Relationships among environmental factors influencing soil erosion using GIS (Khiav Chay Watershed, Ardabil Province)

Abstract

One of the biggest problems of natural resources is soil erosion. Effective land management to prevent soil loss requires prediction for large areas. Usually, empirical relations are used for investigating soil erosion in watershed areas. The case study is took place in Khiav Chay Watershed, Ardabil Province. In the current study, environmental factors, influence in water erosion of the area, investigated in four categories, including topographic, soil & ground, vegetation and human factors. From environmental factors influencing soil erosion, NDVI, land use and drainage density were studied and related maps produced and compared in two time series using aerial photos (1968) and satellite images (2007). For estimating specific erosion, EPM model was used. Work unit map was made and crossed with environmental factors map as independent variables (NDVI, land use and drainage density) and specific erosion map as a dependent variable and then effective areas of each parameters specified.

Keywords

• Soil erosion
• environmental factor
• Erosion Potential Method
• Geographic Information System