Soil Erosion Map Research Articles

Soil erosion risk analysis and mapping for conservation planning at Mihtsab-Azmati micro-dam watershed, Northern Ethiopia

This study was conducted to quantify, analyze and map soil erosion risk areas using remotely sensed data and GIS-based Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model at Mihtsab-Azmati Irrigation Dam Watershed, Northern Ethiopia. Based on the result, the watershed has potential soil erosion risk which ranges from 0 ton hectare−1 year−1 to 2980.12 ton hectare−1 year−1 with an average annual soil erosion rate of 110.06 ton hectare−1 year−1. From the entire watershed area, only 27% of it has a soil loss a value less than 15 ton hectare−1 year−1 which is relatively categorized under low soil erosion risk, while the remaining area (73%) experiences moderate to very high soil loss rates. A large area (50.7%) is under high to very high soil loss (>50 ton hectare−1 year−1). The majority of the study watershed area experiences a very high soil erosion rate and this could be a major threat to the new irrigation dam constructed at the outlet of the watershed due to the sedimentation problem, which could decrease the economic lifespan of the dam. Hence, from the conservation perspective, a large proportion of the upper watershed area requires immediate and appropriate soil conservation measures.

Modelling and mapping of soil erosion in the north-eastern frontier Himalayan ranges of India using remote sensing and GIS

Soil erosion is a land degradable problem cause by natural resources. In context of North Eastern Himalayan ranges, it is a common soil degradation process due to fragile nature of soil and ecosystem. The aim of this study is to assess the soil erosion of Mahadevpur block, Namsai district of Arunachal Pradesh by RUSLE method using remote sensing and GIS environment. In this study, Sentinel 2 data of the study area was used to prepare land use/land cover (LU/LC) map by visual interpretation technique and ALOS digital elevation model (DEM) was used to develop slope, contour, flow direction and flow accumulation maps. Thematic raster layers of RUSLE factors (R, K, LS, C and P) were computed and used to estimate average annual soil loss by ArcGIS 10.3 software. The results showed that maximum area was (37.10%) under very slight soil loss class (< 5.0 t ha-1 yr-1). However, the extremely severe soil loss(> 80.0 t ha-1 yr-1) was observed in 7.0 % of the study area which was confined to terrain features such as lateral bar, meander scar, point bar, braided bar and channel bar. It was proved that, use of geospatial technologies in combination with RUSLE is a comprehensive approach, which helped in spatial assessment of soil erosion for better resource planning and taking up suitable conservation measures.

Geo-Hazard Susceptibility Assessment and Its Impacts on Livelihoods in Kerio Valley, Kenya

Geohazards are a recurrent issue in the Kerio River catchment of Kenya, which usually results in life and property loss. This research focuses on mapping geo-hazard risk zones of the region. The risk zones were developed from a combination of land use land cover maps, agroecological zones maps and soil erosion maps using the Analytical Hierarchy Process method of multi-criteria analysis. The final results depict the geohazard risk maps which show the susceptibility of different areas in the catchment (classified as risk zones) to hazards. The zones range from no risk zones to very high-risk zones. The results showed that the lowlands are most susceptible to hazards as they were classified as high-risk zones. These risk zone areas have impacts on the socio-economic development hence negatively impacting livelihoods in the area.

GIS-Based Multi-Criteria Evaluation to Identify Areas for Soil and Water Conservation in Lower Lake Bogoria Landscapes, Baringo County, Kenya

This study was meant to ensure that there is proper and efficient conservation of soil and water using geospatial tools to enable us identify priority areas to carry out conservation. Over the past years, various fields of study have established how critical it is to conserve these natural resources in the ecosystem and to ensure sustainability in not only green livelihoods but also to enhance living conditions of the life on earth. The aim of this research was to generate high priority sites for establishing soil and water conservation techniques in the Lower Bogoria Landscapes in Baringo, Kenya using GIS-based multicriteria decision analysis. Various criteria were analyzed to generate the final conservation priority sites, such as land use land cover, rainfall runoff, soil erosion and slope. The criteria were assigned weights using the AHP technique and overlayed using the weighted overlay tools to produce the final outputs. Land use land cover maps were generated using supervised maximum likelihood technique, rainfall run-off maps were generated using the SCS-CN method and soil erosion maps were generated using RUSLE model. The final soil and water conservation maps showed that high and moderate priority areas requiring the establishment of techniques and mechanisms to control soil erosion and conserve water increased from 1990 to 2020. In 2020, more than 50% of the total study area was classified as moderate to high priority for water and soil conservation. Soil and water conservation structures such as water pans, percolation tanks, farm ponds and stop dams should be constructed in such areas.

