Search Results (8)

Soil erosion assessment in Southeast Europe’s mountainous regions often lacks systematic field validation, limiting confidence in model-based predictions. This study integrates the Erosion Potential Model (EPM) with remote sensing and field verification across 26,570 km² in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) and Brčko District (BD). We developed a two-stage framework: initial GIS-based assessment using digital elevation models, soil maps, climate data, CORINE Land Cover, and Landsat imagery, followed by field calibration at 190 representative sites. Spectral indices (NDVI, BSI) provided dynamic corrections for vegetation cover and visible erosion features. Field validation significantly improved model performance; the erosion coefficient increased from Z = 0.21 to Z = 0.24, while discriminatory power improved AUC from 0.82 to 0.85, with corresponding gains in overall accuracy from 0.78 to 0.84 and F1-score from 0.78 to 0.85. The field-validated model estimated mean annual sediment production of 546.60 m³·km⁻²·year⁻¹, with total erosion material production of 14,074,940.2 m³·year⁻¹. Field calibration revealed substantial spatial redistribution, with medium-to-excessive erosion categories expanding by 30.37%, affecting 1319.12 km² requiring priority intervention. The Kappa coefficient (0.81) confirms high classification reliability. This field-validated framework enables evidence-based identification of degradation hotspots and provides actionable guidance for soil conservation planning in geomorphologically heterogeneous, data-limited regions. Full article

It is common knowledge that erosion depends on environmental factors modified by human activity. Erosion within a catchment area can be defined by local lithological, morphometric, hydrological features, etc., and land cover, with spatial distribution described by means of remote sensing tools. The study relied on spatial data for the catchment of the Lower Vistula—the biggest river in Poland. GIS (SAGA, QGIS) tools were used to designate the spatial distribution of independent environmental variables that determined the process of erosion according to land cover types within the Lower Vistula catchment (Corine Land Cover). In addition, soil loss in the catchment area was calculated using the USLE model (Universal Soil Loss Equation). The spatial data was used to determine the predictive power of variables for the process of erosion by applying the maximum entropy model (MaxEnt) commonly used in fields of science unrelated to fluvial hydrology. The results of the study pointed directly to environmental features strongly connected with the process of erosion, identifying areas susceptible to intensified erosion, and in addition positively verified by USLE. This testifies to the correct selection of the proposed method, which is a strong point of the presented study. The proposed interdisciplinary approach to predict erosion within the catchment area (MaxEnt), widely supported by GIS tools, will allow the identification of environmental pressures to support the decision-making process in erosion-prone areas. Full article

In this study, the soil erosion regulation ecosystem services of the CORINE land use/ land cover types along with soil intrinsic features and geomorphological factors were examined by using the soil erosion data of 327 catchments in Poland, with a mean area of 510 ± 330 km², applying a multivariate regression modeling approach. The results showed that soil erosion is accelerated by the discontinuous urban fabric (r = 0.224, p ≤ 0.01), by construction sites (r = 0.141, p ≤ 0.05), non-irrigated arable land (r = 0.237, p ≤ 0.01), and is mitigated by coniferous forest (r = −0.322, p ≤ 0.01), the clay ratio (r = −0.652, p ≤ 0.01), and the organic content of the soil (r = −0.622, p ≤ 0.01). The models also indicated that there is a strong relationship between soil erosion and the percentage of land use/land cover types (r² = [0.62, 0.82, 0.83, 0.74]), i.e., mixed forest, non-irrigated arable land, fruit trees and berry plantations, broad-leaf forest, sport and leisure facilities, construction sites, and mineral extraction sites. The findings show that the soil erosion regulation ecosystem service is sensitive to broadleaf forests, rainfed agriculture, soil water content, terrain slope, drainage network density, annual precipitation, the clay ratio, the soil carbon content, and the degree of sensitivity increases from the broadleaf forest to the soil carbon content. Full article

Soils provide important regulating ecosystem services and have crucial implications for human well-being and environmental conservation. However, soil degradation and particularly soil erosion jeopardize the maintenance and existence of these services. This study explores the spatio–temporal relationships of soil erosion to understand the distribution patterns of sediment retention services in mainland Portugal. Based on Corine Land Cover maps from 1990 to 2018, the InVEST Sediment Delivery Ratio (SDR) model was used to evaluate the influence of sediment dynamics for soil and water conservation. Spatial differences in the sediment retention levels were observed within the NUTS III boundaries, showing which areas are more vulnerable to soil erosion processes. Results indicated that the Region of Leiria, Douro and the coastal regions have decreased importantly in sediment retention capacity over the years. However, in most of the territory (77.52%), changes in sediment retention were little or were not important (i.e., less than 5%). The statistical validation of the model proved the consistency of the results, demonstrating that the InVEST SDR model is an appropriate tool for estimating soil loss potential by water at regional/national levels, although having its limitations. These findings can be relevant to support strategies for more efficient land-use planning regarding soil erosion mitigation practices and to stimulate further investigation at a national level on this important ecosystem service. Full article

