INDEX

Acknowledgement
Abstract
List of figure
Chapter 1 Introduction Page No.

1.1 General 01

1.2 Need to assess soil erosion risk 03

1.3 objectives of the study 04

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Background of study 05

2.2 soil erosion types 07

2.3 soil erosion modeling 09

2.4 Remote Sensing and GIS in Soil Erosion Assessment 10

2.5 process of soil erosion 12

2.6 causes of soil erosion 12

2.7 Effects of Soil Erosion 13

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY

3.1 Materials and Methods 14

3.2 General method of prevention of soil erosion 16

CHAPTER 4 RESULT AND DISSCUSSION: 17

CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION 17

Reference, appendix 1:
 INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY,ROORKEE

CANDIDATE’S DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the work which is being presented in this Seminar,

entitled, “SOIL EROSION MODELING FOR WATERSHED USING GIS AND

REMOTE SENSING TECHNIQUE”, in partial fulfillment of the requirement for

the award of the degree of Master of Technology in “ IRRIGATION WATER

MANAGEMENT ” , submitted in the Department of Water Resource

Development and Management, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee

under the supervision of Dr. ASHISH PANDEY, Associate Professor,

Department of Water Resource Development and Management, Indian

Institute of Technology, Roorkee, India.

Date: 06.04.2018

Place: WRD & M, IIT Roorkee (prahalad sahu)

Enrollment No.
17547009
 CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the above statement made by candidate is
correct to the best of my knowledge.

…………………………………………………

(Dr. Ashish Pandey)

Associate Professor & Head

Department of Water Resource Development and Management

Indian Institute of Technology,

Roorkee -247677, India

Date: 06.04.2018

i
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It is my great pleasure in expressing my heartfelt gratitude to my

supervisors Dr. Ashish Pandey, Associate Professor, Department of
Water Resource Department and Management, Indian Institute of
Technology, Roorkee, for their valuable guidance, direction and infilling
support towards completion of this Seminar Report. I am highly obliged
to them for their keen interest, able guidance and encouragement
throughout the writing. Working under their guidance is a privilege, great
opportunity and an excellent learning experience that I will flourish in my
life time.

I am extremely thankful to other professors and my

classmates from Department of Water Resource Department and
Management, IIT Roorkee for their kind support, encouragement
and cooperation.

……………
…

(Prahalad
sahu)
Enrollment no.
17547009
ABSTRACT
In the process of soil erosion, nutrients rich top fertile soil is lost and it also causes
environmental problems due to siltation of lakes, reservoirs and rivers. Inventory on soil loss and
prediction of soil erosion hazard is vital for effective soil conservation planning of a watershed
for sustainable development. Soil conservation is now a necessity in almost every country of the
world under virtually every type of land use.

Information obtained using remotely sensing techniques can help decision makers to prepare
resourcemap accurately in less time and cost. GIS, in other hand, helps in linking those maps
with other information related to geographic location and helps modelling, analysing and solving
complex problems.

For the estimation of Soil loss by USLE approach, the various factor maps like kinetic energy of
rainfall, Top soil rooting depth, percentage rainfall contributing to permanent interception and
stream flow, Crop cover management factor, Ratio of actual to potential evapotranspiration, Soil
moisture storage capacitywere generated to get final output maps like Volume of overland flow;
Rate of soil detachment by raindrop impact, Transport capacity of overland flow.
 INTRODUCTION
1.1 GENERAL
Soil erosion is a process of detachment, transportation, and deposition of sediment. which is
associated due to various hydrological factors like wind, water etc. Also various human activities
disturb the land surface of the earth, and thereby induce the significant alteration of natural erosion
rates. Soil erosion by running water has been recognized as the most severe hazard threatening the
protection of soil as it reduces soil productivity by removing the most fertile topsoil.

Nowadays one of the major problems on global scale is the rapidly increasing demand to the
food. This demand is of course totally parallel to the population growth. Even more land is used
for agricultural purposes day by day. Cultivation without using specific control techniques,
unplanned land use, such as establishing industrial facilities or constructing summer houses on
the agriculture land, uncontrolled urban development and also destroying forests are fundamental
factors of soil erosion.

