Assessment of spatial distribution of soil loss over the upper basin of Miyun reservoir in China based on RS and GIS techniques

Soil conservation planning often requires estimates of the spatial distribution of soil erosion at a catchment or regional scale. This paper applied the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) to investigate the spatial distribution of annual soil loss over the upper basin of Miyun reservoir in China. Among the soil erosion factors, which are rainfall erosivity (R), soil erodibility (K), slope length (L), slope steepness (S), vegetation cover (C), and support practice factor (P), the vegetative cover or C factor, which represents the effects of vegetation canopy and ground covers in reducing soil loss, has been one of the most difficult to estimate over broad geographic areas. In this paper, the C factor was estimated based on back propagation neural network and the results were compared with the values measured in the field. The correlation coefficient (r) obtained was 0.929. Then the C factor and the other factors were used as the input to RUSLE model. By integrating the six factor maps in geographical information system (GIS) through pixel-based computing, the spatial distribution of soil loss over the upper basin of Miyun reservoir was obtained. The results showed that the annual average soil loss for the upper basin of Miyun reservoir was 9.86 t ha(-1) ya(-1) in 2005, and the area of 46.61 km(2) (0.3%) experiences extremely severe erosion risk, which needs suitable conservation measures to be adopted on a priority basis. The spatial distribution of erosion risk classes was 66.9% very low, 21.89% low, 6.18% moderate, 2.89% severe, and 1.84% very severe. Thus, by using RUSLE in a GIS environment, the spatial distribution of water erosion can be obtained and the regions which susceptible to water erosion and need immediate soil conservation planning and application over the upper watershed of Miyun reservoir in China can be identified.     

An experimental method to verify soil conservation by check dams on the Loess Plateau, China

A successful experiment with a physical model requires necessary conditions of similarity. This study presents an experimental method with a semi-scale physical model. The model is used to monitor and verify soil conservation by check dams in a small watershed on the Loess Plateau of China. During experiments, the model–prototype ratio of geomorphic variables was kept constant under each rainfall event. Consequently, experimental data are available for verification of soil erosion processes in the field and for predicting soil loss in a model watershed with check dams. Thus, it can predict the amount of soil loss in a catchment. This study also mentions four criteria: similarities of watershed geometry, grain size and bare land, Froude number (Fr) for rainfall event, and soil erosion in downscaled models. The efficacy of the proposed method was confirmed using these criteria in two different downscaled model experiments. The B-Model, a large scale model, simulates watershed prototype. The two small scale models, D_a and D_b, have different erosion rates, but are the same size. These two models simulate hydraulic processes in the B-Model. Experiment results show that while soil loss in the small scale models was converted by multiplying the soil loss scale number, it was very close to that of the B-Model. Obviously, with a semi-scale physical model, experiments are available to verify and predict soil loss in a small watershed area with check dam system on the Loess Plateau, China.     

Spatial and temporal estimation of soil loss for the sustainable management of a wet semi-arid watershed cluster

The ungauged wet semi-arid watershed cluster, Seethagondi, lies in the Adilabad district of Telangana in India and is prone to severe erosion and water scarcity. The runoff and soil loss data at watershed, catchment, and field level are necessary for planning soil and water conservation interventions. In this study, an attempt was made to develop a spatial soil loss estimation model for Seethagondi cluster using RUSLE coupled with ARCGIS and was used to estimate the soil loss spatially and temporally. The daily rainfall data of Aphrodite for the period from 1951 to 2007 was used, and the annual rainfall varied from 508 to 1351 mm with a mean annual rainfall of 950 mm and a mean erosivity of 6789 MJ mm ha^?1 h^?1 year^?1. Considerable variation in land use land cover especially in crop land and fallow land was observed during normal and drought years, and corresponding variation in the erosivity, C factor, and soil loss was also noted. The mean value of C factor derived from NDVI for crop land was 0.42 and 0.22 in normal year and drought years, respectively. The topography is undulating and major portion of the cluster has slope less than 10°, and 85.3 % of the cluster has soil loss below 20 t ha^?1 year^?1. The soil loss from crop land varied from 2.9 to 3.6 t ha^?1 year^?1 in low rainfall years to 31.8 to 34.7 t ha^?1 year^?1 in high rainfall years with a mean annual soil loss of 12.2 t ha^?1 year^?1. The soil loss from crop land was higher in the month of August with an annual soil loss of 13.1 and 2.9 t ha^?1 year^?1 in normal and drought year, respectively. Based on the soil loss in a normal year, the interventions recommended for 85.3 % of area of the watershed includes agronomic measures such as contour cultivation, graded bunds, strip cropping, mixed cropping, crop rotations, mulching, summer plowing, vegetative bunds, agri-horticultural system, and management practices such as broad bed furrow, raised sunken beds, and harvesting available water using farm ponds and percolation tanks. This methodology can be adopted for estimating the soil loss from similar ungauged watersheds with deficient data and for planning suitable soil and water conservation interventions for the sustainable management of the watersheds.     

