Soil erosion assessment using RUSLE model in the Congo Nile Ridge region of Rwanda

This research assessed the soil erosion threat in the Congo Nile Ridge Region of Rwanda. The study forecasted erosion by applying the Revised Universal Soil Erosion (RUSLE) with five factors (rainfall, soil, topography, cover management, and support practices) and spatial data. About 85.5% of the area under investigation was predisposed to erosion with unsustainable average soil loss rates of > 1 t/ha/yr. The outcomes of the research highlighted that the average rate of estimated soil loss in the region prone to erosion was > 63.62 t/ha/yr, resulting in an overall annual predicted soil loss of approximately 44 × 10⁶ t in 2016. All of the districts studied have steep slope gradients (30.4%–36.1%) and high annual rainfall totals (1199–1484 mm/yr), except Rubavu district. More than 88.8% of croplands had unsustainable average soil loss rates of > 1 t/ha/yr. The analysis indicated that both terracing and strip cropping have the potential to reduce rates of soil loss in the farmland, by 64.4% and 10.4%, respectively. The results of this study will serve as a baseline for soil erosion mitigation and land-use planning in the study area and Rwanda at large.     

北方土石山区土壤侵蚀强度垂直景观格局——以沂蒙山区为例

以具北方土石山区典型特征的沂蒙山区为例,在分析土壤侵蚀过程的基础上,选取具生态学意义的侵蚀强度景观格局指数,从垂直维度上分析侵蚀景观格局变化特征。结果表明:土壤侵蚀景观格局具有显著垂直分带性。50~200带为低侵蚀稳定区,人类活动影响大,缀块成片分布,连通性强,形状较规则;400~800带为高侵蚀稳定区,自然因素起主导作用,缀块密度大且分散,形状较复杂;200~400带为侵蚀景观急剧变化区,侵蚀程度随高程增加而增大,自然因素作用增强。微度与轻度侵蚀景观、强烈与极强烈侵蚀景观具相同垂直变化趋势,此两组侵蚀景观变化趋势的差异主要分布于低于300带和高于500带处;中度侵蚀景观变化趋势可视为前两组侵蚀景观变化趋势的过渡。     

Changes in crop type distribution in Zhangye City of the Heihe River Basin,China

With rapid economic development in China, crops have undergone remarkable changes in both their type and spatial pattern. Timely and accurate information of crop type distribution will help government and agricultural producers quickly understand regional agricultural production conditions to better facilitate appropriate adjustments in planting patterns and policies. Another benefit of acquiring such knowledge of crops is that it should enhance regional agricultural competitiveness, optimize resource allocations, and further guarantee national food security. Towards this end, and using the Zhangye City in the Heihe River Basin as a study area, the present research elaborated upon a methodology to classify crop type distribution based on multi-temporal Thematic Mapper and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (TM/ETM+) images. Using this methodology we achieved the spatial distributions of crop types in Zhangye City in 2007 and 2012, and analyzed changes in their distributions over this period. In addition, some landscape indices were calculated to clarify the landscape pattern of crops. The crop conversion potentials in 2017 were modeled using four conversion sub-models of the Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) neural network. Generally, the overall accuracy of crop classification in Zhangye was high, at 89.38%. From 2007 to 2012, the cultivated land area in Zhangye increased from 463.81 × 10³ ha to 493.89 × 10³ ha. The sowing area of corn and oilseed rape increased by 39.21 × 10³ ha and 5.99 × 10³ ha, respectively, while for wheat and barley the sowing area decreased by 3.61 × 10³ ha and 9.14 × 10³ ha, respectively. Considering other crop types as a group, their sowing area decreased by only 2.37 × 10³ ha. The increase in corn sowing area mainly came from the conversion of other crops to corn, which accounted for 43.09% of its total sowing area in 2012. Furthermore, corn and oilseed rape showed a tendency of intensive sowing, whereas for wheat and barley the tendency was towards scattered sowing. For the future, corn has high conversion potential in Linze and Gaotai counties of Zhangye, while wheat, barley and oilseed rape have high conversion potentials in Minle and Shandan counties.     

