Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Regional Scale Erosion Assessment of a Sub-tropical Highland Segment in the Western Ghats of Kerala, South India

  • Published:
Water Resources Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) has been used in combination with remote sensing and GIS techniques to assess the spatial pattern and annual rate of soil erosion in the Munnar Forest Division in Western Ghats, Kerala, India. The RUSLE takes into account several factors such as rainfall, soil erodibility, slope length and steepness, land cover and erosion control practice for soil erosion prediction. Maximum soil loss of 109.31 t h−1y−1 and the areas with extreme erosion (erosion is higher than 50 t h−1y−1) are confined to 11.46% of the total area, while the area occupied by severe erosion (erosion rate between 25 and 50 t h−1y−1) is 27.53%. The high rate of annual soil erosion is associated with areas of high terrain alteration from the plantation activities and highly elevated hills/plateau margins with steep side slopes. Such an output is highly useful in decision making context to avoid land acquisition in erosion risk areas, or, alternatively, to recommend soil conservation measures to reduce soil loss, if developmental activities are to be continued at high soil erosion risk areas.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adediji A, Tukur AM, Adepoju KA (2010) Assessment of revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) in Katsina area, Katsina state of Nigeria using remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS). Iranica J Energy Environ 1(3):255–264

    Google Scholar 

  • Al-Quraishi AMF (2003) Soil erosion risk prediction with RS and GIS for the northwestern part of Hebei Province, China. Pak J Appl Sci 3(10–12):659–666

    Google Scholar 

  • Angima SD, Stott DE, O’Neill MK, Ong CK, Weesies GA (2003) Soil erosion prediction using RUSLE for central Kenyan highland conditions. Agric Ecosyst Environ 97(1–3):295–308

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arnoldus HMJ (1980) An approximation of the 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 

  • Bhattarai R, Dutta D (2007) Estimation of soil erosion and sediment yield using GIS at catchment scale. Water Resour Manag 21(10):1635–1647

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boggs G, Devonport C, Evans K, Puig P (2001) GIS-based rapid assessment of erosion risk in a small catchment in the wet/dry tropics of Australia. Land Degrad Dev 12:417–434

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burrough PA, McDonnell RA (1998) Principles of geographical information systems for land resources assessment. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Chou WC (2010) Modelling watershed scale soil loss prediction and sediment yield estimation. Water Resour Manag 24(10):2075–2090

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • CWRDM (1997) Attapady wasteland comprehensive environmenatal conservation project. Eco-restoration plan, vol. 1. Center for Water Resources Development and Management, Kerala

    Google Scholar 

  • Dabral PP, Pandey A, Debbarma S (2007) Soil loss estimation of the Dikrong River Basin using IRS-1B LISS II satellite data and GIS. IE(I) Journal-AG 88:44–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Dabral PP, Baithuri N, Pandey A (2008) Soil erosion assessment in a hilly catchment of North Eastern India using USLE, GIS and remote sensing. Water Resour Manag 22:1783–1798

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Oliveira PTS, Sobrinho TA, Rodrigues DBB, Panachuki E (2011) Erosion risk mapping applied to environmental zoning. Water Resour Manag 25(3):1021–1036

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fu B, Zhao W, Chen L (2005) Assessment of soil erosion at larger watershed scale using RUSLE and GIS: a case study in the loess plateau of China. Land Degrad Dev 16:73–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hlaing KT, Haruyamai S, Aye MM (2008) Using GIS-based distributed soil loss modeling and morphometric analysis to prioritize watershed for soil conservation in Bago river basin of Lower Myanmar. Front Earth Sci China 2(4):465–478

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoyos N (2005) Spatial modeling of soil erosion potential in a tropical watershed of the Colombian Andes. Catena 63(1):85–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ismail J, Ravichandran S (2008) RUSLE2 model application for soil erosion assessment using remote sensing and GIS. Water Resour Manag 22(1):83–102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jabbar MT, Chen X (2005) Soil degradation risk prediction integrating rusle with geoinformation techniques, the case of northern Shaanxi province in china. Am J Appl Sci 2(2):550–556

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jain MK, Das D (2010) Estimation of sediment yield and areas of soil erosion and deposition for watershed prioritization using GIS and remote sensing. Water Resour Manag 24(10):2091–2112

