Zoning of areas prone to soil erosion using the method of analysis of modified morphometric parameters and sediment production (Case study of mianrahan basin)

The process of soil erosion and its intensification due to improper management and exploitation causes a lot of damage to the basins of semi-arid and arid regions of Iran every year. Among the various methods of soil erosion studies, morphometric parameter analysis is a cheap, fast and efficient method for soil erosion study.The semi-arid basin of mianrahan is at risk of soil erosion due to the outcrop of different formations, diversity of geomorphological conditions, rugged topography and the prevalence of agricultural and livestock livelihoods.Therefore, zoning of soil erosion potential of this basin is necessary for scientific management and sustainable development.The aim of the present study is to zoning the soil erosion potential in sub-basins, intermediate basins. In this research, WSA and averaging methods are used, which are based on the calculation and ranking of morphometric parameters. The results showed that according to WSA and averaging methods, 47.49% and 65.53% of the area of the mianrahan basin are located in areas with high soil erosion potential and need to implement protection plans.The WSA method is more efficient for soil erosion potential zoning studies due to the use of morphometric, linear and uneven morphometric parameters and the calculation of the correlation coefficient between them.The southern, northern and central sub-basins of the mianrahan basin have low, medium and high potential for soil erosion, respectively. The amount of soil erosion potential in the sub-basins of the mianrahan basin is affected by the roughness and shape of the sub-basins and the parameters related to the shape of the basin and the unevenness of the basin have the greatest impact on the soil erosion potential of the sub-basins.