Analysis of Soil Erosion Risk in a River Basin – A Case Study from Hogoshti River Basin (Kosovo)

Abstract

Geological settings, climatic conditions, terrain characteristics especially slope angle and length, climatic condition, land cover and land use, other river system parameters like stream density, bifurcation ratio, stream length, drainage texture etc., are the main factors that contribute to soil erosion and potential risk. Land cover and land use plays an important role in soil erosion risk. Hogoshti River basin lies in eastern part of Kosovo. It is distinguished with two main terrains: hilly mountainous with metamorphic rocks of Neoproterozoic age in north, and plain with terrigenous rocks of young geological age in the south. Continental climate conditions with high intensity rainfall during summer, and a river system with average stream density, high bifurcation values, small values of stream intensity, elongated form of the basin in combination with high distribution in hilly-mountainous areas with seminatural vegetation have indicated dominantly low and moderate erosion risk to the basin, with potential to high rate. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) was used as an important equation to analyze and determine the areas with soil erosion risk. With input of model factors soil erosion risk map was created, and results show that in Hogoshti River basin dominates soils with moderate and low erosion risk. In recent years, the area is depopulated which means land conservation techniques aren’t practicing.

Keywords

• soil erosion risk
• rusle model
• input factors
• river basin indices
• hogoshti river basin