Use of the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) for soil and nutrient loss estimation in long-used rainfed agricultural lands,North Ethiopia

This study was conducted to quantify agricultural land degradation in the Ruba Gered watershed, Ethiopia. The watershed was divided into 12 land mapping units (LMU) after superimposing maps of soil, slope, land use/cover, and elevation. Subsequently, cultivated land was delineated to assess degradation types and severity based on standard approaches. Sheet erosion was estimated using the revised universal soil loss equation. Composite soil samples were collected from each LMU to quantify key soil nutrients (OM, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium) lost by sheet erosion. The annual average soil loss due to sheet erosion was estimated to be 17.4 t ha^?1 yr^?1, with average annual nutrient losses estimated as 246.5 kg ha^?1 organic matter, 12.4 kg ha^?1 total nitrogen, 0.1 kg ha^?1 available phosphorus, and 1.6 kg ha^?1 available potassium. The study revealed that substantial quantities of soil and nutrients are lost every year in the study area due to severe sheet erosion. This amount of nutrient loss severely degrades soil and reduces soil fertility.     

Development of Land Resources in Transitional Zones Based on Ecological Security Pattern: A Case Study in China

Land use based on landscape ecological security pattern provides a scientific basis for alleviating conflicts between land conservation and human use, ensuring concomitant economic development and ecological integrity. The majority of studies by Chinese researchers have been focused on the carrying capacity and land development intensity, and less attention has been paid to the ecological security pattern of the landscape in Mianzhu in the transitional zone between the Chengdu Plain region and the Longmen Mountains, western China. However, land resources are undergoing significant changes resulting from land use associated with rapid economic development and demographic growth. In this study, we constructed a minimum cumulative resistance model in Mianzhu in the transitional zone, and the land space was divided into optimized development areas, key development areas, restricted development areas, and prohibited development areas according to the landscape ecological security pattern based on the model surface. These land use types covered 7218.39 ha, 17,974.75 ha, 21,545.39 ha, and 77,791.46 ha, respectively. We also examined land use changes over the last 20 years and quantitatively analyzed the relationships between land use changes and geographic factors based on remote sensing and geographic information system. The information obtained from this research ultimately impacts future policies and plans regarding land resources and can be used to promote the sustainable use of land resources in the region.

     

Exploring the potential of perennial crops in reducing soil erosion: A GIS-based scenario analysis in southern Tuscany,Italy

Preserving soils is a major challenge in ensuring sustainable agriculture for the future. Soil erosion by water is a critical issue in the Mediterranean regions and usually occurs when high-erosive precipitation is in temporal association with poor vegetation cover and density. Modelling soil erosion risks over large spatial scales suffers from the scarcity of accurate information on land cover, rainfall erosivity and their intra-annual dynamics. We estimated the soil erosion risk on arable land in a Mediterranean area (Grosseto Province, southern Tuscany, Italy) and investigated its potential reduction as a response to the change in intra-annual distribution of land cover due to the increase of perennial forage crops. A GIS-based (R)USLE model was employed and a scenario analysis was performed by setting criteria for raising the performance of perennial forage crops. Statistical data on agricultural crops provided an insight into current intra-annual land cover dynamics. Rainfall erosivity was computed on the basis of 22-year hourly precipitation data. The model was used to: i) quantify the potential soil losses of arable land in the study area, ii) identify those areas highly affected by erosion risks iii) explore the potential for soil conservation of perennial crops, thereby enabling appropriate preventive measures to be identified. The erosion rates, averaged over an area of about 140’000 ha, are estimated to 33.42 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹. More than 59% of the study area was subjected to soil losses higher than 11 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ (from moderate to severe erosion) and the highest rates are estimated for steep inland areas. Arable land with severe soil erosion rates (higher than 33 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹) represent about 35% of the whole study area. The risk of soil loss by water erosion in the study area is estimated to be reduced on average by 36% if perennial crops are increased in terms of 35% of the total arable land. The soil erosion data produced compared well with the published local and regional data. This study thus provides useful preliminary information for landscape planning authorities and can be used as a decision support tool in quantifying the implications of management policies.     

