Spatiotemporal differentiation analysis of sensitivity to soil erosion and rocky desertification in the Yangtze River Basin from 2012 to 2022

This study is based on multi-source data such as rainfall, soil erosion, vegetation cover, and terrain characteristics, referring to the soil erosion and desertification sensitivity assessment equation issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources, which is combined with the transfer matrix, coefficient of variation, and geographical detector methods for a quantitative analysis of the spatial and temporal differentiation of soil erosion and desertification sensitivity and the associated driving forces. The results show the following: (1) In the Yangtze river basin, soil erosion and rocky desertification sensitivity presented an overall "high in the west, low in the east" distribution in 2022, with an overall improvement of soil and water loss sensitivity, high-sensitivity areas appearing upstream, and vegetation cover being the main factors affecting the spatial and temporal differentiation. Furthermore, rocky desertification sensitivity is strong in the middle and lower reaches of the area, volatility is a strong driving factor and, under the influence of extreme weather in 2022, the main driving factor changed from vegetation cover to rainfall. (2) Factor interactions include double factor enhancement and non-linear interactions, with single human factors having lower power than when considered in interactions with natural factors. The sensitivity model shows that population and rainfall are key factors affecting soil erosion, and the presence of rivers is the most sensitive factor affecting rocky desertification, especially under the interaction with vegetation cover. (3) In the Yangtze river basin, the soil and water loss and rocky desertification control areas should be given priority for optimization. The upper basin is the primary soil erosion control area, presenting a concentrated distribution, and the Yalong river, Minjiang river, Dongting lake, and Poyang lake water systems present large rocky desertification comprehensive control areas. In particular, the volatility of rocky desertification is strong, making continuous attention and input necessary.