The paper presents the application of the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) model, integrated within a GIS environment, for estimating the average annual soil loss in the Cigher River Basin, located in the central-eastern part of Arad County. The main objective was to assess erosion vulnerability in relation to natural factors (precipitation, relief, soil) and anthropogenic factors (land use, agricultural practices). The analysis was based on multi-annual climatic data, pedological information, a 25 m resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM), and Sentinel-2 satellite imagery used to calculate the NDVI index. The five USLE factors - R (rainfall erosivity), K (soil erodibility), LS (slope length and steepness), C (cover management), and P (support practices) - were determined and integrated as raster layers to generate the final soil loss map. The results indicate average annual soil loss values ranging from 0 to over 41 t/ha/year, with an overall mean of 1.00 t/ha/year. Approximately 88% of the basin area falls within the very low-risk class (below 3 t/ha/year), while high-risk zones are located in the southern part of the basin, where steep slopes coincide with intensive agricultural use. The study confirms the effectiveness of integrating the USLE model with GIS technologies in the spatial analysis of erosion risk and highlights the need to implement conservation measures in critical areas to ensure sustainable soil resource management.

USLE, GIS, soil erosion, spatial modeling

geodesy engineering

Presentation: poster