scholarly journals Comparison of RUSLE and MMF Soil Loss Models and Evaluation of Catchment Scale Best Management Practices for a Mountainous Watershed in India

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 232
Author(s):  
Susanta Das ◽  
Proloy Deb ◽  
Pradip Kumar Bora ◽  
Prafull Katre
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Catchment Scale ◽  
Suitable Alternative ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Management Plans

Soil erosion from arable lands removes the top fertile soil layer (comprised of humus/organic matter) and therefore requires fertilizer application which affects the overall sustainability. Hence, determination of soil erosion from arable lands is crucial to planning conservation measures. A modeling approach is a suitable alternative to estimate soil loss in ungauged catchments. Soil erosion primarily depends on soil texture, structure, infiltration, topography, land uses, and other erosive forces like water and wind. By analyzing these parameters, coupled with geospatial tools, models can estimate storm wise and annual average soil losses. In this study, a hilly watershed called Nongpoh was considered with the objective of prioritizing critical erosion hazard areas within the micro-catchment based on average annual soil loss and land use and land cover and making appropriate management plans for the prioritized areas. Two soil erosion models namely Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and Modified Morgan–Morgan–Finney (MMF) models were used to estimate soil loss with the input parameters extracted from satellite information and automatic weather stations. The RUSLE and MMF models showed similar results in estimating soil loss, except the MMF model estimated 7.74% less soil loss than the RUSLE model from the watershed. The results also indicated that the study area is under severe erosion class, whereas agricultural land, open forest area, and scrubland were prioritized most erosion prone areas within the watershed. Based on prioritization, best management plans were developed at catchment scale for reducing soil loss. These findings and the methodology employed can be widely used in mountainous to hilly watersheds around the world for identifying best management practices (BMP).

scholarly journals Prioritization of Watershed Using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 9456
Author(s):  
Devendra Kumar ◽  
Arvind Dhaloiya ◽  
Ajeet Singh Nain ◽  
Mahendra Paal Sharma ◽  
Amandeep Singh
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Information System ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Slope Length

Soil erosion is becoming a major concern at the watershed scale for the environment, natural resources, and sustainable resource management. Therefore, the estimation of soil loss through this phenomenon and the identification of critical soil erosion-prone areas are considered to be key tasks in the soil conservation programme for the design and implementation of best management practices for specific regions or areas. In the present study, revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) modelling is combined with remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) techniques and used to predict soil erosion and the prioritization of watersheds in Nainital district Uttarakhand, India. For the estimation of soil loss, different factors, namely, rainfall-runoff erosivity (R) factor, soil erodability (K) factor, slope length steepness (LS) factor, cover management (C) factor, and the erosion control practices (P) factor were computed. The data on various other aspects such as land use/land cover (LU/LC), the digital elevation model (DEM), slope, contours, drainage network, soil texture, organic matter, and rainfall were integrated to prepare a database for the RUSLE equation by employing ENVI & QGIS software. The results showed that a major portion (70.26%) of Nainital district is covered with forest, followed by area under fallow and agricultural land. Annual average soil loss ranged between 20 to 80 t ha−1 yr−1 in the study area. Out of 50 watersheds in the study area, 7 watersheds were given top priority for conserving natural resources, while 11 watersheds, mostly in the east-central part of Nainital, were kept under the next priority category. Only 4 watersheds of the total were given lowest priority. Moreover, it was concluded that major portions of Nainital district were in a severely prone category of soil erosion, and therefore required immediate action plans to check soil erosion and evade the possibility of landslides.

scholarly journals The status of soil erosion in the Upper Blue Nile Basin: Identification of hot spot Areas and Evaluation of Best Management Practices in the Toba Watershed

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wakjira Takala Dibaba ◽  
Dessalegn Geleta Ebsa
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Watershed Management ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Nile Basin ◽  
Blue Nile ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Blue Nile Basin ◽  
Upper Blue Nile Basin

