Risk assessment of water soil erosion in upper basin of Miyun Reservoir,Beijing, China

This research selected water soil erosion indicators (land cover, vegetation cover, slope) to assess the risk of soil erosion, ARCMAP GIS ver.9.0 environments and ERDAS ver.9.0 were used to manage and process satellite images and thematic tabular data. Landsat TM images in 2003 were used to produce land/cover maps of the study area based on visual interpreting method and derived vegetation cover maps, and the relief map at the scale of 1:50,000 to calculate the slope gradient maps. The area of water soil erosion was classified into six grades by an integration of slope gradients, land cover types, and vegetation cover fraction. All the data were integrated into a cross-tabular format to carry out the grid-based analysis of soil erosion risk. Results showed that the upper basin of Miyun Reservoir, in general, is exposed to a moderate risk of soil erosion, there is 715,848 ha of land suffered from water soil erosion in 2003, occupied 46.62% of total area, and most of the soil erosion area is on the slight and moderate risk, occupied 45.60 and 47.58% of soil erosion area, respectively.     

Application of the <Superscript>137</Superscript>Cs tracer technique to study soil erosion of alpine meadows in the headwater region of the Yellow River

The ¹³⁷Cs tracer technique was used to study soil erosion of alpine meadow grassland in two small river basins in the headwater region of the Yellow River. The results show that the levels of ¹³⁷Cs in soil samples from this alpine meadow vegetation zone exhibit an exponential distribution, generally within a depth of approximately 20 cm. Due to strong winds, freeze-thaw cycles and water, soil erosion was found to be stronger on the upper slope than on the lower slope, and except for the slope crest, the intensity of soil erosion at other sites was as follows: upslope < midslope < downslope. There was a significant negative correlation between the intensity of soil erosion and the extent of alpine meadow vegetation cover (P < 0.01). The mean soil erosion modulus exhibited a linear reduction trend with an increase in vegetation cover, and the correlation coefficient R ² was ≥ 0.997. The higher the degradation degree of the alpine meadow grassland, the greater is the soil erosion. The mean erosion modulus in the severely degraded meadow zone was 2.23 times greater than the one in the slightly degraded zone, and the maximum erosion modulus reached 2.96 × 10⁶ kg/km²/a.     

A “simple” geomatics-based approach for assessing water erosion hazard at montane areas

Soil erosion by water is recognised as a worldwide land degradation issue, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. The aim of this study is to apply the powerful capabilities of advanced remote sensing and geographic information system techniques to identify the areas at risk to water erosion. This study presents the assessment of water erosion in mountainous areas (eastern Aures, Algeria) based on three main factors: the friability of the bedrock, degree of slope and density of vegetation cover. Alsat1 image was used to produce land use and vegetation (NDVI) maps. Digital elevation model was used in constructing the slope gradient map. The erosion risk map was obtained by the combination of indices assigned to thematic layers following multicriteria decision rules. Water erosion was generally not concerning in the eastern Aures (slight risk = 33 %, moderate risk = 44 % of the area). This simple–qualitative approach gave good results for assessing soil erosion equally to quantitative methods since 89.55 % of field verifications were accurate. The non-alarming state and the low rate of severe and extremely severe risk to erosion are due to (1) the low steep slopes, (2) the good quality of vegetation (forests with thick undergrowth), and which are occurring on (3) resistant materials of the substratum, and (4) the low human pressure. Results of this study, which may be conducted with reasonable costs and accuracy over large areas, are of significant help in prioritising areas in decision making and sustainable planning.     

漓江流域水土流失特征及其侵蚀影响因子典型分析

选择漓江流域及其典型岩溶小流域为研究对象,通过遥感数据综合分析和地面路线验证调查与定点监测相结合的方法,对漓江流域岩溶区和非岩溶区的水土流失特征进行了研究,并重点分析岩溶区内典型小流域——寨底小流域侵蚀影响因子对水土流失的影响。研究结果表明:漓江流域水土流失以中度和轻度等级为主,约占流域面积的29.9%;流域内岩溶区与非岩溶区的水土流失表现出一定的差异性,岩溶区以中度、极强烈和轻度等级水土流失为主,水土流失面积约占岩溶面积的53%;非岩溶区中度和轻度等级水土流失分别占非岩溶区面积的12.4%和10.4%。高程、坡度、植被覆盖、土地利用等因子对岩溶小流域土壤侵蚀面积和侵蚀量比例的影响表现出明显的差异性和独特性,这四种影响因子中的高程(300,500] m,坡度[15°,25°]、植被覆盖度≤20%、土地利用为工矿用地等对岩溶小流域土壤侵蚀的影响最大,是寨底岩溶小流域水土流失治理中应重点考虑的因素。      

