**7. Recommendations**

The experiment conducted was limited only for a fixed slope of 65 degrees. The hydroseeding mix had a single set of mixture components. Rainfall simulation rate was at a constant 120mm/hr. Future studies on combined hydroseeding with coconet may consider variable slopes and different length to width and depth dimensions. Other plant varieties

**12** 

*France* 

**SCALES: An Original Model to Diagnose** 

**Impact of Climate Change on Its Evolution** 

In that they regulate the water supply, determine air quality, are an essential component of the biodiversity of environments, support biomass production, and are a factor in maintaining and developing populations, soils perform environmental, productive and societal functions which take part in maintaining the fragile balance of territories (EEA, 2008). Therefore, soils constitute a natural heritage which has to be sustainably managed at a local as well as global level. There is now an international consensus on this statement, as human-caused soil degradation has accelerated and taken on more diversified

In Europe, water erosion of soils is seen as one of the main forms of degradation of arable land. The surface of European soil affected by erosion is estimated to be around 12%. From continental to local levels, territorial agencies need to avail of geo-referenced information to Fig.ht against or prevent soil erosion. The aim in particular is to map the areas most affected or likely to be affected, in order to formulate restorative or preventative measures (*Gobin* et al., 2004). Besides, in the current context dominated by a global warming which will in the mid and long term disrupt the natural components of habitats, it seems necessary to provide the representatives of civil society with new elements which facilitate rationalized

anticipation of future evolutions and of consequences in terms of land management.

To that end, erosion risk maps are essential documents. They are the result in particular of the production of semi-quantitative erosion models such as PSIAC (PSIAC, 1968; Hadley et al., 1985), FSM (Verstraeten et al., 2003; de Vente et al., 2005), EHU (Stocking and Elwell, 1973), CORINE (EEA, 1992) or even INRA (Le Bissonnais and Daroussin, 2001) and PESERA

Whereas all the semi-quantitative models can be characterized by their simplicity and their high application potential to global spatial and temporal scales, their degree of accuracy does not allow the mapping of erosion problems at local level. To overcome this difficulty, we have developed the SCALES model (Le Gouée et al., 2010). SCALES is a model which offers similarities with semi-quantitative models as regards structure of model, holistic positioning, and strong reproducibility potential, but also with physical and empirical models because of the great accuracy of the data used and of their spatial representation.

manifestations across the world over the past fifty years.

**1. Introduction** 

(Kirkby et al., 2003).

**Soil Erosion Hazard and Assess the** 

Patrick Le Gouée, Olivier Cantat, Abdelkrim Bensaid,

Alexis Goulet and Daniel Delahaye *University of Caen Basse-Normandie,* 

locally available in a particular area may be considered. Other rainfall intensities may be tested. Consideration of wind and other environmental factors could be included to simulate stormy weather.
