The effect of Land use and its change on soil erosion of the Lancang River watershed in Yunnan Province
澜沧江流域云南段土地利用及其变化对土壤侵蚀的影响

GIS spatial analysis and traditional statistical analysis were employed in creating new GRID datasheets with complex data through algebra operations of the maps in GRID format under the GRID Modular of ARCGIS 8.1; secondly, data of land use transfer matrix during the research period and the data of soil erosion on deferent land use types were obtained through statistical calculation of the new-created GRID attribute table; Thirdly, the integrated soil erosion index was calculated to show soil erosion degree and its change in different areas and different land use types. The results showed that the possibility of soil erosion on cultivate, other woodland and low-covered grass land was larger than that on other land use types; the soil erosion degree on cultivate, middle-covered grass land and water area was stronger than that on other land types; the effect of land use change on soil erosion was distinct in upriver and middle-river catchment; the dominant factors of soil erosion in upriver catchment were terrain and climate etc, but not land use and its change.