India is losing 5,334 million tonnes of soil every year due to soil erosion because of indiscreet
and excess use of fertilisers, insecticides and pesticides over the years. The rate of loss is 16.4
tonnes per hectare every year. On whether wrong irrigation practices were also responsible for
this, the minister said excessive use of irrigation water in canal command may lead to secondary
salinisation, affecting, thereby, the soil and crop productivity.
FIG 1 : SOIL EROSION MAP OF INDIA
1.2 Need to Assess Soil Erosion Risk
The soil erosion risk assessment can be helpful for land evaluation in the region where soil
erosion is the main threat for sustained agriculture, as soil is 3 the basis of agricultural
production. It’s quantification under various land use /land cover helps to prioritize the
watershed for soil conservation planning in order to encourage effective natural resource
conservation and sustainable development.

Soil erosion assessment and mapping of erosion prone area serve the knowledge for soil
conservation and watershed management. Current huge investment in civil engineering works
aiming to renovate the results of erosion is comparatively higher than investments in soil
conservation effort. Therefore the need is not merely the quantifying the erosion rate but such
results of erosion assessment can be core of any decision making and supportive in policy
formulation for sustaining the environment as a whole coupled with the land productivity.
Consequently monitoring is essential in order to check the deterioration of the natural resources
particularly those affecting agricultural practices. In reality due to financial constraints, it is
difficult to conserve all areas under the risk of erosion. Therefore, in practice, areas at high risk
have to be prioritized first before undertaking them for management (development oriented) and
conservation of natural resources specially soil and water.

Hence, it is essential to asses soil erosion risk for soil conservation program Further, prediction
of soil erosion rates are needed to evaluate soil losses and to determine the effectiveness of
control measures. For preserving the ecological balance between natural resources development
and conservation, particularly in the fragile and heterogeneous erosion-susceptible hilly
ecosystems, watersheds have been assumed as an important (Sharma et al., 1992) constituent of
landscape.

To ensure optimum and sustained productivity through scientific planning, the watershed needs
basic knowledge on suitable land resources inventories and a scheme for interpretation of land
use capability with risk of land degradation as key criterion (Krishna and Sharma, 1995) Various
methodologies to assess soil erosion are available. Conventional techniques of field study for
measurement of soil erosion and runoff are expensive and time consuming. Moreover, it is
having limitations because of complexity of interactions and difficulty of generalizing from the
results.

The accuracy is likely to be poor; and it is not known where the soil came from and when
(Hudson, 1993). In the suspended sediment measurements, the discharge and sediment yield
passing a point at the outlet of a catchment is monitored for quantitative indication of the
amounts of soil lost from whole selected watersheds. But the origins and extent of the sediment
load from the catchment itself remain unknown. Similarly, the eroded soil deposited at other
locations without reaching the gauging station can not be computed.

Use of these experimental outputs for quantification of soil loss from wider area with a diversity
of situational variation is still debatable.

Land surveying using reconnaissance methods for soil loss estimation considers the
approximation of the amount of erosion by measuring change of surface level. But it has
limitation for arable land because the surface level is affected by cultivation and settlement.

Similarly, assessment of current erosion damage (ACED) methodology has been devised for
surveying erosion features, together with major causes of erosion for the assessment of soil
erosion damage of recent origin (Herweg, 1996). It is a site-specific approach to assess soil
erosion that involves the monitoring of damaged field characteristics, land management and
runon-runoff patterns.

1.3 objectives of the study

i). Identification of vulnerable areas in the catchment using USLE, GIS and Remote sensing data.

ii). preperation of thematic maps(land use \land cover , slope, soil) using arcGIS software.

iii). estimation of soil erosion using universal soil loss equation(USLE).

