Modeling and mapping of water erosion in northeastern Algeria using a seasonal multicriteria approach
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Modeling and mapping of water erosion in northeastern Algeria using a seasonal multicriteria approach Azeddine Guidoum & Abdelmalek Nemouchi & Abdelkader Hamlat
Received: 23 January 2013 / Accepted: 10 September 2013 # Saudi Society for Geosciences 2013
Abstract Aurès region remains one of the most exposed areas to water erosion phenomenon in Algeria, because of the strong climatic aggressiveness, the rugged relief, the predominance of sensitive land, and a vegetative cover that does not play its protective role. This article is a part of studies performed to protect agricultural and water infrastructure in this region. The main objective of this study is the cartographic modeling of an erosion hazard at the Oued Chemoura watershed, representative of the Aurès. The modeling approach uses a geographic information system and incorporates the following six factors controlling erosion: slope, friability of substrate, erodibility of soils, land cover, rainfall erosivity, and support practices. Result shows a synthetic map of the soil erosion hazard which locates the most threatened areas and priorities for possible planning interventions. A statistical study on the relationship solid–liquid flow was developed. Measurements conducted at the station of Chemoura, over the period 1969–1994, were exploited for this purpose. The results show a high specific degradation varying between 50 and 360 tons km−2 season−1. Keywords Erosion . Mapping . GIS . Hazard . Chemoura . Algeria
A. Guidoum (*) Institute of Civil Engineering, Hydraulic and Architecture, University Hadj Lakhdar, Avenue Chahid Boukhlouf, Batna, Algeria e-mail: [email protected] A. Nemouchi Laboratory of Territorial Planning, University Mentouri, Road of Ain El Bey, 25000 Constantine, Algeria e-mail: [email protected] A. Hamlat Laboratory of Water Resources, Soil and Environment (RESE), University Amar Telidji, P.O.Box:37G, Road of Ghardaïa, Laghouat, Algeria e-mail: [email protected]
Introduction Water erosion is one of the degradation phenomena which affect large surfaces, particularly in the intertropical and Mediterranean zones (Barthès and Roose 2001; Vijith et al 2012). Soil erosion losses, their running water transports, and their sedimentation constitute important socioeconomic issues, i.e., the degradation of soil and cultivated areas requires expensive work of protection and rehabilitation in upstream; in the transit phase, suspended solids are notably responsible for the transport and accumulation of nutrients and contaminants (Walling and Kane 1982; Meade and Parker 1984); in deposit zones, the sediment accumulation generates a reduction in the life span of hydraulic installations and pose a delicate problem of their management (Poirel et al. 1994; Bagherzadeh and Mansouri Daneshvar 2013). The Mediterranean region is known to be subject to very high erosion risk (Giordano and Marchisio 1991; Bou Kheir et al. 2001). This phenomenon is characteristic of Maghreb, whose water and soil potentialities are seriously threatened (La
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