3.2 The assessment of the C factor
The values of the C factor are crucial in assessing the risk of erosion
as they indicate the degree of vegetative cover and soil protection. In
our study, we found that the maximum value of C on our map was 0.29 for
the Galite archipelago. This relatively low value suggests limited
vegetative cover in this region.
This sparse vegetative cover can be attributed to several factors, such
as arid environmental conditions, exposure to wind and erosion, as well
as human activities like overgrazing or deforestation. Additionally, we
noted that forest fires are likely to exacerbate this issue by
destroying existing vegetation and further exposing the soil to erosion.
As a result, a maximum C value of 0.29 highlights the vulnerability of
the Galite archipelago to erosion and underscores the importance of
implementing conservation and restoration measures to enhance vegetative
cover and protect the soil against the detrimental effects of erosion.(
Figure 6)