Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Causes and consequences of soil erosion in northeastern Himalaya, India


Affiliations
1 Division of System Research and Engineering, ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam 793 103, India
2 ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Manipur Centre, Imphal 795 004, India
3 Natural Resource Management Division (ICAR), Krishi Anusandhan Bhavan, Pusa, New Delhi 110 012, India
 

The Northeastern Region of India, due to its geogra­phical location in the eastern Himalaya, exhibits uni­que features of hilly terrain and abundant rainfall with wide spatial variability. Due to inappropriate and unsustainable land-use practices along the steep hill slopes, the region is prone to severe water erosion and soil loss. Only a few discrete, small-scale studies on measured soil loss in the region are available. Inadequate information at the regional level restricts devising site-specific soil and water conservation measures for the vulnerable areas of this region. To illustrate regional scenarios for future use, including projection studies, we have reviewed studies of soil loss in the region over the past three decades. The literature revealed significant variation in annual soil loss measured or estimated (range) across different land-use practices: traces to 229.5 t ha–1 yr–1 in shifting cultivation (jhum) and traces to 836.0 t ha–1 yr–1 in other non-jhum major land uses (agriculture, open forest and wasteland). The information generated will help prioritize research activities and in planning conservation measures for various stakeholders.

Keywords

Hilly terrain, land degradation, land-use practices, soil loss, water conservation.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • CSWCRTI Vision 2030, Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute, Dehradun, 2011, pp. 1–46.

  • Choudhury, B. U., Fiyaz, A. R., Mohapatra, K. P. and Ngachan, S., Impact of land uses, agro-physical variables and altitudinal gradient of soil organic carbon concentration of north-eastern Himalayan region of India. Land Degrad. Dev., 2016, 27, 1163– 1174.

  • Choudhury, B. U., Ansari, M. A., Chakraborty, M. and Meetei, T. T., Effect of land-use change along altitudinal gradients on soil micronutrients in the mountain ecosystem of Indian (Eastern) Himalaya. Sci. Rep., 2021, 11, 14279; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-93788-3.

  • Seitinthang, Lh., Cropping pattern of north east India: an appraisal. Am. Res. Thoughts, 2014, 1(1), 488–498.

  • Satapathy, K. K. and Sarma, B. K., Land degradation and conservation of biodiversity with special reference to North east India. Indian J. Hill Farm., 2001, 14(1), 7–18.

  • Devi, N. L. and Choudhury, B. U., Soil fertility status in relation to fallow cycles and land use practices in shifting cultivated areas of Chandel district Manipur, India. IOSR J. Agric. Vet. Sci., 2013, 4, 1–9.

  • Jeeva, S. R. D. N., Laloo, R. C. and Mishra, B. P., Traditional agricultural practices in Meghalaya, North East India. Indian J. Tradit. Knowl., 2006, 5(1), 7–18.

  • Prokop, P. and Poreba, G. J., Soil erosion associated with an upland farming system under population pressure in Northeast India. Land Degrad. Dev., 2012, 23, 310–321.

  • Savita, Choudhury, B. U. and Krishnappa, R., Nur bun cultivation and soil health. Indian Farm., 2019, 69(2), 6–8.

  • NRSC, Land use/land cover database on 1 : 50,000 scale, Natural Resources Census. Project, LUCMD, LRUMG, RSAA, National Remote Sensing Centre, Indian Space Research Organization, Hyderabad, 2019.

  • Dabral, P. P., Baithuri, N. and Pandey, A., Soil erosion assessment in a hilly catchment of North Eastern India using USLE, GIS and remote sensing. Water Resour. Manage., 2008, 22, 1783–1798.

  • Mandal, D. and Sharda, V. N., Assessment of permissible soil loss in India employing a quantitative bio-physical model. Curr. Sci., 2011, 100(3), 383–390.

  • Sharma, U. C. and Prasad, R. N., Socio-economic aspects of acid soil management and alternative land use systems for north eastern states of India. In Plant–Soil Interactions at Low pH: Principles and Management (eds Date, R. A. et al.). Developments in Plant and Soil Sciences, Series 64, Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 1995; https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0221-6_110.

  • Singh, S., A Resource Atlas of Arunachal Pradesh, Government of Arunachal Pradesh Publication, Itanagar, 1999.

  • Saha, R., Majumdar, B. and Das, K., Soil conservation management practices for fragile ecosystem of northeast India. In Proceedings of International Conference on Natural Resource Management for Food Security and Rural Livelihoods, New Delhi, 2015, pp. 1–8.

