Conclusion
We quantitatively assessed soil erosion changes from 2010 to 2020 in the
Jiuyuangou watershed, a typical watershed in the hilly and gully region
of the Loess Plateau, using remote sensing, soil, climate, and
topographic data, and the CSLE model from the background of LULCC . From
2010 to 2020, forest and grass coverage increased, as did vegetation
coverage, with grassland (62.23%) and forestland (28.41%) becoming the
main land use types in the watershed. From 2010 to 2015, soil erosion in
the Jiuyuangou watershed weakened. However, with the frequent occurrence
of extreme rainfall events, soil erosion has increased in recent years.
Using bivariate spatial analysis to understand the spatial correlation
between LULCC and soil erosion changes, a common ‘no change’ was
detected between LULCC and soil erosion changes in settlements, roads,
and valleys, with a common ‘gain’ detected in the areas near the
influence of human activities in central and southwest the part of the
watershed. Soil erosion is affected by numerous factors such as human
activities, land use, and natural conditions. The research results
showed that returning farmland to forests and ecological restoration
played a positive role in alleviating regional soil erosion and reducing
soil erosion. However, this is insufficient in the face of frequent
extreme rainfall events. Therefore, we must continue to improve water
and soil conservation engineering measures within the region, such as
constructing terraces and repairing check dams.