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Satellite-Based Soil Erosion Mapping

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Abstract

Soil erosion has long been recognised as a significant process of soil destruction, affecting millions of hectares of land worldwide, resulting in loss of fertility and biodiversity, decreased stability of marine and terrestrial ecosystems and enhanced exposure to climate change. In semi-arid zones, the highest rate of deforestation occurred in wooded grassland, bushland and shrubland systems, while the lowest rate occurred in woodland. Satellite remote sensing technology for tracking and modelling soil erosion has exploded in popularity worldwide over the last decade. More precisely, renewed emphasis has been placed on recent advances in remote sensing technologies and the availability of these data at various resolutions, as well as on the critical need for up-to-date knowledge on soil loss levels, soil erosion monitoring and modelling, in particular, to ensure that viable agricultural fields are available to ensure food security. GIS research delivers adequate results when developing erosion surveys and risk maps using GIS data layers such as DEM, slope, aspect and land use. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) and Environmental Information Coordination are the most widely used scientific erosion prediction models that are combined with remote sensing and GIS (CORINE). Remote sensing techniques and the universal soil loss equation were established as the primary tools for mapping and tracking soil erosion in this chapter. It consists of four components: baseline sheet and rill erosion mapping, real-time rill and gully erosion monitoring, future sheet and rill erosion change forecast and long-term pattern determination.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, CSK HPKV, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India

    Kishor Kumar Sahu

  2. Department of Forestry, JNKVV, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India

    Satyajeet Kar

  3. Faculty of Agriculture, Sri Sri University, Cuttack, Odisha, India

    Sandeep Rout

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  1. Kishor Kumar Sahu
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  2. Satyajeet Kar
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  3. Sandeep Rout
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Higher Education, Government of Jammu and Kashmir (Governemnt Degree College DH Pora), Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir, India

    Suhaib A. Bandh

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Sahu, K.K., Kar, S., Rout, S. (2022). Satellite-Based Soil Erosion Mapping. In: Bandh, S.A. (eds) Sustainable Agriculture. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-83066-3_13

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