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.

Influence of varied drought types on soil conservation service within the framework of climate change:insights from the Jinghe River Basin,China

Severe soil erosion and drought are the two main factors affecting the ecological security of the Loess Plateau,China.Investigating the influence of drought on soil conservation service is of great importance to regional environmental protection and sustainable development.However,there is little research on the coupling relationship between them.In this study,focusing on the Jinghe River Basin,China as a case study,we conducted a quantitative evaluation on meteorological,hydrological,and agricultural droughts(represented by the Standardized Precipitation Index(SPI),Standardized Runoff Index(SRI),and Standardized Soil Moisture Index(SSMI),respectively)using the Variable Infiltration Capacity(VIC)model,and quantified the soil conservation service using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation(RUSLE)in the historical period(2000-2019)and future period(2026-2060)under two Representative Concentration Pathways(RCPs)(RCP4.5 and RCP8.5).We further examined the influence of the three types of drought on soil conservation service at annual and seasonal scales.The NASA Earth Exchange Global Daily Downscaled Projections(NEX-GDDP)dataset was used to predict and model the hydrometeorological elements in the future period under the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios.The results showed that in the historical period,annual-scale meteorological drought exhibited the highest intensity,while seasonal-scale drought was generally weakest in autumn and most severe in summer.Drought intensity of all three types of drought will increase over the next 40 years,with a greater increase under the RCP4.5 scenario than under the RCP8.5 scenario.Furthermore,the intra-annual variation in the drought intensity of the three types of drought becomes smaller under the two future scenarios relative to the historical period(2000-2019).Soil conservation service exhibits a distribution pattern characterized by high levels in the southwest and southeast and lower levels in the north,and this pattern has remained consistent both in the historical and future periods.Over the past 20 years,the intra-annual variation indicated peak soil conservation service in summer and lowest level in winter;the total soil conservation of the Jinghe River Basin displayed an upward trend,with the total soil conservation in 2019 being 1.14 times higher than that in 2000.The most substantial impact on soil conservation service arises from annual-scale meteorological drought,which remains consistent both in the historical and future periods.Additionally,at the seasonal scale,meteorological drought exerts the highest influence on soil conservation service in winter and autumn,particularly under the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios.Compared to the historical period,the soil conservation service in the Jinghe River Basin will be significantly more affected by drought in the future period in terms of both the affected area and the magnitude of impact.This study conducted beneficial attempts to evaluate and predict the dynamic characteristics of watershed drought and soil conservation service,as well as the response of soil conservation service to different types of drought.Clarifying the interrelationship between the two is the foundation for achieving sustainable development in a relatively arid and severely eroded area such as the Jinghe River Basin.

Combining RUSLE model and the vegetation health index to unravel the relationship between soil erosion and droughts in southeastern Tunisia

Droughts and soil erosion are among the most prominent climatic driven hazards in drylands,leading to detrimental environmental impacts,such as degraded lands,deteriorated ecosystem services and biodiversity,and increased greenhouse gas emissions.In response to the current lack of studies combining drought conditions and soil erosion processes,in this study,we developed a comprehensive Geographic Information System(GIS)-based approach to assess soil erosion and droughts,thereby revealing the relationship between soil erosion and droughts under an arid climate.The vegetation condition index(VCI)and temperature condition index(TCI)derived respectively from the enhanced vegetation index(EVI)MOD13A2 and land surface temperature(LST)MOD11A2 products were combined to generate the vegetation health index(VHI).The VHI has been conceived as an efficient tool to monitor droughts in the Negueb watershed,southeastern Tunisia.The revised universal soil loss equation(RUSLE)model was applied to quantitatively estimate soil erosion.The relationship between soil erosion and droughts was investigated through Pearson correlation.Results exhibited that the Negueb watershed experienced recurrent mild to extreme drought during 2000–2016.The average soil erosion rate was determined to be 1.8 t/(hm2•a).The mountainous western part of the watershed was the most vulnerable not only to soil erosion but also to droughts.The slope length and steepness factor was shown to be the most significant controlling parameter driving soil erosion.The relationship between droughts and soil erosion had a positive correlation(r=0.3);however,the correlation was highly varied spatially across the watershed.Drought was linked to soil erosion in the Negueb watershed.The current study provides insight for natural disaster risk assessment,land managers,and stake-holders to apply appropriate management measures to promote sustainable development goals in fragile environments.

