SITE ANALYSIS: NATURAL

FACTORS
GEOMORPHOLOGY
CONTINUATION PART-2
Site analysis
• Involves the study of the site in terms of the following:
A. NATURAL FACTORS
• 1.Geology –earths composition
• 2.Geomorphology-
physiography,landforms,soils,drainage,topography and
slopes, soil erosion
• 3.Hydrology-surface and ground water
• 4.Vegetation-plant ecology
• 5.Wildlife-habitats
• 6.Climate-solar orientation, wind and humidity
NAMRIA is mandated to provide the public with mapmaking services and
to act as the central mapping agency, depository, and distribution facility
for natural resources data in the form of maps, charts, texts, and
statistics.
 basic geomorphologic information:

4. SOIL EROSION
• Soil erosion- when rocks are broken down( weathered)
into small fragments, and carried by wind, water ice and
gravity.
• Energy for this process is solar & gravitational
• At least four factors must be taken into account in any
attempt to forecast erosion rates.
Soil erosion
 4 factors taken into account in any
1.Vegetation attempt to forecast erosion rates.

On most surfaces, vegetation appears to be the

most important single control on soil erosion.
• Foliage helps intercepts raindrops, reducing
the force at which they strike the soil surface.
• Organic litter on the ground reduces the
impact of raindrops, and plant roots bind
together aggregates of soil particles
increasing the soil’s resistance to the force of
running water.
• The one feature of vegetation that appears to
the have the greatest influence on erosion is
cover density. The heavier the cover, either in
form of ground cover or tree canopy, the
lower the soil loss to runoff.
Foliage- the leaves of a plant,
collectively; leafage.
 4 factors taken into account in any
2. Soil type attempt to forecast erosion rates.

• If running water is applied to soils of different

textures, sand will usually yield ( erode) first. In
order to erode clay, the velocity of the run off
would have to be increased to create sufficient
stress to overcome cohesive forces that bind
the particles together. water run off/rain

• Similarly high velocities would also be needed

to move pebbles and large particles because
their masses are so much greater than the
those of sand particles.
 4 factors taken into account in any
2. Soil type attempt to forecast erosion rates.

In considering the role of soil type in soil

erosion problems, it appears that
intermediate textures tend to most erodible,
whereas clay and particles coarser than sand
are measurably more resistant. Other
characteristics such as compactness &
structure, also influence erodibility. But in
general, texture can be taken as the leading
soil parameter in assessing the potential for
soil erosion
 4 factors taken into account in any
3. Slope size and inclination attempt to forecast erosion rates.
• The velocity that runoff is able to attain
is closely related to the slope of the
ground over which it flows. in addition,
slope also influences the quantity of
runoff in as much as long slopes collect
more rainfall and thus generate a large
volume of runoff.
• In general, then, slopes that are both
steep and long tend to produce the
greatest erosion bec. They generate
runoff that is high in velocity in mass.
But this is true only for slopes up to
about 50 degrees, bec. at steeper
angles, the exposure of the slope face
to rainfall grows rapidly smaller,
vanishing altogether for vertical cliffs.
 4 factors taken into account in any
4. Frequency and intensity of fall attempt to forecast erosion rates.

• Tests show the intensive rainfalls such

as those produced by thunderstorms
promote the highest rates of erosion.
Accordingly, the incidence of such
storms together with the total annual
rainfall can be taken as reliable
measure of the effectiveness of
rainfall in promoting soil erosion.
• In the U.S, the Soil Conservative
Service has translated this into a
rainfall erosion index that represents
the erosive energy delivered to the
soil annually by rainfall.
Site analysis
• Involves the study of the site in terms of the following:
A. NATURAL FACTORS
• 1.Geology –earths composition
• 2.Geomorphology-
physiography,landforms,soils,drainage,topography and
slopes, soil erosion
• 3.Hydrology-surface and ground water
• 4.Vegetation-plant ecology
• 5.Wildlife-habitats
• 6.Climate-solar orientation, wind and humidity
A. NATURAL FACTORS
3. HYDROLOGY
• Hydrology- the natural science that studies
the waters of the earth, their occurrence,
circulation and distribution, their chemical
and physical properties, and their reaction
to the living environment including their
relation to all living things.
Hydrologic cycle- or the planet's water cycle. Described by the movement of water
form the continents and back to the sea
Water table- is the upper boundary line of the zone of ground water, the top of
unconfined aquifer
Aquifer- a permeable geological stratum or formation that can both store and
transmit groundwater in significant qualities
Watershed- a geographic area of
land bounded by topographic
features and height of land that
captures precipitation, filters and
stores water and drains waters to a
shared destination. Knowledge of
watershed boundaries is critical to
water quality and storm water
management
DENR-Department of Environment and Natural Resources
PENRO -Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office
City Environment & Natural Resources Office (CENRO)