Effect of Soil Infiltration Capacity, Soil Texture and Rainfall on Soil Erosion Occurring under Different Land Use Land Cover (LULC) in Miandam Valley Swat, Pakistan
Effect of Soil Infiltration Capacity, Soil Texture and Rainfall on Soil Erosion Occurring under Different Land Use Land Cover (LULC) in Miandam Valley Swat, Pakistan
Nowsher Yousaf1*, Bushra Khan1, Dennis Flanagan2 and Ishaq Ahmad Mian3
ABSTRACT
Soil erosion is one of the major threats to the soil of Miandam valley, Swat Pakistan. The soil of the valley is one of the most fragile and vulnerable to erosion. The main objective of this research was to investigate the effect of soil infiltration capacity, soil texture and rainfall on soil erosion occurring under various land use land cover (LULC) in the study area. Soil erosion was monitored through erosion pipes over the period from 2016 to 2017 in three different vegetation density zones i.e. dense forest, moderate forest and agriculture land. Results showed that the amount of rainfall, soil texture and soil infiltration capacity were important factors affecting soil erosion. The sandy clay loam soils of dense forest lands had a relatively small intensity of erosion (2.1 mm.yr-1) due to mean annual rainfall of 31.46 mm.yr-1 with high soil infiltration capacity value of 19.8 cm/h while the sandy clay loam soils of moderate forest lands having soil infiltration capacity value of 16.4 cm/h have mean annual erosion of 2.9 mm.yr-1due to mean annual rainfall of 31.46 mm.yr-1. The highest soil erosion (4.6 mm.yr-1) occurs at sandy loam soil of agriculture lands having lowest soil infiltration capacity value of 11.4 cm/hwith mean annual rainfall of 31.46 mm.yr-1. As soil erosion is greatly impacted by vegetation cover therefore renewed hydrological situation encouraged by vegetation cover and insights into soil erosion processes can highlight useful design for new strategies on management of erosion and restoration of ecosystem.
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December 2020
Vol. 39, Iss. 2, pp. 127-179