Soil erosion and sediment fluxes analysis: a watershed study of the Ni Reservoir,Spotsylvania County,VA, USA

Anthropogenic forces that alter the physical landscape are known to cause significant soil erosion, which has negative impact on surface water bodies, such as rivers, lakes/reservoirs, and coastal zones, and thus sediment control has become one of the central aspects of catchment management planning. The revised universal soil loss equation empirical model, erosion pins, and isotopic sediment core analyses were used to evaluate watershed erosion, stream bank erosion, and reservoir sediment accumulation rates for Ni Reservoir, in central Virginia. Land-use and land cover seems to be dominant control in watershed soil erosion, with barren land and human-disturbed areas contributing the most sediment, and forest and herbaceous areas contributing the least. Results show a 7 % increase in human development from 2001 (14 %) to 2009 (21.6 %), corresponding to an increase in soil loss of 0.82 Mg ha^-1 year^-1 in the same time period. ²¹⁰Pb-based sediment accumulation rates at three locations in Ni Reservoir were 1.020, 0.364, and 0.543 g cm^-2 year^-1 respectively, indicating that sediment accumulation and distribution in the reservoir is influenced by reservoir configuration and significant contributions from bedload. All three locations indicate an increase in modern sediment accumulation rates. Erosion pin results show variability in stream bank erosion with values ranging from 4.7 to 11.3 cm year^-1. These results indicate that urban growth and the decline in vegetative cover has increased sediment fluxes from the watershed and poses a significant threat to the long-term sustainability of the Ni Reservoir as urbanization continues to increase.     

Simulation of soil loss processes based on rainfall runoff and the time factor of governance in the Jialing River Watershed,China

Jialing River is the largest tributary in the catchment area of Three Gorges Reservoir, and it is also one of the important areas of sediment yield in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. In recent years, significant changes of water and sediment characteristics have taken place. The "Long Control" Project implemented since 1989 had greatly changed the surface appearance of the Jialing River Watershed (JRW), and it had made the environments of the watershed sediment yield and sediment transport change significantly. In this research, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation was selected and used to predict the annual average amount of soil erosion for the special water and sediment environments in the JRW after the implementation of the "Long Control" Project, and then the rainfall–runoff modulus and the time factor of governance were both considered as dynamic factors, the dynamic sediment transport model was built for soil erosion monitoring and forecasting based on the average sediment yield model. According to the dynamic model, the spatial and temporal distribution of soil erosion amount and sediment transport amount of the JRW from 1990 to 2007 was simulated using geographic information system (GIS) technology and space-grid algorithm. Simulation results showed that the average relative error of sediment transport was less than 10% except for the extreme hydrological year. The relationship between water and sediment from 1990 to 2007 showed that sediment interception effects of the soil and water conservation projects were obvious: the annual average sediment discharge reduced from 145.3 to 35 million tons, the decrement of sediment amount was about 111 million tons, and decreasing amplitude was 76%; the sediment concentration was also decreased from 2.01 to 0.578 kg/m³. These data are of great significance for the prediction and estimation of the future changing trends of sediment storage in the Three Gorges Reservoir and the particulate non-point source pollution load carried by sediment transport from watershed surface.     