Abstract Land degradation caused by soil erosion has become the most serious problem in the Ethiopian highlands. Quantifying the spatial variations of soil loss with a strong evidence helps to prioritize the watersheds for the implementation of different management practices. The study was carried out in the Toba Watershed of the Upper Blue Nile Basin in Ethiopia. Its objective was to evaluate the rate of soil erosion and identify the hotspots with high risk of soil erosion for watershed management planning. Then, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to evaluate the effectiveness of best management practices (BMP) in reducing soil loss. The performance of SWAT in simulating streamflow and sediment yield was evaluated through sensitivity analysis, uncertainty, calibration and validation process. Statistically, the calibrated and validated sediment yields (SY) against the observed sediment data were reasonably accurate (R2 = 0.67, 0.65, NSE = 0.66, 0.64, PBIAS=-8.4%, 9.8% respectively). The annual SY in Toba watershed varies from 0.09 t ha− 1 yr− 1 to 44.8 t ha− 1 yr− 1 with an average SY of 22.7 t ha− 1 yr− 1. To prioritize the SY of the watershed, the annual severity of SY was divided into six classes: very low, low, moderate, high, very high and severe. The study also showed that SY in most watersheds (about 53.8%) were higher than the average. Cultivation on steep slopes leads to the highest SY, while forested areas have lower SY contribution. five management scenarios were evaluated using the Calibrated model. Seventeen sub-basins with SY exceeding the tolerable erosion of Ethiopia (t ha− 1 yr− 1) were considered for the analysis of the BMP scenario. The results show that reforestation combined with vegetative strips was the most effective for soil erosion control (87.8% reduction) followed by the combination of soil/stone bund and vegetative strips (83.7% reduction). Overall, the results of this study provided important data for watershed management and are very useful to ensure the sustainable management of land and natural resources at watershed level.

Agricultural best management practices and surface water improvement and management

1995 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 109-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. Anderson ◽  
E. G. Flaig
Keyword(s):  
Water Management ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Runoff ◽  
South Florida ◽  
Lake Okeechobee ◽  
Runoff Water ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Management Plans

Restoration and enhancement of Lake Okeechobee and the Florida Everglades requires a comprehensive approach to manage agricultural runoff. The Florida Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Act of 1987 was promulgated to develop and implement plans for protecting Florida waters. The South Florida Water Management District was directed by Florida legislature to develop management plans for Lake Okeechobee (SWIM) and the Everglades ecosystem (Marjory Stoneman Douglas Everglades Protection Act of 1991). These plans require agriculture to implement best management practices (BMPs) to reduce runoff phosphorus (P) loads. The Lake Okeechobee SWIM plan established a P load reduction target for Lake Okeechobee and set P concentration limitations for runoff from non-point source agricultural sources. Agricultural water users in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) are required to develop farm management plans to reduce P loads from the basin by 25%. The Everglades Forever Act of 1994 additionally emphasized linkage of these landscapes and consequent protection and restoration of the Everglades. Agricultural BMPs are being developed and implemented to comply with water management, environmental, and regulatory standards. Although BMPs are improving runoff water quality, additional research is necessary to obtain the best combination of BMPs for individual farms. This paper summarizes the development of comprehensive water management in south Florida and the agricultural BMPs carried out to meet regulatory requirements for Lake Okeechobee and the Everglades.

scholarly journals Prioritization of Sub-Watersheds to Sediment Yield and Evaluation of Best Management Practices in Highland Ethiopia, Finchaa Catchment

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 650
Author(s):  
Wakjira Takala Dibaba ◽  
Tamene Adugna Demissie ◽  
Konrad Miegel
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Sediment Yield ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Swat Model ◽  
Sediment Yields ◽  
Soil And Water

