Integrated Soil and Water Conservation Planning and Cultural Heritage Preservation: Assessing Changes and Extreme Events in the Midwest US and Türkiye

Keywords: soil erosion, geomorphology, extreme events, runoff, agriculture, archeology
Abstract Type: Paper Abstract

Abstract

The Conservation Effects Assessment Program (CEAP) in the United States exists primarily to observe and assess the physical effects of conservation practices and efforts at various scales, from point to hillslope to edge-of-field to watersheds of varying sizes. CEAP observations enabled the evaluation of model predictions of these same conservation practices. The first case study uses observations for a small watershed within the St. Joseph River Watershed in Indiana, USA. The authors compared the QGIS Geospatial Interface for the Water Erosion Prediction Project Model (QGeoWEPP) with water quality event observations recorded at the watershed. The climate generator CLIGEN uses long-term statistical data to prepare climate scenarios to analyze return periods of extreme precipitation events. A second study investigates the impact of archaeological excavations on geomorphic systems by examining runoff formation and erosion rates at the Resuloğlu Mound, located in the northern Central Anatolia region of Türkiye. The main objective of both studies is to illustrate an integrated planning approach for agricultural communities using process-based soil erosion model runs. The presented approach enables landowners to analyze observed and generated extreme events, including climate change and anthropogenic effects, to better plan and preserve the productive heritage and sustainable rural development with multi-use purposes.