Spatial and temporal variations in soil erosion and deposition due to land‐levelling in a semi‐arid area of Basilicata (Southern Italy)

Abstract

This paper examines the changes from 1955 to 2002 in soil erosion and deposition due to changes in land-use patterns in the semi-arid territory of Craco, which is characterized by landsliding and badland erosion. The area underwent continuous degradation during the last century due not only to its lithological vulnerability but also to the anthropic pressure favoured by the introduction of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) measures, which has led to the reclamation of scrub lands and badlands for durum wheat cultivation. Our analysis integrates the Unit Stream Power Erosion Deposition (USPED) model with a geographic information system (GIS) to quantify erosion risk and predict deposition patterns. Soil data, land use inventory, digital elevation data and climatic atlases were used as resource data sets to generate USPED factor values. The obtained results correlate well with field measured erosion data by other researchers. In the investigated 47 years, stable areas decreased by about 280 ha (3·8% of the total surface area), largely attributable to the increase of the low and moderate erosion intensity without significant change in sedimentation. Results from this study have implications related to understanding the geomorphic response of sites that were abandoned following remodelling due to the application of the F measure of Regulation CEE 2078/92. The average annual erosion rates estimated for abandoned and remodelled sites are respectively 15·99 and 10·64 t ha − − − − −1 , meaning that the total amount of erosion in 20 years could be estimated at around 100 t ha − − − − −1 .

Simulating the Impact of Future Land Use and Climate Change on Soil Erosion and Deposition in the Mae Nam Nan Sub-Catchment, Thailand

“…The approach presented here directly integrates RUSLE's output data into a flow model, which allows soil loss rate, erosion and deposition to be accessed within a GIS framework without additional data requirements. In addition, a number of studies have integrated geographic information system (GIS) analysis with soil erosion modeling for various geographic locations [39][40][41][42][43]. Remote sensing has proved to be a useful, inexpensive and effective tool in LULC mapping and LULC change detection.…”

Denudation processes and landforms map of the Camastra River catchment (Basilicata – South Italy)

“…Geomorphic processes related to running water (sheet, rill and gully erosion) are particularly strong in unvegetated areas and in agricultural lands, causing the loss of a great amount of soil (Capolongo et al, 2008;Clarke & Rendell, 2000, 2006b. The map of denudation processes and landforms of the Camastra River catchment is a useful tool, not only for the analysis of landscape evolution and of denudation rates, but also for environmental management and planning.…”

“…Buttafuoco, Conforti, Aucelli, Robustelli, & Scarciglia, 2012;Conforti, Aucelli, Robustelli, & Scarciglia, 2011;Della Seta, Del Monte, Fredi, & Lupia Palmieri, 2009;Martínez-Casasnovas, Antòn-Fernàndez, & Ramos, 2003;Poesen, Nachtergaele, Verstraeten, & Valentin, 2003;Terranova, Antronico, Coscarelli, & Iaquinta, 2009;Torri, Calzolari, & Rodolfi, 2000;Vandekerckhove et al, 2000;Vergari, Della Seta, Del Monte, Fredi, & Lupia Palmieri, 2013). In particular, Basilicata region (southern Italy) is very susceptible to both gravitational phenomena and water erosion processes (Bentivenga, Palladino, & Caputi, 2012;Caniani, Pascale, Sdao, & Sole, 2008;Capolongo, Pennetta, Piccarreta, Fallacara, & Boenzi, 2008;Clarke & Rendell, 2006a;De Bari, Lapenna, Perrone, Puglisi, & Sdao, 2011;Pascale, Sdao, & Sole, 2010;Piccarreta, Capolongo, & Boenzi, 2004;Polemio & Sdao, 1998), due to the peculiar combination of its geological, morphological, climatic settings, together with its unsustainable land management, e.g. increasing urbanization, intense agricultural and deforestation (Gullà & Sdao, 2001).…”

Multi-temporal analysis of sediment yield caused by hydric erosion in a basin of the Anoia-Penedès vineyard region (NE Spain)

“…Furthermore, vineyard lands have suffered big transformations during the last decades in the study area in order to facilitate the mechanization of the tillage operations and to reduce man labor . These practices have conduced to the removing of traditional conservation measures, such as drainage terraces (Martínez-Casasnovas et al, 2005), and the required land leveling for new plantations has made the soil thinner and more susceptible to runoff (Ramos and Martínez-Casasnovas, 2007), affecting the soil properties that are directly related with soil infiltration (Capolongo et al, 2008). These problems were reported by Ramos and Martínez-Casasnovas (2007) Regarding cereals and grasslands, these land cover present an important variability in dry and wet years, with average sediment yields of 10.27±12.81 Mg ha -1 year -1 and 42.21±41.34 Mg ha -1 year -1 respectively.…”