title: Conservation strategies for effective land management of protected areas using an erosion prediction information system (EPIS).
abstract: This research demonstrates the predictive modeling capabilities of a geographic information system (GIS)-based soil erosion potential model to assess the effects of implementing land use change within a tropical watershed. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) was integrated with a GIS to produce an Erosion Prediction Information System (EPIS) and modified to reflect conditions found in the mountainous tropics. Research was conducted in the Zenzontia subcatchment of the Río Ayuquíla, located within the Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve (SMBR), México. Expanding agricultural activities within this area will accentuate the already high rate of soil erosion and resultant sediment loading occurring in the Río Ayuquíla. Two land-use change scenarios are modeled with the EPIS: (1) implementation of soil conservation practices in erosion prone locations; and (2) selection of sites for agricultural expansion which minimize potential soil loss. Confronted with limited financial resources and the necessity for expedient action, managers of the SMBR can draw upon the predictive capacity of the EPIS to facilitate rapid and informed land-use planning decisions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Millward
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Mersey
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D003657:Decision Making; D005843:Geography; D007256:Information Systems; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012987:Soil
chemical_list: D012987:Soil