Assessment of Intra-Annual and Inter-Annual Variabilities of Soil Erosion in Crete Island (Greece) by Incorporating the Dynamic “Nature” of R and C-Factors in RUSLE Modeling

Under the continuously changing conditions of the environment, the exploration of spatial variability of soil erosion at a sub-annual temporal resolution, as well as the identification of high-soil loss time periods and areas, are crucial for implementing mitigation and land management interventions. The main objective of this study was to estimate the monthly and seasonal soil loss rates by water-induced soil erosion in Greek island of Crete for two recent hydrologically contrasting years, 2016 (dry) and 2019 (wet), as a result of Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) modeling. The impact of temporal variability of the two dynamic RUSLE factors, namely rainfall erosivity (R) and cover management (C), was explored by using rainfall and remotely sensed vegetation data time-series of high temporal resolution. Soil, topographical, and land use/cover data were exploited to represent the other three static RUSLE factors, namely soil erodibility (K), slope length and steepness (LS) and support practice (P). The estimated rates were mapped presenting the spatio-temporal distribution of soil loss for the study area on a both intra-annual and inter-annual basis. The identification of high-loss months/seasons and areas in the island was achieved by these maps. Autumn (about 35 t ha−1) with October (about 61 t ha−1) in 2016, and winter (about 96 t ha−1) with February (146 t ha−1) in 2019 presented the highest mean soil loss rates on a seasonal and monthly, respectively, basis. Summer (0.22–0.25 t ha−1), with its including months, showed the lowest rates in both examined years. The intense monthly fluctuations of R-factor were found to be more influential on water-induced soil erosion than the more stabilized tendency of C-factor. In both years, olive groves in terms of agricultural land use and Chania prefecture in terms of administrative division, were detected as the most prone spatial units to erosion.

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Predicting the Impact of Future Land Use and Climate Change on Potential Soil Erosion Risk in an Urban District of the Harare Metropolitan Province, Zimbabwe

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs13214360 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (21) ◽

pp. 4360

Author(s):

Andrew K. Marondedze ◽

Brigitta Schütt

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Land Use ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Rainfall Erosivity ◽

Climate Scenarios ◽

Residential Areas ◽

Erosion Risk ◽

Soil Erosion Risk ◽

Loss Rates

Monitoring urban area expansion through multispectral remotely sensed data and other geomatics techniques is fundamental for sustainable urban planning. Forecasting of future land use land cover (LULC) change for the years 2034 and 2050 was performed using the Cellular Automata Markov model for the current fast-growing Epworth district of the Harare Metropolitan Province, Zimbabwe. The stochastic CA–Markov modelling procedure validation yielded kappa statistics above 80%, ascertaining good agreement. The spatial distribution of the LULC classes CBD/Industrial area, water and irrigated croplands as projected for 2034 and 2050 show slight notable changes. For projected scenarios in 2034 and 2050, low–medium-density residential areas are predicted to increase from 11.1 km2 to 12.3 km2 between 2018 and 2050. Similarly, high-density residential areas are predicted to increase from 18.6 km2 to 22.4 km2 between 2018 and 2050. Assessment of the effects of future climate change on potential soil erosion risk for Epworth district were undertaken by applying the representative concentration pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) climate scenarios, and model ensemble averages from multiple general circulation models (GCMs) were used to derive the rainfall erosivity factor for the RUSLE model. Average soil loss rates for both climate scenarios, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, were predicted to be high in 2034 due to the large spatial area extent of croplands and disturbed green spaces exposed to soil erosion processes, therefore increasing potential soil erosion risk, with RCP4.5 having more impact than RCP8.5 due to a higher applied rainfall erosivity. For 2050, the predicted wide area average soil loss rates declined for both climate scenarios RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, following the predicted decline in rainfall erosivity and vulnerable areas that are erodible. Overall, high potential soil erosion risk was predicted along the flanks of the drainage network for both RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 climate scenarios in 2050.

