Assessment of Soil Degradation Susceptibility in the Chacabuco Province of Central Chile using a Morphometry Based Response Units Approach

Abstract

In this study the intensity and distribution of degradation processes in the Chacabuco Province of Chile was assessed focusing on water related degradation processes. The assessment is based on a morphometry based response units approach. Therefore a detailed DEM with 25 resolution was generated and analyzed. The combination of different indices allowed a separation of the terrain in different terrain units with specific degradation potential. The information is further used to identify areas that are suitable for the deposition of heavy metal rich sewage sludge of the Santiago metropolitan area. The study shows that, with a detailed geomorphological description and terrain analysis, areas susceptible to degradation processes can be identified. Hence, in a further step a classification and regression tree approach was used to derive a model to predict the degradation susceptibilities in the Chacabuco Province. The analysis was calibrated with exiting information on the geomorphology as well as intensity and distribution of degradation processes in the Metropolitan Region of Santiago, Chile.