scholarly journals Characteristics of the Land Degradation in the Stavnic River Basin

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 189-200
Author(s):  
Suzana Mirela Puflea ◽  
Ion Ioniţă
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Land Degradation ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Freeze And Thaw ◽  
Cesium 137 ◽  
Left Tributary ◽  
Recent Sediments ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Soil Surveys

Abstract Located in the Central Moldavian Plateau, the Stavnic catchment is associated to a left tributary of the upper Barlad River, and extends on 21,341 ha of which 39% is under forest. The typical hilly landforms, the alternation of permeable and impermeable rocks (clays, sands, loess-like deposits), the unrolling of wetted and dry periods, the sequence of freeze and thaw cycles, and the influence of the anthropogenic factor triggered the acceleration of land degradation processes. The present day geomorphic processes such as soil erosion, gullying, mass movements and silting of reservoirs represent a major threat to the local environment. Soil erosion on the agricultural land covers mainly the land with slopes of over 5%, and it highlights through different stages of intensity. By data processing, gained from the soil surveys undertaken by O.J.S.P.A. Iasi and Vaslui, it is obviously that moderate-excessive soil erosion extends on 52% of the surveyed area. The gully erosion apparently plays secondary role in the Stavnic catchment. However, there has been identified a total number of 330 gullies, most of them being included into discontinuous gullies class, often located on the hillslopes. Landslides are the most representative geomorphologic processes and they extend on 12,006 ha, which represents 56% of the Stavnic catchment. One mention must be made, that in the context of climate aridisation occurred during the last three decades, the landslides are almost all stabilized. The majority of the few active landslides have frequently formed through the reactivation of the old landslide diluvia. By using the Cesium-137 technique in dating the recent sediments from the Cazanesti accumulation, within the lower Stavnic catchment, the mean siltation rate of 4.5 cm yr-1 after the Chernobyl nuclear accident was estimated.

Spatial-based assessment of land use, soil erosion, and water protection in the Jeneberang valley, Indonesia

Biologia ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sumbangan Baja ◽  
Muhamad Ramli ◽  
Syamsul Lias
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Land Degradation ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Sustainable Land Use ◽  
Water Protection ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Soil Erosion Rate ◽  
Analytical Procedures

AbstractSoil erosion by water is considered as one of the most significant forms of land degradation that affects sustained productivity of agricultural land use and water quality. It is influenced by a considerable number of factors (including climate, soil, topography, land use and types of land management), so that the information on the spatial distribution of soil erosion rate and its related effects can be effectively employed as a baseline data for land use development and water protection. The principal aim of this study is three-fold: (i) to map existing land use; (ii) to assess and map the spatial distribution of average annual rate of soil losses in the study area; (iii) to evaluate spatial matching between existing and proposed land use including a distance analysis from the water body (the Bili-Bili Dam). An analytical procedures used, respectively, include supervised classification of satellite imagery, application of RUSLE (Revised USLE), and overlay analysis in a raster GIS environment, utilising available information in the region covering some parts of Jeneberang catchment, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The results suggest that the outputs of this study can be used for the identification of land units on a cell-basis with different land use types, rate of soil loss, inconsistency between proposed and planned land use, as well as the threat of land degradation to the main river and the dam. The analytical procedures developed in this research may be useful in other areas, particularly in the studies related to the assessment and mapping of land use and erosion for the importance of sustainable land use at a relatively large area.

scholarly journals Analysis of Farmers’ Perception on the Impact of Land Degradation Hazard on Agricultural Land Productivity in Jeldu District in West Shewa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 20
Author(s):  
Tesfaye Samuel Saguye
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Land Degradation ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Land Productivity ◽  
Community Knowledge ◽  
Process Indicators ◽  
The Impact