    Article  Google Scholar 

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

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jasrotia AS, Singh R (2006) Modeling runoff and soil erosion in a catchment area, using the GIS, in the Himalayan region, India. Environ Geol 51:29–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karydas CG, Sekuloska T, Silleos GN (2009) Quantification and site-specification of the support practice factor when mapping soil erosion risk associated with olive plantations in the Mediterranean island of Crete. Environ Monit Assess 149:19–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim JB, Saunders P, Finn JT (2005) Rapid assessment of soil erosion in the Rio Lempa Basin, Central America, using the Universal Soil Loss Equation and Geographic Information Systems. Environ Manag 36(6):872–885

    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 

  • Krishna Bahadur KC (2009) Mapping soil erosion susceptibility using remote sensing and GIS: a case of the Upper Nam Wa Watershed, Nan Province, Thailand. Environ Geol 57:695–705

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kukal SS, Sur HS, Gill SS (2007) Factors responsible for soil erosion hazard in submontane Punjab, India. Soil Use Manag 7(1):38–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lastoria B, Miserocchi F, Lanciani A, Monacelli G (2008) An estimated erosion map for the Aterno-Pescara river Basin. Eur Water (21/22): 29–39

    Google Scholar 

  • Le Rouxa JJ, Newbyb TS, Sumner PD (2007) Monitoring soil erosion in South Africa at a regional scale: review and recommendations. S Afr J Sci 103:329–335

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee S (2004) Soil erosion assessment and its verification using the Universal Soil Loss Equation and Geographic Information System: a case study at Boun, Korea. Environ Geol 45:457–465

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee GS, Lee HS (2006) Scaling effect for estimating soil loss in the RUSLE model using remotely sensed geospatial data in Korea. Hydrol Earth Syst Sci Discuss 3:135–157

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lekha KR (2004) Field instrumentation and monitoring of soil erosion in coir geotextile stabilised slopes—A case study. Geotext Geomembran 22(5):399–413

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lim KJ, Myung Sagong M, Engel BA, Tang Z, Choi J, Kim KM (2005) GIS-based sediment assessment tool. Catena 64:61–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin CY, Lin WT, Chou WC (2002) Soil erosion prediction and sediment yield estimation: the Taiwan experience. Soil Tillage Res 68:143–152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu BY, Nearing MA, Shi PJ, Jia ZW (2000) Slope length effects on soil loss for steep slopes. Soil Sci Soc Am J 64:1759–1763

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu D, Li G, Valladares GS, Batistella M (2004) Mapping soil erosion risk in Rondonia, Brazilian Amazonia: using RUSLE, remote sensing and GIS. Land Degrad Dev 15:499–512

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matsuura H (2000) Design guidelines for mechanical soil and water conservation works and water resources development. Technical report for the Attapady wasteland comprehensive environmenatal conservation project (AWCECOP), ID-P111. Attapady Hills Area Development Society, Government of Kerala

  • Millward AA, Mersey JE (1999) Adapting the RUSLE to model soil erosion potential in a mountainous tropical watershed. Catena 38(2):109–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore ID, Burch GJ (1986a) Physical basis of the length slope factor in the Universal Soil Loss Equation. Soil Sci Soc Am 50(5):1294–1298

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore ID, Burch GJ (1986b) Modeling erosion and deposition. Topographic effects. Trans Am Soc Agric Eng 29(6):1624–1630

    Google Scholar 

  • Morgani RPC, Quintoni JN, Smith RE, Govers G, Poesen JWA, Auerswald K, Chisci G, Torri D, Styczen ME (1998) The European soil erosion model (EUROSEM): a dynamic approach for predicting sediment transport from fields and small catchments. Earth Surf Process Landforms 23:527–544

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nair NGK, Santosh M, Thampi PK (1984) Alkali granite-syenite-carbonatite association in Munnar Kerala, India; implications for rifting, alkaline magmatism and liquid immiscibility. J Earth Syst Sci 99(2):149–158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Narayana VVD, Babu R (1983) Estimation of soil erosion in India. J Irrig Drain Eng 109(4):419–434