Influence of land use on changes of sediment budget components: western Iran case study

Understanding the processes of displacement and redistribution of soil particles caused by different erosion types is considered an efficient sediment management tool in various scales from the field plot to the watershed. The rainfed agriculture practices on high gradient slopes are one of the main sources of accelerated soil erosion due to the disturbance of soil structure by tillage processes. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the synergistic effect of rainfed agriculture practices and slope gradient on soil erosion using the activity concentrations of 137Cs fallout in Khamsan experimental watershed, western Iran. The diffusion and migration model was used for undisturbed soils and mass balance equation type II was used for agricultural lands. The distribution map of soil erosion and deposition of the watershed was prepared using 137Cs method and the interactions between rainfed agriculture and slope gradient (as the most effective geomorphological factor) on erosion rate and sediment redistribution were evaluated. The results indicated that the highest rates of soil erosion in rainfed agriculture (11.46 t ha-1 year-1) and rangeland (1.27 t ha-1 year-1) were recorded in the slope gradient classes of 20%-30% and >60%, respectively. In addition, the maximum sedimentation in rainfed agriculture (5.78 t ha-1 year-1) and rangeland (0.89 t ha-1 year-1) occurred in the slope classes of 30%-60% and in >60%, respectively.

Study of soil erosion by using remote sensing and GIS techniques in Sone command area in Bihar, India

Soil erosion is caused by various reasons, but the land slope and poor land management are the main reasons. Identification of erosion-prone areas is the most important factor for agricultural planning and effective land management. This study includes an estimation of average annual soil loss in the Sone command area in Bihar and the preparation of spatially distributed soil erosion map for different land-use scenarios. The soil in the study area is generally clay loam. A well-known empirical equation i.e. RUSLE (Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation) has been used to estimate parameters and prepare spatially distributed maps. By using remote sensing and GIS techniques different soil loss parameters like rainfall erosivity (R), soil erodibility (K), slope length and steepness factor (LS), cover management factor (C) and conservation practice factor (P) are estimated and spatially distributed map of all these parameters are prepared. Average soil loss in the study area was found in the range 21 to 40 t.ha−1.yr−1 and the maximum value is found to be around 7000 t.ha−1.yr−1. It was also found that areas with high soil erosion rates are very low. Around 46% variation is observed between the maximum and minimum average soil loss rates.

Determination of Soil Erosion and Sediment Yield in the Bonsa River Basin Using GIS and Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE)

The Bonsa river is an important tributary of the Ankobra river in the Western Region of Ghana. The catchment of the Bonsa river has been undergoing rapid land cover changes due to human activities such as farming, illegal mining, population growth, among others which are likely to promote soil erosion and sediment yield in the river basin. To estimate the amount of soil eroded over a period and subsequent sediment yielded along the Bonsa river basin, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) was integrated with Geographic Information System (GIS) to model the spatial distribution patterns in soil erosion and sediment yield within the catchment. Data used included annual rainfall records, soil map, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and land-use map of the study area. Parameters of the model were determined and converted into raster layers using the raster calculator tool in ArcMap to produce a soil erosion map. The concept of Sediment Delivery Ratio (SDR) was applied to determine the annual sediment yield by combining a raster SDR layer with soil erosion map. The predicted soil loss and sediment yield values were found to be low. This may be due to high soil protective cover provided by vegetation as well as low topographic relief in the river basin. Though, the elements and processes responsible for soil erosion and sediment yield prevailing in the basin was found to be low, adverse situations could be developed with time if the prevailing conditions are not checked, as soil erosion is a natural gradual slow process. The gains made could be sustained by putting measures in place to control human activities, particularly, illegal mining (galamsey) in the basin, indiscriminate cutting down of trees and farmining activities along the Bansa river basin. This study will support monitoring, planning of water resources and help to improve sustainable water quality.

Assessment of soil erosion in the Dongting Lake Basin, China: Patterns, drivers, and implications.

