IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/apjors/v6y2022i2d10.1007_s41685-022-00238-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Impact of deforestation on soil erosion in the highland areas of western Ethiopia using geospatial techniques: a case study of the Upper Anger watershed

Author

Listed:
  • Mitiku Badasa Moisa

    (Wollega University Shambu Campus)

  • Indale Niguse Dejene

    (Wollega University Nekemte Campus)

  • Obsu Hirko

    (Jimma University)

  • Dessalegn Obsi Gemeda

    (Jimma University)

Abstract

Soil erosion is a major environmental problem in developing countries mainly due to forest cover loss driven by agricultural expansion. The current study aimed to analyze the impact of vegetation cover loss from elevated areas on soil erosion in the Upper Anger watershed using geospatial techniques and the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) model. The mean annual soil loss in the study area was calculated using five factors: rainfall, soil type, slope length and steepness, cover management, and conservation practices. Furthermore, the normalized difference vegetation index and slope were used to calculate the relationship as well as the cause and effect of soil loss in the study area. The results revealed that the mean annual soil loss in the Upper Anger watershed was 44 ton/ha/year in 1989, 66.4 ton/ha/year in 2002, and 87.9 ton/ha/year in 2020. The annual soil loss in agricultural land increased from 75.9 ton/ha/year in 1989 to 98.5 ton/ha/year in 2002 and 103.8 ton/ha/year in 2020. The annual soil loss of the Upper Anger watershed increased by 99.8% due to a decline in vegetation cover from elevated areas for agricultural expansion based on adjusted R2, with the remaining percentage possibly increasing due to other factors. Due to deforestation, the area of soil erosion increased from 551.8 km2 (29.5%) in 1989 to 821.6 km2 (44%) and 1043.8 km2 (55.8%) in 2002 and 2020, respectively. This study identifies severe erosion loss areas for mitigation measures. To minimize the severity of soil loss in the study area conservation measures, such as re-afforestation, area closure, agroforestry practices, and participatory watershed management, should be promoted by governmental and nongovernmental organizations.

