scholarly journals Assessment of the risk of soil erosion using RUSLE method and SWAT model at the M’dez Watershed, Middle Atlas, Morocco

2020 ◽  
Vol 150 ◽  
pp. 03014 ◽  
Author(s):  
M’hamed Boufala ◽  
Abdellah El Hmaidf ◽  
Khalid Chadli ◽  
Ali Essahlaoui ◽  
Abdelhadi El Ouali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Swat Model ◽  
Sustainable Land Use ◽  
Rusle Model ◽  
Mediterranean Countries ◽  
Dam Reservoirs ◽  
Middle Atlas ◽  
Soil Losses

The preservation of soil resources is a primary global concern and a permanent challenge for all Mediterranean countries. In Morocco, the capacity of dam reservoirs continues to decline from one year to the next due to the rate of siltation, mainly due to the phenomenon of water erosion. Indeed, the origins of this erosion are generally related to land use planning, deforestation, agricultural practices and low vegetation cover. However, it is imperative to quantify soil erosion and its spatial distribution to achieve sustainable land use and governance of this resource. The SWAT hydro-agricultural model and the integrated RUSLE model were used to assess soil losses and characterize the degraded areas of the M’dez watershed, located in the upper Sebou, north of the Middle Atlas, and extend on an area of 3350 km2. The results obtained during this work show that the average soil losses estimated by the two models are consistent. For the SWAT model, the specific degradation of the watershed is estimated at 3.95 t/ha/year, whereas for the RUSLE model, the average loss of the basin is estimated at 2.94 t/ha/year). However, the use of these two models (SWAT and RUSLE), for the assessment and characterization of degraded areas at the level of Moroccan watersheds, has become a much sought-after approach for good soil conservation management.

scholarly journals Definition of tolerable soil erosion values

1997 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 467-471 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Sparovek ◽  
Q. Jong Van Lier
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Soil Degradation ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Soil Formation ◽  
Sustainable Land Use ◽  
Productivity Losses ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Selection Of

Although the criteria for defining erosion tolerance are well established, the limits generally used are not consistent with natural, economical and technological conditions. Rates greater than soil formation can be accepted only until a minimum of soil depth is reached, provided that they are not associated with environmental hazard or productivity losses. A sequence of equations is presented to calculate erosion tolerance rates through time. The selection of equation parameters permits the definition of erosion tolerance rates in agreement with environmental, social and technical needs. The soil depth change that is related to irreversible soil degradation can be calculated. The definition of soil erosion tolerance according to these equations can be used as a guideline for sustainable land use planning and is compatible with expert systems.

scholarly journals Grandma in the greenbelt : how the natural disposal of our dead could save Ontario's green space

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Courtney Elizabeth Heron-Monk
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Green Space ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Sustainable Land Use ◽  
Land Resource ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Environmental Challenges ◽  
A Value ◽  
Burial Grounds

Cemetery grounds and sustainable land use practice are rarely used in conjunction however natural burial grounds present opportunities to leverage the land use and environmental challenges associated with conventional cemeteries for the benefit of people and the environment. This paper explores land use planning challenges facing Ontario in planning for the disposal of our dead and the emergence of natural burial grounds as a sustainable alternative to conventional burial. This paper also explores how planning challenges related to planning for the disposal of our dead could be leveraged to produce positive outcomes; in particular the strengthening of Ontario's Greenbelt as a living landscape. This paper argues the Natural burial has potential to be a value added land resource and can mitigate a series of burial related land use challenges currently present in Ontario.

RUSLE Model based Assessment of Soil Erosion in Parbati River Basin, Central India using Google Earth Engine and GIS

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rohit Kumar ◽  
Benidhar Deshmukh ◽  
Kiran Sathunuri
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Spatial Pattern ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Rusle Model ◽  
High Soil ◽  
Basin Scale ◽  
Google Earth Engine

<p>Land degradation is a global concern posing significant threat to sustainable development. One of its major aspects is soil erosion, which is recognised as one of the critical geomorphic processes controlling sediment budget and landscape evolution. Natural rate of soil erosion is exacerbated due to anthropogenic activities that may lead to soil infertility. Therefore, assessment of soil erosion at basin scale is needed to understand its spatial pattern so as to effectively plan for soil conservation. This study focuses on Parbati river basin, a major north flowing cratonic river and a tributary of river Chambal to identify erosion prone areas using RUSLE model. Soil erodibility (K), Rainfall erosivity (R), and Topographic (LS) factors were derived from National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, Nagpur (NBSS-LUP) soil maps, India Meteorological Department (IMD) datasets, and SRTM30m DEM, respectively in GIS environment. The crop management (C) and support practice (P) factors were calculated by assigning appropriate values to Land use /land cover (LULC) classes derived by random forest based supervised classification of Sentinel-2 level-1C satellite remote sensing data in Google Earth Engine platform. High and very high soil erosion were observed in NE and NW parts of the basin, respectively, which may be attributed to the presence of barren land, fallow areas and rugged topography. The result reveals that annual rate of soil loss for the Parbati river basin is ~319 tons/ha/yr (with the mean of 1.2 tons/ha/yr). Lowest rate of soil loss (i.e. ~36 tons/ha/yr with mean of 0.22 tons/ha/yr) has been observed in the open forest class whereas highest rate of soil loss (i.e. ~316 tons/ha/yr with mean of 32.08 tons/ha/yr) have been observed in gullied area class. The study indicates that gullied areas are contributing most to the high soil erosion rate in the basin. Further, the rate of soil loss in the gullied areas is much higher than the permissible value of 4.5–11 tons/ha/yr recognized for India. The study helps in understanding spatial pattern of soil loss in the study area and is therefore useful in identifying and prioritising erosion prone areas so as to plan for their conservation.</p>

Insights, implications and challenges of studying local soil knowledge for sustainable land use: a critical review

Soil Research ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ha T. N. Huynh ◽  
Lisa A. Lobry de Bruyn ◽  
Brian R. Wilson ◽  
Oliver G. G. Knox
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Soil Management ◽  
Soil Classification ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Sustainable Land Use ◽  
Local Soil

Local soil knowledge (LSK) has been recognised for its importance in sustainable soil management and agroecosystems. This paper examines peer-reviewed articles and grey literature documents on LSK during 2003–2018. Research continues to be geographically focused on developing countries, but often in collaboration with researchers from developed countries. There were five key research themes: soil classification and agreement between local and scientific soil knowledge (Theme 1), value of LSK for soil management and decision-making (Theme 2), scientific approach to the incorporation of LSK (Theme 3), application of LSK for identification of and solutions to soil problems (Theme 4) and factors influencing soil knowledge development (Theme 5). Although Theme 1 continued to be a prevalent research area, confirming the importance of visible and topsoil characteristics identified by farmers, examining subsurface soil properties has garnered less research. For LSK to be thoroughly documented requires support by a pluralistic scientific assessment and greater incorporation of social science methodologies. An overarching finding from Themes 2–4 was the importance of designing national programs that incorporate LSK derived from local people and other stakeholders (e.g. scientists and policymakers) to conserve soils. Local soil maps, using LSK terminology, could broaden the appeal and use of maps by local stakeholders to support sustainable land-use planning from the field to national policy-making processes. Finally, cultural and political aspects, known to influence LSK, should be given greater consideration in further research to sustain and develop this knowledge (Theme 5).

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