The Spatiotemporal Variations in Soil Erosion and Its Dominant Influencing Factors in the Wenchuan Earthquake-Stricken Area

Jialin Li, Bing Guo (), Guang Yang () and Kun Yu
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Jialin Li: School of Civil Engineering and Geomatics, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, China
Bing Guo: School of Civil Engineering and Geomatics, Shandong University of Technology, Zibo 255000, China
Guang Yang: Research Institute of Aerospace Information, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Kun Yu: Research Institute of Aerospace Information, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 17, 1-22

Abstract: Earthquakes have obvious influences on the spatiotemporal changes in soil erosion intensity in earthquake-stricken areas. However, fewer studies have been conducted to evaluate the spatiotemporal changes in soil erosion before and after the Wenchuan earthquake and its dominant factors in different periods. In order to explore the above issue, this study quantitatively analyzed the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of soil erosion in the Wenchuan earthquake-stricken area from 2000 to 2019 based on the RUSLE model, gravity center model, and its dominant factors in different periods were determined using Geodetector. The research results indicated that: (1) The amount of mean total erosion in the Wenchuan earthquake-stricken area during 2000–2019 was 10.05 × 10 8 t, with an average soil erosion modulus of 2038.2 t/(km 2 ·a), indicating mild erosion. (2) The spatiotemporal patterns of soil erosion changed greatly in the Wenchuan earthquake-stricken areas during 2000–2019. Areas with intensified soil erosion were mainly distributed in Lixian, Wenchuan, Xiaojin, and other areas near the Longmenshan fault zones. (3) Landslides, debris flows, and floods caused by the Wenchuan earthquake contributed to aggravating the soil erosion intensity in the stricken area. (4) During 2000–2019, the soil erosion intensity showed an overall decreasing trend, while the soil erosion intensity showed an increasing trend around 2008 due to the Wenchuan earthquake. (5) During 2000–2019, soil erosion in the Wenchuan earthquake-stricken area has been greatly affected by vegetation, terrain, and land use types. The research results could provide important decision-making support for soil erosion prevention and ecosystem restoration in the Wenchuan earthquake-stricken area. In addition, these results would be conducive to revealing and understanding the interactive process of “Water–Soil–Vegetation” in mountainous regions all over the world.

Keywords: soil erosion; Wenchuan earthquake; gravity center; spatiotemporal pattern; driving mechanism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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