Soil erosion prediction using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) in a GIS framework, Chania, Northwestern Crete, Greece

Maria Kouli; Pantelis Soupios; Filippos Vallianatos

doi:10.1007/s00254-008-1318-9

Soil erosion prediction using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) in a GIS framework, Chania, Northwestern Crete, Greece

Maria Kouli^*
, Pantelis Soupios
, Filippos Vallianatos

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

388 Scopus citations

Abstract

Soil erosion is a growing problem in southern Greece and particularly in the island of Crete, the biggest Greek island with great agricultural activity. Soil erosion not only decreases agricultural productivity, but also reduces the water availability. In the current study, an effort to predict potential annual soil loss has been conducted. For the prediction, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) has been adopted in a Geographical Information System framework. The RUSLE factors were calculated (in the form of raster layers) for the nine major watersheds which cover the northern part of the Chania Prefecture. The R-factor was calculated from monthly and annual precipitation data. The K-factor was estimated using soil maps available from the Soil Geographical Data Base of Europe at a scale of 1:1,000,000. The LS-factor was calculated from a 30-m digital elevation model. The C-factor was calculated using Remote Sensing techniques. The P-factor in absence of data was set to 1. The results show that an extended part of the area is undergoing severe erosion. The mean annual soil loss is predicted up to ∼ 200 (t/ha year^-1) for some watersheds showing extended erosion and demanding the attention of local administrators.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	483-497
Number of pages	15
Journal	Environmental Geology
Volume	57
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1318-9
State	Published - 2009
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
DHMA Department of Hydrology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Development Organization of Western Crete min, value; 383.10; NAGREF National Agricultural Research Foundation mean, value; 1429.41; IGME Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration min, max, value; 3724.78

Funding Information:
Acknowledgments The project is co-funded by the European Social Fund and National Resources in the framework of the project INTERREG III B ARCHIMED, sub-project A1.020 entitled ‘‘MILDMAP—Methodology Integration of EO techniques as operative tool for Land Degradation Management and planning in Mediterranean Areas’’. The authors are grateful to the anonymous reviewers for their very helpful comments and valuable suggestions.

Keywords

GIS
RUSLE
Remote sensing
Soil erosion
Western Crete

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Environmental Chemistry
Water Science and Technology
Pollution
Soil Science

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1007/s00254-008-1318-9

Cite this

@article{370de172539e49da911debfd72217074,

title = "Soil erosion prediction using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) in a GIS framework, Chania, Northwestern Crete, Greece",

abstract = "Soil erosion is a growing problem in southern Greece and particularly in the island of Crete, the biggest Greek island with great agricultural activity. Soil erosion not only decreases agricultural productivity, but also reduces the water availability. In the current study, an effort to predict potential annual soil loss has been conducted. For the prediction, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) has been adopted in a Geographical Information System framework. The RUSLE factors were calculated (in the form of raster layers) for the nine major watersheds which cover the northern part of the Chania Prefecture. The R-factor was calculated from monthly and annual precipitation data. The K-factor was estimated using soil maps available from the Soil Geographical Data Base of Europe at a scale of 1:1,000,000. The LS-factor was calculated from a 30-m digital elevation model. The C-factor was calculated using Remote Sensing techniques. The P-factor in absence of data was set to 1. The results show that an extended part of the area is undergoing severe erosion. The mean annual soil loss is predicted up to ∼ 200 (t/ha year-1) for some watersheds showing extended erosion and demanding the attention of local administrators.",

keywords = "GIS, RUSLE, Remote sensing, Soil erosion, Western Crete",

author = "Maria Kouli and Pantelis Soupios and Filippos Vallianatos",

note = "Funding Information: DHMA Department of Hydrology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Development Organization of Western Crete min, value; 383.10; NAGREF National Agricultural Research Foundation mean, value; 1429.41; IGME Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration min, max, value; 3724.78 Funding Information: Acknowledgments The project is co-funded by the European Social Fund and National Resources in the framework of the project INTERREG III B ARCHIMED, sub-project A1.020 entitled {\textquoteleft}{\textquoteleft}MILDMAP—Methodology Integration of EO techniques as operative tool for Land Degradation Management and planning in Mediterranean Areas{\textquoteright}{\textquoteright}. The authors are grateful to the anonymous reviewers for their very helpful comments and valuable suggestions.",

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doi = "10.1007/s00254-008-1318-9",

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pages = "483--497",

journal = "Environmental Geology",

issn = "0943-0105",

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T1 - Soil erosion prediction using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) in a GIS framework, Chania, Northwestern Crete, Greece

AU - Kouli, Maria

AU - Soupios, Pantelis

AU - Vallianatos, Filippos

N1 - Funding Information: DHMA Department of Hydrology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Development Organization of Western Crete min, value; 383.10; NAGREF National Agricultural Research Foundation mean, value; 1429.41; IGME Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration min, max, value; 3724.78 Funding Information: Acknowledgments The project is co-funded by the European Social Fund and National Resources in the framework of the project INTERREG III B ARCHIMED, sub-project A1.020 entitled ‘‘MILDMAP—Methodology Integration of EO techniques as operative tool for Land Degradation Management and planning in Mediterranean Areas’’. The authors are grateful to the anonymous reviewers for their very helpful comments and valuable suggestions.

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - Soil erosion is a growing problem in southern Greece and particularly in the island of Crete, the biggest Greek island with great agricultural activity. Soil erosion not only decreases agricultural productivity, but also reduces the water availability. In the current study, an effort to predict potential annual soil loss has been conducted. For the prediction, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) has been adopted in a Geographical Information System framework. The RUSLE factors were calculated (in the form of raster layers) for the nine major watersheds which cover the northern part of the Chania Prefecture. The R-factor was calculated from monthly and annual precipitation data. The K-factor was estimated using soil maps available from the Soil Geographical Data Base of Europe at a scale of 1:1,000,000. The LS-factor was calculated from a 30-m digital elevation model. The C-factor was calculated using Remote Sensing techniques. The P-factor in absence of data was set to 1. The results show that an extended part of the area is undergoing severe erosion. The mean annual soil loss is predicted up to ∼ 200 (t/ha year-1) for some watersheds showing extended erosion and demanding the attention of local administrators.

AB - Soil erosion is a growing problem in southern Greece and particularly in the island of Crete, the biggest Greek island with great agricultural activity. Soil erosion not only decreases agricultural productivity, but also reduces the water availability. In the current study, an effort to predict potential annual soil loss has been conducted. For the prediction, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) has been adopted in a Geographical Information System framework. The RUSLE factors were calculated (in the form of raster layers) for the nine major watersheds which cover the northern part of the Chania Prefecture. The R-factor was calculated from monthly and annual precipitation data. The K-factor was estimated using soil maps available from the Soil Geographical Data Base of Europe at a scale of 1:1,000,000. The LS-factor was calculated from a 30-m digital elevation model. The C-factor was calculated using Remote Sensing techniques. The P-factor in absence of data was set to 1. The results show that an extended part of the area is undergoing severe erosion. The mean annual soil loss is predicted up to ∼ 200 (t/ha year-1) for some watersheds showing extended erosion and demanding the attention of local administrators.

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ER -

Soil erosion prediction using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) in a GIS framework, Chania, Northwestern Crete, Greece

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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