Land degradation is increasing in severity and extent in many parts of the world. Success in arresting land degradation entails an improved understanding of its causes, process, indicators and impacts. Various scientific methodologies have been employed to assess land degradation globally. However, the use of local community knowledge in elucidating the causes, process, indicators and effects of land degradation has seen little application by scientists and policy makers. Land degradation may be a physical process, but its underlying causes are firmly rooted in the socio-economic, political and cultural environment in which land users operate. Analyzing the root causes and effects of land degradation from local community knowledge, perception and adapting strategies perspective will provide information that is essential for designing and promoting sustainable land management practices. The main objective of this study was to analyze the perceptions of farmers’ on the impact of land degradation hazard on agricultural land productivity decline associated with soil erosion and fertility loss. The study used a multistage sampling procedure to select sample respondent households. The sample size of the study was 120 household heads and 226 farm plots managed by these farmers. The primary data of the study were collected by using semi-structured Interview, focus group discussions and field observation. Both descriptive statistics and econometric techniques were used for data analysis. Descriptive results show that 57percent of the respondents were perceived the severity and its consequence on agricultural land productivity. The following indicators of soil erosion and fertility loss were generally perceived and observed by farmers’ in the study area: gullies formations, soil accumulation around clumps of vegetation, soil deposits on gentle slopes, exposed roots, muddy water, sedimentation in streams and rivers, change in vegetation species, increased runoff, and reduced rooting depth. The direct human activities which were perceived to be causing land degradation in the study area include: deforestation and clearing of vegetation, overgrazing, steep slope cultivation and continuous cropping. The farmers’ possibility of perceiving the impact of land degradation hazard on agricultural land productivity was primarily determined by institutional, psychological, demographic and by bio-physical factors. Farmers who perceive their land as deteriorating and producing less than desired, tend to adopt improved land management practices. On the other hand, farmers who perceive their land to be fertile tend to have low adoption of conservation practices. In order to overcome this land degradation and its consequent effects, the study recommended a need for the government to enforce effective policies to control and prevent land degradation and these policies should be community inclusive /participatory founded up on indigenous and age-honored knowledge and tradition of farmers' natural resource management as well as introduced scientific practices.

scholarly journals Preparation of Erosion Susceptibility Map of Dhaman Khadi Sub-Watershed in Eastern Gujarat Using ArcGIS Interface

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 2196-2202
Author(s):  
A. P. Lakkad ◽  
Dhiraji P. Patel ◽  
Dileswar Nayak ◽  
P. K. Shrivastava
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Land Degradation ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Susceptibility Map ◽  
Cropping Pattern ◽  
Slope Steepness ◽  
Factor Map ◽  
Steepness Factor

An attempt has been made to model land degradation in term of water erosion of selected Dhaman Khadi sub-watershed (7710.64 ha.) in Eastern Gujarat, India through Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation using ArcGIS interface. The average erosivity of 30 years (1986-2015) annual rainfall using standard formula was estimated to be 480.63 MJ mm ha−1 hr−1 per year. The erodibility factor K was computed as 0.236 and 0.177 mt∙hr MJ−1 mm−1 per unit R respectively for clay loam and clay soils using modified formula.. 20 m Digital Elevation Model was prepared from Toposheet No. F43N10 by using ‘Topo to Raster’ interpolation method. The slope length factor L was derived from DEM using Unit Stream Power Erosion and Deposition (USPED) Model. The raster layers of slope steepness factor for slope having < 9 % and ≥ 9 % was prepared separately to form final slope steepness factor map. Cover management factor map was derived based on cropping pattern for the various land cover categories of the study area. The standard conservation practice factor values for cross-sloped agricultural lands were assigned to the attribute table of the intersected map of LU/LC and slope maps to prepare the P factor map. Average gross soil erosion was minimum for evergreen forest while maximum for wasteland without scrub. Highest area covered by agricultural land (i. e. 41.54) of Dhaman Khadi sub-watershed having 33.28 tons/ha/yr gross soil erosion needs immediatetreatment to prevent land degradation. Soil loss tolerance limit of study area was used to derive erosion susceptibility map in order to identify the priority of conservation programs. As all the factors of RUSLE was estimated precisely at sub-watershed level, the study could help for rapid and reliable planning of watershed development programs in combination with the use of RS and GIS technology.

Soil organic carbon losses by water erosion in a Mediterranean watershed

Soil Research ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmet Cilek
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Organic Carbon ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Land Degradation ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Water Erosion ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
The Mediterranean

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is one of the primary elements required in the functioning of ecosystems. Soil erosion, a major mechanism of land degradation, removes SOC and transfers it to the hydrosphere or the atmosphere, thereby affecting key ecosystem functions and services. The Mediterranean region is highly susceptible to land degradation because of erosion due to heavy rains following long, dry, hot summers. Although the Mediterranean landscape typically has a high altitude and incline, the soil is brittle and soft and is easily washed away by rain. Thus, vast regions in Turkey have been afflicted by this type of soil degradation. This study aimed to (1) estimate the temporal distribution of water erosion in the Seyhan River Basin, (2) assess the spatial distribution of SOC and (3) estimate the depletion of SOC through soil erosion using the Pan-European Soil Erosion Risk Assessment model, a physically based, regionally scaled soil erosion model. The annual amount of soil eroded from the Seyhan River Basin is estimated to be 7.8million tonnes per hectare (tha–1year–1). The amount of fertile soil loss from agricultural areas is ~1.2million tonnes per year. The maximum amount of soil erosion occurs in maintenance scrubland and degraded forest areas, contributing to 68% of erosion, followed by that in agricultural land, contributing to 27% of erosion, with the remaining in forests and urban areas.

