Estimating erosion vulnerability within agricultural fields by downscaling the Daily Erosion Project (DEP): the OfEtool, 2024

This 2024 study introduces the OFEtool, which downscales Daily Erosion Project (DEP) data from the watershed level to individual fields, enabling more precise identification of soil erosion hotspots in the Midwest. The OFEtool leverages real-time model inputs, such as climate, land use, and management, so users can estimate average runoff and soil loss at the pixel or field scale to target problem areas for conservation practices. Compared with traditional risk assessment models (GIS-based RUSLE and SVI-cc), the OFEtool consistently identifies vulnerable areas of the landscape but assigns lower risk levels due to its mechanistic, event-based approach and updated data inputs. The approach helps farmers and planners prioritize interventions, though further research is needed to adapt the tool to a broader variety of landscapes and validate it beyond its current domain.