Dynamic Monitoring of Soil Erosion for Upper Stream of Miyun Reservoir in the Last 30 Years

The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation （RUSLE） was applied to assess the spatial distribution and dynamic properties of soil loss with geographic information system （GIS） and remote sensing （RS） technologies. To improve the accuracy of soil-erosion estimates, a new C-factor estimation model was developed based on land cover and time series normalized difference vegetation index （NDVI） datasets. The new C-factor was then applied in the RUSLE to integrate rainfall, soil, vegetation, and topography data of different periods, and thus monitor the distribution of soil erosion patterns and their dynamics during a 3o-year period of the upstream watershed of Miynn Reservoir （UWMR）, China. The results showed that the new C-factor estimation method, which considers land cover status and dynamics, and explicitly incorporates within-land cover variability, was more rational, quantitative, and reliable. An average annual soil loss in UWMR of 25.68, 21.04, and 16.8o t ha-1 a-1 was estimated for 1990, 2000 and 2010, respectively, corroborated by comparing spatial and temporal variation in sediment yield. Between 2000 and 2010, a 1.38% average annual increase was observed in the area of lands that lost less than 5 t ha-1 a^-1, while during 1990-2000 such lands only increased on average by o.46%. Areas that classified as severe, very severe and extremely severe accounted for 5.68% of the total UWMR in 2010, and primarily occurred in dry areas or grasslands of sloping fields. The reason for the change in rate of soil loss is explained by an increased appreciation of soil conservation by developers and planners. Moreover,we recommend that UWMR watershed adopt further conservation measures such as terraced plowing of dry land, afforestation, or grassland enclosures as part of a concerted effort to reduce on-going soil erosion.

Spatio-temporal Variation of Wind Erosion in Inner Mongolia of China Between 2001 and 2010

Using Geographic Information System(GIS), based on wind speed, precipitation, topographic, soil, vegetation coverage and land use data of Inner Mongolia between 2001 and 2010, we applied the revised wind erosion equation(RWEQ) model to simulate wind erosion intensity. The results showed that an area of approximately 47.8 × 10~4 km^2 experienced wind erosion in 2010, 23.2% of this erosion could be rated as severe, and 46.0% as moderate. Both the area and the intensity of wind erosion had decreased from 2001 to 2010, the wind erosion area reduced 10.1%, and wind erosion intensity decreased by 29.4%. Precipitation, wind speed, population size and urbanization in rural areas, and gross domestic product of primary industry(GDP1) were the main factors influencing wind erosion. Overall, these factors accounted for 88.8% of the wind erosion. These results indicated that the decrease in wind erosion over the past decade related to the increase in precipitation and the decrease in the number of windy days, while modest urban development and optimization of the economic structure might partially reduced the level of ecological pressure, highlighting the importance of human activities in controlling wind erosion.

GIS-based Effect Assessment of Soil Erosion Before and After Gully Land Consolidation: A Case Study of Wangjiagou Project Region, Loess Plateau

The Loess Plateau is one typical area of serious soil erosion in the world. China has implemented ′Grain for Green′(GFG) project to restore the eco-environment of the Loess Plateau since 1999. With the GFG project subsidy approaching the end, it is concerned that farmers of fewer subsidies may reclaim land again. Thus, ′Gully Land Consolidation Project′(GLCP) was initiated in 2010. The core of the GLCP was to create more land suitable for farming in gullies so as to reduce land reclamation on the slopes which are ecological vulnerable areas. This paper aims to assess the effect of the GLCP on soil erosion problems by studying Wangjiagou project region located in the central part of Anzi valley in the middle of the Loess Plateau, mainly using the revised universal soil loss equation(RUSLE) based on GIS. The findings show that the GLCP can help to reduce soil shipment by 9.87% and it creates more terraces and river-nearby land suitable for farming which account for 27.41% of the whole study area. Thus, it is feasible to implement the GLCP in places below gradient 15°, though the GLCP also intensifies soil erosion in certain places such as field ridge, village land, floodplain, natural grassland, and shrub land. In short, the GLCP develops new generation dam land and balances the short-term and long-term interests to ease the conflicts between economic development and environmental protection. Furthermore, the GLCP and the GFG could also be combined preferably. On the one hand, the GFG improves the ecological environment, which could offer certain safety to the GLCP, on the other hand, the GLCP creates more farmland favorable for farming in gullies instead of land reclamation on the slopes, which could indirectly protect the GFG project.

