Publications

Yu, YH; Shen, YZ; Wang, JL; Wei, YC; Liu, ZY (2021). Simulation and mapping of drought and soil erosion in Central Yunnan Province, China. ADVANCES IN SPACE RESEARCH, 68(11), 4556-4572.

Abstract
Central Yunnan Province is the political, economic, cultural, and transportation hub of Yunnan Province, China. Climate change has resulted in increased seasonality of global averaged precipitation, temperature, runoff, and evapotranspiration, thereby exacerbating extreme events such as drought and soil erosion. The simulation and mapping of drought and soil erosion within Central Yunnan Province is important for achieving sustainable development. This study constructed a comprehensive drought monitoring model and a soil erosion model based on multiple sources of remote sensing data, considering numerous drought and soil erosion factors. The temporal and spatial characteristics of dry-season drought and soil erosion for 2010 to 2018 in Central Yunnan Province were explored, and the extents of soil erosion in different parts of Central Yunnan Province were quantified using the soil erosion intensity index. The results showed that: (1) The multi-year average percentage dry-season drought coverage and average drought frequency were 33.98% and 18.33 months, respectively. Although drought frequency was higher in areas with high drought intensity, dry-season drought showed a long-term weakening trend. (2) Over the study period, the multi-year average soil erosion of Central Yunnan Province was 1,551.45 t km(-2).yr(-1). Soil erosion showed an initial overall increasing trend, followed by a decreasing trend, dominated by micro erosion, mild erosion, and moderate erosion, whereas the mountains and valleys in north and southwest parts of Central Yunnan Province experienced severe erosion. Vegetation coverage and slope were identified as the main factors driving soil erosion. (3) The soil erosion intensity index was a good indicator of soil erosion severity across different spatial scales and different drought grades. The soil erosion intensity index showed a positive relationship with drought grade. The correlation coefficients between soil erosion intensity and drought frequency and between soil erosion intensity and drought intensity were 0.2623 and -0.2679, respectively. This study demonstrated that drought affects soil erosion and that water and soil conservation measures such as afforestation and vegetation greening are beneficial to mitigating soil erosion and drought in Central Yunnan Province. (C) 2021 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DOI:
10.1016/j.asr.2021.08.028

ISSN:
0273-1177