Assessment of soil erosion in the Irga watershed on the eastern edge of the Chota Nagpur Plateau,India

Human activities to improve the quality of life have accelerated the natural rate of soil erosion.In turn,these natural disasters have taken a great impact on humans.Human activities,particularly the conversion of vegetated land into agricultural land and built-up area,stand out as primary contributors to soil erosion.The present study investigated the risk of soil erosion in the Irga watershed located on the eastern fringe of the Chota Nagpur Plateau in Jharkhand,India,which is dominated by sandy loam and sandy clay loam soil with low soil organic carbon(SOC)content.The study used the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation(RUSLE)and Geographical Information System(GIS)technique to determine the rate of soil erosion.The five parameters(rainfall-runoff erosivity(R)factor,soil erodibility(K)factor,slope length and steepness(LS)factor,cover-management(C)factor,and support practice(P)factor)of the RUSLE were applied to present a more accurate distribution characteristic of soil erosion in the Irga watershed.The result shows that the R factor is positively correlated with rainfall and follows the same distribution pattern as the rainfall.The K factor values in the northern part of the study area are relatively low,while they are relatively high in the southern part.The mean value of the LS factor is 2.74,which is low due to the flat terrain of the Irga watershed.There is a negative linear correlation between Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI)and the C factor,and the high values of the C factor are observed in places with low NDVI.The mean value of the P factor is 0.210,with a range from 0.000 to 1.000.After calculating all parameters,we obtained the average soil erosion rate of 1.43 t/(hm^(2)•a),with the highest rate reaching as high as 32.71 t/(hm^(2)•a).Therefore,the study area faces a low risk of soil erosion.However,preventative measures are essential to avoid future damage to productive and constructive activities caused by soil erosion.This study also identifies the spatial distribution of soil erosion rate,which will help policy-makers to implement targeted soil erosion control measures.

Soil erosion susceptibility mapping of Hangu Region,Kohat Plateau of Pakistan using GIS and RS-based models

Soil erosion is a crucial geo-environmental hazard worldwide that affects water quality and agriculture,decreases reservoir storage capacity due to sedimentation,and increases the danger of flooding and landslides.Thus,this study uses geospatial modeling to produce soil erosion susceptibility maps(SESM)for the Hangu region,Khyber Pakhtunkhwa(KPK),Pakistan.The Hangu region,located in the Kohat Plateau of KPK,Pakistan,is particularly susceptible to soil erosion due to its unique geomorphological and climatic characteristics.Moreover,the Hangu region is characterized by a combination of steep slopes,variable rainfall patterns,diverse land use,and distinct soil types,all of which contribute to the complexity and severity of soil erosion processes.These factors necessitate a detailed and region-specific study to develop effective soil conservation strategies.In this research,we detected and mapped 1013 soil erosion points and prepared 12 predisposing factors(elevation,aspect,slope,Normalized Differentiate Vegetation Index(NDVI),drainage network,curvature,Land Use Land Cover(LULC),rainfall,lithology,contour,soil texture,and road network)of soil erosion using GIS platform.Additionally,GIS-based statistical models like the weight of evidence(WOE)and frequency ratio(FR)were applied to produce the SESM for the study area.The SESM was reclassified into four classes,i.e.,low,medium,high,and very high zone.The results of WOE for SESM show that 16.39%,33.02%,29.27%,and 21.30%of areas are covered by low,medium,high,and very high zones,respectively.In contrast,the FR results revealed that 16.50%,24.33%,35.55%,and 23.59%of the areas are occupied by low,medium,high,and very high classes.Furthermore,the reliability of applied models was evaluated using the Area Under Curve(AUC)technique.The validation results utilizing the area under curve showed that the success rate curve(SRC)and predicted rate curve(PRC)for WOE are 82%and 86%,respectively,while SRC and PRC for FR are 85%and 96%,respectively.The validation results revealed that the FR model performance is better and more reliable than the WOE.

