Evaluation of erosion rates in cadastral area Rovečné (Moravia) using GIS tools

Abstract

Evaluation of the vulnerability of agricultural land by water erosion, including the erosion control measures design, was done using the geographic information systems (GIS) on example of the cadastral area Rovečné, the Czech Republic. Analytical operations that lead to evaluation of the basic runoff and especially erosion rates according to the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) were made in ArcGIS 10 Desktop, the software product ArcInfo using a set of integrated software applications ArcMap, ArcCatalog and user interface ArcToolbox, and also using programs LS-converter and USLE2D. The potential loss of soil by water erosion was determined before and after erosion control measures design. The proposed measures should improve the current situation and contribute to preservation of agricultural activity in this area in a form close to the current situation.