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Integrating Erosion Potential Model (EPM) and PAP/RAC Guidelines for Water Erosion Mapping and Detection of Vulnerable Areas in the Toudgha River Watershed of the Central High Atlas, Morocco

Author

Listed:
  • Kamal Elbadaoui

    (Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayad University, Marrakech 40000, Morocco)

  • Soukaina Mansour

    (Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technique of Al Hoceima, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Al Hoceima 32003, Morocco)

  • Mustapha Ikirri

    (Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Ibnou Zohr University, Agadir 80000, Morocco)

  • Kamal Abdelrahman

    (Department of Geology & Geophysics, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia)

  • Tamer Abu-Alam

    (The Faculty of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsø, Norway
    OSEAN—Outermost Regions Sustainable Ecosystem for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, University of Madeira, Colégio dos Jesuítas, 9000-039 Funchal, Portugal)

  • Mohamed Abioui

    (Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Ibnou Zohr University, Agadir 80000, Morocco
    MARE-Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre—Sedimentary Geology Group, Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, 3030-790 Coimbra, Portugal)

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the extent and severity of water erosion in the Toudgha river catchment in the Central High Atlas of Morocco using two different erosion models, the Erosion Potential Model (EPM) and the Priority Actions Programme/Regional Activity Centre (PAP/RAC) model. From the modeling results, the catchment was affected by varying degrees of erosion, ranging from “very slight” to “excessive”, with different locations identified under each model. The very high erosion areas were located in the extreme northwest of the catchment area for both of the applied models, covering 9.65% (according to PAP/RAC) and 8.56% (EPM) of the total area primarily driven by factors such as intense rainfall events, limited vegetation cover, high soil erodibility due to low organic matter content and coarser soil texture, and human activities such as overgrazing and land use changes, which exacerbate the effects of these natural factors on water erosion in these semi-arid areas. The study’s findings suggest that erosion is a significant concern in these environmental areas and provide valuable information for designing effective erosion control measures and guiding soil and environmental management practices. Both models effectively simulated the erosion phenomenon and provided useful tools for soil and environmental management. The EPM model can be used to design effective erosion control measures, while the PAP/RAC model can be used to develop a comprehensive strategy for the sustainable management of the catchment area. These results have implications for the implementation of effective erosion control measures in mountainous watersheds and highlight the need for further research in this area.

Suggested Citation

  • Kamal Elbadaoui & Soukaina Mansour & Mustapha Ikirri & Kamal Abdelrahman & Tamer Abu-Alam & Mohamed Abioui, 2023. "Integrating Erosion Potential Model (EPM) and PAP/RAC Guidelines for Water Erosion Mapping and Detection of Vulnerable Areas in the Toudgha River Watershed of the Central High Atlas, Morocco," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-24, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:12:y:2023:i:4:p:837-:d:1116932
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