ABSTRACT Accurate estimation of soil erosion at regional scale is essential to preserve fertile soils. Assessing soil erosion is crucial to plan conservation works in a river basin. The Shimsha basin is predominantly an agricultural basin, which faces soil erosion issues. This research evaluates the soil loss in the Shimsha basin, Karnataka, India, using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) together with geographic information system (GIS) methods and remotely sensed (RS) data. RS data are used to obtain the important parameters of the RUSLE model, whereas GIS is used for mapping areas that are susceptible to erosion. Input datasets of rainfall, soil maps, land use land cover (LULC), and digital elevation model (DEM) are employed to calculate the corresponding RUSLE model factors. In the GIS setting, these factors—topography, rainfall erosivity, erodibility of soil, cover management, and conservation practices—are computed and merged to evaluate spatial patterns of soil loss throughout the watersheds. The estimated soil loss in the Shimsha basin varies from 0 to 4669.4 t ha −1 year −1 , and the annual mean total soil loss has been approximated to 2.81 million tonnes per year and an average soil loss of 3.24 t ha −1 year −1 . The findings indicate that soil erosion rates are highest in intensively cultivated areas and mountainous regions that have sparse vegetation and steep slopes. RUSLE and GIS integration approach offers a dependable estimate of soil loss. The results help in identification of priority areas, enabling effective planning along with execution of sustainable soil management activities.
Bharath et al. (Sun,) studied this question.