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ARS Home » Midwest Area » West Lafayette, Indiana » National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #122842
Title: LAND DEGRADATION ASSESSMENT: TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES FOR MEASURING SEDIMENT LOAD

Author
item CASTRO, F - IAPAR, BRAZIL
item COCHRANE, T - BOLIVIA, IAPAR, BRAZIL
item Norton, Lloyd

Submitted to: International Conference on Land Degradation
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/1/2001
Publication Date: 9/17/2001
Citation: CASTRO, F.C., COCHRANE, T.A., NORTON, L.D. LAND DEGRADATION ASSESSMENT: TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES FOR MEASURING SEDIMENT LOAD. CD-ROM. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON LAND DEGRADATION. 2001.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The assessment of land degradation through the use of tools and techniques is discussed for the measurement of sediment load in regions of great agricultural potential, such as the Parana river basin. Land degradation for these prominent agricultural regions is defined as being the actions in land that decreases potential crop production over time. Assessment of land degradation by erosion (soil loss by water), chemical (carbon and nutrient depletion) and physical degradation (soil compaction and aggregation) and the causes of degradation (deforestation, overexploitation, overgrazing and agricultural activities) in these regions are addressed. The effects of land degradation through water erosion and its subsequent impact on rivers and reservoirs downstream are presented through the use of modeling tools and techniques. A methodology for the utilization of models such as RUSLE and WEPP to assess the risk of land degradation in large scale agricultural lands is presented as well as the techniques used for continuous monitoring of these regions. Issues and problems with the adaptation of a small scale erosion models to function as a large scale risk assessment tools are also addressed in greater detail. The integration of these models with tools such as geographic information systems and the use of various thematic maps derived from satellite imagery and land surveys to feed the models is an essential part of this methodology. The identification of high degradation risk areas will allow for better soil conservation projects where programs can be implemented to maintain a sustainable non-degrading agriculture in the region and thus, reduce the sediment load into rivers and lakes.