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Estimation of Soil Erosion Using RUSLE Model and GIS: The Case of Satinskyi Catchment, Western Rwanda

Rwanda Journal of Engineering Science Technology and Environment ◽

10.4314/rjeste.v3i1.2s ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

Author(s):

R. V Byizigiro ◽

G Rwanyiziri ◽

M. Mugabowindekwe ◽

C. Kagoyire ◽

M. Biryabarema

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

Land Surface ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Slope Angle ◽

Rainfall Erosivity ◽

Land Use Patterns ◽

Rusle Model ◽

Factor C ◽

Loss Rates

The problem of soil erosion in Rwanda has been highlighted in previous studies. They have shown that half of the country’s farmland suffers moderate to severe erosion, with the highest soil loss rates found in the steeper and highly rainy northern and western highlands of the country. The purpose of this study was to estimate soil loss in Satinskyi, one of the catchments located in Ngororero District of Western Rwanda. This has been achieved using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model, which has been implemented in a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) environment. The methods consisted of preparing a set of input factor layers including Slope Length and Steepness (LS) factor, Rainfall Erosivity (R) factor, Soil Erodibility (K) factor, Support Practice (P) factor, and Land Surface Cover Management Factor (C) factor, for the model. The input factors have been integrated for soil loss estimates computation using RUSLE model, and this has enabled to quantitatively assess variations in the mean of the total estimated soil loss per annum in relation to topography and land-use patterns of the studied catchment. The findings showed that the average soil loss in Satinskyi catchment is estimated at 38.4 t/ha/year. It was however found that about 91% of the study area consists of areas with slope angle exceeding 15°, a situation which exposes the land to severe soil loss rates ranging between 31 t/ha/year and 41 t/ha/year. Apart from the steep slope, changes in land use also contribute to high rates of soil loss in the catchment. Keywords: Soil Erosion Estimation, GIS, RUSLE, Satinskyi Catchment, Rwanda

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Effects of Climate and Land-Cover Changes on Soil Erosion in Brazilian Pantanal

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11247053 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (24) ◽

pp. 7053 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Carina Colman ◽

Paulo Oliveira ◽

André Almagro ◽

Britaldo Soares-Filho ◽

Dulce Rodrigues

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Land Use ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

Land Cover ◽

Ecosystem Service ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Land Cover Changes ◽

Rainfall Erosivity ◽

Comprehensive Planning ◽

Brazilian Pantanal

The Pantanal biome integrates the lowlands of the Upper Paraguay Basin (UPB), which is hydrologically connected to the biomes of the Cerrado and Amazon (the highlands of the UPB). The effects of recent land-cover and land-use (LCLU) changes in the highlands, combined with climate change, are still poorly understood in this region. Here, we investigate the effects of soil erosion in the Brazilian Pantanal under climate and LCLU changes by combining different scenarios of projected rainfall erosivity and land-cover management. We compute the average annual soil erosion for the baseline (2012) and projected scenarios for 2020, 2035, and 2050. For the worst scenario, we noted an increase in soil loss of up to 100% from 2012 to 2050, associated with cropland expansion in some parts of the highlands. Furthermore, for the same period, our results indicated an increase of 20 to 40% in soil loss in parts of the Pantanal biome, which was associated with farmland increase (mainly for livestock) in the lowlands. Therefore, to ensure water, food, energy, and ecosystem service security over the next decades in the whole UPB, robust and comprehensive planning measures need to be developed, especially for the most impacted areas found in our study.

