Naslov
Soil erosion risk in Croatia

Autori
Husnjak, Stjepan ; Šimunić, Ivan ; Turšić, Ivan

Izvornik
Cereal Research Communications (0133-3720) 36 (2008); 939-942

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
soil; water; erosion; CORINE program; map; Croatia

Sažetak
Implications of soil erosion are of the utmost importance for the overall economic development, notably for agriculture, forestry and water management. For this reason, land management should involve permanent soil protection from erosion. This requires preparation of maps of soil erosion risk, as the basis for implementing the policies of soil protection steps. This paper presents results of the investigation which comprises the estimation of the water erosion risk on Croatian soils. For assessing a qualitative cartographic method according to the CORINE program was used depending on the maps of potential and actual erosion risk (scale 1:300.000) comprising the total territory in Republic of Croatia. In this reason pedocartographic investigations were applied with the GIS technology assistance. Research results indicate that the largest part of the Republic of Croatia has a low potential risk of soil water erosion, account for 42.3% of the total area of the country. A moderate degree of water erosion occurs on 24.1 % of the total area and high erosion risk can be estimated on 31.8% of the total area. In Croatia, however, a low actual erosion risk was assessed on 53.3% of the studied area, a moderate actual risk occurred on 31.5%, while a high actual risk accounted for 13.4% of the measured area. According to our results, a low erosion risk occurs on 53.6% of the cultivated area, while a moderate degree on 23.1% and a high degree on 23.3%, respectively. The area endangered by moderate and high erosion risk indicates a probable great damage on the cultivated land in Croatia that calls attention to the execution of the risk decreasing steps. Moreover, in agricultural soils characterised by moderate and high erosion risks, further soil degradation forms can also be appeared as the consequences of the crop production technologies. The erosion risk maps of Croatia can be served as the main source of the information required for planning sustainable land use and soil protection both in national and regional relations.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Poljoprivreda (agronomija)

POVEZANOST RADA