Assessing soil erosion and control factors by radiometric technique in the source region of the Yellow River,Tibetan Plateau

Measurements of ¹³⁷Cs concentration in soils were made in a representative catchment to quantify erosion rates and identify the main factors involved in the erosion in the source region of the Yellow River in the Tibetan Plateau. In order to estimate erosion rates in terms of the main factors affecting soil loss, samples were collected taking into account the slope and vegetation cover along six selected transects within the Dari County catchment. The reference inventory for the area was established at a stable, well-preserved, site of small thickness (value of 2324 Bq·m^− 2). All the sampling sites had been eroded and ¹³⁷Cs inventories varied widely in the topsoil (14.87–25.56 Bq·kg^− 1). The effective soil loss values were also highly variable (11.03–28.35 t·km^− 1·yr^− 1) in line with the vegetation cover change. The radiometric approach was useful in quantifying soil erosion rates and examining patterns of soil movement.     

An assessment of soil erosion probability and erosion rate in a tropical mountainous watershed using remote sensing and GIS

Remote sensing data and Geographical Information System (GIS) has been integrated with the weighted index overlay (WIO) method and E ₃₀ model for the identification and delineation of soil erosion susceptibility zones and the assessment of rate of soil erosion in the mountainous sub-watershed of River Manimala in Kerala (India). Soil erosion is identified as the one of the most serious environmental problems in the human altered mountainous environment. The reliability of estimated soil erosion susceptibility and soil loss is based on how accurately the different factors were estimated or prepared. In the present analysis, factors that are considered to be influence the soil erosion are: land use/land cover, NDVI, landform, drainage density, drainage frequency, lineament frequency, slope, and relative relief. By the WIO analysis, the area is divided into zones representing low (33.30%), moderate (33.70%), and high (33%) erosion proneness. The annual soil erosion rate of the area under investigation was calculated by carefully determining its various parameters and erosion for each of the pixels were estimated individually. The spatial pattern thus created for the area indicates that the average annual rate of soil erosion in the area was ranging from 0.04 mm yr⁻¹ to 61.80 mm yr⁻¹. The high soil erosion probability and maximum erosion rate was observed in areas with high terrain alteration, high relief and slopes with the intensity and duration of heavy precipitation during the monsoons.     

Estimation of spatial patterns of soil erosion using remote sensing and GIS: a case study of Indravati catchment

Soil erosion is a serious environmental problem in Indravati catchment. It carries the highest amount of sediments compared with other catchments in India. This catchment spreading an area of 41,285 km² is drained by river Indravati, which is one of the northern tributaries of the river Godavari in its lower reach. In the present study, USLE is used to estimate potential soil erosion from river Indravati catchment. Both magnitude and spatial distribution of potential soil erosion in the catchment is determined. The derived soil loss map from USLE model is classified into six categories ranging from slight to very severe risk depending on the calculated soil erosion amount. The soil erosion map is linked to elevation and slope maps to identify the area for conservation practice in order to reduce the soil loss. From the model output predictions, it is found that average erosion rate predicted is 18.00 tons/ha/year and sediment yield at the out let of the catchment is 22.30 Million tons per annum. The predicted sediment yield verified with the observed data.     

