Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Risk modeling of soil erosion under different land use and rainfall conditions in Soan river basin, sub-Himalayan region and mitigation options

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Modeling Earth Systems and Environment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Soil erosion is a serious environmental problem impacting soil and water resources of the Himalayan region. To sustain food and fibres requirements of ever increasing population, there is need to rehabilitate erosion affected areas. In the present study, risk of soil erosion was assessed in the Soan river basin of sub-Himalayan region of Pakistan using Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation coupled with geo-informatic techniques. The influential factors leading to higher erosion rates were studied under variable scenarios of environmental change. The study revealed an average soil loss of about 8.4 tons/ha/year in the study area. The intensity of erosion was predicted around 15 tons/ha/year in the open soil and 10.3 tons/ha/year in the agriculture land. The rate of erosion was found maximum over 5°–15° slope, i.e., about 19 tons/ha/year. At steeper slopes (i.e., > 15°), the lower values of erosion rates were observed likely because of presence of exposed rocks lacking extensive soil cover. High risk of erosion was predicted in scenarios of increase in rainfall and conversion of rangeland and scrub forest into agriculture land in the basin. The menace of soil erosion can be controlled through adopting integrated land use planning and soil conservation approach at micro to macro level in this part of the Himalayan region.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abuzar MK, Shakir U, Ashraf A, Mukhtar R et al (2018) GIS based risk modeling of soil erosion under different scenarios of land use change in Simly watershed of Pakistan. J Him Earth Sci 51(2A):132–143

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahmad F (2013) Land degradation pattern using geo-information technology for Kot Addu, Punjab Province. Pakistan. Glob J Hum Soc Sci 13(1):1–6

    Google Scholar 

  • Alam S, Fatima A, Butt MS (2007) Sustainable development in pakistan in the context of energy consumption demand and environmental degradation. J Asian Econ 18:825–837

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Almeida-Guerra P, Napolitano R and Feoli E (2012) Importance on soil erosion prevention for environmental risk alert by the application of remote sensing and GIS techniques. A case study in Santos (Brazil). http://www.academia.edu/1586230/. Accessed 14 Aug 2018

  • Ananda J, Herath G (2003) Soil erosion in developing countries: a socio-economic appraisal. J Environ Manage 68:343–353

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Angima AD, Stott DE, O’Nell MK, Ong CK, Weesies GA (2003) Soil erosion prediction using RUSLE for Central Kenyan Highland Conditions. Agr Ecosyst Environ 97:295–308

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arnoldous HML (1980) An approximation of rainfall factor in the universal soil loss equation. In: De Boodt M, Gabriels D (eds) Assessment of erosion. Wiley, Chichester, pp 127–132

    Google Scholar 

  • Ashiagbor G, Forkuo E, Laari P, Aabeyir R (2013) Modeling soil erosion using RUSLE and GIS tools. Int J Remote Sens Geosci 2:7–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Ashraf A, Ahmad MM, Ahmad Z (2016) River basin management in the Himalayan Environment. A case of Soan River Basin, Pakistan. LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing at http://dnb.d-nb.de. Accessed 25 Oct 2017

  • Ashraf A, Abuzar MK, Ahmad B, Ahmad MM, Hussain Q (2017) Modeling risk of soil erosion in high and medium rainfall zones of Pothwar Region, Pakistan. Proc Pak Acad Sci 54(2):67–77

    Google Scholar 

  • Auerswald K (1987) Bestimmung der Bodengründigkeit aus dem Klassenbeschrieb der Reichsbodenschätzung zum Festlegen von tolerierbaren Bodenabträgen (T-Wert). [Estimating soil depth and soil loss tolerance for the classification units of the German soil productivity maps]. J Agron Crop Sci 158:132–139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chris SR, Jon H (2002) Soil erosion assessment tools from point to regional scales-the role of geomorphologists in land management. Geomorphology 47:189–209

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • David PF, David RM (2003) Modelling large-scale fluvial erosion in geographic information systems. Geomorphology 53:147–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Erencin Z (2000) C-factor mapping using remote sensing and GIS. A case Study of Lom Sak/Lom Kao, Thailand. Geographisches Institut der Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen and Intern Inst. for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sci. (ITC), Enschede, The Netherlands

  • Habib-ur-Rehman S, Hamayun K, Saleem K, Nazir A, Bhatti WM (2003) Incidence and gross pathology of Salmonellosis in chicken in Hyderabad. Jour Assoc Vet Adv 2:581–584

