Multi-temporal Analysis of Soil Loss by Water Erosion in the Jauru-MT River Basin, Brazil

Abstract

The objective of this work was to analyze the loss of soil by water erosion, through the application of the universal equation of soil loss, in the Jauru River Basin-MT. The integration of the factors erodibility (Factor K), erosivity (Factor R), topography (Factor LS) and the conditioning factors land cover and use and soil conservation management and practices (Factor CP), resulted in the maps (1986, 1996, 2006 and 2016) of potential soil loss. Factor R ranged from 6,280.60 to 11,012.02 mm ha-1 h-1 year-1 (medium to extremely strong erosivity). Factor K ranged from 0.01 to 0.055 Mj mm ha-1 h-1 year-1, with a mean of 0.0358 Mj mm ha-1 h-1 year-1. The basin presented weak erosive potential, with more than 80% of the area with soil losses ≤ 10 t ha-1 year-1, being identified the highest estimated losses of soil in 1996 and 2016 in the areas of greater slope.