A Study on the Status, Problems and Its Countermeasures of Soil Erosion in Hubei Province, China

This paper studies the present state of water and soil loss in the Hubei province. Chinese scholars have analyzed the causes of water and soil loss, and pointed out that both natural factors and human activities are the root causes for these losses. The associated natural factors include the landscape, soil, groundwater and precipitation. Since the climate in this area is subtropical monsoon, heavy rainfall occurs during summer and as a result, the greatest water and soil loss mainly takes place in this season. Hubei province is divided into three regions according to the degree of water and soil loss. The first region is that of mountainous areas given its landscape, this area is characterized with serious water and soil loss. The second region features agriculture and industrial activities, the original land surface area in this region is greatly disturbed by the human activities that it is subjected to. The third division is that of the land around lakes, this division is based on the unique type of soil found in such areas. Human activities including the land use in the agriculture and urban expansion, is found especially in mountainous areas. Research has established that water and soil loss has since 1980, increased more and more with the passing of time. It can be concluded that this trend will continue if the human activities do not support the soil and water systems. Finally, the results from the prevention and treatment discussed showed that the control measures for the prevention of water and soil loss must be definitively enforced at the earliest convenience.