A New Indicator to Better Represent the Impact of Landscape Pattern Change on Basin Soil Erosion and Sediment Yield in the Upper Reach of Ganjiang, China

Landscape patterns are a result of the combined action of natural and social factors. Quantifying the relationships between landscape pattern changes, soil erosion, and sediment yield in river basins can provide regulators with a foundation for decision-making. Many studies have investigated how land-use changes and the resulting landscape patterns affect soil erosion in river basins. However, studies examining the effects of terrain, rainfall, soil erodibility, and vegetation cover factors on soil erosion and sediment yield from a landscape pattern perspective remain limited. In this paper, the upper Ganjiang Basin was used as the study area, and the amount of soil erosion and the amount of sediment yield in this basin were first simulated using a hydrological model. The simulated values were then validated. On this basis, new landscape metrics were established through the addition of factors from the revised universal soil loss equation to the land-use pattern. Five combinations of landscape metrics were chosen, and the interactions between the landscape metrics in each combination and their effects on soil erosion and sediment yield in the river basin were examined. The results showed that there were highly similar correlations between the area metrics, between the fragmentation metrics, between the spatial structure metrics, and between the evenness metrics across all the combinations, while the correlations between the shape metrics in Combination 1 (only land use in each year) differed notably from those in the other combinations. The new landscape indicator established based on Combination 4, which integrated the land-use pattern and the terrain, soil erodibility, and rainfall erosivity factors, were the most significantly correlated with the soil erosion and sediment yield of the river basin. Finally, partial least-squares regression models for the soil erosion and sediment yield of the river basin were established based on the five landscape metrics with the highest variable importance in projection scores selected from Combination 4. The results of this study provide a simple approach for quantitatively assessing soil erosion in other river basins for which detailed observation data are lacking.

Download Full-text

Modeling Land Use Changes and their Impacts on Non-Point Source Pollution in a Southeast China Coastal Watershed

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph15081593 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 15 (8) ◽

pp. 1593 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Xin Zhang ◽

Lin Zhou ◽

Yuqi Liu

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Point Source ◽

River Basin ◽

Landscape Metrics ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Landscape Patterns ◽

Cultivated Land ◽

Point Source Pollution ◽

Coastal Watershed ◽

Non Point Source Pollution

Changes in landscape patterns in a river basin play a crucial role in the change on load of non-point source pollution. The spatial distribution of various land use types affects the transmission of non-point source pollutants on the basis of source-sink theory in landscape ecology. Jiulong River basin in southeast of China was selected as the study area in this paper. Aiming to analyze the correlation between changing landscape patterns and load of non-point source pollution in this area, traditional landscape metrics and the improved location-weighted landscape contrast index based on the minimum hydrological response unit (HRULCI) were applied in this study, in combination with remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) technique. The results of the landscape metrics showed the enhanced fragmentation extent and the decreasing polymerization degree of the overall landscape in the watershed. High values of HRULCI were concentrated in cultivated land, while low HRULCI values mostly appeared in forestland, indicating that cultivated land substantially enhanced non-point source pollution, while forestland inhibited the pollution process.

Download Full-text

Assessment of uncertainties in soil erosion and sediment yield estiamtes at ungauged basins: an application to the Garra River basin, India

10.5194/hess-2017-383 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Somil Swarnkar ◽

Anshu Malini ◽

Shivam Tripathi ◽

Rajiv Sinha

Keyword(s):

