Impact of Repurposing Forest Land on Erosion and Sediment Production. Case Study: Krupanj Municipality—Serbia

Abstract

Erosion is one of the main causes of soil degradation and sediment production. The amount of eroded material that reaches rivers and lakes depends on the terrain but also on the climatic and hydrological characteristics of the basin, as well as the applied land management method. The intensity of sediment production is in direct correlation with the land use type. Repurposing forest land as mining, urban and infrastructural development areas, etc., significantly affects sediment production. Shrinking of forests and unplanned agricultural production are just some of the factors that intensify erosion processes and increase the amount of eroded material, also triggering climate change and the onset of prolonged dry and rainy periods, which increase the risk of erosion in sloping terrain and intense sediment production. The paper presents the correlation between the change in the forest land use method, on the one hand, and soil erosion and sediment production, on the other, by analysing segments of river basins in the territory of the Serbian Municipality of Krupanj. The modelling of sediment production was based on data collected from the experimental territories. The method of erosion potential, data analysis, and procession in GIS surrounding were used for calculating sediment production in the experimental areas. The greatest loss of soil was perceived in the terrain with little or no vegetation on steep slopes covered with material prone to water erosion. The smallest production of sediment was noted in the terrain with vital forest vegetation. The results received point to the heterogeneous estimates of land loss, enabling the modelling of sediment production in wider basin areas and the analysis of the impacts of different land management factors on the erosion processes.