Integrated Use of Remote Sensing and GIS in estimating Soil Erosion in the Tukvar Tea Plantation Area, Darjeeling, India by RUSLE Modelling

Abstract

Soil erosion is one of the major threats to food security and agricultural sustainability worldwide. Numerous factors including relief, slope, land use, land cover, rainfall pattern, soil texture, conservation techniques and anthropogenic factors, combine to cause soil erosion. The enormity and spatial distribution of soil erosion should be known for effectively assessing and mapping erosion-prone areas. In the hill region, soil loss is a significant component in decreasing stability and persistent loss causes landslides. So in order to study this, various soil erosion models have come up amongst which RUSLE has been adopted by many researchers. The goal of the current study is to forecast the projected soil loss in Tukvar tea plantations of the Darjeeling district. This study will provide an estimate of the amount and rate of erosion in the Darjeeling district's Tukvar tea plantations. This study revealed that the leading factors to soil erosion are slope factors and rainfall erosivity. The geo-coded reference of the geographic extent of soil erosion-prone areas will be useful for micro-level planning and will serve as a useful tool for managing and conserving soil.