Assessment of Water-Induced Soil Erosion as a Threat to Natura 2000 Protected Areas in Crete Island, Greece

Abstract

Water erosion is a major threat to biodiversity, according to the European Commission’s Soil Thematic Strategy, as it negatively affects soil structure, soil fertility and water availability for plants. The island of Crete (Southern Greece) has been characterized as a biodiversity hotspot including several Natura 2000 (N2K)-protected areas. The aim of this study was to model the soil loss rate in Crete regarding species richness, habitat types and their conservation status, as well as the MAES (Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystem and their Services) ecosystem types. To this end, the RUSLE soil erosion prediction model was implemented, using freely available geospatial data and cloud-computing processes. The estimated average soil loss in the study area was 6.15 t ha−1 y−1, while there was no significant difference between the terrestrial N2K (6.06 t ha−1 y−1) and non-N2K (6.19 t ha−1 y−1) areas. Notably, the natural habitats of principal importance for the conservation of biodiversity (referred to as “priority” areas), according to Annex I to Directive 92/43/EEC, are threatened by soil erosion with an estimated mean annual soil loss equal to 8.58 t ha−1 y−1. It is also notable that grasslands, heathland and shrubs and sparsely vegetated areas experienced the highest erosion rates among the identified MAES ecosystem types. The results showed that soil erosion is a serious threat to biodiversity in N2K-protected areas. Therefore, there is a need for systematic spatiotemporal monitoring and the implementation of erosion mitigation measures.

Study on the Characteristics of Soil Erosion in the Black Soil Area of Northeast China under Natural Rainfall Conditions: The Case of Sunjiagou Small Watershed

“…As a highly complex natural process, soil erosion is one of the most important ecological problems worldwide. It is an essential cause of agricultural productivity decline, land degradation, water pollution, and ecological degradation [1][2][3][4][5], and mainly threatens the ecosystem's biodiversity [6]. Rainfall leads to the dislodging of soil particles and their migration and deposition through surface runoff, which are the two main soil erosion processes [7][8][9][10].…”

Provision of Ecosystem Services in Riparian Hemiboreal Forest Fixed-Width Buffers

“…These areas have a crucial role in maintaining water quality, regulating flood risks, recycling nutrient and organic matter, and erosion control [5][6][7]. This is also confirmed by a recent study, which highlighted that the erosion rate is particularly higher in the riparian forest ecosystems of environmental important areas [8]. Additionally, the erosion process in these areas may have profound effects on the landscape.…”

Estimation of Soil Losses and Reservoir Sedimentation: A Case Study in Tillouguite Sub-Basin (High Atlas - Morocco)

“…Soil is a three-phase system that consists of solid particles, liquid, and gas, but also species that create a dynamic and complex ecosystem and is among the most precious resources to humans. On the other hand, soil erosion by water is acknowledged as a primary concern in the degradation of soil quality and functionality (Billi, & Spalevic, 2022;Saggau et al, 2022;Stefanidis et al, 2022;Lense et al, 2022;Chalise et al, 2019;Spalevic et al, 2017;Borrelli et al, 2016;Lal, 2014). The ever-growing availability of earth observation (EO) data and the well-established use of geographic information systems (GIS) during the last decades leads to the development of automated geospatial workflows for the estimation and mapping soil losses (Dominici et al, 2021;.…”