A Historical Overview of Methods for the Estimation of Erosion Processes on the Territory of the Republic of Serbia

Abstract

Erosion is a significant environmental challenge in Serbia, shaped by natural and human factors. Pronounced relief, fragile geological substrate, a developed hydrographic network, and a climate characterized by an uneven distribution of precipitation throughout the year make this area prone to activating erosion processes and flash floods whenever there is a significant disruption in ecological balance, whether due to the removal of vegetation cover or inadequate land use. Researchers have recorded approximately 11,500 torrents in Serbia, most of which were activated during the 19th century, a period of significant social and political change, as well as intensive deforestation and the irrational exploitation of natural resources. By the mid-19th century, the effects of land degradation were impossible to ignore. As the adequate assessment of soil erosion intensity is the initial step in developing a prevention and protection strategy and the type and scope of anti-erosion works and measures, this article presents the path that the anti-erosion field in Serbia has taken from the initial observations of erosion processes through the first attempts to create the Barren Land Cadastre and Torrent Cadastre to the creation of the Erosion Potential Method (EPM) and its modification by Dr. Lazarevi´c that resulted in the creation of the first Erosion Map of SR Serbia in 1971 (published in 1983). In 2020, a new Erosion Map of Serbia was created with the application of Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies and based on the original method by Professor Slobodan Gavrilovi´c—the EPM—without the modifications introduced by Lazarevi´c. We compared the 1983 and 2020 erosion maps in a GIS environment, where the change in soil erosion categories was analyzed using a confusion matrix. The updated erosion maps mirror the shift in methodology from a traditional approach (Lazarevi´c’s modification) to the modern GIS-based method (Gavrilovi´c’s original EPM) and reflect technological improvements and changes in land use, conservation practices, and environmental awareness.