Spatial Variability of Soil Erodibility at the Rhirane Catchment Using Geostatistical Analysis

Abstract

Soil erodibility is one of the most crucial factors used to estimate soil erosion by applying modeling techniques. Soil data from soil maps are commonly used to create maps of soil erodibility for soil conservation planning. This study analyzed the spatial variability of soil erodibility by using a digital elevation model (DTM) and surface soil sample data at the Rhirane catchment (Algeria). A total of 132 soil samples were collected of up to 20 cm in depth. The spatial distributions of the K-value and soil physical properties (permeability, organic matter, and texture) were used to elaborate ordinary Kriging interpolation maps. Results showed that mean values of soil organic matter content were statistically different between Chromic Cambisols (M = 3.4%) vs. Calcic Cambisols (M = 2.2%). The analysis of variance of the organic matter provided a tool for identifying significant differences when comparing means between the soil types. The soil granulometry is mainly composed of silt and fine sand. The soil erodibility showed values varying between 0.012 and 0.077 with an average of 0.034, which was greater in soils with calcic horizons. Statistical evaluation by using Pearson’s correlation revealed positive correlations between erodibility and silt (0.63%), and negative correlations with sand (−0.16%), clay (−0.56%), organic matter (−0.32%), permeability (−0.41%), soil structure (−0.40%), and the soil stability index (−0.26%). The variability analysis of the K-factor showed moderate spatial dependency with the soil erodibility map indicating moderate to highly erodible risk in cropland and sparse grassland land uses. Overall, the study provides scientific support for soil conservation management and appropriate agricultural food practices for food supply.

Soil carbon storage under different types of arid land use in Algeria

“…Although most of the soils analysed showed low and very low values of soil organic matter, this is not the only parameter to be considered for knowing the good condition of soil regarding good and healthy soil management practices. Many properties are affected by the presence of organic matter, like soil erodibility which is of big concern regarding soil losses (Othmani et al, 2023 ). Nevertheless, it is necessary to ensure the implementation of soil conservation practices based on the storage of organic matter content in the soil profile as a general rule, this overarching approach can effectively contribute to minimizing soil losses and mitigating climate change.…”

Assessing the Impact of Engineering Measures and Vegetation Restoration on Soil Erosion: A Case Study in Osmancık, Türkiye

“…Silt soils have high K factor values compared to others because of their high runoff rates [67]. Regarding soil erosion, inefficient agricultural and grassland practices in the watershed pose a moderate to high risk [68]. In addition, due to the semi-arid climate of the research area, the organic matter content of the soil is even lower (0.2%) than that of dry tropical forests [69].…”

Ciências humanas em perspectiva: reflexões sobre cultura, sociedade e comportamento

“…A informação pode ser obtida por sensores remotos de alta precisão transportados em satélites (Sentinel-2 e Landsat 8, por exemplo) e de acesso livre é largamente utilizada na observação ambiental e estudos de conservação da natureza 145 . Outras plataformas como veículos aéreos ou terrestres não tripulados também transportam sensores que operam com uma resolução muito superior à dos satélites, mas cujo acesso não é livre, têm crescente utilização na gestão ambiental e, no caso particular da agricultura na conservação dos recursos edáficos 146,147 . Os dados obtidos são trabalhados por poderosas ferramentas informáticas e pela sua análise transformada em conhecimento que atualmente já é suficiente para desenhar planos de ação que minimizem a degradação ambiental mantendo os níveis de produção.…”