Watershed erosion risk assessment and management utilizing revised universal soil loss equation-geographic information systems in the Mediterranean environments

Abstract

The generation of an easily adaptable method for erosion risk assessment is important for management and conservation of the available resources in developing countries. The study aims to assess the risk of soil erosion by using an integrated, easy to apply, time- and money-conserving revised universal soil loss equation-geographic information systems (RUSLE-GIS)-based model in the Eastern part of the Mediterranean. Although the model showed a good efficiency in predicting the annual soil loss (R2=0.68), the limited runoff–erosion data warrant the need for long-term data to test and calibrate the model. The model showed that 24% of the watershed area has an annual soil loss exceeding the soil loss tolerance (SLT) of the area (5 Mg/ha). When all the RUSLE factors were kept constant, except the C factor, the model showed the highest soil loss potential under olive groves (20–30 Mg/ha), and the lowest under wheat and barley (5 Mg/ha). The application of proper conservation practices to these areas is thus important, i.e. reducing the number of tillage and/or time of tillage practices.