Eyasu Mekonnen, Asfaw Kebede, Solomon Asfaw, Samuel Feyissa
{"title":"Optimizing soil erosion estimates of RUSLE model by analyzing land use/cover dynamics in upper Awash River Basin, Central Ethiopia","authors":"Eyasu Mekonnen, Asfaw Kebede, Solomon Asfaw, Samuel Feyissa","doi":"10.1080/19475705.2023.2257363","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) is the most widely used erosion model for decision making on conservation priority. However, interpreting estimates of the mean annual soil loss alone could not accurately depict the spatial variation of soil erosion severity due to its inherent mathematical errors. This study aims to optimize the model’s outputs through detailed analysis of land use/cover dynamics in Upper Awash River Basin, central Ethiopia (7815.1 km2). The analysis include annual rate of change, net gain or loss, and conversion pathways. Results of the estimated mean annual soil loss in the basin varies between 4.1 t/ha/y and 5.1 t/ha/y during three consecutive decades (1990-2000, 2000-2010, and 2010-2020). The cultivated land cover exhibits slight erosion severity (< 5 t/ha/y), while contributing up to 59% the total annual soil loss (3198.8 Mt/ha). Although the net loss of cultivated land cover outweighing the gain during these decades, it progressively encroaches forests (142.2 km2), shrubs (780.8 km2), and grasslands (274.5 km2). Such net loss of protective land covers will inevitably increase the soil erosion risk. Findings from the study would be useful, enabling conservation practitioners to understand the overall severity of soil erosion and make informed decisions.","PeriodicalId":51283,"journal":{"name":"Geomatics Natural Hazards & Risk","volume":"39 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":4.5000,"publicationDate":"2023-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Geomatics Natural Hazards & Risk","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/19475705.2023.2257363","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"GEOSCIENCES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) is the most widely used erosion model for decision making on conservation priority. However, interpreting estimates of the mean annual soil loss alone could not accurately depict the spatial variation of soil erosion severity due to its inherent mathematical errors. This study aims to optimize the model’s outputs through detailed analysis of land use/cover dynamics in Upper Awash River Basin, central Ethiopia (7815.1 km2). The analysis include annual rate of change, net gain or loss, and conversion pathways. Results of the estimated mean annual soil loss in the basin varies between 4.1 t/ha/y and 5.1 t/ha/y during three consecutive decades (1990-2000, 2000-2010, and 2010-2020). The cultivated land cover exhibits slight erosion severity (< 5 t/ha/y), while contributing up to 59% the total annual soil loss (3198.8 Mt/ha). Although the net loss of cultivated land cover outweighing the gain during these decades, it progressively encroaches forests (142.2 km2), shrubs (780.8 km2), and grasslands (274.5 km2). Such net loss of protective land covers will inevitably increase the soil erosion risk. Findings from the study would be useful, enabling conservation practitioners to understand the overall severity of soil erosion and make informed decisions.
期刊介绍:
The aim of Geomatics, Natural Hazards and Risk is to address new concepts, approaches and case studies using geospatial and remote sensing techniques to study monitoring, mapping, risk mitigation, risk vulnerability and early warning of natural hazards.
Geomatics, Natural Hazards and Risk covers the following topics:
- Remote sensing techniques
- Natural hazards associated with land, ocean, atmosphere, land-ocean-atmosphere coupling and climate change
- Emerging problems related to multi-hazard risk assessment, multi-vulnerability risk assessment, risk quantification and the economic aspects of hazards.
- Results of findings on major natural hazards