Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Assessment of the effects of vegetation on soil erosion risk by water: a case of study of the Batta watershed in Tunisia

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Soil erosion by water is a serious environmental problem which affects particularly the agriculture of developing countries. Due to specific factors, such as high rainfall intensity, steep slopes and vegetation scarcity, Tunisia is prone to soil erosion. Taking this into account, the main objective of this study was to estimate the soil erosion risk in the Batta watershed in Tunisia using qualitative and quantitative erosion model with remote sensing data and geographic information system (GIS). Moreover, a developed method that deals with evaluating the impact of vegetation on soil erosion by water is also applied. This method used multi-temporal satellite images with seasonal variability and the transformed soil adjusted vegetation index (TSAVI) which is appropriate in arid and semi-arid areas. For both erosion models, the results show that a large area of the Batta watershed is seriously affected by erosion. This potentially high risk is due especially to severe slopes, poor vegetation coverage and high soil erodibility in this watershed. Furthermore, the use of multi-temporal satellite images and vegetation index show that the effect of vegetation is a significant factor to protect the soil against erosion. The risk is especially serious in the summer season, but it decreases with the growth of vegetation cover in spring. Erosion model, combined with a GIS and remote sensing, is an adequate method to evaluate the soil erosion risk by water. The findings can be used by decision makers as a guideline to plan appropriate strategies for soil and water conservation practices.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Amore E, Modica C, Nearing MA, Santoro VC (2004) Scale effect in USLE and WEPP application for soil erosion computation from three Sicilian basins. J Hydrol 293:100–114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baret F, Guyot G, Major DJ (1989) TSAVI: a vegetation index which minimizes soil brightness effects on LAI and APAR estimation, 1989. In: Proceeding of the 12th Canadian Symposium on remote sensing and IGARSS’89, Vancouver, Canada, pp 1355–1358

  • Baret F, Jacquemoud S, Hanocq JF (1993) About the soil line concept in remote sensing. Adv Space Res 13(5):281–284

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bayramin I, Dengiz O, Baskan O, Parlak M (2003) Soil erosion risk assessment with ICONA model, case of study: Beypazari Area. Turk J Agric For 27:105–116

    Google Scholar 

  • Boardman J, Poesen J, Evans R (2003) Socio-economic factors in soil erosion and conservation. Environ Sci Policy 6:1–6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bou Kheir R, Girard MCl, Shaban A, Khawlie M, Faour G, Khawlie M, Darwich T (2001) Apport de la télédétection pour la modélisation de l’érosion hydrique des sols dans la région côtière du Liban. Télédétection 2:79–80

    Google Scholar 

  • Bracken LJ, Kirkby MJ (2005) Differences in hillslope runoff and sediment transport rates within two semi-arid catchments in southeast Spain. Geomorphology 68:183–200

    Google Scholar 

  • BUCET (2006) Réalisation des mesures bathymétriques dans la retenue du barrage collinaire BATTA. Rapport technique

  • Cyr L, Bonn F, Pesant A (1995) Vegetation indices derived from remote sensing for an estimation of soil protection against water erosion. Ecol Model 79:277–285

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Asis AM, Omasa K (2007) Estimation of vegetation parameter for modeling soil erosion using linear spectral mixture analysis of Landsat ETM data. J Photogramm Remote Sens 62(4):309–324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Jong SM (1994) Derivation of vegetative variables from Landsat TM image for modelling soil erosion. Earth Surf Proc Land 19(2):165–178

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Direction Générale de l’aménagement et de la conservation des terres Agricoles (DG/ACTA) (2002) Second strategy of soil and water conservation (2002–2011). Ministry of Agriculture of Tunisia

  • Fistikoglu O, Harmancioglu NB (2002) Integration of GIS with USLE in assessment of soil erosion. Water Resour Manage 16(6):447–467

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Folly A, Bronsveld MC, Clavaux M (1996) A knowledge-based approach for C-factor mapping in Spain using Landsat TM and GIS. Int J Remote Sens 17(12):2401–2415

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foster GR, McCool DK, Renard KG, Moldenhauer WC (1981) Conversion of the universal soil loss equation to SI metric units. J Soil Water Conserv 36(6):355–359

    Google Scholar 

  • Huete AR (1988) A soil adjusted vegetation index. Remote Sens Environ 25:295–309

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hydro-plante (2002) Etude d’un projet de Développement Local autour du barrage collinaire de l’oued El Batta. Délégation de Bargou. Gouvernorat de Siliana. Phase 1: Diagnostic participatif de la situation actuelle

  • Jabbar MT, Shi ZH, Wang TW, Cai CF (2006) Vegetation change prediction with geo-information techniques in the three Gorges Area of China. Pedosphere 16(4):457–467

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiao J, Zou H, Jia Y, Wang N (2009) Research progress on the effects of soil erosion on vegetation. Acta Ecol Sin 29:85–91

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kefi M, Yoshino K, Zayani K, Isoda H (2009) Estimation of soil loss by using combination of erosion model and GIS: case of study watersheds in Tunisia. J Arid Land Stud 19(1)

  • Laflen JM, Moldenhauer WC (2003) Pioneering soil erosion prediction : the USLE story. In: Zoebisch MA (ed) Special publication no. 1. World Association of Soil and water Conservation (WASWC), China