基于 ＲS 和 GIS 的土壤侵蚀强度快速分析: 以昌都市扎玉镇为例

以昌都市左贡县扎玉镇为例,选用中巴地球资源二号遥感数据、数字高程模型数据和土地利用类型数据,用遥感软件提取植被指数并进行密度分割,确定植被覆盖度,并对其进行分级; 用地理信息系统软件提取坡度信息,并对坡度进行分级; 在1∶ 5 万比例尺下修正已有的土地利用类型。结果统计扎玉镇 76. 26%的土壤处于轻度及以下侵蚀状态,强烈及以上的土壤侵蚀比例达 5. 48%,土壤侵蚀剧烈的地区主要分布在耕地部分,中度侵蚀的地区主要集中在林草地部分,因此土地利用合理化以及提高植被覆盖率可以有效减小土壤侵蚀强度。     

Regional soil erosion risk mapping using RUSLE,GIS, and remote sensing: a case study in Miyun Watershed,North China

This paper applied the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), remote-sensing technique, and geographic information system (GIS) to map the soil erosion risk in Miyun Watershed, North China. The soil erosion parameters were evaluated in different ways: the R factor map was developed from the rainfall data, the K factor map was obtained from the soil map, the C factor map was generated based on a back propagation (BP) neural network method of Landsat ETM+ data with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.929 to the field collected data, and a digital elevation model (DEM) with a spatial resolution of 30 m was derived from topographical map at the scale of 1:50,000 to develop the LS factor map. P factor map was assumed as 1 for the watershed because only a very small area has conservation practices. By integrating the six factor maps in GIS through pixel-based computing, the spatial distribution of soil loss in the upper watershed of Miyun reservoir was obtained by the RUSLE model. The results showed that the annual average soil loss for the upper watershed of Miyun reservoir was 9.86 t ha⁻¹ ya⁻¹ in 2005, and the area of 47.5 km² (0.3%) experiences extremely severe erosion risk, which needs suitable conservation measures to be adopted on a priority basis. The spatial distribution of erosion risk classes was 66.88% very low, 21.90% low, 6.19% moderate, 2.90% severe, and 1.84% very severe. Among all counties and cities in the study area, Huairou County is in the extremely severe level of soil erosion risk, about 39.6% of land suffer from soil erosion, while Guyuan County in the very low level of soil erosion risk suffered from 17.79% of soil erosion in 2005. Therefore, the areas which are in the extremely severe level of soil erosion risk need immediate attention from soil conservation point of view.     

Using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques to Study Soil Degradation Processes in North Shaanxi Province, China

Satellite image data and thematic map data were used to provide comprehensive views of surface-bound conditions such as soil and vegetation degradation. The current work applies a computerized parametric methodology, developed by FAO, UNEP and UNESCO to assess and evaluate soil degradation at 1 : 250 000 mapping scale. The study area is located in the arid and semi-arid zone of the northern part of Shaanxi Province in China, a region with considerable agricultural potential; Landsat TM images were utilized to provide recent data on land cover and use of the area. ARC/INFO and Arc-View softwares were used to manage and manipulate thematic data, to process satellite images, and tabular data source. ER mapper software is utilized to derive the normalized difference vegetation index (ND VI) values while field data to estimate soil erodibility (SE) factor. A system is established for rating soil parameters, slope, climate factor and human factor activity. The rating values serve as inputs into a modified universal soil loss equation (USLE) to calculate the present state and risk for soil degradation processes, namely soil wind erosion. The produced maps and tabular data show the risk and the present status of different soil degradation processes. The study area, in general, is exposed to high risk of wind erosion and high hazards of water erosion. Several desertification maps were produced, which reflect the desertification types persisting in the study area. Wind erosion, water erosion, vegetation degradation,physical degradation and salinization are the basic desertification maps, and others are combinations of these basic maps. In terms of statistic analysis, 33.75 % of the total land area (120. 330 0 ha) is considered as sand or sand dune, and not included in our analysis of desertification. About 29. 41% of the total land area has slight or moderate desertification and 37. 465 % is facing severe desertification.     

桂林毛村岩溶地下河流域水土流失遥感动态监测研究

为了给西南岩溶地区石漠化发展演变的研究工作提供一定的科学依据和决策支持,选择桂林毛村岩溶地下河流域作为研究区,利用两期遥感影像对该区影响水土流失的三个主要自然要素,即地形坡度、植被覆盖度和土地利用方式进行信息提取,并以地理信息系统为分析平台,参考水土流失强度分级标准,对该区两个时期的水土流失状况进行对比分析。调查监测结果显示,研究区随着坡度的增大,水土越容易流失,而且水土流失强度级别增大;植被覆盖度对水土流失强度起着控制性作用,为抑制并缩减水土流失面积,应保护植被,退耕还林;研究区土地利用变化比较缓慢,导致水土流失面积变化幅度不大。上述结果表明,利用遥感技术手段,可为当地的经济发展和水土流失的监测、评价、预测及治理提供参考。      

