在黄土高原土壤侵蚀环境和黄河水沙巨变的大背景下，黄土高原不同侵蚀区小流域土壤侵蚀特征演变及对生态恢复的响应和驱动机制是亟待解决的科学问题，但因传统研究方法的局限，这方面研究进展缓慢。本项目拟以黄土高原不同侵蚀区典型淤地坝及坝控小流域为研究对象，以复合指纹识别和GIS/RS技术为手段，基于淤地坝沉积泥沙赋存的小流域侵蚀信息，系统研究小流域侵蚀强度的时空变化，确定淤地坝沉积旋回的泥沙来源，揭示小流域泥沙来源的时空演变，突出极端降雨事件下小流域侵蚀产沙特征及在不同生态恢复期的变化，并结合侵蚀环境因子的阶段性变化，分析小流域侵蚀产沙特征与侵蚀环境演变的响应关系，定量辨析人为因素和自然因素对小流域侵蚀特征变化的贡献，揭示黄土高于不同侵蚀区小流域侵蚀产沙特征演变的驱动机制。该项目的研究对评价现有黄土高原治理效果、确定未来治理方略、揭示黄河水沙巨变的驱动机制及保障黄河健康运行都具有非常重要的意义。

Based on the drastic change of erosion environment on the Loess Platuea and of water and sediment in Yellow river, it is necessary to reveal the changes of soil erosional characteristics in small catchments, they response to the variation of erosion environment and its driving mechanism, especailly to vegetation recovery. However, the research progress of these parts have been slowly because of the research method limitation. In this project, the methods of GIS/RS and compound fingerprinting technique will be used to excavate the soil erosion information which kept in the sediments in the check dams. The variations of sediment yeild from small catchments will be analyzed and described. The sources of sediments in the checkdams will be indentified. The contribution of different sediment sources will be uncovered. The erosional characteristic of extreme rainfall will be scientifically studied. Combining the periodical variations of the factors of erosion enviromment, the responsive relationships between the variations of the erosion characteristics and erosion enviroment in small catchments will be analyzed. The contribution percentages of the effects of anthropogenic and natural factors on soil eroison in small catchments will be quantified. The driving mechanism of the variation of soil erosion in small catchments will be revealed. This project is very important to assess the governance effect of small catchments in the Loess Plateau, to confirm the governance plan in the future, to discover the driving mechanism of the drastic changes of water and sediment in Yellow river, and to maintain the health of Yellow river.