Analysis of spatio-temporal variations of soil erosion in Guangdong Province based on RUSLE model

n order to quantitatively analyze the soil erosion in Guangdong Province and reveal its spatial distribution pattern and spatio-temporal variation trend, this paper conducted a quantitative and evolutionary analysis of soil erosion in Guangdong Province from 2000 to 2020. Using the rainfall, soil, terrain, vegetation, and land cover data in the area, we applied the RUSLE model to estimate the annual soil erosion modulus. The soil erosion intensity in key years such as 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2020 was evaluated, and the Sen trend analysis method combined with M-K significance test was used to explore the spatio-temporal variation of soil erosion modulus. The results showed that the soil and water protection in Guangdong Province was generally good, with an average annual total soil erosion of 7.37×10⁷ t/a. The soil erosion intensity is mainly slight, mostly located in some areas of the Pearl River Delta Plain and the western Guangdong Plain. The layout of different erosion classes showed a combination of patchy and point-block distribution. From 2000 to 2020, the trend of soil erosion in Guangdong Province was mainly stable and unchanged, accounting for 69.39% of the total area. By 2020, the soil erosion status in the eastern of Guangdong has significantly decreased, shifting from mild and above levels to slight. By quantitatively estimating the soil water erosion modulus and analyzing its spatio-temporal changes, the spatio-temporal evolution characteristics of soil erosion in Guangdong were elucidated, which can provide a reference for soil and water conservation and ecological environment construction in Guangdong Province.