基于3S技术的内蒙古乌审旗景观格局研究

以乌审旗2005年30 m分辨率的TM遥感影像为基本数据源,在ArcView和ArcMap支持下,得到乌审旗景观分布格局图,并对景观单元特征指数、斑块形状指数、斑块数破碎化指数、斑块分维数、景观异质性指数进行统计分析。结果表明,在乌审旗21 495个景观斑块中,斑块数目最多的为沙地景观,共有10 357块;总面积最大的也是沙地,为6.28×109m2;水域景观总面积最小,仅为5.36×107m2;平均面积最大的是工矿用地,为4.26×106m2;景观斑块密度最大的是耕地。各类斑块形状均较复杂,近圆度极小,居民点由于受到人为规划的影响呈现明显的几何形状特点,故景观形状指数最小;随着人类干扰强度的增加,从自然景观、半自然景观到人工景观,多样性指数、破碎化指数均依次减小,景观多样性指数沙地最高、工矿用地最低;居民点的优势度指数最高,其均匀度指数最低;整个研究区各景观分数维值均小于1.4,景观的自相似程度比较高。     

黄土高原土壤侵蚀规律研究工作回顾

1950年以来,黄土高原土壤侵蚀规律研究工作已建立了完整的分类系统,进行了侵蚀区划,查明了黄河泥沙及其中的粗泥沙来源。定量评价了各自然因子和人为因子与侵蚀量的关系。黄河自古多沙,而近期更加强烈。指出了过去研究工作中的主要问题。     

The consequences of land-cover changes on soil erosion distribution in Slovakia

Soil erosion is a complex process determined by mutual interaction of numerous factors. The aim of erosion research at regional scales is a general evaluation of the landscape susceptibility to soil erosion by water, taking into account the main factors influencing this process. One of the key factors influencing the susceptibility of a region to soil erosion is land cover. Natural as well as human-induced changes of landscape may result in both the diminishment and acceleration of soil erosion. Recent studies of land-cover changes indicate that during the last decade more than 4.11% of Slovak territory has changed. The objective of this study is to assess the influence of land-cover and crop rotation changes over the 1990–2000 period on the intensity and spatial pattern of soil erosion in Slovakia. The assessment is based on principles defined in the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) modified for application at regional scale and the use of the CORINE land cover (CLC) databases for 1990 and 2000. The C factor for arable land has been refined using statistical data on the mean crop rotation and the acreage of particular agricultural crops in the districts of Slovakia. The L factor has been calculated using sample areas with parcels identified by LANDSAT TM data. The results indicate that the land-cover and crop rotation changes had a significant influence on soil erosion pattern predominately in the hilly and mountainous parts of Slovakia. The pattern of soil erosion changes exhibits high spatial variation with overall slightly decreased soil erosion risks. These changes are associated with ongoing land ownership changes, changing structure of crops, deforestation and afforestation.     

Dynamic identification of soil erosion risk in the middle reaches of the Yellow River Basin in China from 1978 to 2010

Soil erosion has become a significant environmental problem that threatens ecosystems globally. The risks posed by soil erosion, the trends in the spatial distribution in soil erosion, and the status, intensity, and conservation priority level in the middle reaches of the Yellow River Basin were identified from 1978 to 2010. This study employed a multi-criteria evaluation method integrated with GIS and multi-source remote sensing data including land use, slope gradient and vegetation fractional coverage (VFC). The erosion status in the study region improved from 1978 to 2010; areas of extremely severe, more severe, and severe soil erosion decreased from 0.05%, 0.94%, and 11.25% in 1978 to 0.04%, 0.81%, and 10.28% in 1998, respectively, and to 0.03%, 0.59%, and 6.87% in 2010, respectively. Compared to the period from 1978 to 1998, the area classed as improvement grade erosion increased by about 47,210.18 km² from 1998 to 2010, while the area classed as deterioration grade erosion decreased by about 17,738.29 km². Almost all severe erosion regions fall in the 1st and 2nd conservation priority levels, which areas accounted for 3.86% and 1.11% of the study area in the two periods, respectively. This study identified regions where soil erosion control is required and the results provide a reference for policymakers to implement soil conservation measures in the future.     