Evaluation of soil erosion vulnerability in Hubei Province of China using RUSLE model and combination weighting method

Soil erosion has been recognized as a critical environmental issue worldwide.While previous studies have primarily focused on watershed-scale soil erosion vulnerability from a natural factor perspective,there is a notable gap in understanding the intricate interplay between natural and socio-economic factors,especially in the context of spatial heterogeneity and nonlinear impacts of human-land interactions.To address this,our study evaluates the soil erosion vulnerability at a provincial scale,taking Hubei Province as a case study to explore the combined effects of natural and socio-economic factors.We developed an evaluation index system based on 15 indicators of soil erosion vulnerability:exposure,sensitivity,and adaptability.In addition,the combination weighting method was applied to determine index weights,and the spatial interaction was analyzed using spatial autocorrelation,geographical temporally weighted regression and geographical detector.The results showed an overall decreasing soil erosion intensity in Hubei Province during 2000 and 2020.The soil erosion vulnerability increased before 2000 and then.The areas with high soil erosion vulnerability were mainly confined in the central and southern regions of Hubei Province(Xiantao,Tianmen,Qianjiang and Ezhou)with obvious spatial aggregation that intensified over time.Natural factors(habitat quality index)had negative impacts on soil erosion vulnerability,whereas socio-economic factors(population density)showed substantial spatial variability in their influences.There was a positive correlation between soil erosion vulnerability and erosion intensity,with the correlation coefficients ranging from-0.41 and 0.93.The increase of slope was found to enhance the positive correlation between soil erosion vulnerability and intensity.

Effect of Different Vegetation Types on Soil Erosion by Water

The C factor in Universal Soil loss Equation reflecting the effect of vegetation on soil erosion by water is one of the important parameters for estimating soil erosion rate and selecting appropriate land use patterns. In this study, the C factor for nine types of grassland and woodland was estimated from 195 plot-year observation data of six groups of soil erosion experiments on Loess Plateau. The result indicates that the effects of woodland and grassland on soil erosion keep approximately uniform after two or three years' growth. The estimated woodland C factor ranges from 0.004 to 0.164, and the grassland C factor ranges from 0.071 to 0.377, showing that the effect of woodland and grassland on soil conservation is greatly better than that of cropland. The study results can be used to compare or estimate the soil loss from land with different vegetation cover, and are the useful references for land use pattern selection and the project of returning cropland to forest or grassland.

Construction and Application of Soil Erosion Control and Circular Agriculture Mode in Hilly Red Soil of Southern China

[Objective] The paper was to construct soil erosion control and circular agriculture mode in hilly red soil of southern China, and analyze its application effort. [Method] The cause of soil erosion in hilly red soil of southern China and the reason for long-term treatment without remarkable effort were analyzed. On this basis, the key technology, economic benefit, ecological service function and carbon sequestration sink enhancement effect of various modes were further analyzed. [Result] The basic idea for comprehensive control of hilly soil erosion in southern China was as follows: the control of soil erosion was combined with modern agricultural production, in order to build "fruit(tea)-grass-livestock-methane" circular agriculture mode with comprehensive control of soil erosion; application effect analysis showed that the establishment of circular agriculture mode in southern hilly area to control soil erosion had remarkable effect, which could simultaneously meet the coordinated development of ecological, economic and social benefits. [Conclusion] This study established an effective mode suitable for soil erosion control and agricultural protection development in southern red soil mountain, which could drive the sustainable development of ecological restoration of mountainous area and rural agricultural economy.

Synthesis Analysis of Soil Erosion for Three-River Headwater Region Based on GIS

In this paper,based on the common soil erosion model,the Three-River Headwaters region was select for study object. GIS methods are applied to conduct Semi-quantitative assessment for different types of soil erosion,and some results are concluded. The water erosion occurs in High Mountain and extra-high mountain of Yushu,Nangqian,Banma and Jiuzhi County in the southeast and south of the Three-River Headwaters region. The degree of erosion is prone to topography,precipitation,river and human activity. The freeze-thaw erosion mainly distributes in the northwest of the Three-River Headwaters region. The area of middle and above middle erosion degree accounts for roughly 50%.

