Classification of potential soil erosion on agricultural land and mountainous farmer’ perceptions of soil erosion in Hue city

Abstract

This study was conducted in the mountainous area of the former Phu Loc District, Hue City, to assess potential soil erosion using the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and to examine local perceptions of this phenomenon based on interview data from 40 agricultural households. The results indicate that potential soil erosion was mainly concentrated in severity classes IV (200–400 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) and V (400–800 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹), accounting for 62.76% of the total study area. At the 90% confidence level, a difference was found between Kinh and Co Tu respondents in their ability to correctly identify soil erosion; confusion between soil erosion and landslides was relatively common, particularly among the Co Tu group. However, no statistically significant differences were observed between ethnic groups in identifying the causes and consequences of soil erosion. In terms of gender, no significant difference was found in recognizing the erosion phenomenon itself, whereas statistically significant differences were detected between men and women in identifying its causes and consequences. The study recommends increasing land cover in combination with community communication using accessible language and field-based demonstrations to improve awareness and support the selection of appropriate farming practices.