南方丘陵坡地茶园水土流失的环境效应

以安溪县感德镇坡耕地茶园为监控对象,小流域集水区为单元,分析茶园水土流失造成的环境问题。结果表明：在降雨的作用下,各养分元素存在不同程度的流失,小流域集水区水质偏酸性,71.2%的水质pH小于6;氨氮含量都在Ⅰ类标准,但总氮含量较高,均超出V类标准限值;悬浮物和降雨量存在正相关,相关系数为0.647,大到暴雨对悬浮物含量具有决定性作用,但悬浮物含量对降雨的响应具有滞后性。     

Phosphorus Load Reduction Goals for Feitsui Reservoir Watershed, Taiwan

The present paper describes an effort for developing the total maximum daily load (TMDL) for phosphorus and a load reduction strategy for the Feitsui Reservoir in Northern Taiwan. BASINS model was employed to estimate watershed pollutant loads from nonpoint sources (NPS) in the Feitsui Reservoir watershed. The BASINS model was calibrated using field data collected during a 2-year sampling period and then used to compute watershed pollutant loadings into the Feitsui Reservoir. The simulated results indicate that the average annual total phosphorus (TP) loading into the reservoir is 18,910 kg/year, which consists of non-point source loading of 16,003 kg/year, and point source loading of 2,907 kg/year. The Vollenweider mass balance model was used next to determine the degree of eutrophication under current pollutant loading and the load reduction needed to keep the reservoir from being eutrophic. It was estimated that Feitsui Reservoir can becoming of the oligotrophic state if the average annual TP loading is reduced by 37% or more. The results provide the basis on which an integrated control action plan for both point and nonpoint sources of pollution in the watershed can be developed.     

Estimation of phosphorus flux in rivers during flooding

Reservoirs in Taiwan are inundated with nutrients that result in algal growth, and thus also reservoir eutrophication. Controlling the phosphorus load has always been the most crucial issue for maintaining reservoir water quality. Numerous agricultural activities, especially the production of tea in riparian areas, are conducted in watersheds in Taiwan. Nutrients from such activities, including phosphorus, are typically flushed into rivers during flooding, when over 90 % of the yearly total amount of phosphorous enters reservoirs. Excessive or enhanced soil erosion from rainstorms can dramatically increase the river sediment load and the amount of particulate phosphorus flushed into rivers. When flow rates are high, particulate phosphorus is the dominant form of phosphorus, but sediment and discharge measurements are difficult during flooding, which makes estimating phosphorus flux in rivers difficult. This study determines total amounts of phosphorus transport by measuring flood discharge and phosphorous levels during flooding. Changes in particulate phosphorus, dissolved phosphorus, and their adsorption behavior during a 24-h period are analyzed owing to the fact that the time for particulate phosphorus adsorption and desorption approaching equilibrium is about 16 h. Erosion of the reservoir watershed was caused by adsorption and desorption of suspended solids in the river, a process which can be summarily described using the Lagmuir isotherm. A method for estimating the phosphorus flux in the Daiyujay Creek during Typhoon Bilis in 2006 is presented in this study. Both sediment and phosphorus are affected by the drastic discharge during flooding. Water quality data were collected during two flood events, flood in June 9, 2006 and Typhoon Bilis, to show the concentrations of suspended solids and total phosphorus during floods are much higher than normal stages. Therefore, the drastic changes of total phosphorus, particulate phosphorus, and dissolved phosphorus in rivers during flooding should be monitored to evaluate the loading of phosphorus more precisely. The results show that monitoring and controlling phosphorus transport during flooding can help prevent the eutrophication of a reservoir.     

Agro-economic evaluation of water resource project--a modeling approach

Feasibility of an irrigation project is evaluated by two criteria viz., reservoir capacity to irrigate its command area and economic returns by incremental crop production versus capital investment for dam construction. The annual water requirement of different crops in the command area is estimated and compared with the availability of water from the dam for irrigation purpose. The annual crop water requirement is estimated as the sum of evapotranspiration for crops and transmission and other losses. Evapotranspiration is estimated by modified Penman formula. Economics of crop production is analyzed by first estimating the monetary value of existing crop production under current rain fed conditions and then estimating the incremental production of irrigated command area for the proposed crop pattern. The proposed cropping pattern is prepared so as to maximize the benefit of crop production and fodder requirement while maintaining a better crop rotation to improve and maintain physical, chemical, and biological conditions of the soil. The dam is to be used for irrigation and water supply only. Command area served by this reservoir will be 76,500 ha. The existing annual agricultural return is Rs. 2995.56 lakhs and with the proposed irrigation scheme, it is estimated as Rs. 1,77,91.90 lakhs. The incremental annual return would be Rs. 1,47,96.35 lakhs i.e., 642.68% increase in annual return.     

