K Values of the Soils of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Haiti, and Puerto Rico

Soil erosion prediction has been used for decades, as soil erosion has a major negative effect on soil and water quality. The Κ factor (soil credibility factor) in the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) is very useful for predicting annual mean soil loss by sheet and rill erosion. This paper summarizes published data on Κ values at the soil series level according to soil orders of Soil Taxonomy, from selected soils of the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), Haiti, and Puerto Rico. The Κ values for Inceptisols ranged from 0.16 to 0.17 in USVI, Haiti, and Puerto Rico. The Κ values of Entisols and Alfisols ranged from 0.14 to 0.20 in USVI and Puerto Rico. The Κ values of Mollisols were 0.10, 0.09, and 0.18 for Haiti, USVI, and Puerto Rico, respectively. Oxisols are the least susceptible to erosion in Haiti whereas Oxisols, Ultisols, and Spodosols are the least susceptible to erosion Puerto Rico. Considering only the Κ factor, Vertisols are the most erosive soils in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with values higher than 0.24