LITERATURE REVIEW:

2.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY:

A watershed is a land area which drains in to stream , upstream from its mouth or other designed
point of interest. surface charecteristic, soil depth, geological structures, topography and climate
of hte watershed play an interrlated role in the behaviour of water, which flow over and through
it. watershed are subject to many types of modification by human and natural activities. erosion
is a natural geomorphic process occurring continually over the earth surface. the process of the
erosion of soil from earth surface is largely depends on topography, vegetation, soil and climate
variables.

On cultivated land, loss of topsoil due to erosion is a problem (Pimetel, 1983). In developing
nations, the expansion of farming practices and pastures onto remote, steep, hill slopes increases
the potential for accelerated rates of erosion (Millward and Mersey, 1999). Excessive erosion is
associated with diverse negative on and off site impacts, including loss of soil nutrients leading
to a reduction in crop yields, decreasing stream competence and capacity because of
sedimentation, and siltation of reservoirs (Stoddart, 1969). Additionally, agricultural chemicals
transported with soil particles have significant impacts on water quality.

Soil erosion models simulate the effects of land management activities on rates of soil erosion
and contribute to the development of appropriate intervention strategies. One way to reduce the
negative consequences of accelerated soil erosion is to select land use and farm management

practices that generate a minimum amount of soil erosion. Modeling soil erosion provides a
sophisticated tool for selection of appropriate soil conservation practices. The most extensively
used model is the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). The RUSLE model has
advantages because its data requirements are not too complex or unattainable, it is relatively easy
to understand, and it is compatible with GIS (Millward and Mersey, 1999). When used in
conjunction with raster-based GIS, the RUSLE model can The Revised Universal Soil Loss
Equation (RUSLE)
1.2.1 Soil Erosion threat to Environment and Agriculture:

The consequence of soil erosion occur both on- and off-site (Morgan, 1986). On site effects are
particularly important on agricultural land where the redistribution of soil within a field, the loss
of soil from a field, the breakdown of soil structure and the decline in organic matter and nutrient
result in a reduction of cultivable soil depth and decline in soil fertility. Erosion also reduces
available soil moisture, resulting in more drought prone conditions. The net effect is a loss of
productivity which, at first; restricts what can be grown and results in increased expenditure on
fertilizers to maintain yields but later, ultimately leads to land abandonment.

Off-site problems result from sedimentation down stream, which reduces the capacity of the
rivers, enhance the risk of flooding, blocks irrigation canals and shortens the design life of
reservoirs. The on site costs of erosion are necessarily borne by the farmer although they may be
passed on in part to community in terms of high food prices as yield decline or land goes out of
production.

The prevention of soil erosion, which means reducing the rate of soil loss to approximately that
which would occur under natural conditions, relies on selecting appropriate strategies for soil
conservation and this, in turn, requires a through understanding of the processes of erosion. The
factors, which influence the rate of the rate of erosion, are rainfall, runoff, soil, slope, plant cover
and the presence or absence of conservation measures (Morgan, 1986).

Scientist found that, the dominant event, the one responsible for most work, was larger in
magnitude than the most frequent event but was by no means extreme. Erosion is not a function
of climate alone but depends on the frequency at which potentially erosive events coincide with
ground conditions that favour the erosion. The most vulnerable time for erosion is the early part
of the wet season when the rainfall is high but the vegetation has not grown sufficiently to
protect the soil.

Generally, the period between ploughing and the growth of the crop beyond the seedling stage
contains an erosion risk if it coincides with heavy rainfall (Morgan, 1986). Erosion and landuse
change are very closely related. Rates of soil loss accelerate quickly to unacceptably high levels
whenever land is misused. Erosion is a natural process but that its rate and spatial and temporal
distribution depends on the interaction of physical and human circumstances.
2.2 Soil erosion types
Types of erosion

• Impact Erosion- Physical detachment of soil particles as a result of raindrop impact.

• Sheet erosion- Thin, uniform wearing away of the uppermost surface layers in the soil

profile. Seldom the detaching agent, but just merely transporting soil particles detached by
raindrop impact.

• Rill erosion- Follows sheet erosion. As the amount and velocity of water increases water is now
able to both detach and transport soil particles.

