The cover factor (C) is based on several parameters, including BSC cover, which is the resistance of the soil surface to erosive forces in dryland ecosystems (Renard et al., 1997). BSC was likely one of reasons for the reduced soil erosion in the hilly and gully regions after the Grain-to-Green ecological project was implemented on the Chinese Loess Plateau in 1999.
Previous studies have shown that BSC often covers up to 60–70% of the soil surface in mature vascular plant communities in grasslands rehabilitated in the hilly region of Loess Plateau, and it play an important ecological role in controlling soil erosion and increasing nutrient resources (Zhao et al., 2010).
The spectral signatures of the BSC development are strongly related to surface cover, making it
feasible to obtain a reasonable estimation of soil erosion and may even enable the mapping of these dynamic processes (Bowker et al., 2008).