Measuring the Land Use Based Risk of Soil Erosion in a Mining-Dominated landscape in Northern Iran

Abstract

This study assessed the occurrence risk of soil erosion in a mining-dominated landscape in Qazvin Province, northern Iran using the Land Use Impact Model (LUIM) and MPSIAC model. The LUIM employs two concepts for estimating the soil erosion risk: Likelihood and Consequence. Likelihood was estimated spatially by integrating the maps of soil susceptibility to erosion, derived from a simultaneous analysis of slope, runoff curve number, and NDVI maps, and current land use management practices. In turn, Consequence was measured by combining soil sensitivity to erosion (according to soil depth), and the socio-economic and environmental value of different land uses. Likelihood was found to be high over abandoned rainfed and mining lands and low in rangelands. All mining areas and parts of rainfed lands and rangelands, covering 35% of the region, were classified as high in terms of Consequence. According to the final soil risk map, over 60% of the region distributed across all mining areas and parts of rangelands as well as the rainfed and irrigated lands, was found to have a moderate risk of soil erosion. The results showed that the ratio of mining sizes to their relevant hydrological basins size had a significant correlation with specific erosion, and special sediment (p < 0.01). Overall, extensive surface mining activities were found to be a major soil erosion driver requiring effective post-mining rehabilitation plans.

Keywords

• risk assessment
• mining areas
• rangeland
• land use impact model
• soil erosion likelihood
• mpsiac