Analysis of spatial characteristics of soil erosion in ErHai Lake Basin based on GIS and RUSLE

Based on geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing (RS), five primary factors affecting soil erosion in the ErHai Lake Basin are extracted rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, terrain, vegetation coverage, and soil and water conservation measures. Meanwhile, the amount of soil erosion is estimated using the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) model. Furthermore, the spatial distribution characteristics were also analyzed with the application of GIS in the view of elevation, slope and land use types. The results also showed that the soil erosion modulus was 64.68t/(hm2·a), which belonged to the grade of intensity erosion, and a erodible area of 1404.279km2(61.12% of the whole area). The results also revealed that soil erosion, especially soil erosion with high grade, mostly distributed in the following areas, that is elevation area from 2000 to 2500 meters, slope area from 25 to 45 degree, and unused land. The findings from the study are valuable for the soil erosion control and decision-making for the ErHai Lake Basin.