Soil erosion assessment using USLE in the GIS environment: a case study in the Danjiangkou Reservoir Region, China
The purpose of this study was to investigate the spatial distribution of annual soil loss in the Danjiangkou Reservoir Region, China. Soil erosion was estimated by integrating the universal soil loss equation (USLE) model with GIS. The main factors affecting soil erosion including rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, slope length and steepness, cover and management factor, and conservation supporting practice factor were determined from precipitation data, soil sample analysis, digital elevation model, land use and land cover, and empirical assessment, respectively.