Geographical Factors Affecting Soil Formation and Land Use in Siirt Province

Abstract

There are many parameters affecting soil formation and geographical factors are at first. Geographical factors affecting soil formation in Siirt province are climate, bedrock, geomorphological factors (slope, aspect, and elevation), hydrography and vegetation cover. In addition, human activities also affect soil formation and land use. The aim of this study is to determine the influence of environmental factors on soil formation on land use in the province of Siirt. In the study area, brown forest soils without lime are observed due to effective precipitation conditions and washing in high regions. Anthropogenic destruction of vegetation also affects the soil structure. In the western part of the study area, there has been a transformation of the land into agricultural areas, which has resulted in the destruction of the original vegetation cover. In the high districts of Pervari and Eruh, the vegetation cover has been eradicated and converted into pasture areas. The high precipitation and slope values in the north and east of the study area increase the risk of erosion. Due to erosion in these regions, vineyard and garden cultivation on colluvial soils comes to the forefront. Depending on all these geographical factors, 15% of the study area consists of productive agricultural areas (I. class, II. class, III. class, IV. class land), while 85% of the study area consists of inefficient or useless agricultural areas (V. class, VI. class, VII. class, VIII. class land). Lithology, geomorphology, climate and vegetation are particularly effective in the formation of these unproductive agricultural areas. Considering all these geographical factors in terms of land use types, livestock breeding activities in the north, southwest and southeast due to pasture areas and agricultural activities in the western part come to the forefront.