我国土壤侵蚀与地理环境的关系

本文论述我国土壤侵蚀类型与自然地带性和非地带性因素的关系,分析影响侵蚀强度时空分布和侵蚀泥沙输移的环境因素及流域条件。     

Relevance of Pentane- and Hexane-Utilizing Bacterial Indicators for Finding Hydrocarbon Microseepage: A Study from Jamnagar Sub-basin, Saurashtra, Gujarat, India

Mesozoic sediments are source rocks for nearly half the world’s hydrocarbon reserves. Hence, there is great interest in the oil industry to know the trap and sub-trappean sediment thickness and their extent in the trap covered regions of Jamnagar study area. The microbial prospecting method is applied in the Jamnagar sub-basin, Gujarat for evaluating the prospects for hydrocarbon exploration by investigating the anomalous abundance of n-pentane- and n-hexane-oxidizing bacteria of this area. A total of 150 near-surface soil samples were collected in Jamnagar sub-basin, Gujarat for the evaluation of hydrocarbon resource potential of the basin. In this study, bacterial counts for n-pentane-utilizing bacteria range between 1.09 × 10² and 9.89 × 10⁵ cfu/g and n-hexane-utilizing bacteria range between 1.09 × 10² and 9.29 × 10⁵ cfu/g. The adsorbed hydrocarbon gases consisting of ethane plus hydrocarbons (ΣC₂₊) of 1–977 ppb and n-pentane (nC₅) of 1–23 ppb. The integrated geomicrobial and adsorbed soil gas studies showed the anomalous hydrocarbon zones nearby Khandera, Haripur, and Laloi areas which could probably aid to assess the true potential of the basin. Integrated geophysical studies have shown that Jamnagar sub-basin of Saurashtra has significant sediment thickness below the Deccan Traps and can be considered for future hydrocarbon exploration.     

延河流域景观格局与生态水文过程分析

延河流域作为典型的黄土高原丘陵沟壑区,水土流失是最主要的生态环境问题,其生态环境治理能为整个黄土高原生态恢复重建提供典型范例,因此评价延河流域景观格局变化对水文过程的影响,对流域景观格局与水文过程的研究具有重要的科学价值和现实意义。本文通过利用SWAT模型模拟的延河流域的41个子流域的水文响应单元,建立延河流域的“源—汇”水文响应单元景观格局指数,通过计算不同地形条件下水文响应单元随着坡度变化的面积累积百分比,构建了新的“地形—水文响应单元 (Slope-HRU) 综合景观指数”。并与SWAT水文模型所模拟获得的子流域径流量、产沙量进行相关性分析,评价“地形—水文响应单元 (Slope-HRU) 景观指数”对水文过程的表征能力和适用性。结果表明：在子流域尺度上Slope-HRU景观指数和产沙状况存在明显的区域分异规律,而且R值空间变异情况基本上与产沙量的空间变化规律相反,即R值呈现由南向北,由东向西递增,而产沙量由南向北,由东向西递减。R值与年产沙量在数值上呈显著相关关系,相关系数为-0.60;再将Slope-HRU景观指数与所选取的7个常用景观格局指数相结合,构成新的综合景观指数,发现它们与子流域的产沙量耦合关系明确,均显著负相关,相关系数绝对值范围为0.43~0.63。     

Exploring spatially varying and scale-dependent relationships between soil contamination and landscape patterns using geographically weighted regression