Climate change indirectly enhances sandstorm prevention services by altering ecosystem patterns on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Climate change influences both ecosystems and ecosystem services.The impacts of climate change on ecosystems and ecosystem services have been separately documented.However,it is less well known how ecosystem changes driven by climate change will influence ecosystem services,especially in climate-sensitive regions.Here,we analyzed future climate trends between 2040 and 2100 under four Shared Socioeconomic Pathway(SSP) scenarios(SSP1-2.6,SSP2-4.5,SSP3-7.0,and SSP5-8.5) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6(CMIP6).We quantified their impacts on ecosystems patterns and on the ecosystem service of sandstorm prevention on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP),one of the most climate-sensitive regions in the world,using Random Forest model(RF) and Revised Wind Erosion Equation(RWEQ).Strong warming(0.04℃/yr) and wetting(0.65 mm/yr) trends were projected from 2015 to 2100.Under these trends,there will be increased interspersion in the pattern of grassland and sparse vegetation with meadow and swamp vegetation,although their overall area will remain similar,while the areas of shrub and needleleaved forest classes will increase and move toward higher altitudes.Driven by the changes in ecosystem patterns caused by climate change indirectly,grassland will play an irreplaceable role in providing sandstorm prevention services,and sandstorm prevention services will increase gradually from 2040 to 2100(1.059-1.070 billion tons) on the QTP.However,some areas show a risk of deterioration in the future and these should be the focus of ecological rehabilitation.Our research helps to understand the cascading relationship among climate change,ecosystem patterns and ecosystem services,which provides important spatio-temporal information for future ecosystem service management.

基于RUSLE模型的河南省黄河流域土壤侵蚀研究

为了更好地研究黄河河南段的土壤侵蚀情况,以河南省黄河流域为研究区域,采用地理信息系统和遥感技术,融合遥感影像、DEM数据、降雨数据和土壤数据等,将RUSLE模型应用到该区域的土壤侵蚀研究中。结果表明:该区域的年均土壤侵蚀模数为861.78 t/(km^2·a),年均土壤侵蚀总量为305.44×10^5 t/a,轻度以上的土壤侵蚀多发生在河南西部的一些省辖市内。其中,土壤侵蚀等级为轻度以下的区域,其面积占研究区总面积的88.39%,该区域主要分布在0°~10°坡度范围内,主要的土地利用类型为耕地和草地;中度侵蚀和强烈侵蚀的区域,二者的总面积占比为10.71%,主要分布在15°~25°坡度范围内,土地利用类型主要为林地;极强烈侵蚀和剧烈侵蚀的区域面积所占比例较小,占比共计0.9%,该区域零星分布在坡度范围大于25°的草地和林地区域。该研究成果揭示了河南省黄河流域的土壤侵蚀情况,可为区域水土流失治理提供科学依据。

Addressing soil protection concerns in forest ecosystem management under climate change

Background: Climate change may strongly influence soil erosion risk, namely through variations in the precipitation pattern. Forests may contribute to mitigate the impacts of climate change on soil erosion and forest managers are thus challenged by the need to define strategies that may protect the soil while addressing the demand for other ecosystem services. Our emphasis is on the development of an approach to assess the impact of silvicultural practices and forest management models on soil erosion risks under climate change. Specifically, we consider the annual variation of the cover-management factor(C) in the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation over a range of alternative forest management models to estimate the corresponding annual soil losses, under both current and changing climate conditions. We report and discuss results of an application of this approach to a forest area in Northwestern Portugal where erosion control is the most relevant water-related ecosystem service.Results: Local climate change scenarios will contribute to water erosion processes, mostly by rainfall erosivity increase.Different forest management models provide varying levels of soil protection by trees, resulting in distinct soil loss potential.Conclusions: Results confirm the suitability of the proposed approach to address soil erosion concerns in forest management planning. This approach may help foresters assess management models and the corresponding silvicultural practices according to the water-related services they provide.

Modeling spatial and temporal change of soil erosion based on multi-temporal remotely sensed data

In order to monitor the pattern, distribution, and trend of land use/cover change （LUCC） and its impacts on soil erosion, it is highly appropriate to adopt Remote Sensing （RS） data and Geographic Information System （GIS） to analyze, assess, simulate, and predict the spatial and temporal evolution dynamics. In this paper, multi-temporal Landsat TM/ETM＋ re- motely sensed data are used to generate land cover maps by image classification, and the Cellular Automata Markov （CA_Markov） model is employed to simulate the evolution and trend of landscape pattern change. Furthermore, the Re- vised Universal Soil Loss Equation （RUSLE） is used to evaluate the situation of soil erosion in the case study mining area. The trend of soil erosion is analyzed according to total/average amount of soil erosion, and the rainfall （R）, cover man- agement （C）, and support practice （P） factors in RUSLE relevant to soil erosion are determined. The change trends of soil erosion and the relationship between land cover types and soil erosion amount are analyzed. The results demonstrate that the CA_Markov model is suitable to simulate and predict LUCC trends with good efficiency and accuracy, and RUSLE can calculate the total soil erosion effectively. In the study area, there was minimal erosion grade and this is expected to con- tinue to decline in the next few years, according to our prediction results.