scholarly journals Modeling soil erosion susceptibility and LULC dynamics for land degradation management using geoinformation technology in Debre Tabor district, Northwestern highlands of Ethiopia

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 2623-2633
Author(s):  
Mulualem Asfaw Ejegu ◽  
Endalkachew Sisay Yegizaw
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Land Degradation ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Ground Truth ◽  
Hazard Class ◽  
Gis And Remote Sensing ◽  
Erosion Hazard ◽  
Model Soil ◽  
Debre Tabor

Land degradation manifested in landscape change is triggered by soil erosion and it is a thoughtful environmental threat. Nationally, soil loss costs 23% of the national annual GDP. Thus, identifying and prioritizing land degraded areas for conservation in regional planning and resource conservation is the priority of land degradation management. Therefore, identification of erosion hazard area and land use and/or land cover (LULC) dynamics are the overall objectives of the study. GIS and Remote Sensing technology was used to identify erosion hazard areas. K-factor, R-factor, LS factor, P-factor, and C-factor, parameters were derived from mean rainfall, Digital Elevation Model, soil map, LULC map, and ground truth points of all the parameters used to identify erosion hazard areas. At the last, the aggregate effect of those parameters had been analyzed and erosion hazard areas were identified. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSEL) was employed to estimate the annual soil loss of the area. The analysis result unveils that within 20 years interval cultivated land, urban land, and bare land show that a dramatically increasing and forest land shows that decreasing rate. The district has undergone significant changes. Portions of the study area that has the highest slope gradient, the highest amount of rainfall, and consist of Nitosols on agricultural land are the most erosion hazard areas. Statistically, nearly 49%, 19.78%, 9.58%, and 5.45% of the study area coverage lower than moderate, high, very high, and severe soil erosion class correspondingly. Annually losses on average of 41.07 t ha-1yr-1 soil loss because the area is intensively cultivated and experiences relatively high rainfall, and steep slope. The share of the study area, southern part, and northeastern portion of Debre Tabor district are exposed to high erosion hazard class compared to other parts.

Role of support practices for minimizing the vulnerability of land degradation in sub-tropical India: positive and negative impacts on land resources

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rabin Chakrabortty ◽  
Subodh Chandra Pal
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Land Degradation ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Acacia Auriculiformis ◽  
Land Resources ◽  
Subtropical Region ◽  
Structural Measures ◽  
Support Practices

&lt;p&gt;In the period of globalization, India a subtropical region, presently facing the acute problem of land degradation and it has severe impact on earth ecosystem as well as economy in defectively. Where India is a most populated agricultural based country, need a large volume of food grain production to control starvation condition with balancing between the need of the population and production yield. Though the conversion of fallow and forest cover area to agricultural land is increasing day by day but due to the people&amp;#8217;s daily needs and rapid growth of settlement is capturing productive land and ultimately amount of agricultural land remains in static. Thus, such consequent processes are declining soil fertility and land degradation have been witnessed in different forms of erosion as like sheet, rills, gullies, ravines etc. with the passage of time non tillage farming practices are accreting by replacing the tillage farming for maximizing the rate of production which causes the large scale soil erosion and make a source of sedimentation. The government and local stakeholders are already taken some initiatives for reduction of land degradation by some support practices with considering both structural and non-structural measures. The structural measures especially the engineering construction (check dam, percolation tank etc.) are installed or constructed without considering eco-centric approach.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The current research work has focused the light to evaluate the positive and negative impact of support practices on land resources. This study is mainly conducted on the basis of empirical field observation in different parts of the India. For reducing the rate of soil erosion, the plantation programme has been initiated and still going on as an accepted scheme. This valuable programme has been committed through the plantation of traditional vegetation and external species (Acacia auriculiformis, Eucalyptus globulus). The introduction of external species which are not only changing the properties of soil but also demolishing the soil fertility and soil moisture to cause land degradation. The local administrations are providing this type of external species for plantation programme without making the consciousness about the heath of environment.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Key Words&lt;/strong&gt;: subtropical region; conversion of fallow; land degradation; structural measures; plantation programme&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Current State and Development of Land Degradation Processes Based on Soil Monitoring in Slovakia