Soil Erosion under Different Land Use Types and Zones of Jinsha River Basin in Yunnan Province,China

Severe soil erosion in the middle and upper reaches of Yangtze River has been regarded as a major environmental problem. The on-site impact of soil erosion on agricultural production and the off-site impact on floods and sedimentation in Yangtze Rive are well known. A quantitative assessment of soil erosion intensity is still scanty for developing appropriate soil erosion control measures for different land use types and zones in this region. This article constructs a localized USLE and estimates the average soil loss in the Jinsha River Region in Yunnan Province, one of the priority areas for soil erosion control in the middle and upper reaches of Yangtze River. The estimation is done under different land uses and zones in this basin. The estimation shows that while soil erosion in the cultivated land is the most severe, 36～40% of the garden and forest land suffers from soil erosion of various degrees due to lack of ground cover and other factors. Soil erosion in the pasture is modest when the ground cover is well maintained. It also confirmed that terracing can reduce soil erosion intensity significantly on the cultivated land. Research findings suggest that sufficient attention must be paid to regeneration of the ground cover in reforestation programs. In addition to mass reforestation efforts, restoration of grassland and terracing of the cultivated land should also play an important role in erosion control.

Current Situation and Prevention of Soil Erosion from Construction of West-East Natural Gas Transmission (Ningxia-Shaanxi Section)

In the research, problems and damages of soil erosions in West -East Natural Gas Transmission were analyzed; the reasons were summarized and the characteristics of soil erosion were researched in order to explore principles of pipeline prevention and seek countermeasures.

A GIS-based Modeling Approach for Fast Assessment of Soil Erosion by Water at Regional Scale, Loess Plateau of China

The objective of this study is to develop a unique modeling approach for fast assessment of massive soil erosion by water at a regional scale in the Loess Plateau, China. This approach relies on an understanding of both regional patterns of soil loss and its impact factors in the plateau area. Based on the regional characteristics of precipitation, vegetation and land form, and with the use of Landsat TM and ground investigation data, the entire Loess Plateau was first divided into 3 380 Fundamental Assessment Units （FAUs） to adapt to this regional modeling and fast assessment. A set of easily available parameters reflecting relevant water erosion factors at a regional scale was then developed, in which dynamic and static factors were discriminated. Arclnfo GIS was used to integrate all essential data into a central database. A resulting mathematical model was established to link the sediment yields and the selected variables on the basis of FAUs through overlay in GIS and multiple regression analyses. The sensitivity analyses and validation results show that this approach works effectively in assessing large area soil erosion, and also helps to understand the regional associations of erosion and its impact factors, and thus might significantly contribute to planning and policymaking for a large area erosion control in the Loess Plateau.

Study on Soil Erosion Model Under Different Slopes in Southwest Karst Mountain Area

The aim was to further research soil erosion characteristics and accurately predict soil erosion amount in karst areas. Based on field surveys and research achievements available, yellow soils, which are widely distributed, were chosen as test soil samples and slope, rain intensity, vegetation coverage and bare-rock ratio were taken as soil erosion factors. Artificial rain simulation instruments （needle-type） were made use of to simulate correlation of rain intensity, vegetation coverage, and bare-rock ratio with soil erosion quantity. Furthermore, multiple-factor linear regression analysis, stepwise regression analysis and multiple-factor non-linear regression analy- sis were made to establish a multiple-factor formula of soil erosion modulus with dif- ferent slopes and select regression models with high correlation coefficients. The re- sults show that a non-linear regression model reached extremely significant level or significant level （0.692〈FF〈0.988） and linear regression model achieved significant lev- el （0.523〈FF〈0.634）. The effects of erosion modulus changed from decreasing to in- creasing and the erosion factors from high to low were rain intensity, vegetation cov- erage and bare-rock ratio when slope gradient was at 6~, 16~, 26~ and 36~. The mod- el is of high accuracy for predicting gentle slope and abtupt slope, which reveals correlation of erosion modulus with erosion factors in karst areas.

