scholarly journals Estimation of soil erosion dynamics using remote sensing and swat in Kopaonik National Park, Serbia

2021 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-247
Author(s):  
Ivan Potic ◽  
Nina Curcic ◽  
Milan Radovanovic ◽  
Gorica Stanojevic ◽  
Slavica Malinovic-Milicevic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Surface Runoff ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
National Park ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Land Application ◽  
Mountain Areas

Soil erosion is a global environmental and economic problem that is significantly related to land-use changes. Over the last decades, several mountain areas in Serbia were exposed to strong human pressure caused by winter tourism development. The largest ski center in Serbia is situated on Kopaonik Mountain within the boundaries of Kopaonik National Park, where the conflict between economic and conservation goals is rapidly growing. In this study, we calculated the sedimentation and surface runoff in three sub-basins in the area of Kopaonik ski resort for two years (1984 and 2018) using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and analyzed the changes that occurred during the observed period. The results show an increase in surface runoff and sediment yield in sub-basins 1 and 3 and a decrease in sub-basin 2. The analysis of land cover change shows an expansion of evergreen forests, appearance of barren soil and urban areas, reduction of mixed forests and pastures, and the appearance of deciduous forests. These findings indicate that in the area studied, the dominant processes are the development of tourism and natural revegetation of abandoned agricultural land. Application of remote sensing techniques and SWAT contributes to identifying and monitoring land degradation problems and improving conservation and management practices.

scholarly journals Prioritization of Watershed Using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 9456
Author(s):  
Devendra Kumar ◽  
Arvind Dhaloiya ◽  
Ajeet Singh Nain ◽  
Mahendra Paal Sharma ◽  
Amandeep Singh
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Information System ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Slope Length

Soil erosion is becoming a major concern at the watershed scale for the environment, natural resources, and sustainable resource management. Therefore, the estimation of soil loss through this phenomenon and the identification of critical soil erosion-prone areas are considered to be key tasks in the soil conservation programme for the design and implementation of best management practices for specific regions or areas. In the present study, revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) modelling is combined with remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) techniques and used to predict soil erosion and the prioritization of watersheds in Nainital district Uttarakhand, India. For the estimation of soil loss, different factors, namely, rainfall-runoff erosivity (R) factor, soil erodability (K) factor, slope length steepness (LS) factor, cover management (C) factor, and the erosion control practices (P) factor were computed. The data on various other aspects such as land use/land cover (LU/LC), the digital elevation model (DEM), slope, contours, drainage network, soil texture, organic matter, and rainfall were integrated to prepare a database for the RUSLE equation by employing ENVI & QGIS software. The results showed that a major portion (70.26%) of Nainital district is covered with forest, followed by area under fallow and agricultural land. Annual average soil loss ranged between 20 to 80 t ha−1 yr−1 in the study area. Out of 50 watersheds in the study area, 7 watersheds were given top priority for conserving natural resources, while 11 watersheds, mostly in the east-central part of Nainital, were kept under the next priority category. Only 4 watersheds of the total were given lowest priority. Moreover, it was concluded that major portions of Nainital district were in a severely prone category of soil erosion, and therefore required immediate action plans to check soil erosion and evade the possibility of landslides.

scholarly journals The potential for land use change to reduce flood risk in mid-sized catchments in the Myjava region of Slovakia

2017 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Rončák ◽  
Evelin Lisovszki ◽  
Ján Szolgay ◽  
Kamila Hlavčová ◽  
Silvia Kohnová ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Surface Runoff ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Land Use Management ◽  
Land Use Scenarios ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe effects of land use management practices on surface runoff are evident on a local scale, but evidence of their impact on the scale of a watershed is limited. This study focuses on an analysis of the impact of land use changes on the flood regime in the Myjava River basin, which is located in Western Slovakia. The Myjava River basin has an area of 641.32 km2and is typified by the formation of fast runoff processes, intensive soil erosion, and muddy floods. The main factors responsible for these problems with flooding and soil erosion are the basin’s location, geology, pedology, agricultural land use, and cropping practices. The GIS-based, spatially distributed WetSpa rainfall-runoff model was used to simulate mean daily discharges in the outlet of the basin as well as the individual components of the water balance. The model was calibrated based on the period between 1997 and 2012 with outstanding results (an NS coefficient of 0.702). Various components of runoff (e.g., surface, interflow and groundwater) and several elements of the hydrological balance (evapotranspiration and soil moisture) were simulated under various land use scenarios. Six land use scenarios (‘crop’, ‘grass’, ‘forest’, ‘slope’, ‘elevation’ and ‘optimal’) were developed. The first three scenarios exhibited the ability of the WetSpa model to simulate runoff under changed land use conditions and enabled a better adjustment of the land use parameters of the model. Three other “more realistic” land use scenarios, which were based on the distribution of land use classes (arable land, grass and forest) regarding permissible slopes in the catchment, confirmed the possibility of reducing surface runoff and maximum discharges with applicable changes in land use and land management. These scenarios represent practical, realistic and realizable land use management solutions and they could be economically implemented to mitigate soil erosion processes and enhance the flood protection measures in the Myjava River basin.

