Geografie 2012, 117, 152-169

https://doi.org/10.37040/geografie2012117020152

Assessing the natural hazard of gully erosion through a Geoecological Information System (GeIS): a case study from the Western Carpathians

Martin Saksa1, Jozef Minár2,3

1Soil Science and Conservation Research Institute (SSCRI), Gagarionova 10, 82 13 Bratislava 2, Slovakia
2Comenius University in Bratislava, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Mlynská dolina 1, 842 15 Bratislava 4, Slovakia
3University of Ostrava, Faculty of Science, Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology, Chittussiho 10, 710 00 Ostrava – Slezská Ostrava, Czechia

Received December 2011
Accepted May 2012

The development of gullies represents a specific type of fluvial erosion that is triggered when surface runoff becomes concentrated during extreme rainfall events. This study investigates a part of the Považské Valley and Strážovské Mountains in Slovakia to assess the potential susceptibility and gully erosion hazard using a Geoecological Information System (GeIS). The landscape of the area was studied through primary field research and the analysis of secondary materials. The GeIS was then constructed in order to undertake specific multidimensional statistical methods. These were used to assess the potential susceptibly and gully erosion hazard. Those areas with the greatest potential susceptibility occur in Butkovská Furrow and the Podmanínska Hills whilst those with the least potential susceptibility occur in Butkovské Klippes and the Trenčianska Upland. The greatest gully erosion hazard was identified on arable land in the Podmanínska Hills and on the river terraces in the Ilavská Basin. It is clear that the majority of the permanent gullies within the study area are controlled by the course of existing anthropogenic linear features such as unpaved field and forest roads and balks in arable land.

Funding

This work was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under the contract ESF-EC-0006-07.

References

26 live references