IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science | 2021
Soil erosion mapping using GIS based model in agricultural area of Progo watershed, Central Java, Indonesia
Abstract
Soil erosion remains a strenuous problem for agricultural practices, particularly in tropical regions as happened in Indonesia. This study aimed to investigate the distribution of soil erosion in agricultural areas of a tropical watershed. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model in a Geographic Information System (GIS) was used for soil erosion assessment. RUSLE model parameters were collected from various sources. Soil erosion was classified into five classes such as very low (0-15 t ha−1 yr−1), low (15-60 t ha−1 yr−1), moderate (60-180 t ha−1 yr−1), heavy (180-480 t ha−1 yr−1), and very heavy (>480 t ha−1 yr−1). The result showed that the average soil erosion in the study site was 71.1 t ha−1 yr−1. More than 50% of the study site was occupied by very low class soil erosion, while heavy and very heavy class soil erosion occupied more than 20% of the study site. The finding of this study provides a useful reference for soil erosion control and studies.