  • Singh, R. K., Panda, R. K., Satapathy, K. K. and Ngachan, S. V., Simulation of runoff and sediment yield from a hilly watershed in the eastern Himalaya, India using the WEPP model. J. Hydrol., 2011, 405, 261–276.

  • Munna Ram and Singh, B. P., Soil fertility management in farming systems. In Lectures notes – off campus training on farming system, Aizawl, 1993.

  • Singh, A. and Singh, M. D., Soil erosion hazards in North Eastern Hill Region. Research Bulletin No. 10. ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam, 1981.

  • Pandey, A. and Dabral, P. P., Estimation of runoff for hilly catchment using satellite data. J. Indian Soc. Remote Sensing, 2004, 32(2), 235–240.

  • Pandey, A., Mathur, A., Mishra, S. K. and Mal, B. C., Soil erosion modeling of a Himalayan watershed using RS and GIS. Environ. Earth Sci., 2009, 59, 399–410.

  • Zonunsanga, R., Estimation of soil loss in Teirei watershed of Mizoram by using Universal Soil Loss Equation model. J. Sci. Technol., 2016, 4(1), 43–47.

  • Mannering, J. V., The use of soil tolerance as a strategy for soil conservation. In Soil Conservation Problems and Prospects (ed. Morgan, R. P. C.), John Wiley, New York, USA, 1981, pp. 337– 349.

  • Sen, T. K., Babu, R., Nayak, D. C., Maji, A. K., Walia, C., Barua, U. and Sarkar, D., Soil Erosion of Assam, NBSS Publ. No. 118, National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning, Nagpur, 2005.

  • MoSPI, Statistical Year Book, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Government of India, 2014.

  • Baruah, H. K., Shifting cultivation and environmental degradation: a case study in two hill districts of Assam. Doctoral thesis, Tezpur University, 2008; http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/handle/ 10603/96727.

  • Kandel, D. D., Western, A. W., Grayson, R. B. and Turral, H. N., Process parameterization and temporal scaling in surface runoff and erosion modeling. J. Hydrol. Process., 2004, 18(8), 1423–1446.

  • Ahmed, S. I., Rudra, R. P., Gharabaghi, B., Mackenzie, K. and Dickinson, W. T., Within-storm rainfall distribution effect on soil erosion rate. ISRN Soil Sci., 2012, Article ID 310927.

  • Singh, R. K., Mishra, A. K. and Satapathy, K. K., Application of WEPP hydrologic simulation model for prediction of rainfall and runoff from hilly watersheds in Meghalaya. J. Agric. Eng., 2009, 46(1), 16–22.

  • Mishra, B. K. and Ramakrishnan, P. S., Slash and burn agriculture at higher elevations in north-eastern India. I. Sediment, water and nutrient losses. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ., 1983, 9(1), 69–82.

  • Lungmuana, Choudhury, B. U. et al., Impact of post-burn jhum agriculture on soil carbon pools in the north-eastern Himalayan region of India CSIRO Publishing. Soil Res., 2018, 56(6), 615– 622.

  • Poreba, G. J. and Prokop, P., Estimation of soil erosion on cultivated fields on the hilly Meghalaya plateau, north-east India. Geochronometria, 2011, 38(1), 77–84.

  • Sharma, U. C. and Sharma, V., Implications of nutrient and soil transfer with runoff in the north eastern region of India. In Proceedings of the International Symposium, Sediment Transfer through the Fluvial System, IAHS Publ., Moscow, 2004, vol. 288, pp. 488–494.

  • Singh, K. S., Kumar, B., Khare, D. and Jain, S. K., Estimation of erosion rate in a small catchment of Loktak wetland, India, using lead-210 (210Pb) technique. Water, 2007, 3(3), 257–265.

  • Froehlich, W., Soil erosion, suspended sediment sources and deposition in the Maw-Ki-Syiem drainage basin, Cherrapunji, northeastern India. In Proceedings of the International Symposium, Sediment Transfer through the Fluvial System, IAHS Publ., Moscow, 2004, vol. 288, pp. 138–146.

  • Sinha, K., Deb, D. and Pathak. K., Evaluation of soil erosion potential of a hilly terrain using hypsometry and E30 model: a case study of Kynshi Basin, Meghalaya. In Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Aerospace Electronics and Remote Sensing Technology, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 2014.

