Water Erosion Risk Analysis in the Arribes del Duero Natural Park (Spain) Using RUSLE and GIS Techniques

Abstract

Nowadays, soil erosion is a global problem of great environmental and social concern, affecting natural resources, natural spaces and agricultural production. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out an erosion risk analysis to estimate the amount of soil lost, as well as to establish possible conservation practices to mitigate this loss. One way of doing this is through the integration of empirical equations such as RUSLE and GIS techniques, giving rise to a mapping of potential and actual erosion, considering the factors that make up this equation. The results obtained indicate that the areas with extreme erosion levels in Arribes del Duero, that is, with the greatest losses (greater than 200 Tm/ha/year), correspond to areas with steep slopes, poorly developed soils such as Leptosols and Regosols and vegetation with little or no vegetation cover. On the other hand, areas with stable levels of erosion (up to 10 Tm/ha/year) are found in flat areas, with more developed soils, such as Alisols and Luvisols, and vegetation with a higher density and herbaceous cover. Finally, it is concluded that the integration of GIS techniques with parametric equations constitutes a simple and economic tool for estimating these losses and, together with land use, allows different mitigation measures to be established, which, in our study area, focus on reducing the length and gradient of the slope, such as contour cultivation, construction of terraces and “bancales”.