The Assessment of Soil Degradation Risk using Quantitative FAO / UNEP Method in Joupar Plain, Kerman Province

 Soil is the main nonrenewable natural source in the world. Soil degradation is the main threat across the globe and cause to decrease the soil ability in economical and biological production as well as environmental Instability. Therefore, the consideration of affective factors of soil degradation and determination of regional solutions has an important role in using and protecting soils. One of the suitable methods in studying the soil degradation is FAO/ UNEP method that studies different soil physical and chemical factors. The purpose of this research, therefore, was to study the soil degradation in Joupar plain by quantitative FAO/ UNEP method approach.  To do this research, the 46-point sampling (auger and profile) on topographic map with a scale of 1: 25,000 with regular network, was determined. Finally, in each land unit components, a control profiles, the sampling was done and the final classification. The chemical and physical properties of soil were determined by conventional methods. The effect of chemical properties (salinity and alkalinity) and physical properties (density, soil and water table depth) on soil degradation using the formula and weighting coefficients presented in FAO - UNEP assessment and destruction of soil was obtained. The results of this study showed that the total of 39.2 percent of the studied lands were prone to the chemical soil degradation in which 28.2 percent of the area were classified as very high and 1l percent classified as low risk in this regard. The total physical degrading risk of the studied lands were determined about 39.2 percent in which 28.2 percent of the lands classified as low risk while 11 percent were considered at medium level of degradation risk. It was also found physical properties density had the greatest impact on the destruction area.