Driving forces and their interactions of soil erosion in soil and water conservation regionalization at the county scale with a high cultivation rate

Soil erosion control based on county scale Soil and Water Conservation Regionalization(SWCR)is an essential component of China's ecological civilization construction.In SWCR,the quantitative analysis of the spatial heterogeneity and driving factors of soil erosion among different regions is still lacking.It is of great significance for soil erosion control to deeply examine the factors contributing to soil erosion(natural,land use,and socioeconomic factors)and their interaction at the county and regional levels.This study focused on a highly cultivated area,Hechuan District of Chongqing in the Sichuan Basin.The district(with 30 townships)was divided into four soil and water conservation regions(Ⅰ-Ⅳ)using principal component and hierarchical cluster analysis.The driving factors of soil erosion were identified using the geographical detector model.The results showed thatⅰ)the high cultivation rate was a prominent factor of soil erosion,and the sloping farmland accounted for 78.4%of the soil erosion in the study area;ⅱ)land use factors demonstrated the highest explanatory power in soil erosion,and the average interaction of land use factors explained 60.1%of soil erosion in the study area;ⅲ)the interaction between natural factors,socioeconomic factors,and land use factors greatly contributes to regional soil erosion through nonlinear-enhancement of double-factor enhancement.This study highlights the importance of giving special attention to the effects of land use factors on soil erosion at the county scale,particularly in mountainous and hilly areas with extensive sloping farmland and a high cultivation rate.

Results and Application of Soil and Water Conservation Monitoring in the Yellow River Basin

Since water and soil conservation monitoring in the Yellow River Basin entered a new stage at the end of the 20th century,the monitoring scope has been expanding,the monitoring accuracy has been improving,the monitoring content and indicators have been increasing,and the monitoring technology and methods have been improving.This paper mainly analyzes the status of soil and water conservation monitoring in the Yellow River Basin,as well as the construction of the monitoring system and related research,in order to provide a reference for watershed management and development and the scientific research of water and soil conservation.

Integrating water use systems and soil and water conservation measures into a hydrological model of an Iranian Wadi system

Water resources are precious in arid and semi-arid areas such as the Wadis of Iran. To sustainably manage these limited water resources, the residents of the Iranian Wadis have been traditionally using several water use systems(WUSs) which affect natural hydrological processes. In this study, WUSs and soil and water conservation measures(SWCMs) were integrated in a hydrological model of the Halilrood Basin in Iran. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool(SWAT) model was used to simulate the hydrological processes between 1993 and 2009 at daily time scale. To assess the importance of WUSs and SWCMs, we compared a model setup without WUSs and SWCMs(Default model) with a model setup with WUSs and SWCMs(WUS-SWCM model). When compared to the observed daily stream flow, the number of acceptable calibration runs as defined by the performance thresholds(Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency(NSE)≥0.68, –25%≤percent bias(PBIAS)≤25% and ratio of standard deviation(RSR)≤0.56) is 177 for the Default model and 1945 for the WUS-SWCM model. Also, the average Kling–Gupta efficiency(KGE) of acceptable calibration runs for the WUS-SWCM model is higher in both calibration and validation periods. When WUSs and SWCMs are implemented, surface runoff(between 30% and 99%) and water yield(between 0 and 18%) decreased in all sub-basins. Moreover, SWCMs lead to a higher contribution of groundwater flow to the channel and compensate for the extracted water by WUSs from the shallow aquifer. In summary, implementing WUSs and SWCMs in the SWAT model enhances model plausibility significantly.

Benefits of Conservation Agriculture on Soil and Water Conservation and Its Progress in China

Conservation agriculture has been practised for three decades and has been spread widely. There are many nomenclatures surrounding conservation agriculture and differ to each other lightly. Conservation agriculture （CA） is a system approach to soil and water conservation, high crop productivity and profitability, in one word, it is a system approach to sustainable agriculture. Yet, because conservation agriculture is a knowledge-intensive and a complex system to learn and implement, and also because of traditions of intensive cultivation, adoption rates have been low, since to date, only about seven percent of the world＇s arable and permanent cropland area is farmed under conservation agriculture. The practice and wider extention of conservation agriculture thus requires a deeper understanding of its ecological underpinnings in order to manage its various elements for sustainable intensification, where the aim is to conserve soil and water and improve sustainability over the long term. This paper described terms related to conservation agriculture, presented the effects of conservation agriculture on soil and water conservation, crop productivity, progress and adoption of CA worldwide, emphasized obstacles and possible ways to increase CA adoption to accelerate sustainable development of China agriculture.

