Modeling soil erosion in the Chagan river basin of the west Kazakhstan with using RUSLE and GIS tools

Abstract

Aim: The paperfocuses on the soil erosion, which is one of the most important agricultural problems in Kazakhstan. The aim of the study is to evaluate and map the erosion-free zone for the preservation of the water reservoir and quality soils in the Chagan River basin in the region of Western Kazakhstan. Thanks to this, it will be possible to implement erosion prevention measures. Methodology: In the study, the RUSLE formula was used to determine soil erosion to assess and map soil erosion processes in the studied region. The RUSLE formula has been integrated with the use of GIS includes various settings. The research presents an algorithm for detecting soil treatment in the Chagan river basin using geoinformation systems. Results: The research allowed to assess the soil erosion rate. The erosion rate on 67% of the area in the Chagan River basin is 0-0.01 tons ha-1 yr-1, at 23% - 0.1-0.5 tons ha-1 yr-1, at 5% - 0.5-1% - 2 tons ha-1 yr-1, at 3% -1.2-2.5 tons ha-1 yr-1, only 2% of the river basin erosion occurs at the level of 2.5 to 13 tons ha-1 yr-1. Interpretation: Based on the trend of annual loss of soil erodibility in the Chagan River basin, it has identified the need for preventive and remediation measures in the area. The study showed that GIS methods allowed accurate definition of spatial distribution of RUSLE parameters. It is also a simple and cheap tool for soil erosion modelling, the risk for erosion potential and risk for the hazardous area that can be difficult to observe on the ground.