Soil erosion risk mapping using RUSLE model on jhargram sub-division at West Bengal in India

Abstract

An appraisal of spatial and quantitative information on soil erosion is a major challenge for human sustainability. The present study demonstrates the prognostic modeling capabilities of geo-spatial technology based on soil erosion potential model to assess the effects of implementing land use changes within sub-tropical region in India. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) integrated with geo-spatial technology was used to produce predictive soil erosion map. Rainfall pattern, soil type, topography, crop system and management practices and geo-spatial data were used to predict the soil erosion model. Results shows 74.77 % of the study area is marked as low potential zone for soil erosion, whereas 5.58 % (>10 t h−1 year−1) is very high erosion risk zone. The present information may help recognizing areas that are vulnerable to soil loss and the proposed method will be used for generalized planning and assessment purposes for supervision and preserve the soil erosion.