Soil Erosion Reduction by Implementing a Carbon Sequestration Project in East of Iran
الموضوعات :Atefeh Gholami 1 , Amir Sadoddin 2 , Majid Ownegh 3 , Mohsen Hosseinalizadeh 4 , Alireza Yari 5
1 - PhD Candidate at Gorgan Univ. of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
2 - Associate Professor, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Department of Watershed and Arid Zone Management
3 - Professor, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Department of Watershed and Arid Zone Management
4 - Assistant Professor, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Department of Watershed and Arid Zone Management
5 - Executive Manager of Carbon Sequestration Project, General Office South Khorasan
الکلمات المفتاحية: Carbon sequestration, Erosion, Afforestation, Water Harvesting, Over-sowing,
ملخص المقالة :
In this research, the impact of a carbon sequestration project, in the Hossein Abad Plain in Southern Khorasan Province of Iran, on the status of water and wind erosion was evaluated. The study area has a harsh climatic condition with low annual precipitation and is prone to well-known 120-day winds in summer. Since 2005, various soil conservation treatments (plantations, over-sowing, plantation aided by semi-circular rainwater harvesting structures) have been implemented in the area. The importance of this research is that so far there was no comprehensive assessment to indicate the impact of soil conversation measures on soil erosion. Therefore, current research aims to evaluate the effect of the carbon sequestration project on soil erosion during 2004 - 2016. Therefore, water and wind erosion was assessed by the Universal Soil Erosion (USLE) model and Iranian Research Institute of Forest and Rangelands Ekhtessasi – Ahmadi (IRIFR-E.A.) model, respectively. The general trend of water erosion using the USLE model indicates a reduction in soil erosion by greater than 19.9 t. ha-1. yr-1 over the whole study area which is larger than 2300 km2. Accordingly, all treatments had a significant impact on erosion in the study area whereby the greatest reduction in annual rate of erosion occurred in over-sown areas (by 5.92 t. ha-1. yr-1). The lowest erosion rate in 2016 was observed in the afforested areas (3.0 t. ha-1. yr-1). Wind erosion during 2004-2016 was improved from moderate and high erosion intensity classes to the low class in treated areas. According to the results of the USLE and IRIFR-E.A. models, the implemented carbon sequestration project has effectively reduced soil erosion in the study area. Therefore, the continuation of these treatments as well as extension programs to empower local communities is highly recommended.
Ahmadi, H, Ekhtesasi, M. R., and Hemati, N. A., 2007. Estimation and comparison of water and wind erosion sedimentation potential by MPSIAC and IRIFR-E.A. models in semi-arid regions (Case study: Nematabad Watershed in Birjand). Iranian J Nat. Res. 60(1): 1-11
Akbari, M., Ownegh, M., Asgari, H. R., and Khosravi, H., 2016. Soil erosion risk assessment using the CORINE Model (Case Study: Semi-Arid Region in Golestan Province, Iran). Des. Ecos. Eng. J., 5(12), 63-78.
Arnoldus, H. M. J., 1980. An approximation of the rainfall factor in the Universal Soil Loss Equation. In (pp. 127-132). Chichester: John Wiley and Sons Ltd.
Astorga, R. T., de los Santos Villalobos, S., Velasco, H., Domínguez-Quintero, O., Cardoso, R. P., dos Anjos, R. M., and Mabit, L., 2018. Exploring innovative techniques for identifying geochemical elements as fingerprints of sediment sources in an agricultural catchment of Argentina affected by soil erosion. Env. Sci. Pol. Res., 25(21), 20868–20879.
Bayramin, I., Basaran, M., Erpul, G., Dolarslan, M., and Canga, M. R., 2009. Comparison of soil organic carbon content, hydraulic conductivity, and particle size fractions between a grassland and a nearby black pine plantation of 40 years in two surface depths. Env. Geo. 56(8), 1563-1575.
Ben, R., Hermassi, T., and Habaieb, H., 2018. Water erosion modeling in a Mediterranean semi-arid catchment using USLE/GIS (El Gouazine, Central Tunisia). J. New Sci., 50, 3071-3081.
Dabral, P. P., Baithuri, N., and Pandey, A., 2008. Soil erosion assessment in a hilly catchment of North Eastern India using USLE, GIS and remote sensing. Water Res. Manage., 22(12), 1783-1798.
De Roo, A. P. J., 1996. Soil erosion assessment using GIS. In Geographical information systems in hydrology (pp. 339-356). Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer.
Esrey, S. A., and Habicht, J. P., 1988. Maternal literacy modifies the effect of toilets and piped water on infant survival in Malaysia. Am. J. Epidemiol., 127(5), 1079-1087.
Flanagan, D. C., and Nearing, M. A., 1995. USDA-Water Erosion Prediction Project: Hillslope profile and watershed model documentation (Vol. 10). NSERL report.
Fryrear, D. W., and Bilbro, J. D., 2018. Mechanics, modeling, and controlling soil erosion by wind. In Advances in Soil and Water Conservation (pp. 39-49). New York, USA: Routledge.