Adapting the RUSLE and GIS to model soil erosion risk in a mountains karst watershed, Guizhou Province, China

Soil erosion is a serious environmental problem in Guizhou Province, which is located in the centre of the karst areas of southwestern China. Unfortunately, Guizhou Province suffers from a lack of financial resources to research, monitor and model soil erosion at large watershed. In order to assess the soil erosion risk, soil erosion modeling at the watershed scale are urgently needed to be undertaken. This study integrated the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) with a Geographic Information System (GIS) to estimate soil loss and identify the risk erosion areas in the Maotiao River watershed, which is a typical rural watershed in Guizhou Province. All factors used in the RUSLE were calculated for the watershed using local data. It was classified into five categories ranging from minimal risk to extreme erosion risk depending on the calculated soil erosion amount. The soil erosion map was linked to land use, elevation and slope maps to explore the relationship between soil erosion and environmental factors and identify the areas of soil erosion risk. The results can be used to advice the local government in prioritizing the areas of immediate erosion mitigation. The integrated approach allows for relatively easy, fast, and cost-effective estimation of spatially distributed soil erosion. It thus indicates that RUSLE-GIS model is a useful and efficient tool for evaluating and mapping soil erosion risk at a large watershed scale in Guizhou Province.     

基于 GIS和USLE/RUSLE的小流域土壤侵蚀量研究

依据实地调查资料,建立了典型小流域地理数据库;应用采样分析数据结果及坡面单元法,确定了定量计算通用土壤流失方程RUSLE因子指标的方法.在地理信息系统ArcGIS支持下,根据USLE/RUSLE土壤侵蚀预测模型对数据库实施运算操作,预测了小流域土壤侵蚀量.结果表明:①流域总体土壤侵蚀为中度,治理难度仍很大;②坡耕地是流...     

Effect of land use land cover change on soil erosion potential in an agricultural watershed

Universal soil loss equation (USLE) was used in conjunction with a geographic information system to determine the influence of land use and land cover change (LUCC) on soil erosion potential of a reservoir catchment during the period 1989 to 2004. Results showed that the mean soil erosion potential of the watershed was increased slightly from 12.11 t ha^???1 year^???1 in the year 1989 to 13.21 t ha^???1 year^???1 in the year 2004. Spatial analysis revealed that the disappearance of forest patches from relatively flat areas, increased in wasteland in steep slope, and intensification of cultivation practice in relatively more erosion-prone soil were the main factors contributing toward the increased soil erosion potential of the watershed during the study period. Results indicated that transition of other land use land cover (LUC) categories to cropland was the most detrimental to watershed in terms of soil loss while forest acted as the most effective barrier to soil loss. A p value of 0.5503 obtained for two-tailed paired t test between the mean erosion potential of microwatersheds in 1989 and 2004 also indicated towards a moderate change in soil erosion potential of the watershed over the studied period. This study revealed that the spatial location of LUC parcels with respect to terrain and associated soil properties should be an important consideration in soil erosion assessment process.     

The role of forest stand density in controlling soil erosion: implications to sediment-related disasters in Japan

The role of forest stand density in controlling soil erosion was investigated in Ehime Prefecture, Japan. The main objective was to compare soil erosion under different forest conditions including forest type, species composition, and stand density as influenced by thinning operations. Relative yield index (Ry) was used as an indicator of stand density to reflect the degree of management operations in the watershed. Eleven treatments were established based on the above forest conditions. Soil loss was collected in each of the 11 treatments after each rainfall event for a period of 1 year. The paper presents summary data on soil loss as affected by forest conditions and rainfall patterns. Findings showed that an appropriate forest management operation, which can be insured by stand density control, is needed to reduce soil loss. The present study plays an important role in clarifying technical processes related to soil erosion, while it helps linking these elements to current Japanese forestry issues and bringing new inputs to reducing sediment-related disasters in Japan.     