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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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Modeling the Impact of Climate Change and Land Use Change Scenarios on Soil Erosion at the Minab Dam Watershed

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11123353 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 3353 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Mohammad Reza Azimi Sardari ◽

Ommolbanin Bazrafshan ◽

Thomas Panagopoulos ◽

Elham Rafiei Sardooi

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Land Use ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Soil Cover ◽

Future Climate Change ◽

Future Period ◽

The Future ◽

The Impact

Climate and land use change can influence susceptibility to erosion and consequently land degradation. The aim of this study was to investigate in the baseline and a future period, the land use and climate change effects on soil erosion at an important dam watershed occupying a strategic position on the narrow Strait of Hormuz. The future climate change at the study area was inferred using statistical downscaling and validated by the Canadian earth system model (CanESM2). The future land use change was also simulated using the Markov chain and artificial neural network, and the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation was adopted to estimate soil loss under climate and land use change scenarios. Results show that rainfall erosivity (R factor) will increase under all Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios. The highest amount of R was 40.6 MJ mm ha−1 h−1y−1 in 2030 under RPC 2.6. Future land use/land cover showed rangelands turning into agricultural lands, vegetation cover degradation and an increased soil cover among others. The change of C and R factors represented most of the increase of soil erosion and sediment production in the study area during the future period. The highest erosion during the future period was predicted to reach 14.5 t ha−1 y−1, which will generate 5.52 t ha−1 y−1 sediment. The difference between estimated and observed sediment was 1.42 t ha−1 year−1 at the baseline period. Among the soil erosion factors, soil cover (C factor) is the one that watershed managers could influence most in order to reduce soil loss and alleviate the negative effects of climate change.

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Assessment of the Soil Erosion Response to Land Use and Slope in the Loess Plateau—A Case Study of Jiuyuangou

Water ◽

10.3390/w12020529 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 529 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Chenlu Huang ◽

Qinke Yang ◽

Xiayu Cao ◽

Yuru Li

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

Loess Plateau ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Yellow River ◽

Slope Gradient ◽

The Loess Plateau ◽

Annual Average ◽

Management Procedures ◽

The Impact

Soil erosion is a serious environmental problem in the Loess Plateau, China. Therefore, it is important to understand and evaluate soil erosion process in a watershed. In this study, the Chinese Soil Loss Equation (CSLE) is developed to evaluate the soil loss and analyze the impact of land use and slope on soil erosion in Jiuyuangou (JYG) watershed located in the hilly-gullied loess region of China 1970–2015. The results show that the quantities of soil erosion decreased clearly from 1977 to 2015 in the study area, which from 2011 (t/km²·a) in 1977 to 164 (t/km²·a) in 2004 and increased slowly to 320 (t/km²·a) in 2015. No significant soil erosion (<300 t/km²·a) changed in JYG watershed, which increased dramatically from 8.93% to 69.34% during 1977–2015. The area of farmland in this study area has been reduced drastically. Noting that the annual average soil erosion modulus of grassland was also showing a dropped trend from 1977 to 2015. In addition, the study shows that the annual average soil erosion modulus varied with slope gradient and the severe soil erosion often existed in the slope zone above 25°, which accounted for 4657 (t/km²·a) in 1977 and 382.27 (t/km²·a) in 2015. Meanwhile, soil erosion of different land-use types presented the similar changing trend (declined noticeably and then increased slowly) with the change of slope gradient from 1977 to 2015. Combined the investigations of extreme rainfall on 26 July 2015 for JYG watershed, the study provides the scientific support for the implementation of soil and water conservation measures to reduce the soil erosion and simplify Yellow River management procedures.

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Time Scale Effects and Interactions of Rainfall Erosivity and Cover Management Factors on Vineyard Soil Loss Erosion in the Semi-Arid Area of Southern Sicily

Water ◽

10.3390/w11050978 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 978 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Giorgio Baiamonte ◽

Mario Minacapilli ◽

Agata Novara ◽

Luciano Gristina

Keyword(s):

Soil Erosion ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Scale Effects ◽

