Page 147 - Çevre Şehir ve İklim Dergisi İngilizce - Özel Sayı

İskender Demirtaş - Günay Erpu

1. Introduction

Healthy soil is the essential of agricultural activities and a basic resource to
meet humane needs, such as food, fodder, fiber, clean water and air (Bennet
et al., 2009; Borrelli et al., 2017). Soil is a vital part of ecosystems and the soil
system functions which support the provision of ecosystem services and their
sustainability (Şekercioğlu, 2010; Wagg et al., 2014; Peters et al., 2015; Borrelli et
al., 2017). The provision of ecosystem services’ continuity and their sustainable
management depend on the protection and health of the soil (Pimentel et al.,
1995; Bennet et al., 2009; Şekercioğlu, 2010; Wagg et al., 2014). Soil erosion is
considered a significant threat for the continuation of ecosystem services in a
healthy manner (Pimentel et al., 1995; Borrelli et al., 2017).
Around the world, it is considered that the main causes of soil erosion include
human activities and the consecutive changes in land use, pressures, food
and carbon cycle, land productivity and global socio-economic conditions
(Şekercioğlu, 2010; Borrelli et al., 2017). Moreover, it is seen that various
activities such as deforestation, excessive grazing and soil cultivation, and
inefficient agricultural practices also lead to the negative effects of expedited
soil erosion processes, and these effects do not cause only land degradation
and productivity loss but also sedimentation, siltation and eutrophication of
waterways or increasing floods (Lal, 2003; Şekercioğlu, 2010; Borrelli et al.,
2017). Since erosion has an additive and mitigating effect on CO2 emissions
through mineralization and sediment burial, it also reveals the impacts of
erosion-caused changes in soil carbon cycle on climate, yet there has not
been enough research and assessment about these impacts (Şekercioğlu,
2010; Baer et al., 2016; Borrelli et al., 2017).
Soil erosion is one of the most important factors, which threatens the
sustainable use of soil resources in basin areas in Türkiye (FAO and ITPS, 2015).
Besides, the sediment amounts carried to water reservoirs, which change
due to different erosion processes depending on climate, soil, topography,
and land cover and management, cause negative consequences for energy
and agricultural water use in semi-arid ecosystems of our country. For this
reason, it has become an urgent priority for natural resources managers and
soil erosion scientists to evaluate the risk of erosion and to take this threat
under control across the country. Within the scope of combating erosion,
a project was launched based on Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation
(RUSLE) model by the General Directorate of Combating Desertification and
Erosion of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change.
Urgently attending soil erosion has become even more important due to the
emergence of the combined effects of climate change and land degradation,
which disproportionately affect agricultural productivity and water resources.

134 Journal of Environment, Urban and Climate