Excessive soil loss and sediment yield in the highlands of Ethiopia are the primary factors that accelerate the decline of land productivity, water resources, operation and function of existing water infrastructure, as well as soil and water management practices. This study was conducted at Finchaa catchment in the Upper Blue Nile basin of Ethiopia to estimate the rate of soil erosion and sediment loss and prioritize the most sensitive sub-watersheds using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. The SWAT model was calibrated and validated using the observed streamflow and sediment data. The average annual sediment yield (SY) in Finchaa catchment for the period 1990–2015 was 36.47 ton ha−1 yr−1 with the annual yield varying from negligible to about 107.2 ton ha−1 yr−1. Five sub-basins which account for about 24.83% of the area were predicted to suffer severely from soil erosion risks, with SY in excess of 50 ton ha−1 yr−1. Only 15.05% of the area within the tolerable rate of loss (below 11 ton ha−1yr−1) was considered as the least prioritized areas for maintenance of crop production. Despite the reasonable reduction of sediment yields by the management scenarios, the reduction by contour farming, slope terracing, zero free grazing and reforestation were still above the tolerable soil loss. Vegetative contour strips and soil bund were significant in reducing SY below the tolerable soil loss, which is equivalent to 63.9% and 64.8% reduction, respectively. In general, effective and sustainable soil erosion management requires not only prioritizations of the erosion hotspots but also prioritizations of the most effective management practices. We believe that the results provided new and updated insights that enable a proactive approach to preserve the soil and reduce land degradation risks that could allow resource regeneration.

scholarly journals Performance Assessment of Erosion Remediation Measures and Proposal of The Best Management Practices for Erosion Control in Sebeya Catchment, Rwanda

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Félicien Majoro ◽  
Umaru Garba Wali ◽  
Omar Munyaneza ◽  
François-Xavier Naramabuye ◽  
Concilie Mukamwambali
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Erosion Control ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Tree Planting ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Remediation Measures ◽  
Soil Erosion Control

Soil erosion is an environmental concern that affects agriculture, wildlife and water bodies. Soil erosion can be avoided by maintaining a protective cover on the soil to create a barrier to the erosive agent or by modifying the landscape to control runoff amounts and rates. This research is focused on Sebeya catchment located in the Western Province of Rwanda. Sebeya catchment is one of the most affected areas by soil erosion hazards causing loss of crops due to the destruction of agricultural plots or riverbanks, river sedimentation and damages to the existing water treatment and hydropower plants in the downstream part of the river. The aims of this research were to assess the performance of erosion remediation measures and to propose the Best Management Practices (BMPs) for erosion control in Sebeya catchment. Using literature review, site visits, questionnaire and interviews, various erosion control measures were analyzed in terms of performance and suitability. Land slope and soil depth maps were generated using ArcGIS software. The interview results indicated that among the 22 existing soil erosion control measures, about 4.57% of farmers confirmed their existence while 95.43% expressed the need of their implementation in Sebeya catchment. Furthermore, economic constraints were found to be the main limitative factors against the implementation of soil erosion control measures in Sebeya catchment. Also, the majority of farmers suggest trainings and mobilization of a specialized technical team to assist them in implementing soil conservation measures and to generalize the application of fertilizers in the whole catchment. Finally, soil erosion control measures including agro-forestry, terraces, mulching, tree planting, contour bunds, vegetative measures for slopes and buffer zones, check dams, riverbanks stabilization were proposed and recommended to be implemented in Sebeya catchment. Keywords: Erosion control measures, Sebeya catchment, Rwanda

scholarly journals Application of Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (Rusle) Model to Assess Soil Erosion in “Kalu Ganga” River Basin in Sri Lanka

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. D. Panditharathne ◽  
N. S. Abeysingha ◽  
K. G. S. Nirmanee ◽  
Ananda Mallawatantri
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
River Basin ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Universal Soil Loss Equation ◽  
Rusle Model ◽  
Soil Loss Equation

Soil erosion is one of the main forms of land degradation. Erosion contributes to loss of agricultural land productivity and ecological and esthetic values of natural environment, and it impairs the production of safe drinking water and hydroenergy production. Thus, assessment of soil erosion and identifying the lands more prone to erosion are vital for erosion management process. Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (Rusle) model supported by a GIS system was used to assess the spatial variability of erosion occurring at Kalu Ganga river basin in Sri Lanka. Digital Elevation Model (30 × 30 m), twenty years’ rainfall data measured at 11 rain gauge stations across the basin, land use and soil maps, and published literature were used as inputs to the model. The average annual soil loss in Kalu Ganga river basin varied from 0 to 134 t ha−1 year−1 and mean annual soil loss was estimated at 0.63 t ha−1 year−1. Based on erosion estimates, the basin landscape was divided into four different erosion severity classes: very low, low, moderate, and high. About 1.68% of the areas (4714 ha) in the river basin were identified with moderate to high erosion severity (>5 t ha−1 year−1) class which urgently need measures to control soil erosion. Lands with moderate to high soil erosion classes were mostly found in Bulathsinghala, Kuruwita, and Rathnapura divisional secretarial divisions. Use of the erosion severity information coupled with basin wide individual RUSLE parameters can help to design the appropriate land use management practices and improved management based on the observations to minimize soil erosion in the basin.

