The limits on the usefulness of erosion hazard ratings

Abstract

Although erosion-hazard ratings are often used to guide forest practices, those used in California from 1974 to 1982 have been inadequate for estimating erosion potential. To improve the erosion-hazard rating procedure, separate estimating equations were used for different situations. The ratings were partitioned according to yarding method, erosional process, and both yarding method and erosional process. Partitioning by yarding method resulted in a slight improvement in the precision of erosion estimates. The other two methods resulted in fourfold increases in prediction errors. Results indicate that a single unified erosion-hazard rating procedure is the most practical way of predicting logging-related erosion in northwestern California

Citation

Rice, R. M.; Gradek, P. D. 1984. The limits on the usefulness of erosion hazard ratings. Can. J. For. Research 14: 559-564.