Assessment of Soil Erosion Risk Based on Loess Deposition Rate

Abstract

Soil erosion risk is an important index for evaluation and prediction on risk of land resources and ecological environment which are destroyed by soil erosion, and also a basis for soil and water conservation. Radiocarbon dating method was used to research loess deposition rate in north Shaanxi. And soil erosion risk in this area was assessed by the ratio of soil erosion modulus and loess deposition rate. The results indicated that the loess deposition rate in Luochuan, Yanchang, and Hengshan was 0.0179 cm/a, 0.0153 cm/a, and 0.0213 cm/a, respectively. The soil erosion risk was 14.1, 43.3, and 24.8, individually, which were much lager than the critical value 1. Thus, the research area was an important region for soil and water conservation. This research could provide scientific references for management and programming of soil and water conservation, and theoretical basis for environmental treatment decision.