scholarly journals Hydrological Simulation of Runoff for a Watershed in Punpun Basin using SWAT

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 183-187
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Surface Runoff ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Agricultural Watershed ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Water Assessment ◽  
Soil And Water

Runoff is a very important phenomenon of hydrological cycle and it is relevant for the watershed management programme for conservation and development or natural resources and its management. However, In India the availability of accurate information on runoff is very scarce and needs to be calculated empirically for further developments. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a physical parameter model which has been developed to estimate values for the runoff, sediment and nutrient carry off from the agricultural watersheds under various distinct land management practices. For the present study, a small agricultural watershed has been selected for runoff assessment. Watershed is considered to be the ideal unit for management of the natural resources. Extraction of watershed parameters using Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) and use of mathematical models is one of the current trends for hydrologic evaluation of these watersheds monitored. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) having an interface with Quantum GIS (QGIS) software (QSWAT version 1.3) was selected for the estimation of surface runoff from an area of Punpun basin near Patna an intermediate watershed of Punpun river, located in southern Bihar region. Maps of the region obtained from the Bihar Remote Sensing Application Centre (BIRSAC) were used for computation. The model was run and validated with the observed runoff and for the years 2005-2010. The performance of the model was evaluated using statistical and graphical methods to assess the capability of the model in simulating the surface runoff from the study area. According to the model estimates, the value for the surface runoff was maximum for the year 2007 as 710 mm and was minimum for the year 2005 with about 185 mm. As per the observed values of discharge from the Central Water Commission (CWC), the values for surface runoff for these years were different by about 10 to 11%.

scholarly journals Spatial-Temporal Land Use and Land Cover Changes in Urban Areas Using Remote Sensing Images and GIS Analysis: The Case Study of Opole, Poland

Geosciences ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 312
Author(s):  
Barbara Wiatkowska ◽  
Janusz Słodczyk ◽  
Aleksandra Stokowska
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Satellite Imagery ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Urban Expansion ◽  
Landsat 8 ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
Management Procedures

Urban expansion is a dynamic and complex phenomenon, often involving adverse changes in land use and land cover (LULC). This paper uses satellite imagery from Landsat-5 TM, Landsat-8 OLI, Sentinel-2 MSI, and GIS technology to analyse LULC changes in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020. The research was carried out in Opole, the capital of the Opole Agglomeration (south-western Poland). Maps produced from supervised spectral classification of remote sensing data revealed that in 20 years, built-up areas have increased about 40%, mainly at the expense of agricultural land. Detection of changes in the spatial pattern of LULC showed that the highest average rate of increase in built-up areas occurred in the zone 3–6 km (11.7%) and above 6 km (10.4%) from the centre of Opole. The analysis of the increase of built-up land in relation to the decreasing population (SDG 11.3.1) has confirmed the ongoing process of demographic suburbanisation. The paper shows that satellite imagery and GIS can be a valuable tool for local authorities and planners to monitor the scale of urbanisation processes for the purpose of adapting space management procedures to the changing environment.

scholarly journals Effect of Forest Management Operations on Aggregate-Associated SOC Dynamics Using a 137Cs Tracing Method

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 859
Author(s):  
Geng Guo ◽  
Xiao Li ◽  
Xi Zhu ◽  
Yanyin Xu ◽  
Qiao Dai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Dynamic Change ◽  
Aggregate Size ◽  
Nutrient Loss ◽  
Vegetation Coverage ◽  
Forest Conversion ◽  
Mountain Areas

