Assessment and valuation of soil loss: a case study in Belgrade suburban area

Abstract

Soil degradation process reduce the ability of the land to perform its primary function food production. The most aggressive process being soil erosion, endangers the environment and affects the quality of life. The constant loss of arable land by soil sealing, due to urban expansion, is affecting agricultural production. As a result, the conditions for food production are limited, and the economic prosperity of that area is disputable. This paper represents an analysis of the land use and its change detected by Corine Land Cover (CLC) and the assessment of soil erosion rate and its spatial distribution using Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model through a GIS-based approach, for two periods (2000, 2018) in Belgrade suburban area. This study area, characterized by many agricultural areas concentrated around the capital of the Republic of Serbia, is attractive from the economic point of view due to the proximity of the market. The results indicate that with the constant increase of inhabitants, agricultural areas have been reduced due to urban sprawl. The average annual soil loss decreased from 5.85 to 1.95 t/ha"year. Analysis shows that the high medium erosion rate that was detected in the study area in 2000. decreased by 65% compared to the results from 2018, while the processes of low erosion rate has increased by 20%. Despite all the soil loss detected in the study area, soil sealing is the most harmful process of soil degradation due to its often implication of the complete loss of biological functions.