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.