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Soil erodibility mapping using the RUSLE model to prioritize erosion control in the Wadi Sahouat basin, North-West of Algeria

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Abstract

Soil losses must be quantified over watersheds in order to set up protection measures against erosion. The main objective of this paper is to quantify and to map soil losses in the Wadi Sahouat basin (2140 km2) in the north-west of Algeria, using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model assisted by a Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing. The Model Builder of the GIS allowed the automation of the different operations for establishing thematic layers of the model parameters: the erosivity factor (R), the erodibility factor (K), the topographic factor (LS), the crop management factor (C), and the conservation support practice factor (P). The average annual soil loss rate in the Wadi Sahouat basin ranges from 0 to 255 t ha−1 year−1, maximum values being observed over steep slopes of more than 25% and between 600 and 1000 m elevations. 3.4% of the basin is classified as highly susceptible to erosion, 4.9% with a medium risk, and 91.6% at a low risk. Google Earth reveals a clear conformity with the degree of zones to erosion sensitivity. Based on the soil loss map, 32 sub-basins were classified into three categories by priority of intervention: high, moderate, and low. This priority is available to sustain a management plan against sediment filling of the Ouizert dam at the basin outlet. The method enhancing the RUSLE model and confrontation with Google Earth can be easily adapted to other watersheds.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Nature and Life Sciences, Water and Environment Laboratory, Hassiba Benbouali University of Chlef, P. Box 151, Hay Salem, 02000, Chlef, Algeria

    Abderrezak Kamel Toubal & Mohammed Achite

  2. LEGOS, IRD, CNRS, CNES, UPS, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France

    Sylvain Ouillon

  3. Department of Information Systems with Spatial Reference, Center for Spatial Techniques, 1 Avenue of the Palestine, 31200, Arzew, Oran, Algeria

    Abdelatif Dehni

Authors
  1. Abderrezak Kamel Toubal
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  2. Mohammed Achite
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  3. Sylvain Ouillon
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  4. Abdelatif Dehni
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Abderrezak Kamel Toubal.

APPENDIX

APPENDIX

Appendix 1

Giandotti (1937) proposed to calculate the concentration time by:

$$ {T}_{\mathrm{c}}=\frac{4\sqrt{A}+\left(1,5{L}_{\mathrm{c}\mathrm{p}}\right)}{0,8\ \sqrt{H_{\mathrm{av}}-{H}_{\mathrm{min}}}} $$
(A1)

where Tc is the time concentration of the watershed (h), A is the watershed area (km2), Lcp is the length of the main stream (km), Hav is the mean altitude of the basin (m), and Hmin is the minimum altitude of the basin (m).

Appendix 2

The slope index of a drainage basin decreases with increasing basin area. It is thus difficult to compare the slope index of basins of different areas. For that purpose, Dubreuil and Guiscafre (1971) introduced the specific height difference (D s ), its name being originally “Dénivelé spécifique,” expressed (in m) and calculated by:

$$ {D}_{\mathrm{s}}={I}_{\mathrm{g}}\sqrt{A} $$
(A2)

where Ig is the global slope index (in %) and A the basin area (in km2). Appendix Table 13 indicates the ORSTOM classification of basin relief based on the specific height difference.

Table 13. Classification of relief based on Ds (Dubreuil and Guiscafre 1971)
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Toubal, A.K., Achite, M., Ouillon, S. et al. Soil erodibility mapping using the RUSLE model to prioritize erosion control in the Wadi Sahouat basin, North-West of Algeria. Environ Monit Assess 190, 210 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-018-6580-z

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