The impact of land use and land cover (LULC) dynamics on soil erosion and sediment yield in Ethiopia

Abstract. Snow processes might be one important driver of soil erosion in Alpine grasslands and thus the unknown variable when erosion modelling is attempted. The aim of this study is to assess the importance of snow gliding as a soil erosion agent for four different land use/land cover types in a subalpine area in Switzerland. We used three different approaches to estimate soil erosion rates: sediment yield measurements in snow glide depositions, the fallout radionuclide 137Cs and modelling with the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). RUSLE permits the evaluation of soil loss by water erosion, the 137Cs method integrates soil loss due to all erosion agents involved, and the measurement of snow glide deposition sediment yield can be directly related to snow-glide-induced erosion. Further, cumulative snow glide distance was measured for the sites in the winter of 2009/2010 and modelled for the surrounding area and long-term average winter precipitation (1959–2010) with the spatial snow glide model (SSGM). Measured snow glide distance confirmed the presence of snow gliding and ranged from 2 to 189 cm, with lower values on the north-facing slopes. We observed a reduction of snow glide distance with increasing surface roughness of the vegetation, which is an important information with respect to conservation planning and expected and ongoing land use changes in the Alps. Snow glide erosion estimated from the snow glide depositions was highly variable with values ranging from 0.03 to 22.9 t ha−1 yr−1 in the winter of 2012/2013. For sites affected by snow glide deposition, a mean erosion rate of 8.4 t ha−1 yr−1 was found. The difference in long-term erosion rates determined with RUSLE and 137Cs confirms the constant influence of snow-glide-induced erosion, since a large difference (lower proportion of water erosion compared to total net erosion) was observed for sites with high snow glide rates and vice versa. Moreover, the difference between RUSLE and 137Cs erosion rates was related to the measured snow glide distance (R2 = 0.64; p < 0.005) and to the snow deposition sediment yields (R2 = 0.39; p = 0.13). The SSGM reproduced the relative difference of the measured snow glide values under different land uses and land cover types. The resulting map highlighted the relevance of snow gliding for large parts of the investigated area. Based on these results, we conclude that snow gliding appears to be a crucial and non-negligible process impacting soil erosion patterns and magnitude in subalpine areas with similar topographic and climatic conditions.

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Effect of Land Use Land Cover and Climate Change on River Flow and Soil Loss in Didessa River Basin, South West Blue Nile, Ethiopia

Hydrology ◽

10.3390/hydrology6010002 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 2 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Kinati Chimdessa ◽

Shoeb Quraishi ◽

Asfaw Kebede ◽

Tena Alamirew

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Land Use ◽

Land Cover ◽

River Basin ◽

Sediment Yield ◽

Soil Loss ◽

River Flow ◽

Land Use Land Cover ◽

The Impact ◽

Soil Losses

In the Didessa river basin, which is found in Ethiopia, the human population number is increasing at an alarming rate. The conversion of forests, shrub and grasslands into cropland has increased in parallel with the population increase. The land use/land cover change (LULCC) that has been undertaken in the river basin combined with climate change may have affected the Didessa river flow and soil loss. Therefore, this study was designed to assess the impact of LULCC on the Didessa river flow and soil loss under historical and future climates. Land use/land cover (LULC) of the years 1986, 2001 and 2015 were independently combined with the historical climate to assess their individual impacts on river flow and soil loss. Further, the impact of future climates under Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) scenarios on river flow and soil loss was assessed by combining the pathways with the 2015 LULC. A physically based Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT2012) model in the ArcGIS 10.4.1 interface was used to realize the purpose. Results of the study revealed that LULCC that occurred between 1986 and 2015 resulted in increased average sediment yield by 20.9 t ha−1 yr−1. Climate change under RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 combined with 2015 LULC increased annual average soil losses by 31.3, 50.9 and 83.5 t ha−1 yr−1 compared with the 2015 LULC under historical climate data. It was also found that 13.4%, 47.1% and 87.0% of the total area may experience high soil loss under RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively. Annual soil losses of five top-priority sub catchments range from 62.8 to 57.7 per hectare. Nash Stuncliffe Simulation efficiency (NSE) and R2 values during model calibration and validation indicated good agreement between observed and simulated values both for flow and sediment yield.

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Land Use and Land Cover Changes and Its Impact on Soil Erosion in Stung Sangkae Catchment of Cambodia

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13169276 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (16) ◽

pp. 9276

Author(s):

Nareth Nut ◽

Machito Mihara ◽

Jaehak Jeong ◽

Bunthan Ngo ◽

Gilbert Sigua ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

Land Cover ◽

Water Conservation ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Hot Spot ◽