  • Singh, R., Lama, T. D. and Satapathy, K. K., Treatment technologies for watershed development and management in north east hill region. ENVIS Bull. Himalayan Ecol., 2006, 14(1), 14–21.

  • Rai, S. and Sharma, E., Comparative assessment of runoff characteristics under different land use patterns within a Himalayan watershed. Hydrol. Process., 1998, 12, 2235–2248.

  • Bhattacharyya, T., Ram Babu, Sarkar, D., Mandal, C. and Nagar, A. P., Soil Erosion of Tripura, a Model for Soil Conservation and Crop Performance, NBSS Publication No. 97, NBSS&LUP, Nagpur, 2002, pp. 1–80.

  • Ghosh, K. D., Bandyopadhyay, S. K. and Saha, S., Assessment of soil loss of the Dhalai River Basin, Tripura, India using USLE. Int. J. Geosci., 2013, 4, 11–23.

  • Bera, A., Estimation of soil loss by USLE model using GIS and remote sensing techniques: a case study of Muhuri River Basin, Tripura, India. Eurasian J. Soil Sci., 2017, 6(3), 206–215.

  • Bhadra, A., Lalramnghaki, H., Kiba, L. G. and Bandyopadhyay, A., Temporal variation in water induced soil erosion by RUSLE model using RS and GIS. EPiC Ser. Eng., 2018, 3, 236–244.

  • Dikshit, K. R. and Dikshit, J. K., North-East India: land, people and economy. Adv. Asian Hum.–Environ. Res., 2014, doi:10.1007/ 978-94-007-7055-3_16.

  • Singh, L. K. and Devi, S. R., Important traditional soil and water conservation techniques practices for sustainable agriculture in north east India. Indian J. Hill Farming, 2018, 31(2), 220–226.

  • Dabral, P. P., Indigenous techniques of soil and water conservation in the north eastern region of India. In 12th ISCO Conference, Beijing, China, 2002.

  • Singh, L. K., Soil conservation for settled agriculture using Echo, a traditional soil conservation structure, in Wokha district, Nagaland, India. ICIMOD Working Paper No. 2, 2012, pp. 55–57.

  • Singh, L. K., Devi, S. R. and Singh, H. J., Modified ECHO as an option for low cost soil conservation measures for settle agriculture in Wokha, Nagaland – a case study. Bioscan, 2016, 11(4), 2487–2491.

  • Gandhi, D., Pilot project in Manipur to develop alternative to shifting cultivation in north-east, 2018; https://nenow.in/environment/pilot-project-in-manipur-to-develop-alternative-to-shiftingcultivation-in-north-east.html

  • Vision 2050. Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation (ICAR), Dehradun, 2015, pp. 1– 49; www.cswcrtiweb.org

  • Mane, M. S., Mahadkarand, U. V. and Thorat, T. N., Comparative performance of different soil conservation measures on steep slopes of Konkan region of western Maharashtra. Indian J. Soil Conserv., 2009, 37(1), 41–44.

  • Sharda, V. N., Juyal, G. P. and Singh, P. N., Hydrologic and sedimentologic behaviour of a conservation bench terrace system in a sub-humid climate. Am. Soc. Agric. Eng., 2002, 45(5), 1433– 1441.

  • Sharda, V. N., Sena, D. R., Shrimali, S. S. and Khola, O. P. S., Effects of an intercrop-based conservation bench terrace system on resource conservation and crop yields in a sub-humid climate in India. Am. Soc. Agric. Biol. Eng., 2013, 56(4), 1411–1425.

  • Madhu, M. et al., 25 years of research on soil and water conservation in eastern region of India. Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Koraput, Odisha, India, 2018, pp. 1–149.

  • Madhu, M., Naik, B. S., Praveen Jakhar, Hombegowda, H. C., Adhikary, P. P. and Gore, K. P., Impact assessment of integrated watershed development in Lachaputtraghati watershed, Koraput, Odisha. Technical Bulletin, Central Soils Water Conservation Research & Training Institute, Dehradun, India, 2014, pp. 1–49.

  • Lal, R., Shifting cultivation versus sustainable intensification. In Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, Elsevier Inc., 2015, pp. 1–12; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.09295-2.

  • Laing, D. R. and Ruppenthal, M., Vetiver News Letter, 8, June 1992, Asia Technical Department, The World Bank, Washington DC, USA, 1991.