Soil Erosion ◽

River Basin ◽

Sediment Yield ◽

Uncertainty Propagation ◽

River Basins ◽

Large River ◽

Delivery Ratio ◽

Mountainous Region ◽

Ungauged Basins ◽

Sediment Delivery

Abstract. High soil erosion and excessive sediment load are serious problems in several Himalayan River basins. To apply mitigation procedures, precise estimation of soil erosion and sediment yield with associated uncertainties are needed. Here, Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and Sediment Delivery Ratio (SDR) equations are used to estimate the spatial pattern of soil erosion (SE) and sediment yield (SY) in the Garra River basin, a small Himalayan tributary of River Ganga. A methodology is proposed for quantifying and propagating uncertainties in SE, SDR and SY estimates. Expressions for uncertainty propagation are derived by first-order uncertainty analysis, making the method viable even for large river basins. The methodology is applied to investigate the relative importance of different RUSLE factors in estimating the magnitude and uncertainties of SE over two distinct morpho-climatic regimes of the Garra River basin, namely, upper mountainous region & lower alluvial plains. The results suggest that average SE in the basin falls in very high category (20.4 ± 4.1 t/ha/y) with higher values in the upper mountainous region (84.4 ± 13.9 t/ha/y) than in the lower alluvial plains (17.7 ± 3.6 t/ha/y). Furthermore, the topographic steepness (LS) and crop practice (CP) factors exhibit higher uncertainties than other RUSLE factors. The annual average SY is estimated at two locations in the basin – Nanak Sagar dam (NSD) for the period 1962–2008 and Husepur gauging station (HGS) for 1987–2002. The SY at NSD and HGS are estimated to be 8.0 ± 1.4 × 105 t/y and 7.9 ± 1.7 ×106 t/y, respectively, and the estimated 90 % confidence interval contains the observed values 6.4 × 105 t/y and 7.2 × 106 t/y. The study demonstrated the usefulness of the proposed methodology for quantifying uncertainty in SE and SY estimates at ungauged basins.

Download Full-text

Assessment of uncertainties in soil erosion and sediment yield estimates at ungauged basins: an application to the Garra River basin, India

Hydrology and Earth System Sciences ◽

10.5194/hess-22-2471-2018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 22 (4) ◽

pp. 2471-2485 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Somil Swarnkar ◽

Anshu Malini ◽

Shivam Tripathi ◽

Rajiv Sinha

Keyword(s):

Soil Erosion ◽

River Basin ◽

Sediment Yield ◽

Uncertainty Propagation ◽

River Basins ◽

Large River ◽

Delivery Ratio ◽

Mountainous Region ◽

Ungauged Basins ◽

Sediment Delivery

Abstract. High soil erosion and excessive sediment load are serious problems in several Himalayan river basins. To apply mitigation procedures, precise estimation of soil erosion and sediment yield with associated uncertainties are needed. Here, the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) and the sediment delivery ratio (SDR) equations are used to estimate the spatial pattern of soil erosion (SE) and sediment yield (SY) in the Garra River basin, a small Himalayan tributary of the River Ganga. A methodology is proposed for quantifying and propagating uncertainties in SE, SDR and SY estimates. Expressions for uncertainty propagation are derived by first-order uncertainty analysis, making the method viable even for large river basins. The methodology is applied to investigate the relative importance of different RUSLE factors in estimating the magnitude and uncertainties in SE over two distinct morphoclimatic regimes of the Garra River basin, namely the upper mountainous region and the lower alluvial plains. Our results suggest that average SE in the basin is very high (23 ± 4.7 t ha−1 yr−1) with higher values in the upper mountainous region (92 ± 15.2 t ha−1 yr−1) compared to the lower alluvial plains (19.3 ± 4 t ha−1 yr−1). Furthermore, the topographic steepness (LS) and crop practice (CP) factors exhibit higher uncertainties than other RUSLE factors. The annual average SY is estimated at two locations in the basin – Nanak Sagar Dam (NSD) for the period 1962–2008 and Husepur gauging station (HGS) for 1987–2002. The SY at NSD and HGS are estimated to be 6.9 ± 1.2 × 105 t yr−1 and 6.7 ± 1.4 × 106 t yr−1, respectively, and the estimated 90 % interval contains the observed values of 6.4 × 105 t yr−1 and 7.2 × 106 t yr−1, respectively. The study demonstrated the usefulness of the proposed methodology for quantifying uncertainty in SE and SY estimates at ungauged basins.