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Onori F, De Bonis P, Grauso S (2006) Soil erosion prediction at the basin scale using the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) in a catchment of Sicily (southern Italy). Environ Geol 50:1129–1140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pandey A, Mathur A, Mishra SK, Mal BC (2009) Soil erosion modeling of a Himalayan watershed using RS and GIS. Environ Earth Sci doi:10.1007/s12665-009-0038-0

  • Parysow P, Wang GX, Gertner G, Anderson AB (2003) Spatial uncertainty analysis for mapping soil erodibility based on joint sequential simulation. Catena 53:65–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pimentel D, Kounang N (1998) Ecology of soil erosion in ecosystems. Ecosystems 1(5):416–426

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prasannakumar V, Shiny R, Geetha N, Vijith H (2011) Spatial prediction of soil erosion risk by remote sensing, GIS and RUSLE approach: a case study of Siruvani river watershed in Attapady valley, Kerala, India. Environ Earth Sci. doi:10.1007/s12665-011-0913-3

  • 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). Agric. Handb., vol. 703. US Department of Agriculture, Washington, pp 1–251

    Google Scholar 

  • Saha SK, Pande LM (1993) Integrated approach towards soil erosion inventory for environmental conservation using satellite and agrometeorological data. Asia-Pac Rem Sens J 5(2):21–28

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharon D (1980) The distribution of hydrologically effective rainfall incident on sloping ground. J Hydrol 46:165–188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Srinivas CV, Maji AK, Reddy GPO, Chary GR (2002) Assessment of soil erosion using remote sensing and GIS in Nagpur district, Maharashtra for prioritisation and delineation of conservation units. J Indian Soc Remote Sens 30(4):197–212

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stone RP, Hilborn D (2000) Fact sheet, Universal Soil Loss Equation. Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ontario, p 12

    Google Scholar 

  • Tian YC, Zhou YM, Wu BF, Zhou WF (2009) Risk assessment of water soil erosion in upper basin of Miyun Reservoir, Beijing, China. Environ Geol 57:937–942

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van der Knijff JM, Jones RJA, Montanarella L (2000) Soil erosion risk assessment in Europe. EUR 19044 EN. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg, p 34

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang G, Gertner G, Fang S, Anderson AB (2003) Mapping multiple variables for predicting soil loss by geostatistical methods with TM images and a slope map. Photogramm Eng Remote Sens 69:889–898

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang G, Hapuarachchi P, Ishidaira H, Kiem AS, Takeuchi K (2009) Estimation of soil erosion and sediment yield during individual rainstorms at catchment scale. Water Resour Manag 23(8):1447–1465

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wischmeier WH, Smith DD (1978) Predicting rainfall erosion losses—a guide to conservation planning. Agriculture Handbook No. 537. US Department of Agriculture Science and Education Administration, Washington, p 163

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu Y, Zhou Q, Li S (2005) An analysis on spatial–temporal distribution of rainfall erosivity in Guizhou province. Bull Soil Water Conserv 4:11–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Yue-qing X, Jian P, Xiao-mei S (2009) Assessment of soil erosion using RUSLE and GIS: a case study of the Maotiao River watershed, Guizhou Province, China. Environ Geol 56:1643–1652

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yuksel A, Gundogan R, Akay AE (2008) Using the remote sensing and GIS technology for erosion risk Mapping of Kartalkaya Dam Watershed in Kahramanmaras, Turkey. Sensors 8:4851–4865

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou P, Luukkanen O, Tokola T, Nieminen J (2008) Effect of vegetation cover on soil erosion in a mountainous watershed. Catena 75(3):319–325

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The paper is a contribution of the Centre for Geoinformation Science and Technology, a joint venture of the University of Kerala, DST and KSCSTE. Financial support from DST and KSCSTE is gratefully acknowledged. The authors gratefully acknowledge the anonymous reviewers for constructive comments and suggestions.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Geoinformation Science and Technology, University of Kerala, Kariavattom, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India, 695 581

    V. Prasannakumar, H. Vijith, N. Geetha & R. Shiny

Authors
  1. V. Prasannakumar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. H. Vijith
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. N. Geetha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. R. Shiny
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to V. Prasannakumar.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Prasannakumar, V., Vijith, H., Geetha, N. et al. Regional Scale Erosion Assessment of a Sub-tropical Highland Segment in the Western Ghats of Kerala, South India. Water Resour Manage 25, 3715–3727 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-011-9878-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-011-9878-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation