A test for monitoring erosion on the Cape Fear experimental hillslope using a low-cost camera

Remote sensing and image analysis are gaining popularity as low-cost, continuous alternatives to traditional soil erosion measurement methods. This technical note presents a comparison between direct erosion measurements and image-based estimates on a semi-natural hillslope, taken before and after an artificial rainfall event. Although discrepancies between the two methods ranged from 18% to 27%, the image-based approach successfully detects rills as small as 5-7 cm, highlighting its potential for real-time, continuous monitoring in field applications.