Code of Federal Regulations Title 7. Agriculture § 7.610.13 Equations for predicting soil loss due to wind erosion

(1) E is the estimation of the average annual soil loss in tons per acre.

(2) f indicates the equation includes functional relationships that are not straight-line mathematical calculations.

(3) I is the soil erodibility index. It is the potential for soil loss from a wide, level, unsheltered, isolated field with a bare, smooth, loose and uncrusted surface. Soil erodibility is based on soil surface texture, calcium carbonate content, and percent day.

(4) K is the ridge roughness factor. It is a measure of the effect of ridges formed by tillage and planting implements on wind erosion. The ridge roughness is based on ridge spacing, height, and erosive wind directions in relation to the ridge direction.

(5) C is the climatic factor. It is a measure of the erosive potential of the wind speed and surface moisture at a given location compared with the same factors at Garden City, Kansas. The annual climatic factor at Garden City is arbitrarily set at 100. All climatic factor values are expressed as a percentage of that at Garden City.

(6) L is the unsheltered distance. It is the unsheltered distance across an erodible field, measured along the prevailing wind erosion direction. This distance is measured beginning at a stable border on the upwind side and continuing downward to the nonerodible or stable area, or to the downwind edge of the area being evaluated.

(7) V is the vegetative cover factor. It accounts for the kind, amount, and orientation of growing plants or plant residue on the soil surface.