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Soil erosion modelling using GIS and revised universal soil loss equation approach: a case study of Guna-Tana landscape, Northern Ethiopia

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Abstract

An attempt has been made in this study to quantify the soil loss rate in Guna-Tana Landscape, Ethiopia. A Digital Elevation Model (12 m by 12 m spatial resolution), rainfall data over 10 years, soil, and land cover/land use extracted were used as an input to calculate soil loss rates. GIS-based RUSLE factors were integrated and analyzed in the ArcGIS 10.3 plate form. The results showed that 12-monthly loss of soil in the study area ranges from zero in the lower, middle, upper, and steeper slope parts of the watershed to 4735 t/ha/year with a mean annual soil loss of 3627.5 t/ha/year. The overall annual soil loss in the study area is 14,335,517.8 tonnes. Approximately 681.21 ha of the area is within the extreme and very extreme erosion clusters which demand immediate controlling measures.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hydraulic and Water Resources Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia

    Asirat Teshome, Afera Halefom & Imran Ahmad

  2. Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia

    Menberu Teshome

  3. Spatial Sciences Laboratory, Department of Ecosystem Sciences and Management, Texas A&M University, 534 John Kimbrough Blvd., Room 305, College Station, TX, 77843-2120, USA

    Yihun Taddele

  4. Department of Biosystems and Environmental Engineering, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia

    Mihret Dananto

  5. Department of Hydraulic and Water Resources Engineering, Dilla University, Dilla, Ethiopia

    Solomon Demisse

  6. Department of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology, Institute of Environmental Management, University of Miskolc, Egyetemvaros, Miskolc, 3515, Hungary

    Peter Szucs

Authors
  1. Asirat Teshome
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  2. Afera Halefom
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  3. Menberu Teshome
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  4. Imran Ahmad
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  5. Yihun Taddele
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  6. Mihret Dananto
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  7. Solomon Demisse
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  8. Peter Szucs
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Correspondence to Asirat Teshome.

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Teshome, A., Halefom, A., Teshome, M. et al. Soil erosion modelling using GIS and revised universal soil loss equation approach: a case study of Guna-Tana landscape, Northern Ethiopia. Model. Earth Syst. Environ. 7, 125–134 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40808-020-00864-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40808-020-00864-0

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