Assessing and mapping soil erosion risk zone in Ratlam District, central India

Evaluation of physical and quantitative data of soil erosion is crucial to the sustainable development of the environment. The extreme form of land degradation through different forms of erosion is one of the major problems in the sub-tropical monsoon-dominated region. In India, tackling soil erosion is one of the major geo-environmental issues for its environment. Thus, identifying soil erosion risk zones and taking preventative actions are vital for crop production management. Soil erosion is induced by climate change, topographic conditions, soil texture, agricultural systems, and land management. In this research, the soil erosion risk zones of Ratlam District was determined by employing the Geographic Information System(GIS), Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation(RUSLE), Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP), and machine learning algorithms(Random Forest and Reduced Error Pruning(REP) tree). RUSLE measured the rainfall eosivity(R), soil erodibility(K), length of slope and steepness(LS), land cover and management(C), and support practices(P) factors. Kappa statistic was used to configure model reliability and it was found that Random Forest and AHP have higher reliability than other models. About 14.73%(715.94 km^(2)) of the study area has very low risk to soil erosion, with an average soil erosion rate of 0.00-7.00×10^(3)kg/(hm^(2)·a), while about 7.46%(362.52 km^(2)) of the study area has very high risk to soil erosion, with an average soil erosion rate of 30.00×10^(3)-48.00×10^(3)kg/(hm^(2)·a). Slope, elevation, stream density, Stream Power Index(SPI), rainfall, and land use and land cover(LULC) all affect soil erosion. The current study could help the government and non-government agencies to employ developmental projects and policies accordingly. However, the outcomes of the present research also could be used to prevent, monitor, and control soil erosion in the study area by employing restoration measures.

Quantitative study on influences of terraced field construction and check-dam siltation on soil erosion

To study the influences of terraced field construction and check-dam siltation on soil erosion of a watershed, we built a simplified watershed model for the Loess Plateau hilly-gully region including terraced fields, slope farmlands, steep-slope grasslands, and dam farmlands and defined three states of watershed （i.e., pioneer, intermediate, and climax stages, respec- tively）. Then, the watershed soil erosion moduli at various stages were studied by using a revised universal soil loss equation. Our results show that the pioneer and climax stages are the extreme states of watershed soil-and-water conservation and control; in the pioneer stage the soil erosion modulus was 299.56 t.ha-l.a 1 above the edge of gully, 136.64 t.ha-La-1 below the edge of gully, and 229.74 t.ha-~.a-~ on average; in the climax stage, the soil erosion modulus was 39.10 t.ha .a-1 above the edge of gully, 1.10 t.ha-La-1 below the edge of gully, and 22.81 t-ha-La-1 on average; in the intermediate stage, the soil erosion modulus above the edge of gully exhibited an exponential decline along with the increase in terraced field area percentage, while the soil erosion modulus below the edge of gully exhibited a linear decline along with the increase in siltation height.

Land use change and soil erosion in the Maotiao River watershed of Guizhou Province

Due to the extremely poor soil cover, a low soil-forming rate, and inappropriate intensive land use, soil erosion is a serious problem in Guizhou Province, which is located in the centre of the karst areas of Southwest China. In order to bring soil erosion under control and restore environment, the Chinese Government has initiated a serious of ecological re- habilitation projects such as the Grain-for-Green Programme and Natural Forest Protection Program and brought about tremendous influences on land-use change and soil erosion in Guizhou Province. This paper explored the relationship between land use and soil erosion in the Maotiao River watershed, a typical agricultural area with severe soil erosion in central Guizhou Province. In this study, we analyzed the spatio-temporal dynamic change of land-use type in Maotiao River watershed from 1973 to 2007 using Landsat MSS image in 1973, Landsat TM data in 1990 and 2007. Soil erosion change characteristics from 1973 to 2007, and soil loss among different land-use types were examined by integrating the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation （RUSLE） with a GIS environment. The results indicate that changes in land use within the watershed have significantly affected soil erosion. From 1973 to 1990, dry farmland and rocky desertified land significantly increased. In contrast, shrubby land, other forestland and grassland significantly decreased, which caused accelerated soil erosion in the study area. This trend was reversed from 1990 to 2007 with an increased area of land-use types for ecological use owing to the implementation of environmental protection programs. Soil erosion also significantly varied among land-use types. Erosion was most serious in dry farmland and the lightest in paddy field. Dry farmland with a gradient of 6°-25° was the major contributor to soil erosion, and conservation practices should be taken in these areas. The results of this study provide useful information for decision makers and planners to take sustainable land use management and soil conservation measures in the area.