Suggested Citation

  • Mitiku Badasa Moisa & Indale Niguse Dejene & Obsu Hirko & Dessalegn Obsi Gemeda, 2022. "Impact of deforestation on soil erosion in the highland areas of western Ethiopia using geospatial techniques: a case study of the Upper Anger watershed," Asia-Pacific Journal of Regional Science, Springer, vol. 6(2), pages 489-514, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:apjors:v:6:y:2022:i:2:d:10.1007_s41685-022-00238-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s41685-022-00238-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s41685-022-00238-7
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s41685-022-00238-7?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nareth Nut & Machito Mihara & Jaehak Jeong & Bunthan Ngo & Gilbert Sigua & P.V. Vara Prasad & Manny R. Reyes, 2021. "Land Use and Land Cover Changes and Its Impact on Soil Erosion in Stung Sangkae Catchment of Cambodia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-25, August.
    2. David Pimentel, 2006. "Soil Erosion: A Food and Environmental Threat," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 8(1), pages 119-137, February.
    3. Pasquale Borrelli & David A. Robinson & Larissa R. Fleischer & Emanuele Lugato & Cristiano Ballabio & Christine Alewell & Katrin Meusburger & Sirio Modugno & Brigitta Schütt & Vito Ferro & Vincenzo Ba, 2017. "An assessment of the global impact of 21st century land use change on soil erosion," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-13, December.
    4. Ashebir WoldeYohannes & Marc Cotter & Girma Kelboro & Wubneshe Dessalegn, 2018. "Land Use and Land Cover Changes and Their Effects on the Landscape of Abaya-Chamo Basin, Southern Ethiopia," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-17, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Caterina Samela & Vito Imbrenda & Rosa Coluzzi & Letizia Pace & Tiziana Simoniello & Maria Lanfredi, 2022. "Multi-Decadal Assessment of Soil Loss in a Mediterranean Region Characterized by Contrasting Local Climates," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-25, July.
    2. Wen, Xiaojie & Yao, Shunbo & Sauer, Johannes, 2022. "Shadow prices and abatement cost of soil erosion in Shaanxi Province, China: Convex expectile regression approach," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    3. Godson Chinonyerem Asuoha & Uchenna Paulinus Okafor & Philip Ogbonnia Phil-Eze & Romanus Udegbunam Ayadiuno, 2019. "The Impact of Soil Erosion on Biodiversity Conservation in Isiala Ngwa North LGA, Southeastern Nigeria," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-17, December.
    4. Banerjee, Onil & Crossman, Neville & Vargas, Renato & Brander, Luke & Verburg, Peter & Cicowiez, Martin & Hauck, Jennifer & McKenzie, Emily, 2020. "Global socio-economic impacts of changes in natural capital and ecosystem services: State of play and new modeling approaches," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 46(C).
    5. Semih Ediş & Özgür Burhan Timur & Gamze Tuttu & İbrahim Aytaş & Ceyhun Göl & Ali Uğur Özcan, 2023. "Assessing the Impact of Engineering Measures and Vegetation Restoration on Soil Erosion: A Case Study in Osmancık, Türkiye," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-16, August.
    6. Panos Panagos & Pasquale Borrelli & David Robinson, 2020. "FAO calls for actions to reduce global soil erosion," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 25(5), pages 789-790, May.
    7. Aznarul Islam & Sanat Kumar Guchhait, 2017. "Search for social justice for the victims of erosion hazard along the banks of river Bhagirathi by hydraulic control: a case study of West Bengal, India," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 433-459, April.
    8. Václav BRANT & Milan KROULÍK & Jan PIVEC & Petr ZÁBRANSKÝ & Josef HAKL & Josef HOLEC & Zdeněk KVÍZ & Luděk PROCHÁZKA, 2017. "Splash erosion in maize crops under conservation management in combination with shallow strip-tillage before sowing," Soil and Water Research, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 12(2), pages 106-116.
    9. López-Vicente, M. & Navas, A. & Gaspar, L. & Machín, J., 2013. "Advanced modelling of runoff and soil redistribution for agricultural systems: The SERT model," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 1-12.
    10. David Oscar Yawson & Michael Osei Adu & Benjamin Ason & Frederick Ato Armah & Genesis Tambang Yengoh, 2016. "Putting Soil Security on the Policy Agenda: Need for a Familiar Framework," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 7(2), pages 1-11, September.
    11. Aditi Sengupta & Priyanka Kushwaha & Antonia Jim & Peter A. Troch & Raina Maier, 2020. "New Soil, Old Plants, and Ubiquitous Microbes: Evaluating the Potential of Incipient Basaltic Soil to Support Native Plant Growth and Influence Belowground Soil Microbial Community Composition," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-18, May.
    12. Melese Baye Hailu & S. K. Mishra & Sanjay K. Jain, 2024. "Sediment yield modelling and prioritization of erosion-prone sub-basins in the Tekeze watershed, Ethiopia," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(8), pages 19855-19870, August.
    13. Qing Li & Yong Zhou & Li Wang & Qian Zuo & Siqi Yi & Jingyi Liu & Xueping Su & Tao Xu & Yan Jiang, 2021. "The Link between Landscape Characteristics and Soil Losses Rates over a Range of Spatiotemporal Scales: Hubei Province, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-16, October.
    14. Xiukang Wang, 2022. "Managing Land Carrying Capacity: Key to Achieving Sustainable Production Systems for Food Security," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-21, March.
    15. Jiyun Li & Yong Zhou & Qing Li & Siqi Yi & Lina Peng, 2022. "Exploring the Effects of Land Use Changes on the Landscape Pattern and Soil Erosion of Western Hubei Province from 2000 to 2020," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-27, January.
    16. Sacchi, Laura Valeria & Powell, Priscila Ana & Gasparri, Nestor Ignacio & Grau, Ricardo, 2017. "Air quality loss in urban centers of the Argentinean Dry Chaco: Wind and dust control as two scientifically neglected ecosystem services," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 234-240.
    17. Sun, Xueqing & Xiang, Pengcheng & Cong, Kexin, 2023. "Research on early warning and control measures for arable land resource security," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 128(C).
    18. Langhans, Kelley E. & Schmitt, Rafael J.P. & Chaplin-Kramer, Rebecca & Anderson, Christopher B. & Vargas Bolaños, Christian & Vargas Cabezas, Fermin & Dirzo, Rodolfo & Goldstein, Jesse A. & Horangic, , 2022. "Modeling multiple ecosystem services and beneficiaries of riparian reforestation in Costa Rica," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).
    19. Václav BRANT & Petr ZÁBRANSKÝ & Michaela ŠKEŘÍKOVÁ & Jan PIVEC & Milan KROULÍK & Luděk PROCHÁZKA, 2017. "Effect of row width on splash erosion and throughfall in silage maize crops," Soil and Water Research, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 12(1), pages 39-50.
    20. Nepal, Sandhya & Tran, Liem T., 2019. "Identifying trade-offs between socio-economic and environmental factors for bioenergy crop production: A case study from northern Kentucky," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 272-283.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:apjors:v:6:y:2022:i:2:d:10.1007_s41685-022-00238-7. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.