Soil erosion assessment of hilly terrain of paderu using USLE and GIS

Abstract

To assess and predict soil erosion of the Paderu Mandal, is a part of Eastern Ghats of India, was found out with the assistance of Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) coordinated with Geospatial technologies. Discoveries from this study, the average value of rainfall erosivity factor (R) was observed to be 535.722 MJ mm ha−1 h−1 year−1 and soil erodibility factor (K) varies in between 0.21 and 0.27 t h MJ−1 mm−1. Slope steepness and flow accumulation were to calculate topographic factor (LS) and it is dimensionless. The land use map was derived from IRS P6 imagery of LISS III data (2011) and utilized for examining the crop management factor (C), where support the practice factor (P) value is 1, these is no major conservation practices in the study area. All erosion factors are incorporated and analyzed in GIS environment. Finally, annual soil loss evaluated and furthermore the rate of erosion classes was contemplated. The average annual soil loss of entire study area is 113 t ha−1 year−1. Around 70.80% of the area is under moderate class (5–10%), 22.06% of the area under slight (0–5%) and rest of classes are high, high and extreme erosion respectively.