As a complex geomorpholohical, hydrological, and ecological process, soil erosion is affected by the landscape heterogeneity. This study analyzed dynamic variations in landscape pattern and soil erosion within an approximate 11,100 km2 area of in the upper Yangtze River basin over a period of 28 years to elucidate the interrelationships between landscape pattern and soil erosion. Different landscape classes affected soil erosion in different ways. The impacts of forest, shrub or grassland on soil erosion followed the general mitigating trend observed in the overall landscape changes. In contrast, soil erosion rates distinctly increased on cultivated lands.Forests and grasslands with low human impact played a dominant role in the process of land rehabilitation and should be given more attention in efforts to protect and manage the watersheds of the upper Yangtze River.
展开▼
