Impact of Land Use/Cover Changes on Soil Erosion by Wind and Water from 2000 to 2018 in the Qaidam Basin

Assessing the impact of land use and land cover change (LUCC) on soil erosion by wind and water is crucial for improving regional ecosystem services and sustainable development. In this study, the Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ) and Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) were used to reveal changes in the extent of soil erosion by wind and water in the Qaidam Basin from 2000 to 2018 and the impact of LUCC on them. From 2000 to 2018, with global climate change, the areas and intensities of soil erosion by wind decreased, whereas those of soil erosion by water increased. With increased human activities, approximately 12.96% of the total area underwent conversion of the type of use: the areas of cropland, woodland, grassland, and construction land increased, whereas the areas of shrubbery, desert, and other unused land decreased. Land use/cover changes are positive to the soil erosion of water but negative to the soil erosion of wind. Among them, the changes in vegetation coverage of other unused land and grassland contributed to 83.19% of the total reduction in soil erosion by water. Converting other unused land to grassland reduced the total reductions in soil erosion by wind by 94.69%. These results indicate that the increase in vegetative cover and area of grasslands in the Qaidam Basin had a positive impact on the reduction in soil erosion. It is recommended that the arrangement of grasses, shrubs, and trees be optimized to prevent compound erosion by wind and water for protecting regional ecological environments.