Effect of Soil Erosion on Productivity of Sloping Field in a Micro-plot Experiment

[Objective] This study aimed to explore the effects of soil erosion on the productivity of sloping field. [Method] Through removing of and covering with topsoil in a micro-plot experiment, the effect of soil erosion on productivity of sloping field was studied. [Result] The results showed that there was extremely significantly posi- tive correlation between the thicknesses of covered topsoil with either the yield of maize seeds or the yield of maize stalks, which indicated that the yields of maize seeds and maize stalks decreased extremely significantly with the increase of the amount of surface soil loss caused by erosion on the sloping field. The yields of maize seeds and maize stalks decreased by 29.62% and 24.46% respectively in the treatment with removal of a 15 cm thick layer of mature topsoil in the plow layer; the yields of maize seeds and maize stalks decreased by 17.31% and 20.14% re- spectively in the treatment with removal of a 10 cm thick layer of mature topsoil in the plow layer; the yields of maize seeds and maize stalks decreased by 12.69% and 11.51% respectively in the treatment with removal of a 5 cm thick layer of ma- ture topsoil in the plow layer; the yields of maize seeds and maize stalks increased by 10.00% and 9.35% respectively in the treatment with covering with a 5 cm thick layer of mature topsoil in the plow layer; the yields of maize seeds and maize stalks increased by 15.77% and 16.19% respectively in the treatment with covering with a 10 cm thick layer of mature topsoil in the plow layer; the yields of maize seeds and maize stalks increased by 17.69% and 25.18% respectively in the treat- ment with covering with a 15 cm thick layer of mature topsoil in the plow layer. [Conclusion] This study provides a basis for assessing the effect of soil erosion on sloping field.

Effect of Vegetation Changes on Soil Erosion on the Loess Plateau

Vegetation is one of the key factors affecting soil erosion on the Loess Plateau. The effects of vegetation destruction and vegetation restoration on soil erosion were quantified using data from long-term field runoff plots established on the eastern slope of the Ziwuling secondary forest region, China and a field survey. The results showed that before the secondary vegetation restoration period (before about 1866-1872), soil erosion in the Ziwuling region of the Loess Plateau was similar to the current erosion conditions in neighboring regions, where the soil erosion rate now is 8000 to 10000 t km-2 year-1. After the secondary vegetation restoration, soil erosion was very low; influences of rainfall and slope gradient on soil erosion were small; the vegetation effect on soil erosion was predominant; shallow gully and gully erosion ceased; and sediment deposition occurred in shallow gully and gully channels. In modern times when human activities destroyed secondary forests, soil erosion increased markedly, and erosion rates in the deforested lands reached 10000 to 24000 t km-2 year-1, which was 797 to 1682 times greater than those in the forested land prior to deforestation. Rainfall intensity and landform greatly affected the soil erosion process after deforestation. These results showed that accelerated erosion caused by vegetation destruction played a key role in soil degradation and eco-environmental deterioration in deforested regions.

Effect of Different Vegetation Systems on Soil Erosion and Soil Nutrients in Red Soil Region of Southeastern China

The effect of different vegetation systems including bamboo plantation (BP), forest ecosystem (CF),citrus orchard (Ctr) and farmland (FL) on erosion and nutrients of red soil were investigated in hilly region of southeastern China to find effective control measures for soil erosion. The results showed that all the vegetation systems could significantly reduce soil erosion and nutrient losses compared to bare land (Br).The ability of different vegetation systems to conserve soil and water was in the order of Ctr ＞ BP ＞ CF ＞ FL ＞ Br. Vegetation could also improve soil fertility. The soil organic matter, total N and total P contents were much higher in all the vegetation systems than in bare land, especially for the top soils. Vegetation systems improved soil physical properties remarkably. Compared to the bare land, soil organic matter, TP,TK and available K, especially soil microbial biomass C, N and P, increased under all the vegetation covers.However, they were still much lower than expected, thus these biological measurements are still needed to be carried out continuously.

Estimation of soil erosion risk within a small mountainous sub-watershed in Kerala,India,using Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation(RUSLE) and geo-information technology

A comprehensive methodology that integrates Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation （RUSLE） model and Geographic Information System （GIS） techniques was adopted to determine the soil erosion vulner- ability of a forested mountainous sub-watershed in Kerala, India. The spatial pattern of annual soil erosion rate was obtained by integrating geo-environmental variables in a raster based GIS method. GIS data layers including, rainfall erosivity （R）, soil erodability （K）, slope length and steepness （LS）, cover management （C） and conservation practice （P） factors were computed to determine their effects on average annual soil loss in the area. The resultant map of annual soil erosion shows a maximum soil loss of 17.73 t h-1 y i with a close relation to grass land areas, degraded forests and deciduous forests on the steep side-slopes （with high LS ）. The spatial erosion maps generated with RUSLE method and GIS can serve as effective inputs in deriving strategies for land planning and management in the environmentally sensitive mountainous areas.

