Soil Erosion in the Loess Plateau Region of China

The Loess Plateau region has experienced severe soil erosion since the Ming Dynasty, and has become one of the most severe soil erosion regions in the world because of complex landforms, high soil erodibility, concentrated and high-intensity rainfall, and long-term human activity. This chapter outlines the general situation and regional distribution of soil erosion in the region. The soil erosion characteristics are described in detail, including water erosion, wind erosion and wind–water coupling erosion. This chapter also highlights the driving factors of water erosion, wind erosion and dust storms, including climate, soil and parent materials, topography and landforms, vegetation, and human activity. Finally, there is a brief treatment of sediment delivery to the Yellow River and its main tributaries.