Check dam sediments: an important indicator of the effects of environmental changes on soil erosion in the Loess Plateau in China

Check dam sediments document the process of soil erosion for a watershed. The main objectives of this research are as follows: first, to determine whether the sediments trapped in check dams can provide useful information about local erosion and the environment, and second, to obtain the extent to which they can be stratigraphically interpreted and correlated to the land use history of an area controlled by check dams. Particle size and the concentration of ¹³⁷Cs in sediments are the indicators used to study the effects of environmental changes on soil erosion in the Loess Plateau, China. A total of 216 soil samples were collected from four sediment profile cores at the Yangjuangou watershed check dam constructed in 1955 and fully silted with sediments by 1965. The results indicated that ¹³⁷Cs dating and sediment particle size can characterize the sediment deposition process. Silt makes up more than 50 % of the sediment; both the clay and silt sediment fractions decrease gradually in the upstream direction. The sediment profiles are characterized by three depositional layers. These layers suggest changes in the land use. The top layer showed tillage disturbance, with moderate sediments and new soil mixed from 0 to 20 cm. A transition stage from wetlands (characterized by vegetation such as bulrush) to cropland is inferred from sediments at depths of 20–85 cm. Below 85 cm, sedimentary layering is obvious and there is no tillage disturbance. At the downstream site, A0, the average rate of sediment deposition from 1958 to 1963 was approximately 6,125.4 t year^?1 km^?2. Because of their high time resolution, check dam sediments indicate the effects of environmental changes on soil erosion, and they can provide a multiyear record of the soil erosion evolution at the local scale in the middle reaches of the Yellow River.     

湖州合溪新港污染物入湖通量估算与分析

根据2021年5月—2022年4月合溪新港河流水量、水质(TN和TP)的同步监测数据,利用通量模型核算了合溪新港污染物(TN和TP)通量。通过测算合溪新港TN、TP通量与断面降雨强度、水质的响应关系,分析了该区域的污染类型及特点,为后期水质污染调查及通量研究提供了新思路。结果表明：合溪新港流量与降雨量存在明显相关关系,在强降雨期(7—8月)水体流量最高,占监测周期总流量的57.77%;少雨期则流量最低,且会出现湖水倒灌现象(11—12月)。通过分析合溪新港TN、TP通量与流量、水质的相关关系,确定了该流域污染类型为点源污染及农业面源污染共存的混合型污染,且在高强度降雨时污染物负荷量较大。综上,可针对农业面源污染对该流域治理提出相关对策,建立农业面源污染防治体系,以有效降低TN和TP污染物的入湖通量,减少太湖TN和TP污染物负荷量。     

Nonpoint source pollution loading from an undistributed tropic forest area

Water quality and unit nonpoint sources (NPS) pollution load from a forest area were studied in a mountainous watershed in Taiwan. The flow rates were measured with rectangular weirs and samples taken for water quality analysis in both non-rainy and rainy days for 2 years. The subroutine of the Hydrological Simulation Program--FORTRAN was used to simulate runoff for additional 3 years. Total annual loads of various water quality parameters were then estimated by a regression model. Most of the parameter concentrations are higher during the rainy days; their values are typically higher as compared to data from other undisturbed forest areas. Nevertheless, the concentration ratio of dissolved inorganic nitrogen to TN or PO4(3-) -P to TP shows TN or TP no correlations with the flow rates, whereas the concentrations of SS and TP are positively correlated with the flow rate. The fluctuation of annual load from this watershed is significant. For example, six major events of the entire year, for which the total duration is merely 6.4 days, contribute 42% of the annual precipitation and at least 40% of the annual NPS loads. The management for controlling the NPS pollution from this forest watershed is discussed.     