Control Measures ◽

Economic Activities ◽

Mekong River Commission ◽

The Impact

Agricultural expansion and urban development without proper soil erosion control measures have become major environmental problems in Cambodia. Due to a high population growth rate and increased economic activities, land use and land cover (LULC) changes will cause environmental disturbances, particularly soil erosion. This research aimed to estimate total amounts of soil loss using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model within a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment. LULC maps of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) 2002 and Mekong River Commission (MRC) 2015 were used to evaluate the impact of LULC on soil erosion loss in Stung Sangkae catchment. LULC dynamics for the study periods in Stung Sangkae catchment showed that the catchment experienced a rapid conversion of forests to paddy rice fields and other croplands. The results indicated that the average soil loss from the catchment was 3.1 and 7.6 t/ha/y for the 2002 and 2015 periods, respectively. The estimated total soil loss in the 2002 and 2015 periods was 1.9 million t/y and 4.5 million t/y, respectively. The soil erosion was accelerated by steep slopes combined with the high velocity and erosivity of stormwater runoff. The spatial distribution of soil loss showed that the highest value (14.3 to 62.9 t/ha/y) was recorded in the central, southwestern and upland parts of the catchment. It is recommended that priority should be given to erosion hot spot areas, and appropriate soil and water conservation practices should be adopted to restore degraded lands.

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Impact of land-use and land-cover change on soil erosion using the RUSLE model and the geographic information system: a case of Temeji watershed, Western Ethiopia

Journal of Water and Climate Change ◽

10.2166/wcc.2021.131 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mitiku Badasa Moisa ◽

Daniel Assefa Negash ◽

Biratu Bobo Merga ◽

Dessalegn Obsi Gemeda

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Information System ◽

Geographic Information System ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

Land Cover ◽

Water Conservation ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Geographic Information ◽

Lulc Change ◽

The Impact

Abstract The impact of land-use land-cover (LULC) change on soil resources is getting global attention. Soil erosion is one of the critical environmental problems worldwide with high severity in developing countries. This study integrates the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation model with a geographic information system to estimate the impacts of LULC conversion on the mean annual soil loss in the Temeji watershed. In this study, LULC change of Temeji watershed was assessed from 2000 to 2020 by using 2000 Landsat ETM+ and 2020 Landsat OLI/TIRS images and classified using supervised maximum likelihood classification algorithms. Results indicate that the majority of the LULC in the study area is vulnerable to soil erosion. High soil loss is observed when grassland and forest land were converted into cultivated land with a mean soil loss of 88.8 and 86.9 t/ha/year in 2020. Results revealed that about 6,608.5 ha (42.8%) and 8,391.8 ha (54.4%) were categorized under severe classes in 2000 and 2020, respectively. Accordingly, the soil loss severity class is directly correlated with the over-exploitation of forest resources and grasslands for agricultural purposes. These results can be useful for advocacy to enhance local people and stakeholder's participation toward soil and water conservation practices.

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The impact of land use and land cover changes on soil erosion in western Iran

Natural Hazards ◽

10.1007/s11069-021-05032-w ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Hadi Eskandari Damaneh ◽

Hassan Khosravi ◽

Khalil Habashi ◽

Hamed Eskandari Damaneh ◽

John P. Tiefenbacher

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

Land Cover ◽

Land Cover Changes ◽

Western Iran ◽

The Impact

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Estimating the Impact of Land Cover Change on Soil Erosion Using Remote Sensing and GIS Data by USLE Model and Scenario Design

Scientific Programming ◽

10.1155/2021/6633428 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Anmin Fu ◽

Yulin Cai ◽

Tao Sun ◽

Feng Li

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

Land Cover ◽

Land Cover Change ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Rainfall Erosivity ◽

Rainfall Runoff ◽

Scenario Design ◽

Gis Data ◽

The Impact

Great efforts have been made to curb soil erosion and restore the natural environment to Inner Mongolia in China. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of returning farmland to the forest on soil erosion on a regional scale. Considering that rainfall erosivity also has an important impact on soil erosion, the effect of land use and land cover change (LUCC) on soil erosion was evaluated through scenario construction. Firstly, the universal soil loss equation (USLE) model was used to evaluate the actual soil erosion (2001 and 2010). Secondly, two scenarios (scenario 1 and scenario 2) were constructed by assuming that the land cover and rainfall-runoff erosivity are fixed, respectively, and soil erosion under different scenarios was estimated. Finally, the effect of LUCC on soil erosion was evaluated by comparing the soil erosion under actual situations with the hypothetical scenarios. The results show that both land use/cover change and rainfall-runoff erosivity change have significant effects on soil erosion. The land use and land cover change initiated by the ecological restoration projects have obviously reduced the soil erosion in this area. The results also reveal that the method proposed in this paper is helpful to clarify the influencing factors of soil erosion.