As soil erosion is still a global threat to soil resources, the estimation of soil loss, particularly at a spatiotemporal setting, is still an existing challenge. The primary aim of our study is the assessment of changes in soil erosion potential in Hungary from 1990 to 2018, induced by the changes in land use and land cover based on CORINE Land Cover data. The modeling scheme included the application and cross-valuation of two internationally applied methods, the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and the Pan-European Soil Erosion Risk Assessment (PESERA) models. Results indicate that the changes in land cover resulted in a general reduction in predicted erosion rates, by up to 0.28 t/ha/year on average. Analysis has also revealed that the combined application of the two models has reduced the occurrence of extreme predictions, thus, increasing the robustness of the method. Random Forest regression analysis has revealed that the differences between the two models are mainly driven by their sensitivity to slope and land cover, followed by soil parameters. The resulting spatial predictions can be readily applied for qualitative spatial analysis. However, the question of extreme predictions still indicates that quantitative use of the output results should only be carried out with sufficient care. Full article

The impact of ponds on basins has recently started to receive its well-deserved scientific attention. In this study, pond-induced impacts on soil erosion and sediment transport were investigated at the scale of the French Claise basin. In order to determine erosion and sediment transport patterns of the Claise, the Coordination of Information on the Environment (CORINE) erosion and Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) models were used. The impact of ponds on the studied processes was revealed by means of land cover change scenarios, using ponded versus pondless inputs. Results show that under current conditions (pond presence), 12.48% of the basin corresponds to no-erosion risk zones (attributed to the dense pond network), while 65.66% corresponds to low-erosion risk, 21.68% to moderate-erosion risk, and only 0.18% to high-erosion risk zones. The SWAT model revealed that ponded sub-basins correspond to low sediment yields areas, in contrast to the pondless sub-basins, which yield appreciably higher erosion rates. Under the alternative pondless scenario, erosion risks shifted to 1.12%, 0.52%, 76.8%, and 21.56% for no, low, moderate, and high-erosion risks, respectively, while the sediment transport pattern completely shifted to higher sediment yield zones. This approach solidifies ponds as powerful human-induced modifications to hydro/sedimentary processes. Full article

This paper describes the hydrogeological hazard in a reach of Quebrada de Humahuaca, (Upper Valley of Rio Grande de Jujuy, in the Argentine Andes), elected a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2003. Along the Quebrada, the Rio Huasamayo, flowing into the Rio Grande, formed a large alluvial fan where the village of Tilcara was built. The final reach of Rio Huasamayo is an artificial channel, embanked by unconsolidated material removed from the riverbed. The village is located in an area at a lower elevation with respect to the riverbed, still in aggradation; so it is affected by an evident hydrogeological hazard. The main cause of the riverbed aggradation is the enormous sediment supply from the slopes of the Rio Huasamayo basin. The aim of the paper is to estimate the soil loss on the slopes and the consequent sediment supply to the main stream, identifying the areas of the basin mostly affected by erosion processes that cause the aggradation of the Rio Huasamayo riverbed. In this case, due to the lack of hydrometeorological stations (monitoring rainfalls, temperature, flow rates, etc.), soil loss and sediment supply to the main stream cannot be estimated through the application of commonly used models in the literature (e.g., USLE, RUSLE, USPED). Here the Gavrilovic method (EPM) was applied in combination with the data of the CORINE Project, allowing the estimation of the volume of material exiting from the catchment. So the main supplying areas (sub-basins of the Rio Huasamayo) can be identified where focused interventions for the control of solid transport could be realized, to mitigate the process of riverbed aggradation. Full article

The soil erosion is the most serious environmental problem in watershed areas in Turkey. The main factors affecting the amount of soil erosion include vegetation cover, topography, soil, and climate. In order to describe the areas with high soil erosion risks and to develop adequate erosion prevention measures in the watersheds of dams, erosion risk maps should be generated considering these factors. Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies were used for erosion risk mapping in Kartalkaya Dam Watershed of Kahramanmaras, Turkey, based on the methodology implemented in COoRdination of INformation on the Environment (CORINE) model. ASTER imagery was used to generate a land use/cover classification in ERDAS Imagine. The digital maps of the other factors (topography, soil types, and climate) were generated in ArcGIS v9.2, and were then integrated as CORINE input files to produce erosion risk maps. The results indicate that 33.82%, 35.44%, and 30.74% of the study area were under low, moderate, and high actual erosion risks, respectively. The CORINE model integrated with RS and GIS technologies has great potential for producing accurate and inexpensive erosion risk maps in Turkey. Full article