祁连山石羊河上游山区土壤侵蚀的环境因子特征分析

在GIS技术支持下, 运用通用水土流失方程USLE, 对祁连山北坡东段的哈溪林区的土壤侵蚀量及空间分布进行了模拟运算, 并定量分析了各种环境因子与土壤侵蚀之间的关系. 结果显示: 研究区平均土壤侵蚀模数为25.1 t·hm^-2·a^-1, 微度和轻度侵蚀面积占总面积的80%, 而强度到剧烈侵蚀产生的侵蚀量占78.3%; 各土地类型土壤侵蚀模数由高到低依次是裸地>草地>农田>灌丛>乔木林, 裸地侵蚀量占到总侵蚀量的54.9%; 乔木林和灌木林95%以上侵蚀面积属微度侵蚀区, 农田中度到剧烈侵蚀的面积比例达到35.9%, 高于草地和其他植被类型, 而草地剧烈侵蚀面积比例高于农田. 海拔高度范围与土壤流失量之间的关系与植被的海拔分布范围明显相关; 土壤平均侵蚀模数随坡度的增加而增大, 土壤侵蚀量主要分布在15°～45°的坡度范围, 不同植被覆盖下土壤流失随坡度变化的趋势可在一定程度上反映该类植被对土壤流失的防止作用.     

Evaluation of soil loss change after Grain for Green Project in the Loss Plateau: a case study of Yulin,China

Soil erosion is one of the serious and urgent issues in the Loss Plateau of China. Chinese government has implemented Grain for Green Project to restore the ecological environment since 1999. In order to explore the spatiotemporal evolution of erosion and sediment yield before and after Grain for Green Project in the Loss Plateau, annual soil loss of Yulin from 2000 to 2013 is estimated by Chinese Water Erosion on Hillslope Prediction Model in conjunction with Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems. This model has the characteristics of a simple algorithm and can be applied to predict erosion in the Loss Plateau. The result shows that vegetation cover increased significantly after Grain for Green Project, and the annual average value of NDVI increased from 0.20 to 0.33. The spatiotemporal variations of soil erosion are largely related to rainfall erosion distribution, slope, and land use type. The overall soil erosion categories in the south region are higher than those of the northwest. Mid slopes and valleys are the major topographic contributors to soil erosion. With the growth of slope gradient, soil erosion significantly increased. The soil loss has a decreasing tendency after Grain for Green Project. Although the rainfall of 2002 and 2013 is similar, the soil loss decreased from 5192.86 to 3598.94 t/(km² a), decreasing by 30.33%. It is also expressed that soil loss appears a reducing trend in the same degree of slope and elevation in 2002, 2007, and 2013. Under the simulation of the maximum and the minimum rainfall, soil erosion amount in 2013 decreased by 29.16 and 30.88%. The study proved that GFG has already achieved conservation of water and soil. The results indicate that the vegetation restoration as part of the Grain for Green Project on the Loss Plateau is effective.     

Assessing soil erosion risk in karst area using fuzzy modeling and method of the analytical hierarchy process

Soil erosion is a geo-ecological problem in Southwest China, which can result in karst rocky desertification when it is very serious. The grade delineation of soil erosion risk can be used as a guide for controlling regional and hierarchical soil erosion, and provide scientific references for restraining rocky desertification. Chaotian Town, an area of Karst Mountains and hills in Guilin, northeast part of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, was chosen as the study area. Settlement buffer, roadway buffer, lithology, slope, elevation, and aspect were selected as the main indicators of soil erosion in the karst area. After the indicators were scored by fuzzy modeling, the potential risk of soil erosion was quantified using indicator-weight union method. Five grades of soil erosion risk were delineated based on Geographic Information System. The grades of minimal, low, medium, high, and extreme soil erosion risk accounted for 1.62, 19.46, 52.35, 24.86, and 1.71 %, respectively. As a whole, the soil erosion risk was moderate, because the proportion data of different grades of soil erosion risk were a normal distribution, and about 52.35 % of the study area was in the medium grade. Soil erosion risk was higher in the southeast of the study area and lower in the northwest. Obvious variances have been found in the grade distribution of soil erosion risk, corresponding to different indicators.     

