Joshi Prayon, Adhikari Raize, Bhandari Rajendra, Shrestha Bibek, Shrestha Nischal, Chhetri Samikshya, Sharma Subodh, Routh Joyanto
Aquatic Ecology Centre, Kathmandu University, Nepal.
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kathmandu University, Nepal.
Heliyon. 2023 May 2;9(5):e15800. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15800. eCollection 2023 May.
The rising unpredictability in the food supply chain in many parts of the world is related to soil loss and poor agricultural output. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), widely used for estimating soil loss, was applied in the western mid-hills in Nepal, with steep slopes and fragile geology. This region is at high risk for rapid soil erosion and mass wasting. To estimate soil loss, this study utilized the RUSLE model with experimental erosion plots in the Aadhikhola and Tinahukhola watersheds, capturing real-time erosion in the field. The annual soil loss for the Aadhikhola watershed is estimated at ∼41.4 tons ha yr. In contrast, in the Tinahukhola watershed, soil loss is low (∼24.1 tons ha yr). Although annual rainfall showed an increasing trend in both watersheds, the change in soil loss was statistically insignificant. The high erosion rates from the experimental plots in both watersheds support the model outputs. Results from the experimental plots recorded the rate of soil erosion for different land use as: irrigated agricultural land > rainfed agricultural land > forests. The trends highlight the role of human activities in enhancing soil erosion in these mountainous terrains in terms of medium to long-term perspectives. Therefore, sustainable agriculture practices in these terrains must investigate alternate ways to decrease soil erosion to support people's livelihoods.
世界许多地区粮食供应链中日益增加的不可预测性与土壤流失和农业产量低下有关。广泛用于估算土壤流失的修订通用土壤流失方程（RUSLE）被应用于尼泊尔西部中山地区，该地区坡度陡峭且地质脆弱。该地区面临着快速土壤侵蚀和大规模山体滑坡的高风险。为了估算土壤流失，本研究在阿迪霍拉和蒂纳胡科拉流域利用带有实验性侵蚀地块的RUSLE模型，获取实地的实时侵蚀情况。阿迪霍拉流域的年土壤流失量估计约为41.4吨/公顷·年。相比之下，蒂纳胡科拉流域的土壤流失量较低（约24.1吨/公顷·年）。尽管两个流域的年降雨量均呈增加趋势，但土壤流失的变化在统计学上并不显著。两个流域实验地块的高侵蚀率支持了模型输出结果。实验地块记录的不同土地利用方式下的土壤侵蚀速率为：灌溉农田＞旱作农田＞森林。从中长期角度来看，这些趋势凸显了人类活动在加剧这些山区土壤侵蚀方面的作用。因此，这些地区的可持续农业实践必须探索减少土壤侵蚀的替代方法，以保障人们的生计。
