Assessment of degraded land in Republic of Moldova: a case study on Tigheci catchment

Abstract

: This study is a complex analysis of the processes of land degradation by erosion, gullying and landslides, which are a real problem that the territory of the Republic of Moldova faces. The scientific findings from research in the Tigheci Catchment (located northwest of the Tigheci Hills) argue for the region’s huge agricultural potential, but the land degradation processes lead to a reduction in the amount of humus and nutrients in the soil, thus limiting the productivity capacity. The erosion in the soil surface, the most widespread geomorphological process in a basin, has an appreciable intensity especially on the cuesta foreheads and the average rate of soil losses estimated, according to the Mo ț oc method, is 6.3 t/ha/year. Also, characteristic is the process of deep erosion, which is justified by the inventory of a number of 272 gullies, with a predominance of slope gullies that hold over 60% of the ravaged area. The landslides are the third category of geomorphological processes that contribute to land degradation. They cover an area of 4,365.26 ha and are in most cases stabilized. Often, the landslides are caused by the evolution of torrential organisms, which lead to the initiation and development of hollows. Therefore, the degraded land is a rather serious problem that requires practical implementations with real effects in the agricultural system.