Impact of crop production on soil erosion under changing climate in the semiarid climate zone in Northern Benin
摘要
In Benin, a country in West Africa, soil degradation and erosion caused by intensive commercial crop production (conventional cotton) are affecting the livelihoods of the local population, particularly in the semi-arid climate zone. While the negative impacts of cotton cultivation on soil quality are widely acknowledged, empirical evidence on location-specific drivers and adaptive soil management responses remains limited. Furthermore, climate change is expected to have a severe impact on soil conservation in West Africa, as plant growth and soil erosion are highly dependent on rainfall. In addition, heavy rainfall is expected and will increase the risk of soil erosion. However, there is a critical knowledge gap regarding how changing rainfall regimes interact with existing agricultural practices to influence soil degradation processes under semi-arid conditions. The overall objective of this research is to assess the rate of erosion under different crops [(cash crops (conventional cotton), cereals (maize and sorghum-millet), legumes (cowpea, groundnut and soybean)] in the semi-arid climate of Benin. The methodology used is based on a combination of mapping, GIS and spatial prediction models, in particular the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), taking into account current ((Institut