Download Full-text

Investigation of likely effects of land use planning on reduction of soil erosion rate in river basins: Case study of the Gharesoo River Basin

CATENA ◽

10.1016/j.catena.2018.04.026 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 167 ◽

pp. 116-129 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Azade Mehri ◽

Abdolrassoul Salmanmahiny ◽

Ali Reza Mikaeili Tabrizi ◽

Seyed Hamed Mirkarimi ◽

Amir Sadoddin

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

River Basin ◽

Land Use Planning ◽

Erosion Rate ◽

River Basins ◽

Soil Erosion Rate ◽

Effects Of Land Use

Download Full-text

Variability of Soil Erosion Intensity Due to Vegetation Cover Changes: Case Study of Orahovacka Rijeka, Montenegro

Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca ◽

10.15835/nbha47111310 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 47 (1) ◽

pp. 237-248 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Gojko NIKOLIC ◽

Velibor SPALEVIC ◽

Milic CUROVIC ◽

Abdulvahed KHALEDI DARVISHAN ◽

Goran SKATARIC ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

River Basin ◽

Vegetation Cover ◽

Hydrological Cycle ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

National Level ◽

River Basins ◽

Surface Erosion ◽

Erosion Intensity

Vegetation cover change in all the river basins leads to the changes of hydrologic response, soil erosion and sediment dynamics characteristics. Those changes are often viewed as main cause of anthropogenic and accelerated erosion rates in short term and one of the main reasons of climate change in long term. The effects of vegetation cover changes on various parts of water balance and hydrological cycle has to be deeply studied because of its important role on mankind future. The aim of present research was therefore to simulate the responses of soil erosion processes by using a process-oriented soil erosion model IntErO, with the different settings of land use for the years 1977, 1987, 1997, 2006 (2007) and 2016 (2017) in Orahovacka Rijeka watershed; a pilot river basin of the Polimlje Region for the northeastern part of Montenegro. For the current state of land use, calculated peak discharge for the Orahovacka Rijeka was 174-175 m3 s-1 (the incidence of 100 years) and there is a possibility for large flood waves to appear in the studied basin. Real soil losses, Gyear, were calculated on 2614-2921 m3 year-1, specific 229-256 m3 km-2 year-1 (1977-2017). The value of Z coefficient range from 0.444 to 0.478 and indicates that the river basin belongs to III destruction category. The strength of the erosion process is medium, and according to the erosion type, it is surface erosion. According to our analysis the land use changes in the last 40 years influenced the increase of the soil erosion intensity for 11% in the study watershed. Further studies should be focused on the detailed analysis of the land use changes trends with the other river basins at the national level, closely following responses of soil erosion to the changed land use structure. The results and approach also should be used by policymakers in all national natural resources organizations to highlight the role of management.

Download Full-text

Wavelet-Based Correlation Identification of Scales and Locations between Landscape Patterns and Topography in Urban-Rural Profiles: Case of the Jilin City, China

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs10101653 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 1653 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Qiong Wu ◽

Fengxiang Guo ◽

Hongqing Li

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Landscape Metrics ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Pearson Correlation ◽

Landscape Patterns ◽

Land Use Pattern ◽

Wavelet Method ◽

Urban Rural ◽

Use Pattern ◽

Wavelet Coherency

Landscapes display overlapping sets of correlations in different regions at different spatial scales, and these correlations can be delineated by pattern analysis. This study identified the correlations between landscape pattern and topography at various scales and locations in urban-rural profiles from Jilin City, China, using Pearson correlation analysis and wavelet method. Two profiles, 30 km (A) and 35 km (B) in length with 0.1-km sampling intervals, were selected. The results indicated that profile A was more sensitive to the characterization of the land use pattern as influenced by topography due to its more varied terrain, and three scales (small, medium, and large) could be defined based on the variation in the standard deviation of the wavelet coherency in profile A. Correlations between landscape metrics and elevation were similar at large scales (over 8 km), while complex correlations were discovered at other scale intervals. The medium scale of cohesion and Shannon’s diversity index was 1–8 km, while those of perimeter-area fractal dimension and edge density index were 1.5–8 km and 2–8 km, respectively. At small scales, the correlations were weak as a whole and scattered due to the micro-topography and landform elements, such as valleys and hillsides. At medium scales, the correlations were most affected by local topography, and the land use pattern was significantly correlated with topography at several locations. At large spatial scales, significant correlation existed throughout the study area due to alternating mountains and plains. In general, the strength of correlation between landscape metrics and topography increased gradually with increasing spatial scale, although this tendency had some fluctuations in several locations. Despite a complex calculating process and ecological interpretation, the wavelet method is still an effective tool to identify multi-scale characteristics in landscape ecology.