Regions and Their Typical Paradigms for Soil and Water Conservation in China

China is experiencing conflicts between its large population and scarce arable land,and between a demand for high productivity and the severe soil erosion of arable land.Since 1949,China has committed to soil and water conservation(SWC),for which eight regions and 41 subregions have been developed to improve the environment and increase land productivity.To obtain information from the regional planning and strategies for SWC and to explore whether SWC practices simultaneously contribute to soil conservation,ecosystem functioning,and the livelihoods of local farmers,and to summarize the successful experiences of various SWC paradigms with distinct characteristics and mechanisms of soil erosion,this paper systematically presents seven SWC regions(excluding the Tibetan Plateau region)and 14 typical SWC paradigms,focusing on erosion mechanisms and the key challenges or issues in the seven regions as well as on the core problems,main objectives,key technologies,and the performance of the 14 typical paradigms.In summary,the 14 typical SWC paradigms successfully prevent and control local soil erosion,and have largely enhanced,or at least do not harm,the livelihoods of local farmers.However,there remain many challenges and issues on SWC and socioeconomic development that need to be addressed in the seven SWC regions.China,thus,still has a long way to go in successfully gaining the win-win objective of SWC and human aspects of development.

Soil water characteristics in mountain poplar stand and its benefits to soil and water conservation in loess hilly region

The soil physical properties,its water characteristics and the benefits to soil and water conservation in mountain poplar stand were determined and studied. The results of the study show that the compaction in soil profile is relatively homogeneous.the specific gravity and volume weight of soil increase with deepening of soil horizon. The water infiltration rate of soil in the stand is 17,6 times as high as in rangeland.Owing to the intense absorption of water by root system of plants,a drying layer is formed in soil horizon from 2.3 m to 2.7m,showing that the subsoil moisture is in the state of deficit. The annual water storage capacity in 2 m of soil horizon is 360 mm 370mm,or 63% 65% of annual precipitation. Compared with farmland,mountain poplar stand reduces the surface runoff and soil loss by 70% and 99%,respectively,indicating the great benefits to soil and water conservation.

Benefit measurement of the soil and water conservation for ecological forestry engineering

Data were collected from Three-north Region, Middle and upper reaches region of Yangtze River and Coastal region. By analysis of factors influencing soil erosion, the longitude, latitude, annual precipitation, and the slope degree were selected as regional independent variables and canopy density and stock litter were selected as independent variables, and integral diffusing models were established for evaluation of the benefit of soil and water conservation of forest. By solving the parameters of models using the package of STATISTICA, the Power function between independent variables and dependent variables was set up. The soil conservation amount of forest and economic values were estimated using the contrast method for the ecological forestry engineering of the above three areas.

Position and Role of the Soil and Water Conservation in Building Ecological Province of Anhui

According to the strategic position of ecological environment in building ecological province of Anhui, we discussed the position and role of soil and water conservation in ecological environment construction and ecological province, and put forward development suggestion of soil and water conservation under new situation.

Application of Temporary Technology for Soil and Water Conservation in Crop Protection

The increasing of highway engineering construction makes soil and water loss surrounding highway and also influences the growth of crops around, To control soil and water loss, new engineering measures are put forward to protect soil and water and prevent crops from being damaged.

