Journal
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Volume 61, Issue 4, Pages 329-343Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1006/jema.2000.0415
Keywords
soil conservation; erosion prediction; land management; GIS modeling; Mexico
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This research demonstrates the predictive modeling capabilities of a geographic information system (GIS)-based soil erosion potential model to assess the effects of implementing land use change within a tropical watershed. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) was integrated with a GIS to produce an Erosion Prediction Information System (EPIS) and modified to reflect conditions found in the mountainous tropics. Research was conducted in the Zenzontla subcatchment of the Rio Ayuquila, located within the Sierra de Manantlan Biosphere Reserve (SMBR), Mexico. Expanding agricultural activities within this area will accentuate the already high rate of soil erosion and resultant sediment loading occurring in the Rio Ayuquila. Two land-use change scenarios are modeled with the EPIS: (I) implementation of soil conservation practices in erosion prone locations; and (2) selection of sites for agricultural expansion which minimize potential soil loss. Confronted with limited financial resources and the necessity for expedient action, managers of the SMBR can draw upon the predictive capacity of the EPIS to facilitate rapid and informed land-use planning decisions. (C) 2001 Academic Press.
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