  • Ghosh, S., Wilson, B., Ghoshal, S., Senapati, N. and Mandal, B., Organic amendments influence soil quality and carbon sequestration in the Indo-Gangetic plains of India. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ., 2012, 156, 135–141.

  • Zhang, Z., Cao, C., Guo, L. and Li., C., The effects of rape residue mulching on net global warming potential and greenhouse gas intensity from no-tillage paddy fields. Sci. World J., 2014, Article ID 198231.

  • Sarkar, S. et al., Management of crop residues for improving input use efficiency and agricultural sustainability. Sustainability, 2020, 12, 9808.

  • Borst, H. L. and Woodburn, R., The effect of mulching and methods of cultivation on runoff and erosion from Muskingham silt loam. J. Agric. Eng., 1942, 23, 19–22.

  • Megahan, W. F., Deep-ischolar_mained plants for erosion control on granitic road fills in the Idaho Batholith. US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, 1974, p. 106.

  • Séguy, L., Bouzinac, S. and Pacheco, A., From mechanized soil and crop management methods to direct seeding management techniques, without tillage, applied to the Cerrados of centralwestern Brazil, Goiania, Brazil. Technical and research document. Institute for Tropical Agronomic Research and Food Crops, 1989, pp. 1–185.

  • Jha, P. and Mandal, D., Maximum allowable soil erosion rate under different land forms of Uttrakhand. J. Indian Soc. Soil Sci., 2010, 58(4), 422–427.

  • Saha, R., Chaudhary, R. S. and Somasundaram, J., Soil health management under hill agroecosystem of north east India. Appl. Environ. Soil Sci., 2012, Article ID 696174; https://doi:10.1155/2012/696174.

  • Yadav, R. K., Yadav, D. S., Rai, N. and Sanwal, S. K., Soil and water conservation through horticulture intervention in hilly areas. ENVIS Bull. Himalayan Ecol., 2006, 14(1), 4–13.

  • Hazra, C. R. and Singh, D. P., Soil and water conservation and silvipastoral for wasteland improvement at Gaharawa watershed. Range Manage. Agrofor., 1994, 15, 35–42.

  • Singh, R. K., Satapathy, K. K., Dutta, K. K., Ngachan, S. V., Munda, G. C. and Azad Thakur, N. S., Hydrology of hilly watersheds: a micro level study. ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam, 2012, pp. 1–347.

  • Choudhury, B. U., Nengzouzam, G. and Islam, A., Soil erosion in integrated farming system based micro-watersheds under projected climate change and adaptation strategies in the eastern Himalayan mountain ecosystem (India). J. Environ. Manage., 2022, 309, 114667; doi:org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.114667.

  • SAC, Desertification and Land Degradation Atlas of India (Based on IRS AWiFS data of 2011–13 and 2003-05), Space Applications Centre, ISRO, Ahmedabad, 2016, pp. 1–219.


Abstract Views: 416

PDF Views: 184




  • Causes and consequences of soil erosion in northeastern Himalaya, India

Abstract Views: 416  |  PDF Views: 184

Authors

Burhan U. Choudhury
Division of System Research and Engineering, ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam 793 103, India
Grace Nengzouzam
Division of System Research and Engineering, ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam 793 103, India
Meraj A. Ansari
ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Manipur Centre, Imphal 795 004, India
Adlul Islam
Natural Resource Management Division (ICAR), Krishi Anusandhan Bhavan, Pusa, New Delhi 110 012, India

Abstract


The Northeastern Region of India, due to its geogra­phical location in the eastern Himalaya, exhibits uni­que features of hilly terrain and abundant rainfall with wide spatial variability. Due to inappropriate and unsustainable land-use practices along the steep hill slopes, the region is prone to severe water erosion and soil loss. Only a few discrete, small-scale studies on measured soil loss in the region are available. Inadequate information at the regional level restricts devising site-specific soil and water conservation measures for the vulnerable areas of this region. To illustrate regional scenarios for future use, including projection studies, we have reviewed studies of soil loss in the region over the past three decades. The literature revealed significant variation in annual soil loss measured or estimated (range) across different land-use practices: traces to 229.5 t ha–1 yr–1 in shifting cultivation (jhum) and traces to 836.0 t ha–1 yr–1 in other non-jhum major land uses (agriculture, open forest and wasteland). The information generated will help prioritize research activities and in planning conservation measures for various stakeholders.

Keywords


Hilly terrain, land degradation, land-use practices, soil loss, water conservation.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv122%2Fi7%2F772-789