Distribution assessment of soil erosion with revised RUSLE model in Tianshan Mountains

Soil degradation caused by soil erosion is one of the world’s most critical environmental issues. Soil erosion in the Tianshan Mountains has caused various environmental problems in the surrounding areas. This study used remote sensing data to analyze the distribution of the factors influencing soil erosion, and the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) to calculate the total amount and distribution characteristics of soil erosion in the Tianshan Mountains in 2019. Due to the large error of RUSLE in soil erosion estimation in mountainous areas, this study modified RUSLE equation based on the characteristics of snow cover in the Tianshan Mountains. The results show that the average soil erosion was 1690.3 t/(km2·year), of which insignificant erosion, slight erosion and moderate erosion accounted for 42,8