GIS-Based Multi-Criteria Evaluation to Identify Areas for Soil and Water Conservation in Lower Lake Bogoria Landscapes, Baringo County, Kenya

This study was meant to ensure that there is proper and efficient conservation of soil and water using geospatial tools to enable us identify priority areas to carry out conservation. Over the past years, various fields of study have established how critical it is to conserve these natural resources in the ecosystem and to ensure sustainability in not only green livelihoods but also to enhance living conditions of the life on earth. The aim of this research was to generate high priority sites for establishing soil and water conservation techniques in the Lower Bogoria Landscapes in Baringo, Kenya using GIS-based multicriteria decision analysis. Various criteria were analyzed to generate the final conservation priority sites, such as land use land cover, rainfall runoff, soil erosion and slope. The criteria were assigned weights using the AHP technique and overlayed using the weighted overlay tools to produce the final outputs. Land use land cover maps were generated using supervised maximum likelihood technique, rainfall run-off maps were generated using the SCS-CN method and soil erosion maps were generated using RUSLE model. The final soil and water conservation maps showed that high and moderate priority areas requiring the establishment of techniques and mechanisms to control soil erosion and conserve water increased from 1990 to 2020. In 2020, more than 50% of the total study area was classified as moderate to high priority for water and soil conservation. Soil and water conservation structures such as water pans, percolation tanks, farm ponds and stop dams should be constructed in such areas.

Sediment sources and their impacts on a check dam-controlled watershed, Loess Plateau, China

Soil erosion is a major issue in Loess Plateau,China,and quantitative analyses of sediment sources are crucial for soil erosion control.In this study,a combination of flood couplet analysis and composite fingerprint identification was used for historical reconstructions of soil erosion in sediment source areas in Loess Plateau.Each flood couplet was constructed based on sediment 137Cs activity,and past soil erosion was calculated using soil bulk density and storage capacity curves.The contribution rates of the sediment sources were calculated using the fingerprinting method,and the amount of erosion in the sediment source areas was estimated.The best fingerprint combination(Cr,Ni,V,and TOC)enabled a 97.2%recognition of sediment sources from 29 flood events(1956–1990)in the Loess Plateau.The contribution rates of gullies,farmland,grassland,and shrubland were 44.89%,26.38%,10.49%,and 18.24%,respectively.These four land use types contributed 1,227,751,512,and 279 tons of sediments,respectively.Re-vegetation decreased soil erosion(1966–1983),whereas deforestation increased soil erosion(1956–1965 and 1984–1990).Rational soil and water conservation measures on slopes and check dam construction in gullies are therefore suggested to mitigate erosion.

The Theory of Soil and Water Ecology is a Major Scientific Issue

The theory of soil and water ecology is an important scientific issue related to the fundamental and overall situation of ecological environment and has important strategic significance for the protection of the earth’s ecological environment.Applying the theory of soil and water ecology to soil and water conservation can upgrade soil and water conservation from version 1.0 to version 2.0 of soil and water ecological conservation and further expand the space of soil and water conservation.The paper suggests that while giving full play to the existing strength of soil and water conservation departments,it should establish national soil and water conservation commission for coordinating multi sector forces and vigorously promoting the realization of beautiful and rich China.

Risk Assessment and Change Monitoring of Soil and Water Loss in Ruijin City Based on RS and GIS

The land use information extraction technology for the high-resolution remote sensing images of the Gaofen No. 1 satellite was construc-ted. According to the spectral, band, texture and shape attributes, land use types were divided, and the changing laws of land use types were ana- lyzed. Aftewards,according to the Table of Grading Standard of Sooil Erosion Intensity（SL190-96）,as well as vegetation coverage index NDVI slope, the risks of soil and water loss were assessed. Meanwhile, the level, scale, location and scope of changes in the risks of soil and water loss were monitored by using spatial visualization and spatial statistical techniques. The results showed that the area of areas without soil erosion and moderate soil erosion areas decreased obviously from 2015 to 2017, and the decreases were up to 22.929 3 and 13.626 3 km2 respectively. The ar-ea of mild soil erosion areas increased fast, and the increase reached 31.140 0 km2. The area of extremely strong soil erosion areas increased by 7.267 4 km2. In the city, moderate and strong soil erosion areas reduced, while extremely strong soil erosion patches increased fast, which was mainly related to road construction and construction and development of orchards. The extremely strong soil erosion areas were distributed in the shape of a banded loop, surrounded the suburbs of the city, and shrank towards the center of Ruijin City. The constructed technology to monitor the changes in land use and soil and water loss, as well as the changing laws of land use and soil and water loss provide the theoretical basis and plan-ning basis of soil and water conservation for urban planning departments and soil and water conservation departments.

