DETERMINATION OF SOIL LOSSES USING RUSLE MODEL AND GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS) IN A SELECTED AREA IN MEDITERRANEAN REGION OF TURKEY


ARTUN O., Koca Y. K.

FRESENIUS ENVIRONMENTAL BULLETIN, vol.27, pp.3359-3366, 2018 (SCI-Expanded) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 27
  • Publication Date: 2018
  • Journal Name: FRESENIUS ENVIRONMENTAL BULLETIN
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED)
  • Page Numbers: pp.3359-3366
  • Çukurova University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the soil erosion in a selected area, that contained different physiographic units located on various slopes and have different soil series, using the RUSLE model in the Mediterranean Region of Turkey. Meteorological, soil data, topographic information and data obtained from land observations were used to produce past and present erosion risk maps and potential soil losses. Landsat satellite images that belong to the same months of different years (1990. 2016), were also used to asses the changes in the study area. The P factor of RUSLE model was generated by two different scenarios. For this reason, two different risk maps of the same year were produced. Results had shown that RUSLE, P=1 scenario produced more reliable/realistic results than P factor obtained by Wener method. According to P=1 scenario, the maximum annual soil loss in the study area was 3.219 t ha(-1) per year in 1990 and 3.514 t ha(-1) per year in 2016. The average soil losses in the study area were 0.16 and 0.21 t ha per year for 1990 and 2016, respectively. In the study area, soil erosion had slightly increased in the last 26 years, according to all scenarios.