The relationships among land uses, vegetation cover, topographical position, slope gradients and erosion indicate that vegetation restoration on the Loess Plateau has been successful in reducing erosion since the implementation of the Grain-to-Green Program. Soil erosion control
was best achieved by forest, shrub and dense grassland cover, while cropping on slopes resulted in the most serious soil erosion.
The soil erosion intensity for woods was higher than for forest and for moderate and sparse grassland compared with dense grassland.
However, reductions in the rate of change of soil loss by erosion over the decade were greater for vegetation with relatively lower cover, as provided by woodland and grassland with moderate and sparse density.
Land use and cover changes associated with specific topography have an accelerating or retarding impact on soil loss, particularly in hilly and gully areas on the Loess Plateau. An increasing trend in soil erosion with increment of slope gradient was observed under the same land use type.
However, soil erosion responding to slope gradients differ from land uses.
The effectiveness of slope gradients was enhanced in land uses with lower vegetation coverage.