Quantify distribution of topsoil erodibility factor for watersheds that feed the Al-Shewicha trough – Iraq using GIS

Abstract

Soil functions such as water storage, soil filtration, and reducing reservoir life due to sediment load are directly affected by the process of “soil erosion.” The Universal Soil Loss Equation was adopted to predict the erodibility factor for watersheds feeding the Al-Shewicha trough. The K-average factor’s determined value was 0.156, indicating that the K-factor had substantial variability. The K-factor for erodibility values was linked to the high sand content in the topsoil of the study area because of the high sand content of the topsoil. The topsoil is coarse-textured and then permeable. ArcGIS (geographic information system) was used to obtain the distribution of soil types as well as the erodibility factor distribution.

Keywords

• erodibility
• factor
• watershed
• al-shewicha
• trough