  • Lal R (2001) Soil degradation by erosion. Land Degrad Dev 12:519–539

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lesschen JP, Kok K, Verburg PH, Cammeraat LH (2007) Identification of vulnerable areas for gully erosion under different scenarios of land abandonment in Southeast Spain. Catena 71:110–121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lillesand TM, Kiefer RW (1994) Remote sensing and image interpretation, 3rd edn. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Mahjoub K, Dali T (2001) Notice explicative de la carte géologique de la Tunisie à 1/50.000° (Jebel Bargou). Office National des mines

  • Ministère de l’environnement et du développement durable de Tunisie (MEDD) (2007) Rapport national sur l’état de l’environnement 2007

  • Pimentel D, Harvey C, Resosudarmo P, Sinclair K, Kurz D, McNair M, Crist S, Shpritz L, Fitton L, Saffouri R, Blair R (1995) Environmental and economic costs of soil erosion and conservation benefits. Science 61(267):1117–1123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Priority Actions Program Regional Activity Center (PAP/RAC) (1997) Split, Mediterranean Action Plan UNEP in cooperation with FAO Guidelines for mapping and measurement of rainfall-induced erosion processes in the Mediterranean coastal area, p72

  • Purevdorj T, Tateishi R, Ishiyama T, Honda Y (1998) Relationships between percent vegetation cover and vegetation indices. Int J Remote Sens 19(18):3519–3535

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • 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. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook 703

  • Rondeaux G, Steven M, Baret F (1996) Optimization of soil adjusted vegetation indices. Remote Sens Environ 55:95–107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roose E (1996) Land husbandry—components and strategy. FAO soil bulletin 70, p 380

  • Rouse JW, Haas RH, Schell JA, Deering DW (1973) Monitoring vegetation systems in the great plains with ERTS. In: 3rd ERTS symposium, NASA SP-351 I, pp 309–317

  • Sahin S, Kurum E (2002) Erosion risk analysis by GIS in environmental impact assessments: a case of study—Seyhan Kopru Dam construction. J Environ Manage 66:239–247

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt F, Persson A (2003) Comparison of DEM data capture and topographic wetness indices. Precis Agric 4:179–192

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Terranova O, Antronico L, Coscarelli R, Iaquinta P (2009) Soil erosion risk scenarios in the Mediterranean environment using RUSLE and GIS: An application model for Calabria (southern Italy). Geomorphology 12:228–245

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van der Knijff JM, Jones RJA, Montaneralla L (2000). Soil erosion risk assessment in Italy. European Commission JRC, Space Applications Institute, European Soil Bureau, p 54

  • Van Rompaey AJJ, Viellefont V, Jones RJA, Montanarella L, Verstraeten G, Bazzoffi P, Dostal T, Krasa J, De Vente J, Poesen J (2003) Validation of soil erosion estimates at European scale. European Commission, Joint Research Center, EUR 20827

  • Vrieling A (2006) Satellite remote sensing for water erosion assessment: a review. Catena 65:2–18

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vrieling A, De Jong SM, Sterk G, Rodrigues SC (2008) Timing of erosion and satellite data: a multi-resolution approach to soil erosion risk mapping. Int J Appl Earth Obs Geoinf 10:267–281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walling DE, Collins AL, Sichingabula HM (2003) Using unsupported lead-210 measurements to investigate soil erosion and sediment delivery in a small Zambian catchment. Geomorphology 52:193–213

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams JR, Tanaka DL (1996) Economic evaluation of topsoil loss in spring wheat production in the northern Great Plains, USA. Soil Tillage Res 37:95–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wischmeier WH, Smith DD (1978) Predicting rainfall erosion losses: a guide to conservation planning. Agriculture Handbook No. 537. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Yoshino K, Ishioka Y (2005) Guidelines for soil conservation towards integrated basin management for sustainable development: a new approach based on the assessment of soil loss risk using remote sensing and GIS. Paddy Water Environ 3:234–247

    Article  Google Scholar 

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

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zheng F (2006) Effect of vegetation changes on soil erosion on the Loess Plateau. Pedosphere 16(4):420–427

    Article  Google Scholar 

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

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the CRDA (Regional Office of the Ministry of Agriculture) of Siliana and the General Directorate for Water and Soil Conservation in Tunisia (DG/ACTA) for their help and data providing.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Systems and Management, Graduate School of Systems and Information Engineering, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8572, Japan

    Mohamed Kefi & Kunihiko Yoshino

  2. Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan

    Yudi Setiawan

  3. Borj Cedria Higher Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technologies, Hammam Lif, Tunisia

    Khemaies Zayani

  4. Soil and Water Conservation Directorate, Ministry of Agriculture and Hydraulic Resources, 30, rue Alain Savary, 1002, Tunis, Tunisia

    Mohamed Boufaroua

Authors
  1. Mohamed Kefi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kunihiko Yoshino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yudi Setiawan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Khemaies Zayani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Mohamed Boufaroua
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohamed Kefi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kefi, M., Yoshino, K., Setiawan, Y. et al. Assessment of the effects of vegetation on soil erosion risk by water: a case of study of the Batta watershed in Tunisia. Environ Earth Sci 64, 707–719 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-010-0891-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-010-0891-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation