Field data collection in soil erosion assessment using GIS

Abstract

The erosion of soil by wind and water has been a problem ever since land was first cultivated, because erosion results in loss of productivity of soils thereby necessitating the use of fertilizer to maintain yields. Another problem of soil erosion is the increase of sediments in rivers, watercourses and reservoirs creating water quality problems. Due to the critical nature of soil erosion, it is of great importance to identify the critical zones of soil erosion and provide prevention or management measures. The mostly used equation for soil erosion estimates is the Universal Soil Loss Equation. However the coefficients in this equation requires field validation prior to application of same for particular regions. Therefore the coefficients of analytical equation should be based on field assessments. Field data collection for soil erosion assessment needs to carry out systematic surveys. However such studies are very limited and no clear case studies are available. The present study used a systematic field survey to identify the erosion, soil texture slope and land-use, highlighting the key issues that need to be considered for meaningful data collection.