• Gully erosion- As rills deepen and widen, gullies form. Simple definition: gullies are rills that
are too large to be repaired with conventional tillage equipment.

• Channel erosion- Erosion as a result of concentrating and confining the erosive forces of water.
Includes both manmade and natural channels. .

• Mass Wasting- Large failures usually as a result of gravitational forces. Landslides, potslides,
slumps, debris torrents.
2.3 Soil erosion modeling:
Erosion models are used to predict soil erosion. Soil erosion modelling is able to consider many
of the complex interactions that influence rates of erosion by simulating erosion processes in the
watershed. Various parametric models such as empirical (statistical/metric), conceptual (semi-
empirical) and physical process based (deterministic) models are available to compute soil loss.

In general, these models are categorized depending on the physical processes simulated by the
model, the model algorithms describing these processes and the data dependence of the model.
Empirical models are generally the simplest of all three model types. They are statistical in
nature and based primarily on the analysis of observations and seek to characterize response
from these data (Wheater et al., 1993). The data requirements for such models are usually less as
compared to conceptual and physical based models. Conceptual models play an intermediary
role between empirical and physics based models.
Physical process based models take into account the combination of the individual components
that affect erosion, including the complex interactions between various factors and their spatial
and temporal variabilities. These models are comparatively over-parameterised. Most of these
models need information related with soil type, land use, landform, climate and topography to
estimate soil loss. They are designed for specific set of conditions of particular area.

The Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) (Wischmer and Smith, 1965) was designed to predict
soil loss from sheet and rill erosion in specific conditions from agriculture fields. Modified
universal soil loss equation (MUSLE) (Williams& Berndt; Meyer, 1975) a modified version of
USLE is applicable to other conditions by introducing hydrological runoff factor for sediment
yield estimation. Water erosion prediction project (WEPP) (Lane and Nearing, 1989) is process
based, continuous simulation model, developed to replace USLE (Okoth, 2003). Areal non-point
source watershed environment response simulation (ANSWERS) (Beasley etal, 1980) designed
to compute soil erosion within a watershed. The European Soil Erosion Model (EUROSEM)
(Morgan et al., 1991, 1992) is a single process–based model for assessing and risk prediction of
soil erosion from fields and small catchments. Morgan, Morgan and Finney (MMF) model is an
empirical model developed for mean annual soil loss estimation from field-sized areas on hill
slopes (Morgan et al., 1984) having strong physical base.

2.4 Remote Sensing and GIS in Soil Erosion Assessment

One of the major problems in testing these models is the generation of input data, that too
spatially. The conventional methods proved to be too costly and time consuming for generating
this input data. With the advent of remote sensing technology, deriving the spatial information on
input parameters has become more handy and cost-effective. Besides with the powerful spatial
processing capabilities of Geographic Information System (GIS) and its compatibility with
remote sensing data, the soil erosion modeling approaches have become more comprehensive
and robust.

Remote Sensing can facilitate studying the factors enhancing the process, such as soil type, slope
gradient, drainage, geology and land cover. Multi-temporal satellite images provide valuable
information related to seasonal land use dynamics. Satellite data can be used for studying
erosional features, such as gullies, rainfall interception by vegetation and vegetation cover factor.
DEM (Digital Elevation Model) one of the vital inputs required for soil erosion modeling can be
created by analysis of stereoscopic optical and microwave (SAR) remote sensing data. Remote
sensing provides significant source for real-time and accurate data related to land and soil. It
enables homogeneous information over large regions, and can therefore greatly contribute to
regional erosion assessment (King and Delpont, 1993; Siakeu and Oguchi, 2000).

