Effect of land-use change on soil erosion potential in the Ahuacatlan River Sub-basin (Nayarit, Mexico)

The evaluated the effect of land-use and land cover change (LUCC) on soil erosion potential in the Ahuacatlán River Sub-basin, located in the state of Nayarit, Mexico, using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model integrated with GIS tools. The analysis compared data from 1997 and 2021 to identify changes in land use and their impact on erosion dynamics. Results revealed a significant reduction in natural vegetation, particularly oak (Genus Quercus) forests with a decrease of 3,000 hectares and human-induced grasslands that lost 13,000 hectares, alongside an increase in agricultural areas by more than 10,000 hectares. These changes contributed to an increase in erosion potential, with extreme erosion zones expanding by 6,599 hectares, while low erosion areas decreased by 10,695 hectares. Rainfall erosivity (R) and cover management (C) factors were identified as critical drivers of soil erosion, exacerbated by human activities and changing climatic conditions. The findings underscore the need for effective soil conservation practices and sustainable land management strategies to mitigate erosion risks and preserve the ecological stability of the sub-basin. Furthermore, the study offers a comprehensive overview of the situation in the Ahuacatlán River Sub-basin, regarding their erosion susceptibility which may be useful for politicians, planners, and decision-makers in making well-informed decisions.本研究借助集成地理信息系统（GIS）工具的修正通用土壤流失方程（RUSLE）模型，评估了墨西哥纳亚里特州阿胡卡特兰河子流域内土地利用与土地覆盖变化（LUCC）对土壤侵蚀潜势的影响。本次分析对比了1997年与2021年的数据集，以识别土地利用变化及其对侵蚀动态的影响。研究结果显示，自然植被面积出现显著缩减：其中栎属（Quercus）阔叶林减少3000公顷，人类活动主导的草地减少13000公顷；与此同时，农业用地面积增加逾10000公顷。上述变化导致土壤侵蚀潜势上升：极强度侵蚀区面积扩大6599公顷，而轻度侵蚀区面积缩减10695公顷。降雨侵蚀力（R）与覆盖管理（C）因子被确定为土壤侵蚀的关键驱动因子，且人类活动与气候变化进一步加剧了侵蚀风险。本研究结果凸显了推行有效土壤保护措施与可持续土地管理策略的必要性，以缓解侵蚀风险、维护该子流域的生态稳定性。此外，本研究全面梳理了阿胡卡特兰河子流域的侵蚀敏感性现状，其研究成果可为政策制定者、规划人员与决策者提供科学参考，助力其制定精准明智的决策。