Causes and Measures of Soil Erosion in Loess Plateau, China

Abstract

Soil erosion is one of the key research topics in the world today, and it is a serious hazard to the natural environment and economic and social development. The researcher has found that soil erosion in China is regional, widespread and high-intensity. Of all the erosion areas, the Loess plateau is the most severe and the most representative. Therefore, this paper investigates the current situation of soil erosion in China and focuses on the erosion on the Loess Plateau, for its causes and remediation measures. Loess plateau has an inferior erosion-carrying capability, so the gully slopes and hilly areas of the Loess Plateau are prone to landslides and crumbling phenomena. Other erosion reasons include the fragmented high loess terrain with a lot of gorges and ravines, heavy rainfall, and low vegetation coverage. This study also proposes remediation measures by analyzing the different natural characteristics that cause soil erosion on the Loess Plateau. It is found that soil erosion control has a regional dimension and control measures should be closely related to the regional environment and the causes of soil erosion. Practice shows that the erosion control measures proposed in this paper greatly improve erosion in the Loess Plateau region, but the current state of soil erosion on the Loess plateau remains bleak.