Effect of DEM Resolution in USLE LS Factor

Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) have been used to represent the effects of topography on soil erosion. A DEM of 30 m resolution is frequently used in hydrology and soil erosion studies because the National Water Management Information System (WAMIS) provides a 30 m resolution DEM at national scale on its web site. However, the Ministry of Environment recommends the use of a DEM with 10 m resolution for evaluation of soil erosion due to the fact that soil erosion estimation is to some degree affected by the spatial resolution of DEM. In this regard, a DEM with 5 m resolution was resampled for 10 × 10 m, 20 × 20 m, 30 × 30 m, 50 × 50 m, 70 × 70 m, and 100 × 100 m resolutions, respectively. USLE LS factors and soil erosion values were evaluated using these datasets. Use of a DEM with at least 30 m resolution provided reasonable LS factors and soil erosion values at a watershed.