Landscape pattern is an important determinant of soil contamination at multiple scales, and a proper understanding of their relationship is essential for alleviating soil contamination and making decisions for land planners. Both soil contamination and landscape patterns are heterogeneous across spaces and scale-dependent, but most studies were carried out on a single scale and used the conventional multivariate analyses (e.g. correlation analysis, ordinary least squared regression-OLS) that ignored the issue of spatial autocorrelation. To move forward, this paper examined spatially varying relationships between agricultural soil trace metal contamination and landscape patterns at three block scales (i.e. 5 km × 5  km, 10 km × 10 km, 15 km × 15 km) in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), south China, using geographically weighted regression (GWR). This paper found that GWR performed better than OLS in terms of increasing R square of the model, lowering Akaike Information Criterion values and reducing spatial autocorrelation. GWR results revealed great spatial variations in the relationships across scales, with an increasing explanatory power of the model from small to large block scales. Despite a few negative correlations, more positive correlations were found between soil contamination and different aspects of landscape patterns of water, urban land and the whole landscape (i.e. the proportion, mean patch area, the degree of landscape fragmentation, landscape-level structural complexity, aggregation/connectivity, road density and river density). Similarly, more negative correlations were found between soil contamination and landscape patterns of forest and the distance to the river and industry land (p < 0.05). Furthermore, most significant correlations between soil contamination and landscape variables occurred in the western PRD across scales, which could be explained by the prevailing wind, the distribution of pollutant sources and the pathway of trace metal inputs.     

基于景观生态学方法的朝阳港潟湖湿地人类干扰强度定量评估

以朝阳港潟湖湿地为研究区,将朝阳港潟湖湿地景观类型划分为两大类七个亚类,其中自然景观主要包括河口湿地、潟湖浅滩、沼泽和盐碱荒地;人工景观主要包括养殖池、盐田和农用地。1954～2007年的50余年间,朝阳港潟湖湿地景观总体变化趋势是从大斑块、类型较单一的自然景观为主体的景观格局向小斑块、多种景观类型共同控制的景观格局转变,不同时期景观类型及其面积变化的主要驱动因素是人类活动。为了度量人类活动干扰对潟湖湿地的影响,以景观生态学为基础,构建了人类干扰强度模型方法,对1954年以来不同时期人类活动对潟湖湿地的干扰强度进行了量化分析,提出了湿地的人类干扰强度分级标准。研究结果表明,1954～1971年期间,朝阳港潟湖湿地的人类干扰强度为轻微干扰;此后,人类对潟湖湿地的干扰强度为强干扰。对比不同时期人类活动对该潟湖湿地的干扰强度,发现在1972～1983年间人类活动对该潟湖湿地的干扰强度突然增大,该潟湖湿地的开发高峰期主要是20世纪70年代至80年代初。检验结果证明,人类干扰强度模型的计算结果是可信的。     

清末以来开封市水域景观格局变化

借助历史资料和地理信息系统技术,对清末以来开封市水域景观格局的演变进行了分析。研究结果表明：(1) 100余年来,开封市水域景观面积和景观优势度经历了一个由小变大,然后又由大变小的过程。其中,2002年的水域面积为169.6 hm²,为1966年的35%,1898年的89%;景观优势度由1898年的14.6%增加到1966年的36.9%,到了2002年变为13.1%。(2) 从1898年到2002年开封市区水域斑块的数量在增加,最大斑块面积有减小的趋势,最小斑块面积也有减小的趋势,平均斑块面积趋于减小,但斑块密度却在增加,这充分反映了开封市水域景观破碎度的增加。(3) 从1898年到2002年开封市水域斑块的连通性指数是在不断减少的,只是近年来,才有增加的趋势;分维数也有增加的趋势。引起开封市水域景观格局变化的原因既有自然的因素,又有人为的因素。建国以前以黄河的影响为主,建国后人类活动的影响占有重要地位。     

Role of hydrological regime and floodplain sediments in channel instability of the Bhagirathi River,Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta,India

Abstract

This research deals with the surface dynamics and key factors – hydrological regime, sediment load, and erodibility of floodplain facies – of frequent channel shifting, intensive meandering, and lateral instability of the Bhagirathi River in the western part of the Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta (GBD). At present, the floodplain of the Bhagirathi is categorized as a medium energy (specific stream power of 10–300 W m^?2), non-cohesive floodplain, which exhibits a mixed-load and a meandering channel, an entrenchment ratio >2.2, width–depth ratio >12, sinuosity >1.4, and channel slope <0.02. In the study area, since 1975, four meander cutoffs have been shaped at an average rate of one in every 9–10 years. In the active meander belt and sand-silt dominated floodplains of GBD, frequent shifting of the channel and meander migration escalate severe bank erosion (e.g. 2.5 × 10⁶ m³ of land lost between 1999 and 2004) throughout the year. Remote sensing based spatio-temporal analysis and stratigraphic analysis reveal that the impact of the Farakka barrage, completed in 1975, is not the sole factor of downstream channel oscillation; rather, hydrogeomorphic instability induced by the Ajay–Mayurakshi fluvial system and the erodibility of floodplain sediments control the channel dynamics of the study area.     

