Abstract
Soil erosion is considered one of the main degradation processes in ecosystems located in developing countries. In northern Mexico, one of the most important hydrological regions is the Conchos River Basin (CRB) due to its utilization as a runoff source. However, the CRB is subjected to significant erosion processes due to natural and anthropogenic causes. Thus, classifying the CRB’s watersheds based on their erosion susceptibility is of great importance. This study classified and then prioritized the 31 watersheds composing the CRB. For that, multivariate techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA), group analysis (GA), and the ranking methodology known as compound parameter (Cp) were used. After a correlation analysis, the values of 26 from 33 geomorphometric parameters estimated from each watershed served for the evaluation. The PCA defined linear-type parameters as the main source of variability among the watersheds. The GA and the Cp were effective for grouping the watersheds in five groups, and provided the information for the spatial analysis. The GA methodology best classified the watersheds based on the variance of their parameters. The group with the highest prioritization and erosion susceptibility included watersheds RH24Lf, RH24Lb, RH24Nc, and RH24Jb. These watersheds are potential candidates for the implementation of soil conservation practices.
Highlights
Soil erosion is considered one of the most important degradation processes in the world [1,2]
The application of group analysis (GA) and compound parameter (Cp) methodologies allowed integrating a large set of geomorphometric parameters, which served to classify watersheds according to their characteristics
GA more effectively clustered the watersheds of the Conchos River Basin than Cp, since the groups formed by GA were more differentiated based on the analysis of the watersheds’ geomorphometric parameters
Summary
Soil erosion is considered one of the most important degradation processes in the world [1,2]. Conservation, and restoration is one of today’s main challenges for humankind. The production of goods and satisfiers for the population such as wood, food, fiber, fodder, water, and recreational areas, among others, in addition to industrial expansion and the need for infrastructure facilities, have increased land-use/land-cover changes, increasing the pressure over the soil [5]. This has caused experts to pay more attention to the growing trend of soil erosion and the importance of water and soil conservation for achieving sustainable development
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