Soil loss caused by erosion is a global problem. Therefore, the assessment of soil erosion and the its driving mechanism are of great significance to soil conservation. However, soil erosion is affected by both climate change and human activities, which have not been quantified, and few researchers studied the differences in the driving mechanisms of soil erosion depending on the land use type. Therefore, the spatiotemporal characteristics and changing trends of soil erosion in the Dongting Lake Basin were analyzed in this study. Geographic detectors were used to identify the dominant factors affecting soil erosion in different land use types. In this study, a sensitivity experiment was conducted to clarify the relative contributions of climate change and human activities to soil erosion changes. In addition, we studied the effects of different land use types and vegetation cover restoration on soil erosion. The results show that soil erosion in the Dongting Lake Basin decreased from 2000 to 2018. Human activities represented by land use types and vegetation coverage significantly contributed to the alleviation of soil erosion in the Dongting Lake Basin, whereas climate change represented by rainfall slightly aggravated soil erosion in the study area. The restoration of grassland vegetation and transfer of cultivated land to woodlands in the study area improved the soil erosion. The slope steepness is the key factor affecting the intensity of soil erosion in dry land, paddy fields, and unused land, whereas the vegetation coverage is the key factor affecting the intensity of soil erosion in woodland, garden land, and grassland. Detailed spatiotemporally mapping of soil erosion was used to determine the connections between soil erosion and potential drivers, which have important implications for vegetation restoration and the optimization of land use planning.

Soil Loss Estimation within the Nun River Basin using Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) integrated in Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

River bank erosion can cause undesired river bank expansion, distortion of the river course thereby slowing the river velocity and hindering the water carrying capacity of the river. Slow velocity of the river course can result in fast sediment accretion and accumulation at the bottom of the river. If these trends are not checked, the river may wind down and at best begin to become a delta at its middle course. The focus of this study is to apply GIS and analytical RUSLE equation to estimate soil loss within the Nun Basin.&#x0D; Core sediment samples were collected from relatively undisturbed areas (nine different stations) using Uwitec Triple sediment cutter. The sediment samples were processed in the lab for sediment particle size analysis (PSA) and Pb-210 atmospheric deposition with age using alpha spectrophotometer. Spatial rainfall data of the study location were employed to generate the rainfall erosivity map in order to determine the erosivity factor (R). Particle size distribution analysis was validated using Scanning Electron Micrograph (SEM) and integrated with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was employed to create the soil erodibility map which was subsequently used to determine the erodibility factor (K). The cover management factor (P) was determined using the land use land cover map and the resulting data were then employed to model the river bank erosion around the study area.&#x0D; Result of the study revealed that the maximum annual average soil loss rate was estimated to be 0.66 tons/ha. /year around the Nun River based on GIS application using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE).

Impact assessment of land cover and land use changes on soil erosion changes (2005–2015) in Pakistan

AbstractAbrupt changes in climatic conditions, exploitation of natural resources, and land degradation exacerbate soil erosion. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of soil erosion dynamics in Pakistan for 2005 and 2015 at 1 km2 spatial resolution using six influencing factors: rainfall erosivity (R), soil erodibility (K), slope‐length (L), slope‐steepness (S), cover management (C), and conservation practice (P). The well‐accepted revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) was implemented to estimate soil erosion. The soil erosion maps were categorized into four classes: low (&lt;1), medium (1–5), high (5–20), and very high (&gt;20) — and transitions among these classes were determined by applying the change matrix method to assess soil erosion (ton ha‐1 yr‐1) changes from 2005 to 2015. Furthermore, spatial patterns and soil erosion dynamics were evaluated for seven administrative units of Pakistan to examine conservation efforts and ecosystem services. Major findings of this study indicate, that at the national scale, an estimated soil erosion of 1.79 ± 11.52 ton ha‐1 yr‐1 in 2005, which increased to 2.47 ± 18.14 ton ha‐1 yr‐1 in 2015. This intensification of soil erosion is coupled with land cover and land use changes (LCLUC) due to population expansion, infrastructural development, and exploitation of natural resources. This study's analytical framework and outcomes could be used for developing effective conservation policies to control soil erosion at various spatial scales in Pakistan.

