Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Conservation Measures by Rough Set Theory: A Case Study in the Yanhe River Basin of the Loess Plateau

Abstract

At present, much attention has been paid to the ecology, economics, and social benefits of erosion control projects: however, the evaluation of an erosion control technology itself has been neglected. This study selected six soil conservation measures applied to the Loess Plateau, and a comprehensive evaluation model was developed considering the maturity of the technology, application difficulty of the technology, technology efficiency, and the potential of technology promotion. The relation between a condition attribute and a decision attribute is evaluated using rough set theory, and the decision attribute is completely dependent on the condition attribute, which indicates that the index system can better evaluate the soil conservation measures applied to the Loess Plateau. Rough set theory was used to determine the weights of evaluation indexes, which overcomes the limitation of relying only on expert opinions or index data to determine the weights. According to the comprehensive scores, the six soil conservation measures can be grouped into three levels: the first level includes economic forests, check dams, and terraces; the second level includes afforestation and conversion to grassland, and the third level includes enclosures. The results can provide a scientific basis for the promotion and application of the high-ranking soil conservation measures in the Loess Plateau. However, the comprehensive evaluation of the soil conservation measures applied to the Loess Plateau is a very complex problem. To maximize the eco-environmental benefits, land use patterns should be rationally adjusted, and corresponding soil conservation measures could be suitable for meeting the regional development goals.

Eco-Environment Quality Response to Climate Change and Human Activities on the Loess Plateau, China

“…The region is in the transition zone from coastal to inland and from plain to plateau, with an arid to semi-humid climate [46]. The annual precipitation is in the range of 400-500 mm and is concentrated in the summer, and the temperature fluctuates around 7.5 • C. Due to longterm man-made deforestation, steep-slope cultivation, resource development, and climate change, the Loess Plateau, especially in the central region, is filled with ravines, broken landforms, and serious soil and water loss [10,11]. The local ecological environment is facing serious challenges [47].…”

“…It is a change that exceeds the average warming in China, indicating that the region is extremely sensitive to climate change. As an ecological functional area of soil and water conservation [10], LP has experienced dramatic fluctuations in climate change over the last decades and human activities have led to frequent changes in land use [11,12]. With the implementation of a series of control measures and ecological construction projects such as GGP, the vegetation coverage and value of primary ecosystem services in the LP have been enhanced [13][14][15].…”