Although forest conversions have long been a focus in carbon (C) research, the relationship between soil erosion and the dynamic change of soil organic carbon (SOC) has not been well-quantified. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of converting CBF (coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests) to economic forests, including CF (chestnut forest), HF (hawthorn forest), and AF (apple forest), on the soil structure and nutrient loss in the Huaibei Rocky Mountain Areas, China. A 137Cs tracer method was used to provide soil erosion data in order to quantify the loss of aggregate-associated SOC. The results showed that forest management operations caused macro-aggregates to decrease by 1.69% in CF, 4.52% in AF, and 3.87% in HF. Therefore, the stability of aggregates was reduced. The SOC contents in each aggregate size decreased significantly after forest conversion, with the largest decreases occurring in AF. We quantified the loss of 0.15, 0.38, and 0.31 Mg hm−2 of aggregate-associated SOC after conversion from CBF to CF, AF, and HF, respectively. These results suggest that forest management operations have a negative impact on soil quality and fertility. CF has better vegetation coverage and less human interference, making it more prominent among the three economic forests species. Therefore, when developing forest management operations, judicious selection of tree varieties and appropriate management practices are extremely critical. In addition, measures should be taken to increase surface cover to reduce soil erosion and achieve sustainable development of economic forests.

scholarly journals Prioritization of Sub-Watersheds to Sediment Yield and Evaluation of Best Management Practices in Highland Ethiopia, Finchaa Catchment

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 650
Author(s):  
Wakjira Takala Dibaba ◽  
Tamene Adugna Demissie ◽  
Konrad Miegel
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Sediment Yield ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Swat Model ◽  
Sediment Yields ◽  
Soil And Water

Excessive soil loss and sediment yield in the highlands of Ethiopia are the primary factors that accelerate the decline of land productivity, water resources, operation and function of existing water infrastructure, as well as soil and water management practices. This study was conducted at Finchaa catchment in the Upper Blue Nile basin of Ethiopia to estimate the rate of soil erosion and sediment loss and prioritize the most sensitive sub-watersheds using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. The SWAT model was calibrated and validated using the observed streamflow and sediment data. The average annual sediment yield (SY) in Finchaa catchment for the period 1990–2015 was 36.47 ton ha−1 yr−1 with the annual yield varying from negligible to about 107.2 ton ha−1 yr−1. Five sub-basins which account for about 24.83% of the area were predicted to suffer severely from soil erosion risks, with SY in excess of 50 ton ha−1 yr−1. Only 15.05% of the area within the tolerable rate of loss (below 11 ton ha−1yr−1) was considered as the least prioritized areas for maintenance of crop production. Despite the reasonable reduction of sediment yields by the management scenarios, the reduction by contour farming, slope terracing, zero free grazing and reforestation were still above the tolerable soil loss. Vegetative contour strips and soil bund were significant in reducing SY below the tolerable soil loss, which is equivalent to 63.9% and 64.8% reduction, respectively. In general, effective and sustainable soil erosion management requires not only prioritizations of the erosion hotspots but also prioritizations of the most effective management practices. We believe that the results provided new and updated insights that enable a proactive approach to preserve the soil and reduce land degradation risks that could allow resource regeneration.

A case study review of wood ash land application programs in North America

TAPPI Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-120
Author(s):  
ILICH LAMA ◽  
DEREK SAIN
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Soil Quality ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
Wood Ash ◽  
Land Application ◽  
Agricultural Application ◽  
Application Programs

Several regulatory agencies and universities have published guidelines addressing the use of wood ash as liming material for agricultural land and as a soil amendment and fertilizer. This paper summarizes the experiences collected from several forest products facility-sponsored agricultural application programs across North America. These case studies are characterized in terms of the quality of the wood ash involved in the agricultural application, approval requirements, recommended management practices, agricultural benefits of wood ash, and challenges confronted by ash generators and farmers during storage, handling, and land application of wood ash. Reported benefits associated with land-applying wood ash include increasing the pH of acidic soils, improving soil quality, and increasing crop yields. Farmers apply wood ash on their land because in addition to its liming value, it has been shown to effectively fertilize the soil while maintaining soil pH at a level that is optimal for plant growth. Given the content of calcium, potassium, and magnesium that wood ash supplies to the soil, wood ash also improves soil tilth. Wood ash has also proven to be a cost-effective alternative to agricultural lime, especially in rural areas where access to commercial agricultural lime is limited. Some of the challenges identified in the review of case studies include lengthy application approvals in some jurisdictions; weather-related issues associated with delivery, storage, and application of wood ash; maintaining consistent ash quality; inaccurate assessment of required ash testing; potential increased equipment maintenance; and misconceptions on the part of some farmers and government agencies regarding the effect and efficacy of wood ash on soil quality and crop productivity.

scholarly journals Estimating the cost and effectiveness of different STI management strategies for sex workers in Madagascar

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Workers ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Medical Visits ◽  
Syndromic Approach ◽  
The Cost