Simulation and mapping of drought and soil erosion in Central Yunnan Province, China

Central Yunnan Province is the political, economic, cultural, and transportation hub of Yunnan Province, China. Climate change has resulted in increased seasonality of global averaged precipitation, temperature, runoff, and evapotranspiration, thereby exacerbating extreme events such as drought and soil erosion. The simulation and mapping of drought and soil erosion within Central Yunnan Province is important for achieving sustainable development. This study constructed a comprehensive drought monitoring model and a soil erosion model based on multiple sources of remote sensing data, considering numerous drought and soil erosion factors. The temporal and spatial characteristics of dry-season drought and soil erosion for 2010 to 2018 in Central Yunnan Province were explored, and the extents of soil erosion in different parts of Central Yunnan Province were quantified using the soil erosion intensity index. The results showed that: (1) The multi-year average percentage dry-season drought coverage and average drought frequency were 33.98% and 18.33 months, respectively. Although drought frequency was higher in areas with high drought intensity, dry-season drought showed a long-term weakening trend. (2) Over the study period, the multi-year average soil erosion of Central Yunnan Province was 1,551.45 t km −2 ·yr −1 . Soil erosion showed an initial overall increasing trend, followed by a decreasing trend, dominated by micro erosion, mild erosion, and moderate erosion, whereas the mountains and valleys in north and southwest parts of Central Yunnan Province experienced severe erosion. Vegetation coverage and slope were identified as the main factors driving soil erosion. (3) The soil erosion intensity index was a good indicator of soil erosion severity across different spatial scales and different drought grades. The soil erosion intensity index showed a positive relationship with drought grade. The correlation coefficients between soil erosion intensity and drought frequency and between soil erosion intensity and drought intensity were 0.2623 and −0.2679, respectively. This study demonstrated that drought affects soil erosion and that water and soil conservation measures such as afforestation and vegetation greening are beneficial to mitigating soil erosion and drought in Central Yunnan Province.

Assessing soil and land health across two landscapes in eastern Rwanda to inform restoration activities

Abstract. Land degradation negatively impacts water, food, and nutrition security and is leading to increased competition for resources. While landscape restoration has the potential to restore ecosystem function, understanding the drivers of degradation is critical for prioritizing and tracking interventions. We sampled 300–1000 m2 plots using the Land Degradation Surveillance Framework across Nyagatare and Kayonza districts in Rwanda to assess key soil and land health indicators, including soil organic carbon (SOC), erosion prevalence, vegetation structure and infiltration capacity, and their interactions. SOC content decreased with increasing sand content across both sites and sampling depths and was lowest in croplands and grasslands compared to shrublands and woodlands. Stable carbon isotope values (δ13C) ranged from −15.35 ‰ to −21.34 ‰, indicating a wide range of historic and current plant communities with both C3 and C4 photosynthetic pathways. Field-saturated hydraulic conductivity (Kfs) was modeled, with a median of 76 mm h−1 in Kayonza and 62 mm h−1 in Nyagatare, respectively. Topsoil OC had a positive effect on Kfs, whereas pH, sand, and erosion had negative effects. Soil erosion was highest in plots classified as woodland and shrubland. Maps of soil erosion and SOC at 30 m resolution were produced with high accuracy and showed strong variability across the study landscapes. These data demonstrate the importance of assessing multiple biophysical properties in order to assess land degradation, including the spatial patterns of soil and land health indicators across the landscape. By understanding the dynamics of land degradation and interactions between biophysical indicators, we can better prioritize interventions that result in multiple benefits as well as assess the impacts of restoration options.

Effect of multiple climate change scenarios and predicted land-cover on soil erosion: a way forward for the better land management.

The ecosystem, biodiversity, and anthropological existence in the Chitral district are in danger due to the sediments and soil erosion stemming from the changes in the land-cover and climate. This research aims to practice the RUSLE model with the changes in the land-cover and climate in upcoming situations for 2030 and 2040 to evaluate soil erosion annually as per the spatial dissemination and the tendency of sediment yield. The multilayer perceptron (MLP), an artificial neural network (ANN), besides the Markov chain analysis was used to model upcoming land-cover. The Max Planck Institute model, which demonstrated a revised bias as well as downscaled grid size under the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs), was used for examining the future changes in the climate. The modeled land-cover showed that the areas that are primarily comprised of natural trees and shrubs were transformed largely to agriculture and build-up areas. The average rainfall in the future under different RCP situations was elevated compared to the rainfall through historical time. The continuous variability in the R and C factors affects the probable soil erosion rate and sediment yield. Under RCP8.5 for both future years of 2030 and 2040, the extreme erosion rate was assessed at around 500 and 550 t/ha/year. Additionally, under the different RCP scenarios in 2030 and 2040, the outcomes of sediment yield were more significant than the sediment yield through historical time. The results showed that lower regions of the Chitral district are at risk of amplified soil erosion and sediment yield presently, as shown by the historical data and in the future. The produced soil erosion maps using ArcGIS 10.2 can play a valuable role in managing sustainable development, conservation of the watershed of the Chitral River, and reducing soil loss. Effective measures to overcome these concerns and mitigate the possible effects need to be planned and practiced, particularly the decrease in the storage volume of the reservoirs situated on the river.