As an account for seasonal variability, multi-temporal satellite images are useful to extract the
valuable information associated to seasonal land use dynamics for mapping land use/land cover.
It can be used to generate a cover and management factor 8 (C-factor) (e.g. Morgan, 1995;
Wischmeier and Smith, 1978) which is one of the input requirements of erosion modelling. The
factors associated with soil classification such as soil properties, climate, vegetation, topography,
and lithology can be potentially mapped with satellite remote sensing (McBratney et al., 2003) to
account for spatial differences in erodibility which serve as input data for erosion modelling.
Especially optical satellite imagery can be used for soil mapping, mainly through visual
delineation of soil patterns (Dwivedi, 2001). The basic requirement of any hydrologic or
geomorphologic studies is a digital elevation model (DEM) DEM enables to derive various
topographic attribute such as elevation, slope and aspect etc. which are essential to analyze
watershed physical characteristics (Pramod kumar, 2004). DEM data can be extracted from the
satellite images of terrain such as stereo optical imagery. Geographic Information System (GIS)
has emerged as a powerful tool for handling spatial and non-spatial geo-referenced data for
preparation and visualization of input and output, and for interaction with models. There is
considerable potential for the use of GIS technology as an aid to the soil erosion inventory with
reference to soil erosion modeling and erosion risk assessment.

A GIS can be used to scale up to regional levels and to quantify the differences in soil loss
estimates produced by different scales of soil mapping used as a data layer in the model. The
integrated use of remote sensing and GIS could help to assess quantitative soil loss at various
scales and also to identify areas that are at potential risk of soil erosion. (Saha atel., 1992).
Several studies showed the potential utility of GIS technique for quantitatively assessing soil
erosion hazard based on various models (Saha etal, 1992, shrestha, 1997, Suresh Kumar and
Sharma, 2005). Considering the inaccessibility of the hilly terrain if it is extensive area, RS is
essential to accommodate spatial variability and information. Spatial modelling involves the use
of GIS for representation of the conceptual model and performance of simple mathematical
computations on the stored GIS object attributes for displaying the results spatially.

2.5 SOIL EROSION AND SEDIMENTATION PROCESS

The natural soil erosion and sedimentation process is an important factor in the formation of the
surface features of the earth. These surface features, plant growth, and animal habitats are the
natural result of a slow, uniform process occurring over geologic time; however, uncontrolled
and/or accelerated erosion has damaging effects on the environment and compromises aesthetic
values important to site development.

Design of a soil erosion and sedimentation plan for a development project requires a fundamental
knowledge of the process itself. With a basic understanding of the principles of soil erosion and
sedimentation mechanics, the engineer can then plan and design efficient methods for erosion
and sediment control.

Soil erosion and sedimentation is a three-step process. First, the soil particles must be detached
from the soil mass. Water (or wind) must then contain sufficient energy for entraining and
transporting the particles. Finally, deposition occurs when the energy of the water (wind) is less
than the fluid shear resistance and gravitational forces acting on the sediment particles. The keyto
erosion and sediment control is to prevent initial detachment of the soil particles and reduce the
velocity of the runoff.

2.6 causes of soil erosion :

1. Soil Texture:

Small grain and open structure soil erodes more than the larger grain and closed structure soil.

2. Ground Slope:

Steeper slope ground erodes more than the ground having mild slope due to increased speed of
run off than infiltration.

3. Intensity and amount of rainfall:

More the intensity of rainfall more will be the soil erosion.

4. Mismanaged utilization of soil resources:

The soil erosion is enhanced by improper surface drainage, removal of forest litter, overgrazing
etc.

5. Distribution of rainfall and landscape:

If the ground surface is such that rainfall distributes evenly, there is not plenty rainfall, the
erosion will be less.

6. Deforestation:

It is one of the major factors responsible for Soil erosion. Removal of forest cover which function
as a binder of the top layer of the soil with increasing land demand have resulted in enhancing
extent of soil erosion.

2.7 Effects of Soil Erosion:

Soil erosion impacts the agricultural industry as well as the natural environment. The effects of
soil erosion can be felt both on-site, meaning at the site of soil disruption, or off-site, meaning the
location where the eroded soil deposits. Let's start by building our understanding of the impact of
soil erosion on-site. When the topsoil is eroded from an area, that area loses its most nutrient-rich
layer, and therefore soil quality is reduced.

Poor soil quality means smaller crop yields and may even wash away seeds and small plants.
This may call for more of a need for artificial fertilizers and pesticides, which can run off of
fields and contaminate waterways. Also, when the organic matter that is found within the top
layer of soil is removed, it can weaken the soil's ability to hold water, leaving the field
susceptible to weather conditions such as droughts.

