Effects of soil rock fragment content on the USLE-K factor estimating and its influencing factors

Rock fragments are an important component of soil, and their presence has a significant impact on soil erosion and sediment yield. In this paper, the effects of rock fragments in the topsoil profile (RFP) and rock fragments on the soil surface (RFS) on the soil erodibility factor (K) were assessed at a global scale. The spatial pattern of the relationship between stoniness and erodibility (R_S-K) and its predominant factors were explored through correlation analysis, pattern analysis, and random forest model analysis. The results were as followings: (1) The existence of RFP increased K by 2.84%. The RFS of the mountain land and desert/Gobi reduced K by 18.7%; therefore, once the RFP and RFS were taken into account in the calculation, K was 6.98% lower. (2) The predominant factors of the effect of RFS and the joint effect of RFP and RFS were elevation and slope gradient. The predominant factors of the effect of RFP were annual average precipitation and annual average temperature. (3) In assessing and mapping soil erosion in large regions, special attention should be given to areas with large rock fragment contents, a relatively high altitude, and the presence of steep slope. If rock fragments were not taken into consideration, the mapping results of soil erosion may be biased. This article made the calculation of K more complete and accurate, thereby improving the accuracy of regional soil erosion estimation. This research was of significance for the investigation of global hydrological effects and simulation of the global soil carbon budget.