Remote sensing Application in Determination of Land Use Management Factors of the USLE
Dr.Roslan Zainal Abidin
Associate professor
Faculty of civil Engineering
MARA Institute of Technology
40450 Shah Alam
selangor, Malaysia
Tel: (603) 5563813
Fax: (603 ) 5592394
E-mail :drroslan@civil.engr.itm.edu.my
Dr .Amir Hashim Mohd. Kassim
Associate Professor, head of Dept.
dept. of Hydraulic & Hydrology
Faculty of Civil Engineering
Universiti Tecknologi Malaysia
Locked Bag 791
80990 Johar Bahru
Tel: 96070 5503087
Fax: (607) 5566157
E-mail :amir.fka@utm.my
Tew Kia Hui
Researcher
58, jalan Gangsa 2
81300 Skudai
Johor ,Malaysia
Tel: (6016) 223181
Fax: (607) 5542181
E-mail:valen@tm.net.my
Abstract
Cameron Highlands, an idyllic highland resort in Malaysia are mostly covered by thick tropical rainforest acquiring 59,153 hectares (6.22%). With he cool temperature averaging between 100c to 230C makes it an ideal retreat for holiday makers. The climate and soil encourages tea , vegetables, citrus fruits, coffee, strawberry and mushroom cultivation. However, the agricultural activities carried out in Cameron Highlands are at an alarming rate to meet the increasing demand of vegetable and cash crops form all over Peninsular Malaysia. This has led to indiscriminate clearing of new lands, no proper covering provided after harvesting of the crops that leaving the soil bare towards direct rainfall and making it venerable for landslides to occur. This has been supported by the fact the at recent developments has taken its tall in the highland itself with many on -gong and new proposed development project. As a result of human ignorance, a spate of landslips and flash floods since occurred in Cameron Highland lately to which incurred loss of lives.
Though, we cannot halt development that brings benefit to the country, it should however be environmentally sound and sustainable. In this regard, study on the land use management factors 9 cover Management factor, C and Support Practice Factor, P) of the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) is certainly timely s this parameter emphasizes on the land covers in the study area and its effect on the amount of soil erosion loss. With the use of recent technologies, color infrared interpretative key is used to determine the combined land use management factor, C and P. coupled with the remoter sensing imagery using Landsat Thematic Mapper, the Ringlet location in Cameron Highlands has been determined as having the highest erosion risk/loss based on the CP factor justified by the highest erosion risk/loss based on the CP factor justified by the Conversely, the Sg. Ikan location shows the highest reduction in the amount of still erosion loss as well s erosion risk with most of the is area are still covered with forest t. results of this study highlights some of the important land use at various locations in Cameron Highlands as it would give some indication about the possibility of reducing any further erosion risk/loss that will occur in time to come so that development of any new projects can be well planned and decided in ensuring a quality environment.
Introduction
By definition, the cover Management Factor, C in the USLE is a factor that measures the combined effect of all the inter-related cover and management variables and is defined as the ration of soil loss form land cropped under specified conditions to the corresponding loss from clean-tilled continuous fallow land.
Generally, whenever sloping soil is to be cultivated and exposed to erosive rains, the protection offered by sod or close-growing crops in the system needs to be supported by practices that will slow the runoff water and thus reduce the amount of soil it can carry. The most important of these supporting cropland practice factor, P in the USLE is the ratio of soil loss with a specific support practice to the corresponding loss with up-and -down-slope culture. Improved tillage practices, sod-based rotation, fertility treatment and greater quantities of crop residues left on the field contribute materially to erosion control.
With the use of the remote sensing application, a color infrared interpretative key is used a determine the combined land use management factor, C and P of the USLE as shown in Table 1.
Table 1. Showing colour infrared interpretative key for land use management factor C and P of the USLE .
| Land Use Management |
Photo Characteristics |
CP Factor Value |
| Grassland/hay |
Pink tones, smooth texture |
0.003 |
| Residential |
Pink tones, houses/streets |
0.003 |
| Forest |
Red tones, cioarse texture |
0.003 |
| Rangeland (grass & Weeds ) |
Variable colours |
0.007-0.450* |
| Cropland |
Pink tones, cultivation |
0.300-0.400** |
| Construction Areas |
White tones, coarser texture |
1.000 |
| Impervious Areas |
Bluish-white, smooth texture |
0.005 |
| * for Rangeland, the average CP factor is taken as 0.229 |
| ** for Cropland, the average CP factor is taken as 0.35 |
Methodology
11 Location have been identified in Cameron Highlands as indicated in Figure 1 and their respective zoning within a 5 km radius are shown in Table 2.
Figure 1. Map showing the 11 locations with their respective zoning within 5 km radius in Cameron Highlands
From the remote sensing image 9 Landsat Thematic Mapper dated 23.4.90) obtained from MACRES ( Malaysian Center for Remote sensing ), the data re processed and the overall image covering the catchments of Cameron Highlands is as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2. Landsat Thematic Mapper image showing the overall picture of Cameron Highlands catchment
Table 2. The 11 locations in Cameron Highlands with their respective zoning within 5 km radius
| Zone No. |
Location |
| 1 |
Ringlet |
| 2 |
Ldg. Teh Boh |
| 3 |
Tanah Rata |
| 4 |
Brinchang |
| 5 |
Tringkap |
| 6 |
Ldg. Sg. Palas |
| 7 |
Gunung Brinchang |
| 8 |
Kuala Terla |
| 9 |
Kg. Raja |
| 10 |
Sg. Ikan |
| 11 |
Blue Valley |
Result Analysis
The "Landsat Thematic Mapper" image is processed according to he colour infrared interpretative key for the 11 locations Highlands with their respective zoning within a 5 km radius to acquire the CP factor will not be included in the calculation as for these areas either the types of land use could not identified or cropping or land management would not be done. The ringlet location with its respective zoning within a 5 km radius is shown in figure 3.
Figure 3. Map showing respective land use management for Ringlet location (Zone 1) within 5 km radius
With reference to the enclose Appendix , a ranking of the various land use management factors, C and P for the 11 locations is carried out and a typical results( Residential Image ) is shown in Table 3. Finally, the weighted CP factor is as shown in Table 4.
