Soil erosion assessment of Slovakia at a regional scale using GIS

Suri M., Cebecauer T., Hofierka J., Fulajtar E.: Soil erosion assessment of Slovakia at a regional scale using GIS. Ekologia (Bratislava), Vol. 21, No. 4, 404-422, 2002. The study presents an assessment of potential and actual soil erosion at a regional scale (1:500 000) covering the whole area of Slovakia (49 030 km(2)) by the GIS data,integration and analysis. Potential soil erosion indicates the inherent susceptibility of land to erosion irrespective of contemporary existing land cover/management. Actual soil erosion refers to estimated contemporary erosion, taking into account the land cover and management practices that modify potential erosion. The calculation is based on principles defined in the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) modified for application at regional scale. Input parameters, derived from analytical GIS layers, were handled in raster data model with grid resolution 50 metres. Rainfall erosivity (R factor) was interpolated from calculated values of R factor on 82 meteorological stations. Soil credibility (K factor) was assessed from soil texture and relief parameters (L and S factors) from digital model of relief with resolution of 50 meters. The land cover/management (C) factor was derived from CORINE land cover database, where the class "arable land" was classified according to main crop groups and their acreage occupied. The factor of erosion control practises (P) was not considered. The results indicate that 75% of the territory is potentially endangered by soil erosion at various intensity. The actual erosion is most dangerous in hillylands, intramountainous basins, mountain footslopes and plateaux (about 55% of the country), where the majority of land became agriculturally utilised.