Application of the Adapted Approach for Crop Management Factor to Assess Soil Erosion Risk in an Agricultural Area of Rwanda

Albert Poponi Maniraho, Richard Mind’je, Wenjiang Liu, Vincent Nzabarinda, Patient Mindje Kayumba, Lamek Nahayo, Adeline Umugwaneza, Solange Uwamahoro and Lanhai Li
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Albert Poponi Maniraho: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 818 South Beijing Road, Urumqi 830011, China
Richard Mind’je: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 818 South Beijing Road, Urumqi 830011, China
Wenjiang Liu: CAS Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia, 818 South Beijing Road, Urumqi 830011, China
Vincent Nzabarinda: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 818 South Beijing Road, Urumqi 830011, China
Patient Mindje Kayumba: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 818 South Beijing Road, Urumqi 830011, China
Lamek Nahayo: Faculty of Environmental sciences, University of Lay Adventists of Kigali (UNILAK), Kigali 6392, Rwanda
Adeline Umugwaneza: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 818 South Beijing Road, Urumqi 830011, China
Solange Uwamahoro: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 818 South Beijing Road, Urumqi 830011, China
Lanhai Li: State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 818 South Beijing Road, Urumqi 830011, China

Land, 2021, vol. 10, issue 10, 1-24

Abstract: Land use and land cover (LULC) management influences the severity of soil erosion risk. However, crop management (C) is one factor of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model that should be taken into account in its determination, as it influences soil loss rate estimations. Thus, the present study applied an adapted C-factor estimation approach (CvkA) modified from the former approach (Cvk) to assess the impact of LULC dynamics on soil erosion risk in an agricultural area of Rwanda taking the western province as a case study. The results disclosed that the formerly used Cvk was not suitable, as it tended to overestimate C-factor values compared with the values obtained from t CvkA. An approximated mean soil loss of 15.1 t ha −1 yr −1 , 47.4 t ha −1 yr −1 , 16.3 t ha −1 yr −1 , 66.8 t ha −1 yr −1 and 15.3 t ha −1 yr −1 in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2018, respectively, was found. The results also indicated that there was a small increase in mean annual soil loss from 15.1 t ha −1 yr −1 in 2000 to 15.3 t ha −1 yr −1 in 2018 (1.3%). Moreover, the soil erosion risk categories indicated that about 57.5%, 21.8%, 64.9%, 15.5% and 73.8% had a sustainable soil erosion rate tolerance (≤10 t ha −1 yr −1 ), while about 42.5%, 78.2%, 35.1%, 84.5% and 16.8% had an unsustainable mean soil erosion rate (>10 t ha −1 yr −1 ) in 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2018, respectively. A major portion of the area fell under the high and very high probability zones, whereas only a small portion fell under the very low, low, moderate and extremely high probability zones. Therefore, the CvkA approach presents the most suitable alternative to estimate soil loss in the western province of Rwanda with reasonable soil loss prediction results. The study area needs urgent intervention for soil conservation planning, taking into account the implementation of effective conservation practices such as terracing for soil erosion control.

Keywords: GIS; modeling; probability zones; remote sensing; RUSLE; Rwanda; soil loss (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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