The soil that is carried away has to go somewhere, and this leads to off-site problems. As
mentioned, when soil is carried away from a farmer's field by water, it carries with it
contaminants, such as fertilizers and pesticides. This runoff can cause water pollution that
contaminates drinking water and disrupts ecosystems of lakes and wetlands. This negatively
impacts the fish and wildlife that depend on these downstream waters for food and habitat.
Sediments that accumulate down slope of the erosion can obstruct the flow of water in streams
and drainage canals, leading to flooding.

As we see, much of the effects of soil erosion are the result of water erosion. But, wind erosion
can also transport topsoil and weaken soil quality. Wind can also damage young seedlings by
blasting them with sand and other small particles. Wind also distributes topsoil, which might
uncover and expose some seedlings, while at the same time, burying other seedlings too deep.
Also, when farmer's fields undergo excessive tillage, meaning that the field is worked too hard in
preparation for planting, the soil structure can be lost, making it more susceptible to erosion.

CHAPTER - 4

METHODOLOGY

3.1 Materials and Methods:

In order to meet objectives of the study, the methodology followed and

the materials used are discussed in the following heads.

Acquisition of satellite and ancillary data

Computer software

Field survey instruments

Spatial database generation: Thematic maps

Thematic maps showing watershed boundary, drainage pattern, land use/land cover, soil and
terrain slope maps were generated of the watershed.

The use of USLE:

The USLE is the most commonly used estimator of soil loss caused by overland erosion. The
equation is based on an extensive set of more than 10,000 plot years of runoff and soil loss data
from experimental centres in the eastern USA. It was developed to predict average annual soil
loss from sheet and rill erosion, not gully or other forms of erosion. The USLE may properly be
used to (Wishmeier, 1978; Okalp, 2005; Ozcan, 2008; Sawet et al., 2011):
1) Predict average annual soil movement from a given field slope under specified land use and
management conditions
2) Guide the selection of conservation practices for specific sites
3) Estimate the reduction in soil loss that would result from a change in cropping or conservation
practice
4) Determine how conservation practices may be applied or altered to allow more intensive
cultivation
5) Estimate soil losses from land use areas other than agricultural purposes
6) Provide soil loss estimation for determining conservation needs (Shahram and Leroy, 2001).
The USLE, derived empirically, is (Lal, 1994):
A = R * K * L * S* C* P

where,
A = Annual soil loss (tons/acre) resulting from sheet and rill erosion. This is the predicted value
resulting from the execution of the equation above.
R= Rainfall - runoff erosivity factor. This factor measures the effect of rainfall on erosion. The
R factor is a summation of the various properties of rainfall including intensity, duration, sizeetc.
It is computed using the rainfall energy and the maximum 30 minutes intensity (EI30).
K= Soil erodibility factor. The soil erodibility factor measures the resistance of the soil to
detachment and transportation by raindrop impact and surface runoff. Soil erodibility is a
function of the inherent soil properties, including organic matter content, particle size,
permeability, etc. Because these properties vary within a given soil, erodibility (K values) also
varies.
L= Slope length factor. This factor accounts for the effects of slope length on the rate of erosion.
S = Slope steepness factor. This factor accounts for the effects of slope angle on erosion rates.
All things being equal, higher slope values have greater erosion rates.
C = Cover management factor. Accounts for the influence of soil and cover management, such as
tillage practices, cropping types, crop rotation, fallow, etc..., on soil erosion rates
P = Erosion control factor. Accounts for the influence of support practices such as contouring,
strip cropping, terracing, etc...
Once these factors have been determined for a field of interest A can be computed. Also, the
equation can be used to determine the desired cover management factor (C ) or erosion control
(P) if the allowable soil erosion rates are known. Thus, you can use the RUSLE to simulate the
impact of changes in land use and land cover on soil erosion... anthropogenic impacts on the
environment.

