Modeling soil erosion and sediment transport under different land management options in a southern Italy watershed

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of different land management options on the sediment load at the watershed scale. To reach this, the Annualized agricultural non-point source model was used in the Candelaro basin (2300 km2). The watershed is located in a semi-arid area of southern Italy (Puglia region) and is affected by extensive erosion processes on the hillslopes. The sediment transport simulations have been compared with the 15 years (1970–1984) data coming from measures taken in two sub-watersheds (Vulgano and Salsola). Later, the model has been applied for a period of 24 years (1985–2008) to evaluate the effects of different land management options on the sediment yield: traditional best management practices, environmentally targeted agricultural practices and water and soil conservation works. The results obtained in the first part of the work show that the Annualized agricultural non-point source model performs well in simulating runoff and sediment yields at the watershed scale. Furthermore, the analysis carried out shows that the model is an efficient tool to assess the influence of different management options in the long term and in different weather conditions.