Erosion Susceptibility Analysis in Datca and Bozburun Peninsulas, Turkey

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to determine the erosion susceptibility areas and evaluate their relationship with land cover in Datca and Bozburun Peninsulas. The research area is located in the southeast of Turkey in the Mediterranean Basin which is one of the 36 biodiversity hotspot areas in the world. RUSLE method was applied to determine amount of soil loss in the study. It was determined that the values obtained from the R, LS, K and C factors were compatible with the erosion susceptibility map. According to the results, erosion susceptibility was determined in the research area of 87.530 ha (65.8%) area as very low, 17.865 ha (13.4%) area as very severe, 11.597 ha (8.7%) area as very low, 7.809 ha (5.9%) area as moderate, 5.689 ha (4.3%) area as severe, 3.049 ha (2.3%) area as high. The spatial distribution of soil erosion susceptibility values in the research area is generally low. The areas with high erosion sensitivity are mountainous and bare areas located in the west and east of the research area. The areas with very low and low erosion susceptibility are agricultural lands and settlements in flat areas. The degradation of the land cover due to factors such as conversion of forest areas into agricultural lands and deforestation due to forest fires increased the risk of erosion. Environmental pressure caused by recreational activities in tourism and unsuitable land use have increased the risk of erosion in recent years. Therefore, protecting natural vegetation and planning sustainable land use are important for climate change and its impacts on research area.