Evaluation of Inner Mongolia Wind Erosion Prevention Service based on Land Use and the RWEQ Model

Inner Mongolia is the important ecological barrier zone in northern China,which plays an important role in the prevention and control of wind in the regional ecosystem.Based on the Revised Wind Erosion Equation(RWEQ)model and the cost-recovery method,this study simulated the wind erosion prevention service(WEPS)in Inner Mongolia in 2010 and 2015,investigated the spatial pattern of material and monetary value of WEPS,and analyzed the differences among various cities and various ecosystems.The results indicated that the total WEPS of Inner Mongolia was estimated to be 73.87×10^(8) t in 2015,which was 4.61×10^(8) t less than in 2010,while the monetary value of WEPS was calculated to be 738.66×10^(8) yuan in 2015,which was 46.16×10^(8) yuan less than in 2010.Among all the leagues and cities,Xilin Gol League supported the highest WEPS,reaching 18.65×10^(8) t in 2015,while Wuhai provided the lowest.The WEPS of Hulunbeier increased the most,by 4.37×10^(8) t from 2010 to 2015.The WEPS in the grassland ecosystem was the highest among the different ecosystems,accounting for more than55%of the total WEPS in Inner Mongolia,but it was reduced by 1.05×10^(8) t during the same period.The WEPS in the forest ecosystem increased the most,reaching 0.19×10^(8) t.This study found that the implementation of projects such as returning farmland to forests and grasses and sand control effectively increased the WEPS by increasing the forest area.However,unsuitable land use increased the desertification of ecosystems which resulted in a reduction of WEPS in Inner Mongolia.

Climate change and land degradation in Africa: a case study in the Mount Elgon region, Uganda

The aim of this study is to estimate and compare soil erosion,in the Mount Elgon region,eastern Uganda,during the last decade.Possible trends and changes in erosion are linked to precipitation/climate change as well as changes in land cover.Two different versions of the Revised Universal Soil loss Equation(RUSLE)are implemented and compared,one using slope length and the other using flow accumulation to estimate the slope length and steepness factor(LS).Comparisons of the modeled soil erosion vs.field data indicate that RUSLE based on flow accumulation is preferable.The modeling is carried out for the years 2000,2006,and 2012,and is based on ASTER remotely sensed data,digital elevation models,precipitation data from the study area,as well as existing soil maps.No significant trends in estimated soil erosion are found to be present during the last decade.Over exploitation of land is probably compensated by improved agricultural management and no significant increase in precipitation.Even if there are reports of more intense and increasing amounts of rainfall in the area,this could not be verified,neither through the analysis of climate data,nor by trends in the estimated soil loss.

Estimating landscape susceptibility to soil erosion using a GIS-based approach in Northern Ethiopia

Soil erosion is a very critical form of land degradation resulting in the loss of soil nutrients and downstream sedimentation of water storages in the highlands of Ethiopia.As it is technically and financially impossible to conserve all landscapes affected by erosion,identification of priority areas of intervention is necessary.Spatially distributed erosion models can help map landscape susceptibility to erosion and identify high erosion risk areas.Integration of erosion models with geographic information systems(GIS)enables assessing evaluate the spatial variability of soil erosion and plan implementing conservation measures at landscape levels.In this study,the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation adjusted for sediment delivery ratio was used in a GIS system to assess landscape sensitivity to erosion and identify hotspots.The approach was applied in three catchments with size being 10–20 km^(2) and results were compared against quantitative and semi-quantitative data.The model estimated mean soil loss rates of about 45 t ha^(−1) y^(−1) with an average variability of 30%between catchments.The estimated soil loss rate is above the tolerable limit of 10 t ha^(−1) y^(−1).The model predicted high soil loss rates at steep slopes and shoulder positions as well as along gullies.The results of the study demonstrate that knowledge of spatial patterns of high soil loss risk areas can help deploy site-specific conservation measures.