Download Full-text

Spatial and temporal characteristics of soil erosion in a typical karst basin in southwest China and its response to the landscape pattern of rock desertification

10.21203/rs.3.rs-1107552/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jiayong Gao ◽

Rui Li ◽

Maolin He ◽

Pingping Yang ◽

Jun Jing

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

River Basin ◽

Landscape Pattern ◽

Karst Area ◽

Karst Region ◽

Patch Type ◽

Severe Erosion ◽

Strong Erosion ◽

Landscape Level

Abstract Soil erosion is a process of migration and redistribution of soil substances in the landscape, which is regulated by topography, vegetation, human activities and their spatial pattern. At the watershed scale, changes in landscape pattern are important factors in determining the degree of soil erosion. Taking Dabang River Basin as the study area, based on the three phases of land use data, remote sensing image data and daily rainfall data from eight stations in the basin in 2010, 2015 and 2020, the rocky desertification factor (D) was introduced into the general soil loss equation RUSLE to calculate the soil erosion in Karst and non-Karst Areas in 2010, 2015 and 2020 respectively. The relationship between landscape pattern and soil erosion was analyzed from two aspects: type level index and landscape level index. The results showed that: 1) From 2010 to 2020, the average soil erosion modulus in The Dabang River Basin decreased first and then increased. The average soil erosion modulus in the non-karst region was about twice that in the karst region, and the average soil erosion modulus in the karst region decreased first and then increased. The mean soil erosion modulus in the non-karst area showed an increasing trend; 2) Under different slope grades, the erosion was mainly slight and mild, and the area of slight erosion was the largest, and the area of very strong and severe erosion increased as the slope increased. the area of strong, very strong and severe erosion increased in the slope zone below 15°, the area of light and moderate erosion decreased, and the area of slight, strong and very strong erosion increased in the slope zone from 15 to 25°, and the area of slight erosion increased in the slope zone above 25° area increased and light, moderate and strong erosion area decreased in the slope zone above 25°; 3) The landscape pattern of the Dadang River Basin changed significantly from 2010 to 2020. At the landscape level, the number of patches increased and the average patch area decreased. At the type level, the area of paddy field, woodland and shrubland decreases and the area of dry land, grassland, construction land and water body increased, and the dominant land type in the watershed changed from woodland to grassland; 4) The amount of soil erosion was positively correlated with patch type area, landscape percentage, maximum patch index and aggregation index, and positively correlated with edge density; 5) There was a linear relationship between soil erosion and Shannon diversity index (SHDI) and Shannon mean index (SHEI) at landscape level. The results can provide reference for land use planning and soil and water conservation measures.

Download Full-text

Impact of Landform on Agricultural Land Use Pattern: A Case Study of Salda River Basin in Purulia District, West Bengal

Journal of Geography Environment and Earth Science International ◽

10.9734/jgeesi/2019/v21i330125 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 1-19

Author(s):

Manoj Kumar Mahato ◽

N. C. Jana

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

River Basin ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

West Bengal ◽

Landscape Patterns ◽

Agricultural Land Use ◽

Land Use Pattern ◽

Use Pattern ◽

Purulia District ◽

Geomorphic Processes

The present study is concerned with the analysis of landform characteristics of Salda River basin and its impact on agriculture land use pattern. The Salda basin is one of the sub-basins of Subarnarekha River, with diversified landscape pattern in the western part of Purulia district in West Bengal. This basin is constituted by plateaus, plains with terraces, scarps, inselbergs, which is evolved under polycyclic evolution. The development of polycyclic geomorphic processes in this basin is typified by diverse morphology and drainage, which largely influence the land use pattern in this area. These diverse landscape patterns indicate the interaction of litho-tectonic-structural and various geomorphic processes with recent human intervention. The main objectives of the present study are to analyse the landforms characteristics, correlate them with land use and identify problems as well as prospects of agricultural land utilization. The entire study is based on both primary and secondary data. Extensive field survey has been conducted to collect primary information regarding terrain characteristics, micro relief, slope characteristics, hydrological attributes, soil character, natural vegetation, environmental hazards. The Survey of India topographical sheets, meteorological data, agricultural production data, land use and land cover data have been collected for the analysis of geomorphological characteristics, land classification, and agricultural land use pattern. This study reflects the typical land characteristics of the fringe area of Chhotanagpur plateau, where some typical geomorphic attributes control the productivity of the land and also controls the socio-economic conditions of the local people. The present authors have tried to examine the typical geomorphic attributes and their effects on present productivity of the land in a micro level study, where agriculture is the main source of income.

