Evaluation of a sustainable land use planning model in the Elmali basin

Whereas most studies addressing soil erosion have focused on determining the spatial distribution and extent of the problem, efforts to solve problems of erosion have remained limited. In response, a model for sustainable land use planning (SLUP) was used to improve the sustainable management of watersheds by preventing soil loss according to land use. The model was applied to a small-scale rural basin with forest, pasture and farmland at risk of soil erosion by integrating geographic information systems (GIS) and the universal soil loss equation (USLE) model. Initial mean soil loss in the basin was 4.9 t ha(-1) yearly, most of which had occurred in the farmland. Although contour farming and strip cropping had reduced soil loss in the farmland by 19.5% and 59.4%, respectively, such methods failed to maintain the basin's sustainability. However, with the model, soil loss decreased to 0.08 t ha(-1) yearly. Thus, for the basin's sustainable management, the land use planned there should be 88% forest, 10% pasture and 2% water surface. The results showed that the model for sustainable management can be used as a convenient tool for watershed management.