In Madagascar, the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is a serious public health problem, particularly among sex workers. A Horizons study conducted in 2000 found approximately two-thirds of female sex workers had an STI, although few were infected with HIV. Since the link between STIs and transmission of HIV has been well established, affordable strategies to manage STIs among sex workers need to be developed. Study investigators also assessed STI management practices in health facilities in two urban areas of Madagascar. Health practitioners were using a syndromic approach, which may be appropriate for managing certain STIs in the general population but is less appropriate for sex workers who may have multiple, often asymptomatic infections. Diagnosing STIs with laboratory tests would make medical visits prohibitively expensive. Researchers developed a risk profile for various STIs based on characteristics of women that present with each STI, such as age, number of partners, symptoms. The investigators hypothesized that a risk assessment tool using these profiles would result in more appropriate and effective STI treatment for sex workers. This summary presents a cost-effectiveness analysis of different strategies to manage STIs among sex workers in Madagascar.

scholarly journals Application of Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (Rusle) Model to Assess Soil Erosion in “Kalu Ganga” River Basin in Sri Lanka

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. D. Panditharathne ◽  
N. S. Abeysingha ◽  
K. G. S. Nirmanee ◽  
Ananda Mallawatantri
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Universal Soil Loss Equation ◽  
Rusle Model ◽  
Soil Loss Equation

Soil erosion is one of the main forms of land degradation. Erosion contributes to loss of agricultural land productivity and ecological and esthetic values of natural environment, and it impairs the production of safe drinking water and hydroenergy production. Thus, assessment of soil erosion and identifying the lands more prone to erosion are vital for erosion management process. Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (Rusle) model supported by a GIS system was used to assess the spatial variability of erosion occurring at Kalu Ganga river basin in Sri Lanka. Digital Elevation Model (30 × 30 m), twenty years’ rainfall data measured at 11 rain gauge stations across the basin, land use and soil maps, and published literature were used as inputs to the model. The average annual soil loss in Kalu Ganga river basin varied from 0 to 134 t ha−1 year−1 and mean annual soil loss was estimated at 0.63 t ha−1 year−1. Based on erosion estimates, the basin landscape was divided into four different erosion severity classes: very low, low, moderate, and high. About 1.68% of the areas (4714 ha) in the river basin were identified with moderate to high erosion severity (>5 t ha−1 year−1) class which urgently need measures to control soil erosion. Lands with moderate to high soil erosion classes were mostly found in Bulathsinghala, Kuruwita, and Rathnapura divisional secretarial divisions. Use of the erosion severity information coupled with basin wide individual RUSLE parameters can help to design the appropriate land use management practices and improved management based on the observations to minimize soil erosion in the basin.

Land Cover/Use Analysis of Prespa National Park, Greece

1986 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 319-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Karteris ◽  
Myrto Pyrovetsi
Keyword(s):  
Land Cover ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
National Park ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Aerial Photographs ◽  
Wet Meadows ◽  
Waterbird Species ◽  
Irrigation Drainage

Prespa National Park in Greece is an important breeding-area for rare and endangered waterbird species, but people living within the Park and using its resources create serious conservation problems. An environmental management plan which will regulate mainly the human activities within the Park is therefore necessary. Such a plan should be based on a land cover/use analysis of the area, for which much of the necessary information, in the form of a thematic map, has been collected by interpreting blackand-white aerial photographs. The procedure involved the development of a classification system, transferring the interpreted data onto a base-map, field-checking the results, and tabulating the area measurements with the pertinent errors.Of the total Park area (25,690 ha), 66.5% is classified as terrestrial (forestland, rangeland, agricultural land whether irrigated, non-irrigated, or abandoned, wet meadows/marshland, barren and eroded land, and urban areas), and the remainder as aquatic (water, reedbeds). The most extensive category in the Park is forestland, much of which is seriously degraded. Rangeland provides forage for sheep and goats, being also degraded owing to uncontrolled grazing. Wet meadows/marshland are invaluable as waterbird breeding and feeding habitats, but the present use of this category as grazing fields, and its proximity to agricultural land and to the existing irrigation/drainage system, have all had negative impacts on the resource. Irrigated land is almost half of the cultivated area.The abandoned agricultural land is interspersed within the forestland and is a result of the human population decline in the area, while barren and eroded land has resulted from prolonged land misuse. Twelve old villages are distributed over the Park, being visually unobtrusive. Lake Mikri Prespa is the main water-body and covers almost the entire nucleus of the Park. Extensive reedbeds are found along the lakeshores, which are the main breeding habitats of certain waterbirds. As land cover/use analysis of the Park has shown much serious environmental degradation, conservation measures should be undertaken urgently.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document