Spatiotemporal Variation in the Coupling Relationship between Human Activities and Soil Erosion—A Case Study in the Weihe River Basin

Abstract

Studying the relationship between human activities and soil erosion on a regional scale is of great significance for macro-decision-making in soil erosion prevention and control. The entropy weight method and RUSLE model are used to analyze the spatiotemporal variation in human activity intensity (HAI) and soil erosion in the Weihe River Basin (WRB) from 2005 to 2020. Through geographic detectors and a four-quadrant model, the impact of various driving factors and the coupling degree of the human–land relationship are studied. The results showed: (1) During the past 15 years, the moderate, high, strong, and severe erosion areas in the WRB decreased by 9.88%, 35.89%, 45.17%, and 70.05%, respectively. The ratio of the historical sand transport modulus to the RUSLE model result is 0.83, indicating that the results obtained by the RUSLE model can be used for further analysis. (2) Slight and weak degrees account for 80% in the northwest region. The high and strong regions are mainly distributed in the Shaanxi section, accounting for 3% of the total basin. (3) The coupling between human activities and soil erosion is constantly strengthening, and the joint effect of pop and crop is the main reason for the slowdown and spatial differences in soil erosion. This indicates that the ecological environment became stable. These findings contribute by acting as references for soil and water conservation and management in the WRB to promote a harmonious relationship between humans and the environment.