An integrated soil conservation program and its impact on the annual soil loss of the Dumpul (Indonesia) subwatershed

Abstract

In some areas an increasing population causes an increasing population density and, hence, increases demand for food of the particular areas. To produce more food people usually expand their cultivation area onto steep, unsuitable for annual crops, areas. In many cases this expansion results in a deterioration of natural resources due to rapid runoff and erosion. An integrated soil conservation program, therefore, is necessary to be implemented on these areas to minimize soil erosion and maintain the productivity. The impact of the program on the annual soil loss can be measured or escalated by some methods: iron pins, sediment tank, sediment sampling from a gauge station, and Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). In this case, the USLE is superior and useful not only for evaluating the impact of a program but also for designing a plan of a soil conservation program and evaluation of criticalness of the area.