遥感与GIS支持下的南桐矿区水土流失评价与区划

以重庆市南桐矿区为研究对象,运用遥感和GIS技术获取对水土流失影响较大的植被覆盖度、地形坡度、土地利用类型等信息并进行空间叠加分析,计算了水土流失类型及面积。研究结果表明,南桐矿区水土流失面积262.91km2,侵蚀模数2281t/(km2?a),水土流失强度以轻度和中度为主,其中轻度流失132.37km2,中度流失108.95km2。根据区域地貌类型以及水土流失特征,将研究区水土流失划分为盆边低山丘陵中强度流失区、北部坪状低山中轻度流失区和盆边中山轻度流失区三个类型区,盆边低山丘陵中强度流失区以中度流失为主;北部坪状低山中轻度流失区以轻度流失为主;盆边中山轻度流失区虽然以轻度流失为主,但微度流失也占有相当部分的比重。      

Estimation of soil erosion using RUSLE in a GIS framework: a case study in the Buyukcekmece Lake watershed,northwest Turkey

This study was aimed at predicting soil erosion risk in the Buyukcekmece Lake watershed located in the western part of Istanbul, Turkey, by using Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model in a GIS framework. The factors used in RUSLE were computed by using different data obtained or produced from meteorological station, soil surveys, topographic maps, and satellite images. The RUSLE factors were represented by raster layers in a GIS environment and then multiplied together to estimate the soil erosion rate in the study area using spatial analyst tool of ArcGIS 9.3. In the study, soil loss rate below 1 t/ha/year was defined as low erosion, while those >10 t/ha/year were defined as severe erosion. The values between low and severe erosion were further classified as slight, moderate, and high erosion areas. The study provided a reliable prediction of soil erosion rates and delineation of erosion-prone areas within the watershed. As the study revealed, soil erosion risk is low in more than half of the study area (54%) with soil loss <1 t/ha/year. Around one-fifth of the study area (19%) has slight erosion risk with values between 1 and 3 t/ha/year. Only 11% of the study area was found to be under high erosion risk with soil loss between 5 and 10 t/ha/year. The severe erosion risk is seen only in 5% of the study area with soil loss more than 10 t/ha/year. As the study revealed, nearly half of the Buyukcekmece Lake watershed requires implementation of effective soil conservation measures to reduce soil erosion risk.     

Landslide susceptibility mapping using Bayesian approach in the Sultan Mountains (Akşehir,Turkey)

Landslides cause heavy damage to property and infrastructure, in addition to being responsible for the loss of human lives in many parts of the Turkey. The paper presents GIS-based spatial data analysis for landslide susceptibility mapping in the regions of the Sultan Mountains, West of Akşehir, and central part of Turkey. Landslides occur frequently in the area and seriously affect local living conditions. Therefore, spatial analysis of landslide susceptibility in the Sultan Mountains is important. The relationships between landslide distributions with the 19 landslide affecting parameters were analysed using a Bayesian model. In the study area, 90 landslides were observed. The landslides were randomly subdivided into 80 training landslides and 10 test landslides. A landslide susceptibility map was produced by using the training landslides. The test landslides were used in the accuracy control of the produced landslide susceptibility map. Approximately 9% of the study area was classified as high susceptibility zone. Medium, low and very low susceptibility zones covered 8, 23 and 60% of the study area, respectively. Most of the locations of the observed landslides actually fall into moderate (17.78%) and high (77.78. %) susceptibility zones of the produced landslide susceptibility map. This validates the applicability of proposed methods, approaches and the classification scheme. The high susceptibility zone is along both sides of the Akşehir Fault and at the north-eastern slope of the Sultan Mountains. It was determined that the surface area of the Harlak and Deresenek formations, which have attained lithological characteristics of clayey limestone with a broken and separated base, and where area landslides occur, possesses an elevation of 1,100–1,600 m, a slope gradient of 25°–35° and a slope aspect of 22.5°–157.5° facing slopes.     