Management Practice ◽

Temporal Analysis ◽

Temporal Scale ◽

Rainfall Erosivity ◽

Erosion Risk ◽

Best Management ◽

The Impact

Several authors describe the effectiveness of cover crop management practice as an important tool to prevent soil erosion, but at the same time, they stress on the high soil loss variability due to the interaction of several factors characterized by large uncertainty. In this paper the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model is applied to two Sicilian vineyards that are characterized by different topographic factors; one is subjected to Conventional Practice (CP) and the other to Best Management Practice (BMP). By using climatic input data at a high temporal scale resolution for the rainfall erosivity (R) factor, and remotely sensed imagery for the cover and management (C) factor, the importance of an appropriate R and C factor assessment and their inter and intra-annual interactions in determining soil erosion variability are showed. Different temporal analysis at ten-year, seasonal, monthly and event scales showed that results at events scales allow evidencing the interacting factors that determine erosion risk features which at other temporal scales of resolution can be hidden. The impact of BMP in preventing soil erosion is described in terms of average saved soil loss over the 10-year period of observation. The evaluation of soil erosion at a different temporal scale and its implications can help stakeholders and scientists formulate better soil conservation practices and agricultural management, and also consider that erosivity rates are expected to raise for the increase of rainfall intensity linked to climate change.

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Impact of Land Use/Cover Changes on Soil Erosion in Western Kenya

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12229740 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (22) ◽

pp. 9740

Author(s):

Benjamin Kipkemboi Kogo ◽

Lalit Kumar ◽

Richard Koech

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Crop Production ◽

Western Kenya ◽

Useful Knowledge ◽

Erosion Rates ◽

Erosion Processes ◽

Multi Temporal ◽

The Impact

This study examined the impact of land use/cover changes on soil erosion in western Kenya in the years 1995 and 2017. The study used the GIS-based Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) modelling approach and remote sensing assessment. The results showed that the average soil loss through sheet, rill and inter-rill soil erosion processes was 0.3 t/ha/y and 0.5 t/ha/y, in the years 1995 and 2017, respectively. Of the total soil loss, farms contributed more than 50%, both in 1995 and 2017 followed by grass/shrub (7.9% in 1995 and 11.9% in 2017), forest (16% in 1995 and 11.4% in 2017), and the least in built-up areas. The highest soil erosion rates were observed in farms cleared from forests (0.84 tons/ha) followed by those converted from grass/shrub areas (0.52 tons/ha). The rate of soil erosion was observed to increase with slope due to high velocity and erosivity of the runoff. Areas with high erodibility in the region are found primarily in slopes of more than 30 degrees, especially in Mt. Elgon, Chereng’anyi hills and Elgeyo escarpments. This study forms the first multi-temporal assessment to explore the extent of soil erosion and seeks to provide a useful knowledge base to support decision-makers in developing strategies to mitigate soil erosion for sustainable crop production.

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The impact of land use and rainfall patterns on the soil loss of the hillslope

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-95819-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Xianmeng Meng ◽

Yan Zhu ◽

Maosheng Yin ◽

Dengfeng Liu

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Rank Test ◽

Rainfall Events ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Slope Land ◽

Rainfall Patterns ◽

Storm Rainfall ◽

The Impact

AbstractIn order to discuss the effect of rainfall patterns and land use types on soil erosion, the experiment is carried out under natural rainfall events on different kinds of runoff plots in Zhangjiachong watershed. Based on the observed data of 44 individual rainfall events including moderate, heavy and storm rainfall, the differences of erosion modulus among hedgerows plots, terrace plots, and slope plots under different rainfall patterns are analyzed. And the effects of hedgerow and terrace patterns on control of soil loss are revealed by RUSLE. Wilcoxon signed rank test is applied to analyze the significant difference of erosion modulus in different plots and the coefficient of variation is used to compare the characteristics of erosion modulus under different rainfall patterns. The results show that the soil erosion modulus of earth banked terrace has the highest value and the lowest soil erosion modulus occurs in the slope land with hedgerows. The coefficients of variation for soil erosion modulus under heavy and storm rainfall are larger than that of moderate rainfall. Hedgerow pattern can effectively control soil erosion under moderate and heavy rainfall while the effect of hedgerow is considerably weakened under storm rainfall. Earth banked terraces own the highest erosion modulus followed by slope land and stone dike terraces.

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