2017 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 74-85
Author(s):  
Jozef Kobza ◽  
Gabriela Barančíková ◽  
Jarmila Makovníková ◽  
Boris Pálka ◽  
Ján Styk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Land Degradation ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Monitoring Network ◽  
Soil Monitoring ◽  
Degradation Processes ◽  
Current State ◽  
Physical Degradation

Abstract Current state and development of land degradation processes based on soil monitoring system in Slovakia is evaluated in this contribution. Soil monitoring system in Slovakia is consistently running since 1993 year in 5-years repetitions. Soil monitoring network in Slovakia is constructed using ecological principle, taking into account all main soil types and subtypes, soil organic matter, climatic regions, emission regions, polluted and non-polluted regions as well as various land use. The result of soil monitoring network is 318 sites on agricultural land in Slovakia. Soil properties are evaluated according to the main threats to soil relating to European Commission recommendation for European soil monitoring performance as follows: soil erosion and compaction, soil acidification, decline in soil organic matter and soil contamination. The most significant change has been determined in physical degradation of soils. The physical degradation was especially manifested in compacted and the eroded soils. It was determined that about 39% of agricultural land is potentially affected by soil erosion in Slovakia. In addition, slight decline in soil organic matter indicates the serious facts on evaluation and extension of soil degradation processes during the last period in Slovakia. Soil contamination is without significant change for the time being. It means the soils contaminated before soil monitoring process this unfavourable state lasts also at present.

scholarly journals Analyzing Regional Geographic Challenges: The Resilience of Chinese Vineyards to Land Degradation Using a Societal and Biophysical Approach

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 227
Author(s):  
Yang Yu ◽  
Jesús Rodrigo-Comino
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Land Degradation ◽  
Environmental Concern ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Irreversible Damage ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
Erosion Processes ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Scientific Hypothesis ◽  
Vineyard Soil

Land degradation, especially soil erosion, is a societal issue that affects vineyards worldwide, but there are no current investigations that inform specifically about soil erosion rates in Chinese vineyards. In this review, we analyze this problem and the need to avoid irreversible damage to soil and their use from a regional point of view. Information about soil erosion in vineyards has often failed to reach farmers, and we can affirm that to this time, soil erosion in Chinese vineyards has been more of a scientific hypothesis than an agronomic or environmental concern. Two hypotheses can be presented to justify this review: (i) there are no official and scientific investigations on vineyard soil erosion in China as the main topic, and it may be understood that stakeholders do not care about this or (ii) there is a significant lack of information and motivation among farmers, policymakers and wineries concerning the consequences of soil erosion. Therefore, this review proposes a plan to study vineyard soil erosion processes for the first time in China and develop a structured scientific proposal considering different techniques and strategies. To achieve these goals, we present a plan considering previous research on other viticultural regions. We hypothesize that the results of a project from a regional geographic point of view would provide the necessary scientific support to facilitate deriving guidelines for sustainable vineyard development in China. We concluded that after completing this review, we cannot affirm why vine plantations have not received the same attention as other crops or land uses.

scholarly journals Analysis of Ownership Data from Consolidated Land Threatened by Water Erosion in the Vlára Basin, Slovakia

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Alexandra Pagáč Mokrá ◽  
Jakub Pagáč ◽  
Zlatica Muchová ◽  
František Petrovič
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Water Erosion ◽  
Land Consolidation ◽  
Land Fragmentation ◽  
Erosion Risk ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Soil Loss Equation

Water erosion is a phenomenon that significantly damages agricultural land. The current land fragmentation in Slovakia and the complete ambiguity of who owns it leads to a lack of responsibility to care for the land in its current condition, which could affect its sustainability in the future. The reason so much soil has eroded is obvious when looking at current land management, with large fields, a lack of windbreaks between them, and no barriers to prevent soil runoff. Land consolidation might be the solution. This paper seeks to evaluate redistributed land and, based on modeling by the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) method, to assess the degree of soil erosion risk. Ownership data provided information on how many owners and what amount of area to consider, while taking into account new conditions regarding water erosion. The results indicate that 2488 plots of 1607 owners which represent 12% of the model area are still endangered by water erosion, even after the completion of the land consolidation project. The results also presented a way of evaluating the territory and aims to trigger a discussion regarding an unambiguous definition of responsibility in the relationship between owner and user.

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