KSCSTE-Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM), Kozhikode, Kerala, India.
ICAR-National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, Nagpur, India.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2024 Oct;31(47):57856-57873. doi: 10.1007/s11356-024-34954-8. Epub 2024 Sep 19.
Soil erosion poses significant ecological and socioeconomic challenges, driven by factors such as inappropriate land use, extreme rainfall events, deforestation, farming methods, and climate change. This study focuses on the Kozhikode district in Kerala, South India, which has seen increased vulnerability to soil erosion due to its unique geographical characteristics, increase in extreme events, and recent land use trends. The research employs RUSLE (Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation), considering multiple contributing factors such as rainfall erosivity (R), slope length and steepness (LS), cover management (C), conservation practices (P), and soil erodibility (K). The study is unique and novel, since it integrates extensive field data collected from agricultural plots across Kozhikode with the RUSLE model predictions, providing a more accurate and context-specific understanding of soil erosion processes and also suggesting management strategies based on risk priority. The study found that Kozhikode experiences an average annual soil loss of 28.7 tons per hectare. A spatial analysis revealed varying erosion risk levels across the district. 52.0% of the area experiences very slight erosion, 10.31% has slight erosion, 6.18% undergoes moderate erosion, 3.88% is moderately severe, 7.34% is at severe erosion risk, 5.6% has very severe erosion, and 14.65% faces extremely severe erosion. Field data collected from agricultural plots across Kozhikode were compared with RUSLE-predicted values, revealing a low root mean square error, indicating a strong correlation between observed and simulated data. Based on these findings, the district was categorized into low, medium, and high-priority regions, with tailored recommendations proposed for each. Implementing these measures could mitigate erosion, preserve soil fertility, and support the long-term sustainability of natural and agricultural ecosystems in Kozhikode. Given the practical challenges in estimating RUSLE factors in Southern India, where data scarcity is a common issue, this preliminary study underscores the need for expanded, long-term field observations to enhance understanding of soil erosion processes at the watershed level.
土壤侵蚀是一个重大的生态和社会经济挑战，其主要驱动因素包括土地利用不当、极端降雨事件、森林砍伐、耕作方式和气候变化等。本研究聚焦于印度南部喀拉拉邦的科泽科德地区，由于其独特的地理位置、极端事件的增加以及最近的土地利用趋势，该地区的土壤侵蚀脆弱性有所增加。该研究采用 RUSLE（修正通用土壤流失方程），考虑了多个因素，包括降雨侵蚀力 (R)、坡度长度和坡度 (LS)、覆盖管理 (C)、保护措施 (P) 和土壤可蚀性 (K)。该研究具有独特性和新颖性，因为它将从科泽科德各地农业用地收集的大量实地数据与 RUSLE 模型预测相结合，提供了对土壤侵蚀过程更准确和具体的理解，并基于风险优先级提出了管理策略。该研究发现，科泽科德地区每年的平均土壤流失量为每公顷 28.7 吨。空间分析显示，该地区的侵蚀风险水平存在差异。52.0%的地区处于轻微侵蚀状态，10.31%处于轻度侵蚀状态，6.18%处于中度侵蚀状态，3.88%处于中度严重侵蚀状态，7.34%处于严重侵蚀风险状态，5.6%处于非常严重侵蚀状态，14.65%处于极度严重侵蚀状态。将从科泽科德各地农业用地收集的实地数据与 RUSLE 预测值进行比较，结果表明均方根误差较低，表明观测数据与模拟数据之间存在较强的相关性。基于这些发现，将该地区分为低、中、高优先级区域，并为每个区域提出了有针对性的建议。实施这些措施可以减轻侵蚀，保护土壤肥力，并支持科泽科德地区自然和农业生态系统的长期可持续性。考虑到在印度南部数据稀缺是一个常见问题的情况下，估算 RUSLE 因素存在实际挑战，因此本初步研究强调需要进行扩展、长期的实地观测，以增强对流域尺度土壤侵蚀过程的理解。
