The Role of Land Use Management on Land Degradation: The Case Study of Kashidar Basin in Golestan Province, Iran

Land resources are increasingly under pressure and there are many competing interests. However, unsustainable agricultural expansion and urbanization remain the main driving forces in land resource depletion. Suitable land use management on steep slope farmlands can decrease the destructive effects of farming. The main aim of this paper is showing the role of land use management on soil erosion. The EPM empirical model which developed in former Yugoslavia is one of the applicable models for estimating soil erosion and sediment delivery. With the help of this model, changes in the rate of erosion due to the application of different land management methods can be examined. In order to achieve the objectives of this study, Kashidar watershed in Golestan province -Iran was selected. The required maps and parameters of EPM model were determined in the desired area and with the help of Arc-Gis software, the relations and equations presented in this model, the amount of soil erosion in Kashidar watershed was calculated. The rate of soil erosion was calculated under two different management scenarios of rain fed agriculture and agroforestry system. The results of this study shows that changing the land use from dry farming on steep slope to agroforestry can decrease the soil erosion up to 70 percent. Sustainable land management practices are urgently required because of widespread resource degradation from poor land use practices. Climate change impacts are expected to further aggravate the situation.