• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.361-371
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• 2002

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.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.163-179
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• 2003

Multifunctionality of agriculture which is not traded on the market now has been an important international issue in that it environmental and public benefits. We carried out to modify and to update the function of upland farming on flood prevention and fostering water resources. Economic values of environmental benefits were evaluated by replacement cost methods. Models to evaluate the function of preventing flood were selected as: (1)precipitation(flood-inducing) - runoff(A), (2) soil depth ${\times}$ soil air phase, (3) precipitation (flood-inducing) - runoff(B), (4) soil depth ${\times}$ effective porosity of soil. Models to estimate the function of fostering water resources were (1) saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) ${\times}$ duration of saturation(days) ${\times}$ (1-ratio of water flow directly into river), (2) precipitation ${\times}$ ratio of water fostered by rain resources ${\times}$ (area of upland/total land area), and (3) soil water retention quantity(under standing crop or tree) - SWRQ(in bare soil). Function of preventing flood was $883Mg\;ha^{-1}$ of water per year and 645 million Mg for the whole upland area. Function of fostering water resources was $94.1Mg\;ha^{-1}$ of water per year and 69 million Mg for the whole upland area. The value of flood-preventing function evaluated by replacement cost methods was estimated 1,428 billion won per year as compared to the cost for dam construction. The value of water resource fostering were estimated 8.6 billion won in the price of living water.