Slope Length Effects
ØSlope length effect is greater on slopes where rill erosion is greater relative to interrill erosion
ØExamples:
-Steep slopes
-Soils susceptible to rill erosion
-Soils recently tilled
-Low soil biomass
The slope length factor represents the combination of erosion by surface runoff (rill erosion) and raindrop impact (interrill erosion).
Interrill erosion doesn’t vary along the slope.
Rill increases along the slope because of an accumulation of runoff.
Thus, erosion increases most rapidly along those slopes where rill erosion is the dominant erosion process.