs due to high rainfall and erosivity. In the tropics, rainfall conditions need to be considered because they can predict erosion potential. This writing was conducted using the literature study method. The purpose of this paper is to collect, analyze, and compile information related to erosion potential in the tropics. The results of this writing are able to identify several factors that influence the rain erosivity factor (R), soil erodibility (K), slope factor and slope length (LS), land management factors where the value of cover factor and land management factor(C) and erosion prevention practices (P). This article is a literature review for estimating erosion in tropical areas using the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) method, presenting various options to obtain values for each component of factors R, K, L, S, C, and P. It is expected to serve as a reference for researchers interested in conducting studies related to erosion potential estimation.