Evaluation on national environmental functionality of farming on soil loss using the USLE and replacement cost method

Multifunctionality of agriculture has been an important international issue in terms of environmental benefits and public concerns. We calculated soil loss mass in national basis using the USLE, and attempted to evaluate its economical benefits by replacement cost method. Soil loss mass ranged from 1.4 to $18MT\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$ was fairly fitted to measured values for 13 cropping systems. In national basis, the factors in USLE were evaluated as: 429.4 for rainfall and runoff factor. R, 0.15 for soil erodibility factor, K, 1.72 for topographic factor, LS, 0.275 for cover and management factor, C, and 0.856 for support practice factor, P. The soil loss estimated from upland farming using the USLE was $26.1MT\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$, but soil loss from the bare soil was $110.8MT\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$, the ratio of soil loss from upland farming to bare soil was 23 percents. Function of reducing soil loss in comparison with the bare soil was $84.7MT\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$, of which national soil loss mass was 62.6 million MT per annum in south Korea. Agriculture economic replacement cost of soil loss reduction was 497 billion Wons(398 million dollars) for the cost of upland soil dressing. For conservational purposes to increase the environmental benefits of upland farming, the agricultural practice including contour, strip cropping, terracing and division ditches should be implemented.

USLE모형과 대체법을 이용한 밭농사의 토양유실 저감기능 계량화 평가

밭농사에 다원적기능중의 하나로 알려져 있는 토양유실저감기능에 대하여 기존에 보고된 결과를 수정 보완하였으며, 그 얻은 결과를 요약하면 다음과 같다. 1. 우리나라 밭농사의 토양유실량을 USLE모형을 이용하여 계산하였으며, 각 인자별 값은 다음과 같다. 강우인자(R)값은 429.4, 토양침식성인자(K)값은 0.15, 지형인자(LS)값은 1.72, 작물인자(C)값은 0.275, 토양관리인자(P)값은 0.856이었다. 2. USLE모형에 의한 우리나라 밭농사의 토양유실량은 ha당 연간 26.1톤이었으나, 나지토양의 경우에는 ha당 연간 110.8톤으로서 밭농사에 의한 토양유실량은 나지에 비하여 23% 수준이었으며, 연간 밭농사는 나지토양에 비하여 84.7톤의 토양유실량 저감기능이 있었다. 이것을 밭면적전체로는 연간 62,650천톤에 해당되었다. 3. 밭농사에 의한 토양유실저감량을 객토단가로 환산할 경우 연간 4,974억원에 해당하였다. 4. 토양유실 세부모형중 LS값이 1.72로 매우 높았는데, 밭농사의 공익기능을 제고하기 위해서는 등고선, 대상재배 등 농경적인 접근과 계단전 등의 전환 등 농토목적인 접근방식이 필요하다고 생각된다.