*3.1.5 Modeling erosion using GIS*

The application of GIS in erosion models enables the storing of georeferenced data, computation of input parameters for multiple scenarios, geographical analysis of modeling outputs, and effective display. GIS is utilized for the statistical analysis and modeling of erosion processes found in remote sensing data. In the early 1990s, the Geographic Resource Analysis and Support System (GRASS) provided an environment for creative work on the integration of GIS with hydrologic and erosion modeling [72, 73]. The primary use of geospatial erosion models is found in the fields of agriculture, soil conservation, minimization of silt contamination, and sustainable military management as evidenced by various sources [64, 74]. One of the initial hillslope erosion models utilized in GIS was the Universal Computing Soil Loss Equation (USLE), which was applied to analyze the impact of recent wildfires on forests and hillslopes [75]. Furthermore, topographic parameters derived from digital elevation models (DEMs) are extracted to support the analysis. Moore and Wilson come next, then Moore and Birch [73, 76], set the stage for USLEAP-Applications to Landscapes with Complex Topography and the connection between unit flow power theory and USLE. The popularity of this strategy has led to multiple USLE installations supported by GIS for challenging topographic settings [77, 78]. Among the more recent GIS applications of USLE coverage area size, large watersheds with mapped land cover from remote sensing images are just a few examples [79–82].