    Google Scholar 

  • Ighodaro ID, Lategan FS, Yusuf SFG (2013) The impact of soil erosion on agricultural potential and performance of Sheshegu community farmers in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. J Agric Sci 5:140–147

    Google Scholar 

  • Iqbal MN, Oweis TY, Ashraf M, Hussain B, Majid A (2012) Impact of land-use practices on sediment yield in the Dhrabi watershed of Pakistan. J Environ Sci Eng A 1:406–420

    Google Scholar 

  • Jain SK, Kumar S, Varghese J (2001) Estimation of soil erosion for a Himalayan watershed using GIS technique. Water Resour Manage 15:41–54

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jie C, Jing-zhang C, Man-zhi T, Zi-tong G (2002) Soil degradation: a global problem endangering sustainable development. J Geogr Sci 12:243–252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiu J, Wu H, Li S (2019) The implication of land-use/land-cover change for the declining soil erosion risk in the three Gorges reservoir region, China. Int J Environ Res Public Health 16(10):1856. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16101856

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koirala P, Thakuri S, Joshi S, Chauhan R (2019) Estimation of soil erosion in Nepal using a RUSLE modeling and geospatial tool. Geosciences 9(4):147. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9040147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kouli M, Soupios P, Vallianatos F (2009) Soil erosion prediction using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) in a GIS framework, Chania, Northwestern Crete, Greece. Environ Geol 57:483–497

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Merritt WS, Letcher RA, Jakeman AJ (2003) A review of erosion and sediment transport models. Environ Model Softw 18:761–799. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1364-8152(03)00078-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore ID, Turner AK, Wilson JP, Jenson SK, Band LE (1993) GIS and land-surface-subsurface process modeling. In: Goodchild MF (ed) Environmental modeling with GIS. Oxford University Press, U.K., pp 196–230

    Google Scholar 

  • Nasir A, Uchida K, Ashraf M (2006) Estimation of soil erosion by using RUSLE and GIS for small mountainous watersheds in Pakistan. Pak J Water Resour 10(1):11–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Oweis T, Ashraf M (eds) (2012) Assessment and options for improved productivity and sustainability of natural resources in Dhrabi watershed Pakistan. ICARDA, Aleppo

    Google Scholar 

  • Parveen R, Kumar U (2012) Integrated approach of universal soil loss equation (USLE) and geographical information system (GIS) for soil loss risk assessment in upper south Koel Basin, Jharkhand. J Geogr Inf Syst 4:588–596

    Google Scholar 

  • Pimentel D, Harvey C, Resosudarmo P, Sinclair K, Kurz D, McNair M et al (1995) Environmental and economic costs of soil erosion and conservation benefits. Science 267:1117–1123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rafiq M, Ahmad M, Iqbal N, Tariq JA, Akram W, Shafiq M (2011) Assessment of soil losses from managed and unmanaged sites in a subcatchment of Rawal dam, Pakistan using fallout radionuclides, in impact of soil conservation measures on erosion control and soil quality, IAEA-TECDOC-1665, Vienna

  • Renard KG, Foster GR, Weesies GA, McCool DK, Yoder DC (1997) Predicting soil erosion by water: a guide to conservation planning with the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE). Agriculture Handbook, vol. 703US Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC, pp 1–251

  • Russell SH, William WD (2001) Landscape erosion and evolution modelling. Kluwer Academic/Plenum, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Serpa D, Nunes JP, Santos J et al (2015) Impacts of climate and land use changes on the hydrological and erosion processes of two contrasting Mediterranean catchments. Sci Total Environ 538:64–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wischmeier WH, Smith DD (1978) Predicting rainfall erosion losses—a guide to conservation. Agricultural Handbook no. 537, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC, p 58

  • Yesuph AY, Dagnew AB (2019) Soil erosion mapping and severity analysis based on RUSLE model and local perception in the Beshillo Catchment of the Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia. Environ Syst Res 8:17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40068-019-0145-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Climate, Energy and Water Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Center, Park Road, Islamabad, Pakistan

    Arshad Ashraf

Authors
  1. Arshad Ashraf
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Arshad Ashraf.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ashraf, A. Risk modeling of soil erosion under different land use and rainfall conditions in Soan river basin, sub-Himalayan region and mitigation options. Model. Earth Syst. Environ. 6, 417–428 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40808-019-00689-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40808-019-00689-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation