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GIS-based time series study of soil erosion risk using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model in a micro-catchment on Mount Elgon, Uganda

Jiang, Boyi LU (2013) In Student thesis series INES NGEM01 20131
Dept of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science
Abstract
Land degradation has already been treated as one of the most serious problem all around the world. This study is a GIS-based time series study which devotes to calculate annual soil loss value, seek for soil erosion trends linked with precipitation and land use in Manafwa micro-catchment, Mount Elgon region, Uganda. Two different versions of Revised Universal Soil loss Equation (RUSLE) are implemented and compared, one using flow length and the other using flow accumulation to estimate the slope length and steepness (LS) factor. The modeling is carried out for the years 2000, 2006, and 2012, and is based on ASTER remotely sensed data, digital elevation models, precipitation data from the study area, as well as existing soil maps. After... (More)
Land degradation has already been treated as one of the most serious problem all around the world. This study is a GIS-based time series study which devotes to calculate annual soil loss value, seek for soil erosion trends linked with precipitation and land use in Manafwa micro-catchment, Mount Elgon region, Uganda. Two different versions of Revised Universal Soil loss Equation (RUSLE) are implemented and compared, one using flow length and the other using flow accumulation to estimate the slope length and steepness (LS) factor. The modeling is carried out for the years 2000, 2006, and 2012, and is based on ASTER remotely sensed data, digital elevation models, precipitation data from the study area, as well as existing soil maps. After running RUSLE model and analyzing the result maps, no significant soil erosion trends or patterns are found, as well as significant trends in precipitation and land cover changes during last decade. Over exploitation of land is probably compensated by improved agricultural management and no significant increase in precipitation. Even if there are reports of more intense and increasing amounts of rainfall in the area, this could not be verified, neither through analysis of climate data, nor by trends in estimated soil loss. (Less)
Popular Abstract
Land degradation has already been treated as one of the most serious problem all around the world. This study is a GIS-based time series study which devotes to calculate annual soil loss value, seek for soil erosion trends linked with precipitation and land use in Manafwa micro-catchment, Mount Elgon region, Uganda.

Revised Universal Soil loss Equation (RUSLE) is a world popular soil erosion model with five influencing factors, rainfall erosivity, soil erodability, slope length and steepness factor, cover management factor, and conservation practice factor. Two different versions of RUSLE which present two different calculation methods for slope length and steepness factor are implemented and compared. The modeling is carried out for... (More)
Land degradation has already been treated as one of the most serious problem all around the world. This study is a GIS-based time series study which devotes to calculate annual soil loss value, seek for soil erosion trends linked with precipitation and land use in Manafwa micro-catchment, Mount Elgon region, Uganda.

Revised Universal Soil loss Equation (RUSLE) is a world popular soil erosion model with five influencing factors, rainfall erosivity, soil erodability, slope length and steepness factor, cover management factor, and conservation practice factor. Two different versions of RUSLE which present two different calculation methods for slope length and steepness factor are implemented and compared. The modeling is carried out for the years 2000, 2006, and 2012, and is based on remotely sensed data, digital elevation models, precipitation data from the study area, as well as existing soil maps.

After running RUSLE model six result maps showing soil erosion risk level are obtained, two for each year with two different methods. By analyzing the result maps, no significant soil erosion trends or patterns are found, as well as significant trends in precipitation and land cover changes during last decade. Over exploitation of land is probably compensated by improved agricultural management and no significant increase in precipitation. Even if there are reports of more intense and increasing amounts of rainfall in the area, this could not be verified, neither through analysis of climate data, nor by trends in estimated soil loss. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Jiang, Boyi LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
GIS-based time series study of soil erosion risk on Mt. Elgon region, Uganda
course
NGEM01 20131
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
geomatics, Physical Geography and Ecosystem Analysis, time series, GIS, Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), Uganda, soil erosion
publication/series
Student thesis series INES
report number
291
language
English
additional info
Co-supervisor: Yazidhi Bamutaze: Department of Geography, Geo-Informatics and Climatic Sciences, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (MCAES, Makerere University, Uganda, 2013
id
4076063
date added to LUP
2013-10-07 15:15:39
date last changed
2014-08-26 13:31:07
@misc{4076063,
  abstract     = {{Land degradation has already been treated as one of the most serious problem all around the world. This study is a GIS-based time series study which devotes to calculate annual soil loss value, seek for soil erosion trends linked with precipitation and land use in Manafwa micro-catchment, Mount Elgon region, Uganda. Two different versions of Revised Universal Soil loss Equation (RUSLE) are implemented and compared, one using flow length and the other using flow accumulation to estimate the slope length and steepness (LS) factor. The modeling is carried out for the years 2000, 2006, and 2012, and is based on ASTER remotely sensed data, digital elevation models, precipitation data from the study area, as well as existing soil maps. After running RUSLE model and analyzing the result maps, no significant soil erosion trends or patterns are found, as well as significant trends in precipitation and land cover changes during last decade. Over exploitation of land is probably compensated by improved agricultural management and no significant increase in precipitation. Even if there are reports of more intense and increasing amounts of rainfall in the area, this could not be verified, neither through analysis of climate data, nor by trends in estimated soil loss.}},
  author       = {{Jiang, Boyi}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{Student thesis series INES}},
  title        = {{GIS-based time series study of soil erosion risk using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model in a micro-catchment on Mount Elgon, Uganda}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}