Analyzing soil erosion dynamics driven by long term land use changes: Integrating sustainable land use strategies

Abstract

Erosion presents a significant challenge to the efficient use and sustainability of soil resources in the context of land use and management. The aim of the present study is to assess soil losses and determine erosion risk categories in sub-basins located within the borders of basins areas of Samsun province over a period of approximately 30 years (between 1989-2020) using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) methodology. Based on the collected data, we plan to propose conservation measures to mitigate soil erosion in the sub-basins using the Sustainable Land Use Planning (SLUP) model. We first analysed the land use and land cover of the basin between 1989 and 2020, identifying temporal changes during this period. The study found that the use of pasture areas in the basin decreased from 12079 ha in 1989 to 10094 ha in 2020, marking a significant proportional decrease of 16%. In contrast, artificial areas doubled over a period of approximately 31 years, indicating the highest increase with 86%. The calculated average soil losses for 1989 and 2020 were 7.53 t/ha/year and 7.86 t/ha/year, respectively. After analysing the changes in land use and erosion levels between 1989 and 2020, it is clear that the increase in agricultural area is mainly due to changes in pasture areas. Therefore, it is essential to implement soil conservation measures and modify tillage techniques in areas classified as having erosion degrees of 4.0 and 5.0, while considering SLUP in the basin.