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Analysis of the Impact of Land Use Changes on Soil Erosion Intensity and Sediment Yield Using the IntErO Model in the Talar Watershed of Iran

Water ◽

10.3390/w13060881 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 881

Author(s):

Maziar Mohammadi ◽

Abdulvahed Khaledi Darvishan ◽

Velibor Spalevic ◽

Branislav Dudic ◽

Paolo Billi

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Sediment Yield ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Maximum Flow ◽

Irrigated Agriculture ◽

Northern Iran ◽

Gis Environment ◽

The Impact

Land use change is known as one of the main influencing factors on soil erosion and sediment production processes. The objective of the article is to study on how land use change impacts on soil erosion by using Intensity of Erosion and Outflow (IntErO) as a process-oriented soil erosion model. The study has been conducted under land use changes within the period of 1991–2014 in the Talar watershed located in northern Iran. The GIS environment was used to prepare the required maps including Digital Elevation Model (DEM), geology, land use, soil, and drainage network. The climatology data including average annual precipitation and air temperature as well as the volume of torrential rain were extracted from the data of meteorological stations located inside and around the study watershed. The results indicates that, within the period of 1991–2014, the forest area decreased by 12,478.04 ha (6%), while the other land uses including rainfed agriculture, rangeland, irrigated agriculture, and residential area increased by 7248.25, 4481.05, 476.00, and 273.95 ha, respectively. The estimated outflow with 100 year return interval was 432.14 m3 s−1 in 1991, which increased to 446.91 m3 s−1 in 2014. It can be concluded that the probability of larger and/or more frequent floods waves in the Talar River is expected to increase. In addition, the amount of production of erosion material (gross erosion) in the watershed increased from 1,918,186 to 2,183,558 m3 yr−1, and the real soil losses per year (sediment yield) of the watershed increased from 440,482.4 to 501,421.3 m3 yr−1. The results clearly emphasized how the lack of appropriate land management and planning leads to increase the maximum flow discharge and sediment yield of the watershed.

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Impact of Land Use and Land Cover Change on Soil Erosion Using Rusle Model And Gis: A Case of Temeji Watershed, Western Ethiopia

10.21203/rs.3.rs-100340/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Mitiku Badasa Moisa ◽

Daniel Assefa Negash ◽

Biratu Bobo Merga ◽

Dessalegn Obsi Gemeda

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

Land Cover ◽

Water Conservation ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Mitigation Strategies ◽

Cultivated Land ◽

Rusle Model ◽

Erosion Risk ◽

The Impact

Abstract BackgroundThe impact of Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) conversion on soil resources is getting global attention. Soil erosion is one the critical environmental problems worldwide with high severity in developing countries due to land degradation. This study integrates the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model with a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to estimate the impacts of LU/LC conversion on the mean annual soil loss in Temeji watershed. In this study, LU/LC change of Temeji watershed were assessed from 2000 to 2020 by using 2000 Landsat ETM+ and 2020 Landsat OLI/TIRS images and classified using supervised maximum likelihood classification algorithms. ResultsResults indicates that majority of the LU/LC in the study area is vulnerable to soil erosion. Our findings show that cultivated land had the highest average soil loss rate in Temeji watershed. High soil loss is observed when grass and forest land were converted into cultivated land with mean soil loss of 88.8t/ha/yr and 86.9t/ha/yr in 2020. Results revealed that about 6608.5ha (42.8%) and 8391.8ha (54.4%) were categorized under severe classes in 2000 and 2020, respectively.ConclusionsThe results can definitely support policy makers and environmental managers in implementation of soil and water conservation practices and erosion risk prevention and mitigation strategies in Temeji watershed.

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Impact of land-use land cover dynamics on runoff in Panchnoi River basin, North East India

GeoScape ◽

10.2478/geosc-2021-0002 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. 19-29

Author(s):

Monoj Kumar Jaiswal ◽

Nurul Amin

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Land Cover ◽

River Basin ◽

Alluvial Plain ◽

Land Use Land Cover ◽

Runoff Generation ◽

Land Cover Dynamics ◽

The Impact

Abstract Alteration of land-use land cover pattern causes severe consequences on the hydrological system by modifying the rainfall-runoff pattern in a region. The study aimed to investigate the impact of land-use land-cover dynamics on runoff generation in different geomorphic divisions of Panchnoi River basin. The study used the Soil Conservation Service-Curve Number method to estimate runoff generation in the Panchnoi River basin in a GIS platform. This study observed that the conversion of the land-use pattern in the geomorphic zones significantly enhances runoff. The Piedmont experience highest land-use change, where 64.17 km2 forest cover lost to cropland and built-up lands, leads to a notable increase in runoff generation, i.e. from 1 076 mm (52.82% of rainfall) in 1990 to 1 467 mm (70.46% of rainfall) in 2015. The Flood plain and New alluvial plain generates high runoff in the basin as it mostly occupied by human-induced land-uses, i.e. 1 444 mm (72.72% of rainfall) and 1 360 mm (71.70% of rainfall) respectively in 1990, which increase to 1588 mm (79.20%) and 1507 mm (78.69%) runoff respectively in 2015, due to alteration of cropland to built-up lands. In the Old alluvial plain, a marginal land-use change observed resulted in moderate growth in runoff from 1 272 mm (62.35%) to 1 404 mm (66.79%). The study indicates land-use land-cover change invokes to increase runoff generation can give rise severe environmental and economic problems in the river basin, through the occurrence of flashflood and soil erosion. Highlights for public administration, management and planning: • Evaluation of the impact of land-use land cover dynamics on runoff is essential for containing flash flood and water resource management on a basin scale. • Alteration of natural land covers has severe implications in the form of flood, soil erosion, and loss of biodiversity. • Enhanced runoff due to land-use dynamics reduces groundwater recharge rate that may cause drinking water scarcity in the dry season shortly.

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