3.2 GENERAL METHOD OF PREVENTION OF SOIL

EROSION:
Vegetation: The simplest and most natural way to prevent erosion is through planting vegetation.
Plants establish root systems, which stabilizes soil and prevents soil erosion.soil erosion

Geotextiles: Using geotextiles is an effective method because it also stabilizes soil. When used in
conjunction with growing vegetation, it is even more effective. There are three main types of
geotextiles: woven, nonwoven, and coir.

Mulch/Fertilizer: Applying a layer of mulch to the soil top allows the soil to slowly soak up
water, as it protects against rain impact, and restores pH levels helping with erosion prevention.

Retaining Walls: Retaining walls can be built around the area of erosion to prevent water run off.
Runoff water leads to further erosion, and if used with other methods, retaining walls can be a
very effective way to prevent soil erosion.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

we can find out highly susceptible erosion prone area in catchment with help of GIS and Remote
sensing. USLE MODEL will use to estimate soil loss in the catchment , and also use to make
soil erosion mapping.

One of our most important natural resources is soil. The factor which most damages and reduces
its productivity is soil erosion. Soil erosion causes serious financial losses in the countries whose
economies are dependent on the efficiency and workability of soils. Some developed countries in
the world produce various soil erosion models by taking the specifications of their own area into
consideration.

conclusion:
Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing are emerging most effective tools
for analyzing spatial distributed information in a vast area now a days. The use of the USLE
model integrated to GIS and RS is an effective tool than the time consuming conventional
methods for assessing the soil loss vulnerability in a basin’s scale. The all USLE parameter R, K,
LS, C and P factor maps is combined together for creating the annual average soil loss map of
watershed. there are many other factors which also effect the soil erosion process example wind,
temperature, etc . but main effective agent is flowing water . off - take effect of soil erosion is
reducing useful life of reservoir due to sediment deposition.

⋅ Loss of soil fertility. In view of rising energy prices the production of food and biomass within
the European Union’s territory is gaining importance. As a consequence the demand for
productive soils is growing.

⋅ Increasing flood risk. It is an emerging issue which can best be mitigated by conservingthe
water storage capacity of soils, either directly (limiting sealing) or indirectly (e.g.through green
roofs).

⋅ Impacts from urban sprawl. Urban sprawl is the most common form of land take and is
understood as a low-density expansion of urban areas into the surrounding agricultural areas
leading to an increase in traffic and air emissions, infrastructure costs for the municipality
concerned and in many cases also in the loss of high-quality agricultural land.

REFERENCES:

1. Millward, A. and Mersey, J. (1999) Adapting the RUSLE to Model Soil Erosion Potential in a
Mountainous Tropical Watershed. Catena

2. Pimetel, D. (1993). Overview. In: World Erosion and Conservation, Pimetel, D. (ed.).

3. R. P. C. Morgan 1986. Soil Erosion and Conservation, ix + 298 pp. First published 1986, a
revised and enlarged edition of Soil Erosion, first published in 1979. Harlow: Longman;
distributed in USA by John Wiley

4. Field measurement of soil erosion and runoff by Norman Hudson Published 1993 .

5. Herweg, K., Stillhardt, B., 1999. The Variability of Soil Erosionin the Highlands of Ethiopia
and Eritrea. Average and ExtremeErosion Patterns

6. Khajehee, A., Broshkeh, A., Sokouti, R. & Arzabkhedri, M. (2001) Study on application of
empirical model of MUSLE inShahrchai watershed, In: Proceedings National Seminar on Land
Management, Soil Erosion and Sustainable Development (21–23 January 2002. Arak, Iran).

7. Morgan, R.P.C., 1995. Soil Erosion and Conservation. Addison-Wesley Longman, Edinburgh.

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the representation of geostatistically mapped soil attributes. Eur. J. Soil Sci.

McBratney, A.B., Odeh, I.O.A., Bishop, T.F.A., Dunbar, M.S., Shatar, T.M., 2000. An
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McBratney, A.B., Minasny, B., Viscarra Rossel, R.A., 2006. Spectral soil analysis and inference
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