scholarly journals The Presence of Denitrifiers In Bacterial Communities of Urban Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie C. Hall ◽  
Masoumeh Sikaroodi ◽  
Dianna Hogan ◽  
R. Christian Jones ◽  
Patrick M. Gillevet
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Bacterial Communities ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Bacterial Community Composition ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Sand Filters ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Nitrogen Inputs ◽  
Surface Sand

AbstractStormwater best management practices (BMPs) are engineered structures that attempt to mitigate the impacts of stormwater, which can include nitrogen inputs from the surrounding drainage area. The goal of this study was to assess bacterial community composition in different types of stormwater BMP soils to establish whether a particular BMP type harbors more denitrification potential. Soil sampling took place over the summer of 2015 following precipitation events. Soils were sampled from four bioretention facilities, four dry ponds, four surface sand filters, and one dry swale. 16S rRNA gene analysis of extracted DNA and RNA amplicons indicated high bacterial diversity in the soils of all BMP types sampled. An abundance of denitrifiers was also indicated in the extracted DNA using presence/absence of nirS, nirK, and nosZ denitrification genes. BMP soil bacterial communities were impacted by the surrounding soil physiochemistry. Based on the identification of a metabolically-active community of denitrifiers, this study has indicated that denitrification could potentially occur under appropriate conditions in all types of BMP sampled, including surface sand filters that are often viewed as providing low potential for denitrification. The carbon content of incoming stormwater could be providing bacterial communities with denitrification conditions. The findings of this study are especially relevant for land managers in watersheds with legacy nitrogen from former agricultural land use.

Implementation of best management practices in agriculture: modelling and monitoring of impacts on nitrogen leaching

2002 ◽  
Vol 45 (9) ◽  
pp. 43-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Joelsson ◽  
K. Kyllmar
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Time Perspective ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Nitrogen Leaching ◽  
Best Management ◽  
Indexing Technique ◽  
The Impact

In Kattegat and the coastal water of the Baltic Sea, high nitrogen input from agricultural land is considered to be the main reason for eutrophication. International agreements and governmental programs have set a target to reduce the anthropogenic nitrogen load by 50 percent. Improved nitrogen removal in treatment plants and efforts in agriculture have so far not decreased nitrogen transport to a sufficient extent. In this project the impact of agricultural practices on nitrogen leaching was investigated in two small agricultural catchments in Southwest Sweden. The root-zone leaching was estimated by an indexing technique. Simultaneously the transports in the stream outlets were monitored. During 1995 and 1999 the agricultural practices in the catchments were surveyed. Field data from the first survey indicated that fertilisation did not always match crop requirements, the area of undersown catch crop can be increased and autumn cultivation can be reduced. The second survey was preceded by an advisory campaign where each farmer was visited and presented with an environmental plan including fertilisation, cultivation, and crop rotation for the farm. The plan summarised the best management practices that could be realised under actual conditions. Results from the second survey showed that some changes in the agricultural practices were carried out after the advisory campaign. The nitrogen leaching from the root-zone was then estimated by the indexing technique, both for the time before and after the advisory program. The results showed that the estimated nitrogen leaching, as a mean value for 330 fields, decreased from 53 to 50 kgN ha−1, due to adjustments of the agricultural practices. Monitoring of stream transports showed values of the same magnitude after correction for retention and other sources. In this short time perspective, decreases in transport due to changes in agricultural practices could not be separated from influence of weather conditions. In comparison to results from the Swedish monitoring programme for agriculture, the measured transports were normal for the region, where annual variation in precipitation and runoff is large. Theoretically, nitrogen leaching could be reduced by one third without any major economic constraints for the farmers. In general, the farmers were positive to advice and willing to try new farming techniques even if some measurements were not fully implemented during the investigation period.

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