Fryrear, D. W., Sutherland, P. L., Davis, G., Hardee, G., and Dollar, M., 1999. Wind erosion estimates with RWEQ and WEQ. Paper presented at the Proceedings of Conference Sustaining the Global Farm, 10th International Soil Conservation Organization Meeting, May 24-29, 1999, Purdue University.
Gholami, M., 2014. Comparison of Wind Erosion Potential in Agricultural and Non-Agricultural Lands Using IRIFR Model in the Mokhtaran Plain Sarbisheh. (M.Sc.), University of Zabol, Iran. 132 pages. (In Persian)
Hosseinalizadeh, M., and Seyedalipour, H., 2009. Temporal changes of wind erosion a case study of the site of an international carbon sequestration project in Hossein Abad Ghinab. Paper presented at the 5th National Conference on Watershed Management Sciences and Engineering, 23-25 May, 2009, Karaj, Iran. (In Persian)
Ildermi, A. R., and Moradi, M., 2016. Assessment of wind erosion severity using the IRIFR-EA model (in Ghahavand Plain of Hamedan Province). J. Geog. Plan., 21(60), 43-60.
Ildermi, A. R., Moradi, M., and Ghorbani, M., 2018. Invest the Effect of the Intensity of Wind Erosion and Desertification on the Destruction of the Habitat of Hamedan Region. J. Geog. Plan., 29(1), 21-42.
Kitahara, H., Okura, Y., Sammori, T., and Kawanami, A., 2000. Application of universal soil loss equation (USLE) to mountainous forests in Japan. J. For. Res., 5(4), 231-236.
Li, Z., Liu, C., Dong, Y., Chang, X., Nie, X., Liu, L., and Zeng, G., 2017. Response of soil organic carbon and nitrogen stocks to soil erosion and land use types in the Loess hilly–gully region of China. Soil Till. Res., 166, 1-9.
Lovrić, N., and Tošić, R., 2018. Assessment of soil erosion and sediment yield using erosion potential method: case study-Vrbas River basin (B&H). Bull. Serb. Geog. Soc., 98(1).
McCool, D. K., Brown, L. C., Foster, G. R., Mutchler, C. K., and Meyer, L. D., 1987. Revised slope steepness factor for the Universal Soil Loss Equation. Trans. ASAE, 30(5), 1387-1396.
Munro, R. N., Deckers, J., Haile, M., Grove, A. T., Poesen, J., and Nyssen, J., 2008. Soil landscapes, land cover change and erosion features of the Central Plateau region of Tigrai, Ethiopia: photo-monitoring with an interval of 30 years. Catena, 75(1), 55-64.
Pandey, A., Chowdary, V. M., and Mal, B. C., 2009. Sediment yield modelling of an agricultural watershed using MUSLE, remote sensing and GIS. Paddy Water Env., 7(2), 105-113.
Rezaei, M., Sameni, A., Shamsi, S. R. F., and Bartholomeus, H., 2016. Remote sensing of land use/cover changes and its effect on wind erosion potential in southern Iran. Peer J, 4, e1948.
Rotich, H., Onwonga, R., Mbau, J., and Koech, O., 2018. Soil Organic Carbon Content and Stocks in Relation to Grazing Management in Semi-Arid Grasslands of Kenya. J. Rang. Sci., 8(2), 143-155.
Sadoddin, A., Akhzari, D., and Sheikh, V., 2011. Prediction of the vegetation management impacts on reduction of wind erosion risk in the southern parts of the Varamin Plain, Iran. Desert, 16(2), 131–140.
Sheikh, V. B., Jafari Shalamzari, M., Farajollahi, A., and Fazli, P., 2016. Soil erosion under simulated rainfall in loess lands with emphasis on land-use, slope and aspect. Ecopersia, 4(2), 1395–1409.
Tangestani, M. H., 2006. Comparison of EPM and PSIAC models in GIS for erosion and sediment yield assessment in a semi-arid environment: Afzar Catchment, Fars Province, Iran. J. Asian Earth Sci., 27(5), 585–597.
Walling, D. E., and He, Q., 1999. Improved models for estimating soil erosion rates from cesium-137 measurements. J. Env. Qual., 28(2), 611-622.
Wischmeier, W. H., and Smith, D. D., 1965. Predicting rainfall-erosion losses from cropland east of the Rocky Mountains: Guide for selection of practices for soil and water conservation (Vol. 282). Washington, USA: Agricultural Research Service, US Department of Agriculture Washington DC.
Wischmeier, W. H., and Smith, D. D., 1978. Predicting rainfall erosion losses-a guide to conservation planning. Maryland, USA: USDA, Science and Education Administration.
Zadsar, M., and Azimi, M., 2016. Using SWAT Model to Investigate the Impact of Rangeland Management Practices on Water Conservation (Case Study: Gorganroud Watershed, Golestan, Iran). J. Rang. Sci., 6(4), 309-319.
Zhang, Y., Degroote, J., Wolter, C., and Sugumaran, R., 2009. Integration of Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation (MUSLE) into a GIS framework to assess soil erosion risk. Land Deg. Develop. 20(1), 84-91.
