MONITORING LAND DEGRADATION In SOME AREAS In MENOUFIA GOVERNORATE, USING REMOTE SENSING AND GIS TECHNIQUES

Abstract

The current work was conducted in 2018/2019 aiming to get a recent information’s about the geomorphological and pedological characteristics of soils in Menouf province area, Menoufia governorate, Egypt. Also, monitoring and assessing were conducted for all types and rates of land degradation as well as the changes in land use/land cover, soil fertility and land capability evaluation between the years of 1967 and 2018 using Remote Sensing, GIS technologies and detailed field surveys The interpretation of satellite image of the study area indicated that, this area has a main Alluvial Plain geomorphic unit with nine landscape subunits. These subunits are High Terraces (19.4% from the studied area), Medium Terraces (15.3%), Low Terraces (24.6%), Over Flow Basin (25.6 %), Decantation Basin (7.9%), Meandering belt, Depression, Levee and Island (with small areas). Twenty-four soil profiles were selected representing these landscape units. The land and site features are observed and registered. Soil profiles were dug morphologically described, and samples were collected representing the subsequent layers in each profile as well as irrigation water samples were collected for integrated physical and chemical analyses. The studied area has almost flat topography with an elevation between 7 to 12 m. above sea level. The studied soils are deep with well drainage system. These soils have mostly loam to sand clay loam texture, with moderate subangular to angular blocky structure. These soils are almost moderately alkaline, non-saline, not sodic and slightly to moderately calcareous with slight gypsum content. Organic matter (OM) is low and cation exchange capacity is depending on fine fractions and OM contends. These soils have moderate content of available macro nutrients (N, P, K) and low content of available micro and trace elements. All soils were classified under Entisols order as Typic Torriorthents. The irrigation waters are evaluated as moderately suitable for irrigation. The overall rate of change detection for land use/land cover in 2018 was high for urban land and low for agriculture area than that in 1976. The overall soil degradation rate caused by salinization, sodification, compaction, Waterlogging and Fertility index for considered area from the studied soils was improved from the moderate degree in 1967 to the low one in 2018.Accordingly, the land capability evaluation of about 50% from the studied area was improved from C3 (fair) and C4 (poor) in 1967 to C2 (good) in 2018.