Studying of the Effect of LandUse Changes on Some Soil Degradation Indicators in Abbahar Masjed Soleiman Region

ABSTRACT: The exponential increase in world population has added to the pressure on basic resources including soil. This trend has led to the degradation of farmlands, pastures, and forests such that annually about 430 million hectares of world lands (equal to 30% of plowed lands) undergo erosion as the result of destructive effects left on qualitative properties of soil. Due to the significance of the issue, a study was conducted on land-use changes and the effect of these changes on certain soil degradation indicators in an area of 9404 hectares in Ab-Bahar region, Masjed Soleyman County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. The results of this research showed a decline in soil porosity, an increase in soil bulk density, and a decrease in soil organic matters.