The influence of recultivation technique and seed mixture on erosion stability after restoration in mountain environment

Control of erosion, and all of its after effects, from increased surface drainage and erosion to the formation of karst, is one of the essential problems when undertaking recultivation following necessary interventions in the sub-alpine and alpine vegetation stage (high zones). Average slope inclinations of 30–45% in the vicinity of ski runs, and far above in areas of natural erosion and avalanche zones, make restoration processes with sufficient erosion protection the prerequisite for success. Only a sufficient vegetation development of more than 70% ground cover stabilises the topsoil in the long term and reduces soil erosion to an acceptable degree. From 1999 to 2002, an international EU project with the participation of research groups and private firms from Austria, Italy and Germany was carried out under the direction of the Agricultural Research and Education Centre Raumberg-Gumpenstein (AREC) on five different Alpine sites at altitudes from 1,245 to 2,350 m above sea level. The aim of the work was the formulation of practice-relevant requirements for recultivation following intervention in high zones, especially following constructional measures in the vicinity of ski runs and lifts, torrent- and avalanche barriers. In a statistical comparison, the relationship between restoration techniques, seed mixtures of differing ecological value and vegetation cover was observed. The influence of application technique on erosion processes after restoration was obvious for the first two vegetation periods. Only with the additional use of mulch covers could increase surface drainage and noticeable soil loss be avoided. At high altitudes, the choice of seed mixture, irrespective of whether rapid or slow growing and independent of the extent of accompanying fertilisation, had no significance in the first two vegetation periods following sowing. In the following growing seasons, however, higher cover values were obtained with site-specific seed mixtures at three of the five experimental sites. While few species of the commercial seed mixture showed satisfactory persistency, most of the grasses and in particular the alpine leguminosae of site-specific seed mixtures increased their share during the observation period. In the long-term, sufficient protection against erosion is only guaranteed by the use of stable, enduring and ecologically adapted species.     

Variations in soils derived from an erodible sandstone formation and factors controlling their susceptibility to erosion and landslide

Environmental degradations caused by erosion and landslide within an area in the South-eastern part of Nigeria were assessed, and also an attempt to characterize the underlying soils based on their degree of susceptibility to erosion and landslide. Factors affecting soil erodibility such as physical and chemical properties of soil, as well as vegetation density and slope gradient was determined in 20 different areas. Simple linear regression and principal component analysis were employed to relate the factors controlling erosion and landslide to the erosion and slide densities, and to determine the pattern that exists in the data and as well express the data in such a way as to highlight their similarities and differences. Four vertical horizons and two horizontal zones of soil were distinguished based on their degree of weathering as well as their chemical and mineralogical composition; hence the soils were classified into six different types based on their degree of susceptibility to erosion and landslide. Variations in their degree of susceptibility to erosion and landslide were majorly controlled by its chemical and mineralogical composition rather than its particle size distribution.     

Soil erosion risk assessment of the Keiskamma catchment,South Africa using GIS and remote sensing

This paper examines the soil loss spatial patterns in the Keiskamma catchment using the GIS-based Sediment Assessment Tool for Effective Erosion Control (SATEEC) to assess the soil erosion risk of the catchment. SATEEC estimates soil loss and sediment yield within river catchments using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and a spatially distributed sediment delivery ratio. Vegetation cover in protected areas has a significant effect in curtailing soil loss. The effect of rainfall was noted as two pronged, higher rainfall amounts received in the escarpment promote vegetation growth and vigour in the Amatole mountain range which in turn positively provides a protective cover to shield the soil from soil loss. The negative aspect of high rainfall is that it increases the rainfall erosivity. The Keiskamma catchment is predisposed to excessive rates of soil loss due to high soil erodibility, steep slopes, poor conservation practices and low vegetation cover. This soil erosion risk assessment shows that 35% of the catchment is prone to high to extremely high soil losses higher than 25 ton ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ whilst 65% still experience very low to moderate levels of soil loss of less than 25 ton ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. Object based classification highlighted the occurrence of enriched valley infill which flourishes in sediment laden ephemeral stream channels. This occurrence increases gully erosion due to overgrazing within ephemeral stream channels. Measures to curb further degradation in the catchment should thrive to strengthen the role of local institutions in controlling conservation practice.