APPLICATION OF THE UNIVERSAL SOIL LOSS EQUATION (USLE) FOR POTENTIAL SOIL EROSION MAPPING IN AGRICULTURAL AREAS OF NAM DONG DISTRICT, THUA THIEN HUE PROVINCE IN 2023

Abstract

This study was conducted on agricultural land in Nam Dong District, Thua Thien Hue Province, to develop a potential soil erosion map for 2023 using the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). The results indicate that over 65% of the total area within the study region experiences extremely high erosion rates (>150 tons/ha/year), while the area with light erosion (<10 tons/ha/year) accounts for nearly 5%. Among various land use types, plantation forest land has the highest erosion rates with 287.97 tons/ha/year, followed by perennial crops, unused land, and annual crops with 78.22, 8.81, and 1.91 tons/ha/year respectively. The study also reveals that local residents have begun to recognize soil erosion issues and have implemented some simple solutions to mitigate erosion and enhance land use efficiency.