Dynamics of Soil Erosion in Xingguo County, China, Determined Using Remote Sensing and GIS

The spatial and temporal dynamics of soil erosion in Xingguo County, Jiangxi Province, China were studied using multi-period remote sensing images and GIS. The results indicated that the soil erosion status of the region has been improving, particularly since the 1980s, with the erosion rate showing an evident decline over the past 30 years. The improvement showed not only in the decline of eroded soil area, but also with the reduction in the extent of erosion. The extent of erosion mainly changed by one level, and the change primarily occurred with the severely or moderately eroded soil types. However, in general, soil erosion was still an overriding problem in the region with some areas becoming more serious, especially those with large quantities of granite.

Environmental Factors Affecting Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of Soil Erosion in Xingguo County, South China

By using soil erosion maps of four different time periods and a digital elevation model (DEM), in combination withthe remote sensing and GIS technologies, soil erosion dynamics in Xingguo County of Jiangxi Province in South Chinawere analyzed on both temporal and spatial scales in soils of different parent materials, altitudes and slopes. The resultsshowed that from 1958 to 2000 severe soil erosion was coming under control with a decreasing percentage of the land undersevere erosion. It was also found that the soils developed from Quaternary red clay, granite and purple shale were moresusceptible to soil erosion and that areas sitting between 200 to 500 m in altitude with a slope less than 3° or between7° to 20° where human activities were frequent remained to be zones where soil erosion was most likely to occur. Theseareas deserve special attention in monitoring and controlling.

Effects of Accelerated Soil Erosion on Soil Nutrient Loss After Deforestation on the Loess Plateau

Soil erosion and nutrient losses on newly-deforested lands in the Ziwuling Region on the Loess Plateau of China were monitored to quantitatively evaluate the effects of accelerated soil erosion, caused by deforestation, on organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus losses. Eight natural runoff plots were established on the loessial hill slopes representing different erosion patterns of dominant erosion processes including sheet, rill and shallow gully (similar to ephemeral gully). Sediment samples were collected after each erosive rainfall event. Results showed that soil nutrients losses increased with an increase of erosion intensity. Linear relations between the losses of organic matter, total N, NH4-N, and available P and erosion intensity were found. Nutrient content per unit amount of eroded sediment decreased from the sheet to the shallow gully erosion zones, whereas total nutrient loss increased. Compared with topsoil, nutrients in eroded sediment were enriched, especially available P and NH4-N. The intensity of soil nutrient losses was also closely related to soil erosion intensity and pattern with the most severe soil erosion and nutrient loss occurring in the shallow gully channels on loessial hill slopes. These research findings will help to improve the understanding of the relation between accelerated erosion process after deforestation and soil quality degradation and to design better eco-environmental rehabilitation schemes for the Loess Plateau.

Assessing Soil Erosion Rates on Manually-Tilled Hillslopes in the Sichuan Hilly Basin Using ^(137)Cs and ^(210)Pb_(ex) Measurements

Purple soils are widely distributed in the Sichuan Hilly Basin and are highly susceptible to erosion, especially on the cultivated slopes. Quantitative assessment of the erosion rates is, however, difficult due to small size of the plots of the manually-tilled land, the complex land use, and steep hillslopes. ^137Cs and ^210Pbex （excess ^210Pb） tracing techniques were used to investigate the spatial pattern of soil erosion rates associated with slope-land under hoe tillage in Neijiang of the Sichuan Hilly Basin. The ^137Cs and ^210Pbex inventories at the top of the cultivated slope were extremely low, and the highest inventories were found at the bottom of the cultivated slope. By combining the erosion rates estimates provided by both ^137Cs and 21~Pbex measurements, the weighted mean net soil loss from the study slope was estimated to be 3 100 t km^-2 year^-1, which was significantly less than 6 930 t km^-2 year^-1 reported for runoff plots on a 10° cultivated slope at the Suining Station of Soil Erosion. The spatial pattern of soil erosion rates on the steep agricultural land showed that hoe tillage played an important role in soil redistribution along the slope. Also, traditional farming practices had a significant role in reducing soil loss, leading to a lower net erosion rate for the field.