Mapping Soil Erosion in Regulating Ecosystem Services: The Case of Göksu Basin

Toprak erozyonu karasal ekosistemlerde önemli bir küresel çevre sorunu olarak, çevresel kaliteyi ve sosyal ekonomiyi önemli ölçüde etkiler. Karasal ekosistemler, toprağı rüzgar ve su erozyonundan koruyarak insanlara insan refahını sağlayan temel ekosistem hizmetlerinden biri olan toprak erozyon kontrol hizmeti sağlamaktadır. Genellikle yanlış arazi kullanımı ve antropojenik etkilerden dolayı özellikle eğimli arazilerde toprağın tutucu bitki örtüsü azalması ya da yok olması sonucunda topraklar aşınmakta ve taşınmaktadır. Göksu havzası, ülkemizde önemli şiddetli toprak erozyonuna maruz kalan bölgelerinden birisidir. Bu çalışmada bir ekosistem hizmeti olarak erozyon düzenlemesini haritalamak için RUSLE erozyon modelleme yöntemini kullanarak Göksu Havzası için yıllık toprak kaybının belirlemesi ve sürdürülebilir yönetim/planlama çalışmalarına entegrasyonu amaçlanmıştır. RUSLE yönteminde Yağış faktörü (R), toprak erozyon duyarlılığı faktörü (K), Eğim uzunluğu faktörü (L), eğim dikliği faktörü (S), Arazi Örtüsü ve Alan Kullanım Faktörleri (C) ve erozyon kontrol faktörü (P) kullanılarak bir hesaplama yapılmaktadır. Elde edilen sonuçlar, ekosistem hizmetlerini sağlamak için faktörlerin potansiyelini ortaya koymakta ve peyzaj yönetimi için önemli bilgiler sağlamaktadır.

Water erosion hazard distribution under a Semi-arid climate Condition: Case of Mellah Watershed, North-eastern Algeria

Erosion is a natural phenomenon, which may have destructive effects on environments and human societies around the world. This study aims to identify and map soil erosion hazard in the Mellah Watershed (North-eastern Algeria), based on an empirical model (RUSLE: Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation), a semi quantitative model (AHP: Analytic Hierarchy Process) and a statistical model (FR: Frequency Ratio). Several erosion-conditioning factors were used as input data, namely rainfall, elevation, slope, land cover, soil type, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Stream Power Index (SPI), Topographic Wetness Index (TWI) and distances from roads and streams. The study resulted in generating vulnerability maps with five erosion risk classes, ranging from very low to very high risk. Areas of very high erosion risk were shown to occupy 5.06%, 10.91% and 12.57%, of the watershed area, using RUSLE, FR and AHP models respectively. Results obtained by the three adopted models were validated using the Receiver Operating Characteristic curves (ROCs), and the Areas Under the Curve (AUC). The AUC values were 97.9%, 95.7% and 94.2% for RUSLE, AHP and FR models respectively, implying reasonably good performances for the three models.

Mapping of Soil erosion and Probability Zones using Remote Sensing and GIS in Arid part of South Deccan Plateau, India

Mapping of Soil erosion and Probability Zones using Remote Sensing and GIS in Arid part of South Deccan Plateau, India

Effects of land-use management on soil erosion: A case study in a typical watershed of the hilly and gully region on the Loess Plateau of China

