摘要：AbstractBackgroundIncreased flooding and newly formed rills and gullies were observed in the Cheleleka wetland watershed, over the past three to five years. These events are due to problems related to land use changes and are adversely affecting land productivity. This study was conducted to quantify, analyze and map soil erosion risk areas using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation.ResultsOnly 13.6 percent of the study area has a soil loss value less than 10 ton per hectare per year with the remaining area experiencing a higher soil loss value. A large area, 53.6 percent of the watershed, is under severe to extremely severe soil loss (>45 ton per hectare per year). Another 17.3 percent of the study area has annual soil loss of 20–45 ton per hectare.ConclusionA significantly large area of the Cheleleka wetland watershed has non-tolerable soil erosion that threatens annual crop production, land productivity, and hydrological functioning of the area. From the conservation perspective, a large proportion of the watershed needs immediate watershed management intervention.
关键词：KeywordsEnConservation priorityLand use changeTopographySoil erosion
