The Role of Morphometric Factors in The Development of Gully Erosion Using the Dempster-Shafer Model

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 1Assistant Professor, Department of Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research, Khuzestan Agricultural and Natural Resource Research Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Ahvaz, Iran.

2 Department of Soil and water Conservation. Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

3 Department of Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research, Kerman Agricultural and Natural Resource Research Center, Agricultural Research, Education and ExtensionOrganization, Kerman, Iran.

Abstract

Nowadays, gully erosion has attracted the attention of different researchers due to the widespread destruction it causes in different climates of the world. In this study, the gullies in Sarab Halil watershed located in Kerman province were identified using field surveys and Google Earth and gullies distribution map with 79 gullies was obtained. In this study, 15 layers of information in the study area were obtained. Considering the overall average of each morphometric factor across all classes, the research results showed that the average uncertainty function or final weight in the shadow and light analysis information layer is 0.5, in the slope aspect information layer is 0.778, in the convex index information layer is 0.5, in the curvature information layer is 0.333, in the curvature classification information layer is 0.333, in the elevation information layer is 0.6, in the length-slope information layer is 0.6, in the slope curvature information layer is 0.333, in the profile curvature information layer is 0.333, in the slope information layer is 0.6, in the stream power information layer is 0.6, in the land surface texture information layer is 0.5, in the watershed area information layer is 0.5, in the topographic moisture information layer is 0.5, and in the vertical distance from the stream information layer is 0.5. Therefore, the information layers of curvature, slope curvature, and curvature profile, as well as curvature classification, equally have the lowest average uncertainty among morphometric factors, while the slope information layer has the highest average uncertainty among morphometric factors. Therefore, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.846 in the calibration (training) phase of the Dempster-Shafer model and 0.816 in the validation (test) phase. Thus, the Dempster-Shafer model demonstrated a very good ability to predict areas prone to gully erosion using morphometric factors.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Introduction

Nowadays, gully erosion has attracted the attention of different researchers due to the widespread destruction it causes in different climates of the world. Gully erosion is the last stage of the erosion process that has been expanding day by day throughout the world in recent decades due to inappropriate human use of land, and it destroys high-quality lands that cannot be replaced. Currently, there are different methods of controlling gully erosion, each of which is used according to the climate and specific conditions of the region involved in gully erosion. Gully erosion usually does not cover a very large area of ​​watersheds and occurs based on specific conditions. Gully erosion covers less than five percent of watersheds but causes more than 80 percent of basin sediments. For this reason, gully erosion control methods should be developed and various successful experiences of controlling gully erosion around the world should be used in Iranian watersheds. In addition, Gully erosion is the most severe type of water erosion and is one of the main causes of land degradation and needs to be given special attention by researchers and executives in the field of water and soil because any disregard for it causes irreparable damage to the water and soil of the affected areas.

Materials and Methods

In this study, the gullies in Sarab Halil watershed located in Kerman province were identified using field surveys and Google Earth and gullies distribution map with 79 gullies was obtained. In this study, 15 layers of information in the study area were obtained. In this study, various components of the Dempster-Shafer model, such as the belief coefficient, belief function, disbelief coefficient, disbelief function, and uncertainty, were used, and the final analysis and analysis were based on them. Then, a gulley erosion zoning map was obtained using this model, and it was divided into 5 classes: very low, low, medium, high, and very high, and analyzed

Results and Discussion

 Considering the overall average of each morphometric factor across all classes, the research results showed that the average uncertainty function or final weight in the shadow and light analysis information layer is 0.5, in the slope aspect information layer is 0.778, in the convex index information layer is 0.5, in the curvature information layer is 0.333, in the curvature classification information layer is 0.333, in the elevation information layer is 0.6, in the length-slope information layer is 0.6, in the slope curvature information layer is 0.333, in the profile curvature information layer is 0.333, in the slope information layer is 0.6, in the stream power information layer is 0.6, in the land surface texture information layer is 0.5, in the watershed area information layer is 0.5, in the topographic moisture information layer is 0.5, and in the vertical distance from the stream information layer is 0.5.

 

Conclusion

Therefore, the information layers of curvature, slope curvature, and curvature profile, as well as curvature classification, equally have the lowest average uncertainty among morphometric factors, while the slope information layer has the highest average uncertainty among morphometric factors. Therefore, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.846 in the calibration (training) phase of the Dempster-Shafer model and 0.816 in the validation (test) phase. Thus, the Dempster-Shafer model demonstrated a very good ability to predict areas prone to gully erosion using morphometric factors.

Funding

This article has not received any financial support.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization; Hamzeh saeediyan, Korush shirani; methodology, Hamzeh saeediyan, Korush shirani and Shahin Aghamirzadeh. formal analysis, Hamzeh saeediyan, Korush shirani; writing-original, Hamzeh saeediyan. project administration, Hamzeh saeediyan, Korush shirani. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.” All authors contributed equally to the conceptualization of the article and writing of the original and subsequent drafts.

Data Availability Statement

Data available on request from the authors.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all participants of the present study. The authors would like to thank Department of Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research, Kerman Agricultural and Natural Resource Research Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Kerman for providing equipments and Facilities.

Ethical considerations

All sources were properly acknowledged, and ethical guidelines for citation and academic integrity were fully observed throughout the research and writing process

Conflict of interest

The author declares no conflict of interest.

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Iranian Journal of Soil and Water Research
Volume 57, Issue 4
June 2026
Pages 869-887

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