LAUSR

Abstract Soil erosion is one of the most important processes affecting land degradation, especially in mountainous areas. The main aim of this study was to assess the dynamics of surface runoff and soil erosion in the Carpathians (Poland), based on data from over 30 years of plot studies, determine the threshold of extreme soil erosion on agricultural slopes, and estimate the cover-management factor (C-factor) of the flysch mountains. The field research was carried out in the Bystrzanka catchment on experimental plots with potato, cereals and grassland crop. The average annual soil erosion on the potato plots was 25.67 Mg ha−1 year−1, which was 95.4 and 99.7% higher than the soil erosion on the cereal and grassland plots. Principal component analysis was used to identify the factors determining soil erosion in the Carpathians, taking into account precipitation parameters, soil conditions, plant growth phases and agricultural practices. There were positive statistically significant relationships (p