Arid Zone Research ›› 2023, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (3): 481-491.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2023.03.14

• Ecology and Environment • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Evaluation of Dongzhi Loess Plateau Gully development based on combined entropy weight Rank-Sum Ratio method

CUI Shuai(),XU Qiang(),YUAN Shuang,PU Chuanhao,CHEN Wanlin,JI Xu   

  1. State Key Laboratory of Geohazard Prevention and Geoenvironment Protection, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, Sichuan, China
  • Received:2022-08-02 Revised:2022-10-01 Online:2023-03-15 Published:2023-03-31

Abstract:

As a typical erosion geomorphic unit in the loess areas, gullies continuously erode loess surface under the action of internal and external forces, rainfall, and other factors. There are significant differences in the degree of development of gullies and valleys. Evaluating the development pattern of gullies and valleys can enhance the understanding of their organized, systematic formation and evolution. In addition, comprehensive quantitative indexes can facilitate the understanding of the longitudinal, lateral, and horizontal characteristics of gullies and valleys from multiple perspectives, which can help in the accurate and effective implementation of gully consolidation and loess protection projects, and reduce the constraints on development caused by this fragile geological environment. Evaluating the development of loess valleys is also crucial for exploring the intrinsic mechanism of valley formation, soil erosion, and guiding the ecological restoration of loess areas. In this study, ten quantitative indicators of gully development were selected based on the horizontal spatial, climatic, and point-line characteristics of the gullies, and used to establish an indexed evaluation model of the developmental stages of Dongzhi Loess Plateau gullies based on the efficient multi-factor comprehensive indexing evaluation capacity of the combined entropy-weight rank-sum ratio (RSR) method. Results showed that: (1) The highest weight of 16.08% could be attributed to the normalized vegetation index (NDVI) based on the entropy weighting method, followed by gully density (15.621%), both of which are important indicators for predicting the degree of gully development. (2) The combined entropy weighting RSR method could classify the 82 gullies of Dongzhi Loess Plateau into juvenile, youth, prime, and old age categories, with the percentage of gully area under the prime and old age categories accounting for 88.48% and 88.48%, respectively, while the eastern and northern parts of Dongzhi Loess Plateau exhibited more developed features and strong erosion on the loess surface. (3) The degree of gully development was highly correlated with the underlying palaeomorphology, tectonic geology, and loess thickness. (4) A significant model variance consistency test at P<0.001, with a linear regression R2 fit of 0.986 was observed, which indicated a good performance of the model.

Key words: loess, quantitative index system, combined entropy-weighted RSR method, graded evaluation of gully development, Dongzhi Loess Plateau