Possibilities of land use change analysis in a mountainous rural area: a methodological approach

Decreasing population density is a current trend in the European Union, and causes a lower environmental impact on the landscape. However, besides the desirable effect on the regeneration processes of semi-natural forest ecosystems, the lack of traditional management techniques can also lead to detrimental ecological processes. In this study we investigated the land use pattern changes in a micro-region (in North-Eastern Hungary) between 1952 and 2005, based on vectorised land use data from archive aerial photos. We also evaluated the methodology of comparisons using GIS methods, fuzzy sets and landscape metrics. We found that both GIS methods and statistical analysis of landscape metrics resulted in more or less the same findings. Differences were not as relevant as was expected considering the general tendencies of the past 60 years in Hungary. The change in the annual rate of forest recovery was 0.12%; settlements extended their area by an annual rate of 3.04%, while grasslands and arable lands had a net loss in their area within the studied period (0.60% and 0.89%, respectively). The kappa index showed a smaller similarity (~60%) between these dates but the fuzzy kappa and the aggregation index, taking into account both spatial and thematic errors, gave a more reliable result (~70–80% similarity). Landscape metrics on patch and class level ensured the possibility of a detailed analysis. We arrived at a similar outcome but were able to verify all the calculations through statistical tests. With this approach we were able to reveal significant (p < 0.05) changes; however, effect sizes did not show large magnitudes. Comparing the methods of revealing landscape change, the approach of landscape metrics was the most effective approach, as it was independent of spatial errors and ensuring a multiple way of interpretation.     

Relationships of Agricultural Land Use to an Expanded Road Network within Tropical Forest Landscapes of Cameroon and Republic of the Congo

Road building in Congo Basin forests has increased due to expansion of commercial logging, with potential to expose intact forests to greater establishment of agriculture. We developed new knowledge of agriculture clearing sizes, spatial patterns, and relationships with roads in seven case study sites comprising 7,529 km². Using very high spatial resolution satellite imagery, we mapped roads and rivers, plus clearings for agriculture, settlements, and logging. Mapped clearings (N = 1,781) ranged in size from 0.008 ha to more than 300 ha; most were smallholder agriculture, with 64 percent ≤ 1 ha. Statistical tests of spatial pattern confirmed that agriculture occurred in an inhomogeneous-aggregated pattern, suggesting interactions with other landscape elements. Proximity analyses showed that 76 percent of clearings were within 1 km of a road or river. Thirty-five percent of agriculture clearings were within 1 km of main public roads built before 1990, compared to 17 percent for logging roads built after 2000. Less than 6 percent of agriculture clearings were within 1 km of logging roads with overgrown canopies, suggesting transient relationships. Results based on fine-scale data provide new empirical support for understanding the interactions between agriculture and roads in one of the remaining relatively intact forest areas of the Congo Basin.     

白洋淀湖沼湿地系统景观格局演变及驱动力分析

以白洋淀湖沼湿地系统为研究对象,分析了1979年、1991年、2000年和2006年4个时期白洋淀湖沼湿地系统景观格局演变过程及其湿地景观格局指数的动态变化,并剖析白洋淀湖沼湿地系统格局演变的驱动力。研究结果表明,研究期内湿地面积呈减少趋势,由1979年的404.5 km²缩减到2006年的338.4 km²,且减少部分大多转化为耕地;同时,各景观类型分布趋于集中分布,但景观多样性降低。1979-2006年期间,1979-1991年时段内的湿地景观格局指数变化最快,之后变缓。近30年内耕地斑块面积、边界密度和面积加权平均邻近指数最大;建设用地的斑块数量最多,斑块密度最大;各湿地景观类型的平均分维数都接近1,形状都比较简单。引起湿地系统景观格局演变的主要原因包括气候、水文过程以及社会经济和政策等因素。