Benggang (collapsing hill) erosion hazard zoning based on the minimum cumulative resistance model: A case study of a small watershed in Anxi County, Fujian, China

Abstract

In order to understand the possibility and spatial pattern of Benggang (collapsing hill) erosion in risk assessment and distinguish the primary and secondary areas in Benggang prevention, we took a small watershed in Anxi County (Fujian, China) as the study area and Benggang as the source, and constructed the Benggang expansion resistance surface using the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model and divided the risk zoning. The results showed that the area around Benggang displayed a low resistance value, while the northwest and southeast areas displayed a high resistance value. The Benggang expansion resistance surface had an island type form. Based on resistance surface, the research region was divided into very high-risk, high-risk, medium risk, low-risk and very low-risk zones. We proposed corresponding Benggang management suggestions for those zones. A total of 21 strategic saddle points were extracted based on the resistance surface morphology. The strategic points in the lower safety zone were considered as the priority areas for Benggang prevention. We compared the hazard results based on the MCR model and the information quantity method. These results were consistent in spatial distribution, indicating the reliability of the results of hazard zoning by the MCR model.