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Estimating soil erosion utilizing geospatial method and revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) of Abu Ghraibat Watershed, Eastern Misan Governorate, Iraq

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Abstract

This study examined the synergistic and independent effects of soil properties, vegetation cover, conservation practices, and slope on the spatial distribution characteristics of soil erosion in the Abu-Ghraibat watershed in 2024. Soil samples have been collected and analyzed in the laboratory, along with high-resolution satellite imagery, meteorological data, and digital elevation model (DEM) data. The findings indicate that soil erosion in the Abu-Ghraibat watershed in 2024 was minimal, with a progressively increasing severity from north to south. In the studied area, grassland accounts for over 50% of soil erosion, with regions with vegetation coverage > 30% as the primary contributors, all of which are influenced by slope. Moreover, the enhancement of vegetation in the lower strata of the basin and in grasslands, especially on slopes ranging from 10° to 45°, along with the conversion of sloping woodlands and grasslands into terraces, has proven an effective strategy for mitigating soil erosion in the Abu-Ghraibat watershed. The present study has demonstrated that the RUSLEGIS integrated model may serve as an effective instrument for quantitatively and spatially mapping soil erosion at the watershed level in the Abu-Ghraibat, while accounting for the provision of landscape services.

Data availability

Data is available by contacting the corresponding author.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Department of Applied Geology at the University of Babylon and the Department of Civil Engineering and Built Environment at Liverpool John Moores University for their scientific support throughout this study.

Funding

Open access funding provided by Lulea University of Technology.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of Babylon, Hillah, 51001, Babil, Iraq

    Bashar F. Maaroof

  2. Department of General Sciences, University of Misan, Amarah, 62001, Misan, Iraq

    Hashim H. Kareem

  3. Department of Applied Geology, University of Babylon, Hillah, 51001, Babil, Iraq

    Jaffar H. Al-Zubaydi

  4. Department of Civil, Environmental, and Natural Resources Engineering, Lulea University of Technology, Lulea, 97187, Sweden

    Nadhir Al-Ansari

  5. Department of Geography, University of Fayoum, Fayoum, 63511, Egypt

    Mohamed Alkhuzamy Aziz

  6. Department of Geography, University of Wasit, Wasit, 52001, Iraq

    Dhia Alden A. AL-Quraishy

  7. Faculty of Engineering Technology, Civil Engineering and Built Environment Department, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 5UX, UK

    Ban AL-Hasani, Mawada Abdellatif & Iacopo Carnacina

  8. Remote Sensing Center, University of Mosul, Mosul, 6231, AZ, Iraq

    Rayan G. Thannoun

  9. Department of Geology, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, 10001, Iraq

    Manal Sh. Al-Kubaisi

  10. Faculty of Science, Department of Environmental Sustainability, Lakehead University, 500 University Avenue, Orillia, ON, L3V 0B9, Canada

    Sama S. Al-Maarofi

Authors

  1. Bashar F. Maaroof
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  2. Hashim H. Kareem
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  3. Jaffar H. Al-Zubaydi
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  4. Nadhir Al-Ansari
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  5. Mohamed Alkhuzamy Aziz
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  7. Ban AL-Hasani
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  8. Mawada Abdellatif
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Contributions

Bashar F. Maaroof: Project administration, conceptualization, data curation, formal analysis, investigation, methodology, supervision, validation, visualization, software, writing – original draft. Hashim H. Kareem: Supervise, visualize, methodology, resources, validate, write, review, and edit. Jaffar H. Al-Zubaydi: Supervision, data curation, formal analysis, validation, visualization, methodology, writing – review and editing. Nadhir Al-Ansari: Supervision, data curation, formal analysis, methodology, software, writing, review, and editing. Mohamed Alkhuzamy Aziz: Supervision, data curation, formal analysis, methodology, software, writing, review, and editing. Dhia Alden A. AL-Quraishy: Visualization, data curation, formal analysis, methodology, software, writing, review, and editing. Ban AL-Hasani: Formal analysis, methodology, validation. Mawada Abdellatif: Formal analysis, methodology, validation. Iacopo Carnacina: Formal analysis, methodology, validation. Rayan G. Thannoun: Data curation, formal analysis, methodology, validation. Manal Sh. Al-Kubaisi: Formal analysis, methodology, validation. Sama Al-Maarofi: Formal analysis, methodology, validation.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to
Nadhir Al-Ansari.

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Maaroof, B.F., Kareem, H.H., Al-Zubaydi, J.H. et al. Estimating soil erosion utilizing geospatial method and revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) of Abu Ghraibat Watershed, Eastern Misan Governorate, Iraq.
Sci Rep (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-33403-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-33403-x

Keywords

  • Geohazards
  • Soil degradation
  • GIS
  • RUSLE
  • Abu ghraibat watershed

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