Assessing Soil Erosion and Sediment Dynamics in the Balganga Watershed, Uttarakhand: Integration of InVEST-SDR and Fallout Radionuclide (FRN) 137Cs Method
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53550/ijsc.v53.i1.183Keywords:
Balganga watershed, FRN 137Cs, Himalaya, InVEST-SDR, Physiographic analysis, Sediment export, Soil erosionAbstract
Soil erosion assessment in mountainous regions is complex due to rugged topography, dynamic land use, and climate interactions. The revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) is widely used for regional soil erosion estimation, but it often overestimates soil loss in such landscapes. This study, conducted in the Balganga watershed of Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, integrates the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs-Sediment Delivery Ratio (InVEST-SDR) model to provide a more refined estimation of annual soil erosion, sediment export, and retention. Field-based soil sampling was carried out across 21 physiographic units, followed by targeted laboratory analysis. The InVEST-SDR model was applied in two stages: (1) estimating soil erosion using RUSLE and (2) computing the sediment delivery ratio to determine sediment export and retention. The results indicate that potential annual soil loss in the watershed ranges from 0 to 67.63 t ha-1yr-1, with an average of 16 . The average sediment export was 1.52 t ha-1yr-1 (range: 0 to 10.5 t ha-1yr-1), while sediment retention averaged 22.68 t ha-1yr-1, reaching up to 60 t ha-1yr-1. To validate the model, the Fallout Radionuclide (FRN) 137Cs method was employed to estimate observed soil loss across major land use/land cover (LULC) classes. A moderate correlation (R² = 0.51) was found between observed and modeled soil loss values, with a Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 3.593, indicating reasonable predictive accuracy. The erosion assessment revealed that 58.11% of the watershed falls under the very low erosion class, while scrublands (35.51 t ha-1yr-1) and agricultural lands (16.68 t ha-1yr-1) on steep slopes exhibited the highest erosion rates. Scrublands also had the highest sediment export (3.52 t ha-1yr-1), followed by agricultural lands (2.29 t ha-1yr-1). Conversely, wellmanaged valley agricultural lands demonstrated significant sediment retention (25.84 t ha-1yr-1) from upstream sources. The study highlights vegetation cover, conservation practices, and soil erodibility (K-factor) as critical factors influencing erosion patterns. These findings reinforce the importance of integrating empirical and modeling approaches for improved erosion assessment and sustainable watershed management in fragile mountainous regions.
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