Soil Erosion and Its Basic Characteristics at Karst Rocky-desertified Land Consolidation Area: A Case Study at Muzhe Village of Xichou County in Southeast Yunnan, China

Xichou County of Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in southeast Yunnan is one of the karst mountainous areas in southwest China showing typical rock desertification. During this study, we set up three soil erosion contrast test spots at Muzhe Village, Benggu Township, Xichou County, which was the birthplace of the Xichou rock-desertified land consolidation mode. The three spots included the terrace land spot （already consolidated land）, sloping land spot （unconsolidated sloping land under rock desertification）, and standard runoff spot （bare land spot）. In 2007, a whole-year complete observation was conducted during the rainy season and ＂rainfall-erosion＂ data were obtained for 32 times. Our analysis showed that during the entire observation period, the number of the rainfalls that led to soil erosion accounted for 34.04% of the number of all rainfalls and the amount of the rainfalls that led to soil erosion accounted for 84.17% of the total amount of all rainfalls. The average erosive rainfall standard in the three test spots was 11.0mm, slightly higher than the lO mm standard that has been adopted all over China, but lower than the 12.7 mm standard of the US and the 13.0 mm standard of Japan. According to single-factor analysis, the soil loss in the sloping land spot （L2） and that in the bare land spot （L3） are correlated to certain extent to manyother factors, including the single precipitation （P）, rainfall intensity during the maximum ten minutes （Lo）, rainfall intensity during the maximum 20 minutes （I2o）, rainfall intensity during the maximum 30 minutes （I30）, rainfall intensity during the maximum 40 minutes （I4o）, and rainfall intensity during the maximum 6o minutes （I60）. Among these factors, they are of the highest relativity with I6o. According to double-factor analysis, both L2 and L3 are of good relativity with P and I60. According to multi-factor analysis, L2 and L3 are also of good relativity with seven rainfall indexes, namely, P, Ia （average rainfall intensity）, L10, 120, I30, 140, and I60, with their related coefficient R reaching 0.906 and 0.914, respectively. The annual soil losses in the three test spots are widely different： 1030.70 t/km2.a in the terrace land spot, which indicates a low-level erosion; 12913.22 t/km2.a in the sloping land spot （unconsolidated spot）, some 12.5 times than that in the terrace land spot, which indicates an ultra-high-level erosion; and 19511.67 t/km2-a in the bare land spot, some 18.9 times than that in terrace land spot, indicating an acute erosion. These figures fully show that the Xichou rock-desertified land consolidation mode plays a significant role in soil conservation.

Spatial Distribution of Soil Erosion Sensitivity on the Tibet Plateau

The Tibet Plateau, occupying the main part of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and having an average altitude of 4 500 m, has geomorphological features that are unique in the world, with soil erosion being one of the main ecological problems. Thus the main objectives of the present research were to set up an efficient and simple way of evaluating spatial distribution of soil erosion sensitivity in the Tibet Plateau as well as the responses of soil erosion to changes of natural environmental conditions, and to indicate key regions where soil erosion should be preferentially controlled. Based on the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), the study applied geographic information system (GIS) technology to develop a methodological reference framework, from which soil erosion sensitivity could be evaluated. The impact of precipitation, soil, topography and vegetation on soil erosion was divided into classes of extreme sensitivity, high sensitivity, medium sensitivity, low sensitivity and no sensitivity. With the aid of GIS, the resultant map from overlaying various factors showed that soil erosion sensitivity had great discrepancy in different parts of the region. In the southeastern part of the Tibet Plateau there were mainly three classes of sensitivity, namely, extreme, high and medium sensitivity. However, the other two classes, low and no sensitivity, were dominant in the northwestern part.