Download Full-text

Land-Use Changes in the Sele River Basin Landscape (Southern Italy) between 1960 and 2012: Comparisons and Implications for Soil Erosion Assessment

Geographies ◽

10.3390/geographies1030017 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 315-332

Author(s):

Paolo Magliulo ◽

Angelo Cusano ◽

Filippo Russo

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

River Basin ◽

Forest Cover ◽

Southern Italy ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

Regional Scale ◽

River Basins ◽

Campania Region ◽

Erosion Intensity

In river basins, the deep interrelationships between land-use changes, soil erosion and rivers and shoreline dynamics are clearer than at a national or regional scale. Southern Italy is an ecologically fragile, desertification-prone territory where land-use changes in the last decades were significant. Notwithstanding this, studies dealing with multidecadal land-use changes in large-sized river basins of Southern Italy and their implications on soil erosion are missing. In this study, we assessed the land-use changes that occurred between 1960 and 2012 in the 3245 km2-wide Sele River basin. We carried out GIS-aided comparisons and analysis of two land-use maps and interpreted the results in terms of soil erosion intensity based on a detailed review of the scientific literature. The results confirmed the trend of the inner areas of Italy and, in particular, of the Campania region moving towards more pristine conditions, with an increase in forest cover, mainly at the expense of grasslands. Agricultural areas remained substantially unchanged, while the area of urban settlements increased. The diffuse afforestation of slopes suggested an overall decrease in soil erosion intensity, which was fully coherent with the geomorphological evolution of both the Sele River and local shoreline reported in literature.

Download Full-text

The Impact of Land Use Changes on Soil Erosion in the River Basin of Miocki Potok, Montenegro

Water ◽

10.3390/w12112973 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (11) ◽

pp. 2973

Author(s):

Velibor Spalevic ◽

Goran Barovic ◽

Dusko Vujacic ◽

Milic Curovic ◽

Morteza Behzadfar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

River Basin ◽

Land Use Changes ◽

National Level ◽

River Basins ◽

The Other ◽

Erosion Processes ◽

The Impact ◽

Erosion Intensity

Land use change in all river basins leads to changes in hydrologic response, soil erosion, and sediment dynamics characteristics. Those changes are often viewed as the main cause of accelerated erosion rates. We studied the impact of land use changes on soil erosion processes in one of the watersheds in Montenegro: the Miocki Potok, using this watershed as a pilot river basin for this area. We simulated responses of soil erosion processes by using a process-oriented soil erosion Intensity of Erosion and Outflow (IntErO) model, with different settings of land use for the years 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020. The model provides fast, effective, and affordable insight into the effects of land use change on soil erosion processes. Testing of the applied procedures was important for the further establishment of watershed management methodologies at the national level, for the other 300 river basins of Montenegro. For the current state of land use, calculated peak discharge for the Miocki Potok was 364 m3 s−1 (2020)–372 m3 s−1 (1970) for the incidence of 100 years, and there is a possibility for large flood waves to appear in the studied basin. Real soil losses, Gyear, were calculated at 13680 m3 year−1 (2020) and specific 333 m3 km−2 year−1 (2020). A Z coefficient value of 0.439 (2020) indicated that the river basin belongs to destruction category III. The strength of the erosion process was medium, and according to the erosion type, it was mixed erosion. According to our analysis, the land use changes in the last 50 years influenced a decrease in the soil erosion intensity for 14% in the Miocki Potok River Basin. Further studies should be focused on the detailed analysis of the land use changes trends with the other river basins at the national level, closely following responses of soil erosion to the changed land use structure, and effects of plant-and-soil interaction on soil erosion and sediment dynamics.

Download Full-text