SOIL EROSION, CONSERVATION, AND ECO‐ENVIRONMENT CHANGES IN THE LOESS PLATEAU OF CHINA

TLDR

The Loess Plateau, one of the world’s most studied regions, has long suffered from severe soil erosion. This review examines historical climate, vegetation, and environmental changes to elucidate the drivers of that erosion. Over the past six decades, terracing, afforestation, natural rehabilitation, and check‑dam construction have been implemented as soil‑and‑water conservation strategies. Climate shifts and vegetation dynamics were the main natural drivers during the Holocene, while warfare, population growth, deforestation, and conservation measures shaped erosion in the anthropogenic era; sediment yields have fallen in recent decades due to reduced rainfall and large‑scale conservation, irrigation, and reservoir projects, with check‑dams proving effective and natural vegetation rehabilitation emerging as the optimal long‑term solution. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Abstract

ABSTRACT As one of the best‐known areas in the world, the Loess Plateau, has long been suffering from serious soil erosion. The present paper reviewed the historical variation of climate, vegetation cover, and environment changes in order to understand the causes of severe soil erosion. Documentary evidence indicated that climate changes and vegetation cover were the dominant natural factors influencing the soil erosion rates during the Holocene. Intensive human activities consisting of warfare, population growth, deforestation, and soil and water conservation measures were responsible for the changes of soil erosion during the anthropogenic period. Spatial and temporal changes of specific sediment yields presented significant decrease within the last several decades, which resulted from decreasing rainfall, large scale soil and water conservation measures, agricultural irrigation, and reservoir construction. Different phase of soil conservation measures demonstrated the development of policies and techniques on soil erosion control. Effective strategies of soil and water conservation, consisting of terracing, afforestation, natural rehabilitation, and check‐dams construction, were carried out on the Loess Plateau during the past six decades. The progress of soil conservation measures confirmed that the check‐dams systems might be suitable for Loess hilly Plateau, and natural vegetation rehabilitation is the best way for soil erosion control and should be implemented in other regions with emphasis of improving the quality of conservation measures based on natural rehabilitation. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.