IAPRS & SIS, Vol.34, Part 7, "Resource and Environmental Monitoring", Hyderabad, India, 2002 
  
  
(November to February) The mean annual temperature is 
26.9°C and mean annual precipitation is about 1050 mm of 
which nearly 90 per cent is received during monsoon. The 
relative humidity is high during monsoon period (75 to 80%) 
and low during pre monsoon period (30 to 40%). The natural 
vegetation comprises dry deciduous tree species, shrubs 
interspersed with grasses. Commonly occurring species of tree 
and grasses are Teak (Tectona grandis), Babul (Acacia spp.), 
Palas (Butea frondosa), Charoli (Buchanania latifolia), Ber 
(Ziziphus jujuba), Kans (Sacharum spontaneaum) etc. A large 
percentage of cultivated land is mainly under kharif crops such 
as sorghum (Sorghum vulgare), soyabean (Glycin max), cotton 
(Gossypium spp.), tur (Cajanus cajon), mung (Vinga radiata), 
cowpea (Vinga sinensis). The dominant rabi crops of the area 
are wheat (Triticum aestium) and gram (Cicer arientinum) 
which are taken under irrigation or stores. Mandarin (Citrus 
reticulata) is main fruit crop of this watershed. 
2.2 Methodology 
Geocoded false colour composites (FCC) of IRS-1C (LISS-III) 
data of two seasons (Kharif and Rabi) were visually interpreted 
in conjunction with Survey of India Toposheet (1:50,000 scale) 
and subsequently ground-truth observations were collected to 
derive spatial information related to physiography, soils and 
land use/land cover. Slope map was prepared using contour 
information available on Survey of India Toposheet on 
1:50,000 scale. All these maps were digitized and processed 
under GIS environment using ILWIS 2.2 software. The maps of 
soil, slope and land use/land cover were reclassified to generate 
soil erodibility (K), slope length and steepness (LS) and crop 
management and conservation (CP) maps. These maps were 
integrated under GIS environment to compute the soil loss and 
generate soil erosion map. 
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 
3.1 Physiography 
Based on interpretation of satellite data and subsequent ground 
truth verification, six major physiography units viz. 
plateau/summits (Su), escarpment (Es), upper foot slope (Fu), 
lower foot slope (Fl) upper alluvial plain (Au) and lower 
alluvial plain (Al) have been delineated. The physiographic 
units identified in the study area is shown in figure 1. 
3.2 Soils 
The relationships between physiography and soils have been 
widely recognized. Field work was carried out using the 
physiography map as a base in conjunction with SOI toposheet 
(1:50,000 scale) of the area. The relationship between soils and 
physiographic units was established to prepare the soil map. 
Wright (1972) reported that the geomorphological variation 
tend to be associated with changes in important soil properties 
including depth, physical and chemical properties, profile 
development, soil moisture and erodibility. The soil map of the 
watershed showing association of soil series has been presented 
in figure 2 and the descriptive soil legend is given in table 1. 
726 
  
  
0 
]|v]eters 2500 
  
Summits [ .] Lower foot slope 
[CI Escarpment [1 Upper alluvial plain 
[-] Upper footsiope [1 Lower alluvial plain 
  
  
  
Figure 1: Physiography map of Nanda-Khairi watershed 
  
   
- " in -— 
3 pe ai à y 
RA T el 
E est AT e 
T n, e p ^. e 
ERR Y 
«ss — 
0 eters 254 
E <hairi 1- Rock autcrop [3 Kırmali - Fann 
[3 &hairi 2 [3 Shwmarka - Panjr 
L3 khai 3- Khairi 4 [Z3 Habitation 
[ khai 4 - Khaini 3 BE ua 
  
  
  
Figure 2: Soil map of Nanda-Khairi watershed 
3.3 Land Use/ Land Cover Mapping 
The present land use/land cover map of Nanda-Khairi 
watershed prepared with the help of two season data has been 
shown in figure 3. The land use/ land cover classes identified 
are agricultural land (single crop, double crop, fallow land, 
notified forest land (moderately dense forest, thin forest, 
degraded forest) and wasteland (with scrub and without scrub), 
habitation and streams/nala.