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Capabilities of using UAVs and close range photogrammetry to determine short-term soil losses in forest road cut slopes in semi-arid mountainous areas

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Abstract

The soil losses that are caused should be examined by monitoring the forest roads in the periods after they are built. In traditional soil loss determination studies that require intensive labour, due to difficulties in parcel setup, leaks from the connection points of the system, overflow of the material in the storage units and regular follow-up of the precipitation, etc., the system has its disadvantages. In this study, studies were carried out to evaluate the possibilities of using UAV and close range photogrammetry (CRP) methods, which are remote sensing techniques, and to determine the soil losses in forest road cut slopes in semi-arid mountainous areas. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of the methods are discussed. A 100-m section of the secondary forest road was chosen as the study area. Data acquisition was carried out by UAV and CRP methods in the period of May 2020–November 2020. In the results of the study, the volumetric deformation per unit area results, a − 0.0060 m3m−2 erosion amount and a 0.0046 m3m−2 accumulation amount were determined by UAV. In addition, in the photogrammetric method, a − 0.0050 m3m−2 erosion amount and a 0.0031 m3m−2 accumulation amount were found. When both methods were compared temporally, the processes took approximately 2 times longer in the CRP method. In addition, while the ground sampling distance of DEMs and orthophotos produced with the UAV was 2 cm, it was obtained as 1 cm in the CRP method and terrestrial receptions were found to be 2 times higher resolution. According to the results obtained, the CRP method gives results that are more accurate in such studies.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the editor and the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments that helped us improve the manuscript.

Funding

This work was supported by funds provided by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) with the Project Number: 1919B012201739.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Forestry, Düzce University, Konuralp Campus, 81620, Düzce, Turkey

    Yılmaz Türk & Emirhan Akduman

  2. Institute of Postgraduate Education, Düzce University, Konuralp Campus, 81620, Düzce, Turkey

    Vuralhan Özçelik

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  1. Yılmaz Türk
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YT performed conceptualization, the methodology and formal analysis, curation and the calculation of the model. VÖ and EA performed data collection and original draft preparation. Authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Yılmaz Türk.

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Türk, Y., Özçelik, V. & Akduman, E. Capabilities of using UAVs and close range photogrammetry to determine short-term soil losses in forest road cut slopes in semi-arid mountainous areas. Environ Monit Assess 196, 149 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-024-12339-1

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