The regional difference in engineering-control and tillage factors of Chinese Soil Loss Equation

Accurate assessment of soil erosion is an important prerequisite for controlling soil erosion.The engineering-control(E)and tillage(T)factors are the keys for Chinese Soil Loss Equation(CSLE)to accurately evaluate water erosion in China.Besides,the E and T factors can reflect the water and soil conservation effects of engineering-control and tillage practices.But in the current full coverage of soil erosion surveys in China(such as soil erosion dynamic monitoring),for the same practice,the E or T factors are assigned the same value across the country.We selected 469 E and T factors data based on runoff plots from 73 publications,and they came from six soil and water conservation regions.Correlation analysis,regression analysis,and nonparametric tests were used to determine the comparability of the data,and it was proved that the runoff plots dimensions are consistent with the local topography.The results of one-way ANOVA and nonparametric tests for E and T factors in different regions showed that the engineering-control practices have good soil and water conservation effects and weaken the regional differences of other environmental factors,so there were no significant differences in E factors between different regions.However,there were significant differences in T factors between different regions,and the geodetector was applied to explore the intrinsic driving force of the spatial distribution of T factors.The results of the geodetector showed that the dominant driving forces of the spatial distribution of different types of tillage practices were not completely the same.When using CSLE to calculate water erosion,the E factor of the same practice can be used uniformly throughout the country,and the T factor needs to be considered and selected according to regional differences.At the same time,when choosing tillage practices in each water and soil conservation region,practices with better sediment reduction benefits should also be selected according to the regional environmental conditions.

Study on Soil and Water Conservation Benefit Models of Grassland Ecosystem──A Case Study on Jianou Mountain Grasslan Ecosystem

This paper studies the mechanism of grassland ecosystem's soil and water conservation function on the basis of two years experiment and inspection in Jianou mountain grassland ecosystem experiment station, Fujian province. After anaIysis on the data of soil erosion and runoff coefficient, relations between eroded soil, runoff and slope gradient. we establish soil and water conservation benefit models. According to the mode1s, experiment and inspection results, some proposals have been made to decrease the area of soil erosion in Fujian mountainous areas, e. g., optimizing land use structure in mountainous areas, taking suitable measures for local condition, closing hills for grassland development, accelerating restoration and raising quality of mountain grassland ecosystem, strengthening scientific and technological input, breeding the grass species that are suitable to local physical geographic condition.

Prospects of sediment deposition at small watershed scale in the black soil region of Northeast China: A mini review

Sediment deposition is one of the most significant processes in small watersheds characterized by gentle long hillslopes in the black soil(Mollisol)region of Northeast China, as indicated by severe ephemeral gully and gully erosion on hillslopes and very low sediment concentrations in river systems.Few reviews have been conducted to summarize the related research in this region. The objectives of this review were to identify the potential factors influencing sediment deposition, review related studies, and propose future research needs in the black soil region of Northeast China. Sediment deposition is controlled by the deficit between sediment transport capacity of flow and sediment load. Hence, all factors affecting flow transport capacity and sediment load directly affect sediment deposition. For a specific small watershed, the change in slope gradient along the flow path is the key factor affecting sediment deposition. Shelterbelts, ridge tillage systems, terraces, grass strips, road distribution, ponds and reservoirs, and land-use patterns also influence the spatial distribution and rate of deposition. The trace method has been widely used to quantify sediment deposition in this region. The results of cesium-137(^(137)Cs),lead-210(^(210)Pb), and magnetic susceptibility reveal that serious deposition occurs on the back and foot slopes. Distinct deposition occurs in front of contour shelterbelts. Future studies should focus on the methodology, spatial and temporal variations, dominant influencing factors and their mechanisms, and the potential effects on land productivity within specific small watersheds and across the black soil region. This review provides insights into the sediment deposition process in small watersheds characterized by gentle, long hillslopes.