基于SWAT模型的湘江永州流域非点源氮磷污染特征分析

为精准治理流域非点源氮磷污染,基于SWAT模型,运用本地区第二次全国污染源普查数据和2000—2019年流域水文、水质数据,开展湘江永州流域非点源氮磷污染模拟。结果表明：湘江永州流域建立的SWAT模型具有较好的模拟效果,流域2005—2019年的总氮月均污染负荷为383.40～17 998.70 t/m;总磷月均污染负荷为64.62～567.86 t/m,总氮和总磷各月污染负荷均与各月降雨量呈显著相关关系;农田和林地是本流域总氮、总磷污染负荷总量最大的2种用地类型,但两者之间单位面积输出的污染负荷强度却相反,林地对流域水污染防控具有正面效应,农田种植面源污染是非点源氮磷污染治理的重点。     

Identification of effective best management practices in sediment yield diminution using GeoWEPP: the Kasilian watershed case study

Identifying areas that are susceptible to soil erosion is crucial for water resource planning and management efforts. Furthermore, modeling has proven helpful in recognizing and monitoring high-risk areas at the watershed scale. The Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) geospatial interface (GeoWEPP) software integrates GIS with the WEPP to analyze the spatial variation in soil loss, and it has been used as a modeling tool to determine the areas that are most prone to soil erosion and to evaluate best management practices for the Kasilian watershed in Iran. As much as 62.4 % of the agronomic land in the Kasilian watershed is affected by a high magnitude of erosion (>5 t/ha). On the basis of this study, by using soybeans, high fertilization levels, and the drill-no-tillage system, reductions of erosion by almost 32.68–34.02 % are perceivable in three critical subwatersheds that are located in the cultivated lands. Also, it is projected that reductions in the production of sediment in the range of about 36.7–47.1 % are achievable by structural management within two critical, upland subwatersheds. So, by utilizing the best management strategies, sediment yield can be lowered and the conservation of soil and water is feasible at the watershed scale. These results objectively indicate that GeoWEPP can be efficaciously used for evaluating effective management practices for developing watershed conservation.     

伊犁低山丘陵区小流域水土保持措施优化配置研究

在调查分析伊犁低山丘陵区水土流失特点的基础上,研究了该区小流域水土保持措施的空间配置。结果表明：伊犁低山丘陵区水土流失主要表现为以水力侵蚀为主的多种土壤侵蚀类型作用下的坡面侵蚀和沟道侵蚀。针对其水土流失特点,伊犁低山丘陵区小流域水土保持措施优化配置为：以生态修复为主,上游地区封禁保护;中游地区种植水保林和经济林带,建立生态缓冲带;下游水平沟种草。通过综合治理开展水土保持生态环境建设,至2012年底,伊犁低山丘陵区治理程度达到77．33％,林草覆盖率48％,改善了当地生态环境。     

Morphometry and land cover based multi-criteria analysis for assessing the soil erosion susceptibility of the western Himalayan watershed

Complex mountainous environments such as Himalayas are highly susceptibility to natural hazards particular those that are triggered by the action of water such as floods, soil erosion, mass movements and siltation of the hydro-electric power dams. Among all the natural hazards, soil erosion is the most implicit and the devastating hazard affecting the life and property of the millions of people living in these regions. Hence to review and devise strategies to reduce the adverse impacts of soil erosion is of utmost importance to the planners of watershed management programs in these regions. This paper demonstrates the use of satellite based remote sensing data coupled with the observational field data in a multi-criteria analytical (MCA) framework to estimate the soil erosion susceptibility of the sub-watersheds of the Rembiara basin falling in the western Himalaya, using geographical information system (GIS). In this paper, watershed morphometry and land cover are used as an inputs to the MCA framework to prioritize the sub-watersheds of this basin on the basis of their different susceptibilities to soil erosion. Methodology included the derivation of a set of drainage and land cover parameters that act as the indicators of erosion susceptibility. Further the output from the MCA resulted in the categorization of the sub-watersheds into low, medium, high and very high erosion susceptibility classes. A detailed prioritization map for the susceptible sub-watersheds based on the combined role of land cover and morphometry is finally presented. Besides, maps identifying the susceptible sub-watersheds based on morphometry and land cover only are also presented. The results of this study are part of the watershed management program in the study area and are directed to instigate appropriate measures to alleviate the soil erosion in the study area.