The effect of land use on erosion over space and time is relevant. In this study, two types of land-use management practices, the gully land consolidation (GLC) project and the land consolidation (LC) project, were applied on the Loess Plateau. Based on the soil erosion that occurred from 2010 to 2019, the spatial distribution, spatiotemporal evolution and susceptibility map of soil erosion were analyzed by geospatial analysis, statistical methods and frequency ratio (FR) models. The results showed that the implementation of the GLC project can have two effects on soil erosion. Firstly, a large amount of slope erosion was caused by slope excavation in the GLC watershed; secondly, the amount and scale of gully erosion were effectively controlled by hydraulic engineering. In addition, the unreasonable hydraulic engineering of the LC project can cause large areas of soil erosion. The influencing factors of gully erosion can be ranked as follows: reservoir > elevation > dam land > flow length > geology > LS. Three aspects of engineering optimization measures for the GLC project were proposed: 1. Slope excavation should be reduced, and diverse slope protections should be implemented in this project, especially for the bottom of the slope, which should adopt different measures than the top of the slope. 2. For trenches within 1.2 km of the gully head, more attention should focus on soil and water conservation measures than on land leveling. 3. Hydraulic engineering and irrigation and drainage engineering should effectively cooperate with leveling projects and adjust the applied measures to the local conditions and the natural shape of the original rivers. As a new land-use management approach, our results highlight that little is known about the effect of the GLC project on soil erosion, and our results can provide specific guidance for the next step of project implementation.

Watershed prioritization for soil erosion mapping in the Lesser Himalayan Indian basin using PCA and WSA methods in conjunction with morphometric parameters and GIS-based approach

Watershed prioritization for soil erosion mapping in the Lesser Himalayan Indian basin using PCA and WSA methods in conjunction with morphometric parameters and GIS-based approach

Mapping soil erosion–prone sites through GIS and remote sensing for the Tifnout Askaoun watershed, southern Morocco

The Moroccan High Atlas is very sensitive to soil erosion due to its steep slopes, torrential rains, and degraded plant cover. The degradation of fertile soils in this mountainous watershed influences negatively upon agricultural productivity. The objective of this study is to quantify soil erosion in the Tifnout Askaoun watershed in southern Morocco. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), the geographic information system (GIS) techniques, and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) data were adopted for mapping the annual rate of soil loss in this watershed area of around 1488 km2. The spatial distribution of annual soil erosion rates was obtained by integrating the geo-environmental variables into a GIS. These variables are the rainfall erosivity (R) generated from the TRMM data, the soil erodibility factor (K), the length and slope inclination (LS), the vegetation and management factor (C), and the practice support factor (P). Results reveal an average annual soil erosion rate of 14.44 t/ha/year and a good correlation with the slope length and steepness factor (r = 0.72) and in a lesser extent with the rainfall erosivity factor (r = 0.63). The sub-catchments of the study area were mapped and grouped into five classes of vulnerability to soil erosion risk, with results indicating that the Toubkal sub-catchment is the most threatened by water erosion risk as reflected by an average erosion rate of 48.05 t/ha/year. Approaches and results from this study, which was conducted between 2017 and 2019, may benefit researchers and decision-makers concerned with soil management primarily in mountainous areas where soil degradation impacts the activities of the rural population.

Г.Г. Махов — видатний український учений у галузі агроґрунтознавства, організатор сільськогосподарської дослідної справи (1886–1952)

Goal. To reveal the milestones of life and creative path, generalize the main scientific achievements of the talented scientist in the field of agricultural science, one of the founders of reclaimed soil science, the organizer of the domestic branch research, and the highest professional education in Ukraine G.G. Mahov. Methods. General scientific — analysis, synthesis, classification; historical — problematic, comparative historical, retrospective, biographical. Results. The contribution is highlighted of the scientist in the formation of leading scientific research institutions on soil science and agricultural melioration, soil science, as a mandatory discipline based on institutions of higher agricultural education in Ukraine and the world. The creative searches of G.G. Makhov are revealed, the author of the first in the state textbook “Soil Science” and training manual “Soils of Ukraine”, to popularize branch achievements as a member of the editorial board of the journal “Soil Science”, the organizer of the First Congress of Soil Science of Ukraine, Director of the Agricultural Museum. Conclusions. The scientific heritage of the scientist is systematized in the following directions: agronomic and meliorative soil science, soil degeneration problems, forest plantation in the steppes, struggle against drought, soil erosion, fertilizer and soil cultivation systems, their influence on the agrophysical properties of the soil. As the priority development G.G. Mahov considered the first detailed map of Ukraine’s soils on a new morphologic-genetic basis, as well as the first map of soil erosion.