Changes in sediment discharge in a sediment-rich region of the Yellow River from 1955 to 2010: implications for further soil erosion control

The well-documented decrease in the discharge of sediment into the Yellow River has attracted considerable attention in recent years. The present study analyzed the spatial and temporal variation of sediment yield based on data from 46 hydrological stations in the sediment-rich region of the Yellow River from 1955 to 2010. The results showed that since 1970 sediment yield in the region has clearly decreased at different rates in the 45 sub-areas controlled by hydrological stations. The decrease in sediment yield was closely related to the intensity and extent of soil erosion control measures and rainstorms that occurred in different periods and sub-areas. The average sediment delivery modulus（SDM） in the study area decreased from 7,767.4 t/（km^2·a） in 1951–1969 to 980.5 t/（km^2·a） in 2000–2010. Our study suggested that 65.5% of the study area with the SDM below 1,000 t/（km^2·a） is still necessary to control soil deterioration caused by erosion, and soil erosion control measures should be further strengthened in the areas with the SDM above 1,000 t/（km^2·a）.

HIGH QUALITY DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH FOR SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION AND ECOLOGICAL PROTECTION ON THE LOESS PLATEAU

The Loess Plateau is the core area in the Yellow River basin for implementing environmental protection and high-quality development strategies. A series of ecological projects has implemented aimed at soil and water conservation and ecological management on the Loess Plateau over the past 70 years. The effects of the ecological projects are apparent mainly through a marked increase in vegetation cover, controlled soil erosion and reduced flow of sediment into the Yellow River, continual optimization of the industrial structure and increased production from arable land, poverty alleviation and greater prosperity, and optimal allocation of space for biological organisms.Major problems have also been analyzed in ecological management including the fragile ecosystem of the region, maintaining the stability of vegetation,lower agricultural productivity and continued risk from natural disasters. Some suitable schemes and models have been developed for the coordinated development of the region through research and demonstration, striking the optimum balance between rural industry and ecology, and increased regionalcapacity to supply high-quality ecological products. Countermeasures to address the problems are suggested to guide ecological management and high-quality development in the future.

GIS-Based Assessment of Soil Erosion at Nihe Gou Catchment

The paper discussed theory and methodologies of soil erosion assessment and established an implementation process according to USLE factors combining with thematic paper maps and DEMs. Factors of USLE- R, K, S, L, P and C were adapted to the test area, the Nihe Gou catchment in Chunhua County of Shaanxi Province, China. Afterwards the parameters of the USLE were evaluated individually and merged in order to calculate the amount of soil loss over the corresponding years, 1977 and 2003. In order to derive all necessary factors a TIN was generated out of a paper contour map. Furthermore, thematic paper maps and climate data completed the source of information for the implementation. The quantitative methodologies integrated with GIS were applied during the process. The verification of the result was performed comparing the real world situation at the test area with the resulting thematic maps. It shows these principles and methodologies were reasonable and feasible and can provide basis or reference for further areas of the Chinese Loess Plateau.

Effects of soil and water conservation practices on soil physicochemical properties in Gumara watershed, Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia

Background:Soil erosion is among the foremost causes of declining soil resources in Ethiopia,which in turn affect agricultural productivity.To limit this problem,for the last two decades in Gumara watershed,soil and water conservation measures have been practiced through free labor community mass-mobilization.However,their effect on soil fertility has not been evaluated.This study investigated the impact of implemented soil and water conservation measures on fertility improvement in the Gumara watershed.Both composite and core soil samples were taken from upstream,midstream,and downstream adjacent conserved and non-conserved cultivated and grazing plots.Selected soil fertility indicators were analyzed using standard laboratory procedures.Results:Soil and water conservation practices have resulted in a statistically significantly higher mean values of total nitrogen,exchangeable Na+and Mg2+at p<0.01,and of soil organic carbon and organic matter at p<0.05 in the watershed.The clay content,soil reaction,cation exchange capacity,and exchangeable K+showed nonsignificant,but higher mean values in conserved plots.Furthermore,the effects of conservation practices on soil properties were found more effective in cultivated land uses as compared to that of grazing land uses.This is because conservation treatments had significant effects on organic carbon,total nitrogen,exchangeable Na+and Mg2+in cultivated land uses but only on exchangeable Na+in grazing land uses.The interaction effect of treatments and land uses did not reach a statistically significant result for any of the soil properties considered in this study.Conclusion:Conservation measures have important implications for improving soil fertility in the Gumara watershed.Therefore,proper guidance and follow-up,use of agro-forestry and grass strips,and maintenance are required for the watershed’s sustainability and good soil conditions.