[Objective] The soil and water conservation benefits of different slope gradients and vegetation patterns in dry-hot valleys were analyzed in order to provide a reference for selecting soil and water conservation patterns in the Yuanmou dry-hot valley. [Methods] Experimental plots with slopes of 5° and 10° were established to conduct in-situ monitoring of runoff and sediment under three typical vegetation patterns： Heteropogon contortus， H. contortus + Phyllanthus emblica， and H. contortus + Dodonaea viscosa. The differences in runoff and sediment yield under different slope gradients and vegetation patterns were then compared. [Results] ① The rainfall-runoff distribution for the three vegetation patterns and bare land under slope gradients of 5° and 10° was dominated by surface runoff （80.94%—99.11%）. ② The three vegetation patterns significantly reduced surface runoff （73.13%—86.87%） and soil loss （69.29%—94.47%） by regulating runoff distribution across different soil layers， while correspondingly increasing interflow at depths of 50 cm and 100 cm （107.14%—980.00% and 47.17%—225.00%， respectively）. ③ At slope gradients of 5° and 10°， compared with bare land， H. contortus + P. emblica showed the greatest increase in interflow at 100 cm depth （225.00% and 181.13%， respectively） and effectively reduced soil loss （70.06% and 92.27%， respectively）. This pattern simultaneously demonstrated the functions of soil stabilization and water retention. ④ Among all rainfall characteristics， rainfall amount was most closely related to surface runoff， with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.665 （p < 0.05）. Specifically， rainstorms significantly increased surface runoff， causing the annual average surface runoff on 5° and 10° slopes to increase by 339.45% and 148.30%， respectively， compared with relatively heavy rain. [Conclusion] Soil erosion in dry-hot valleys is mainly affected by the combined effects of rainfall amount and surface runoff. The three vegetation patterns at the slope gradients of 5° and 10°achieve the goal of soil stabilization and water retention by regulating runoff distribution across different soil layers. Among them， H. contortus + P. emblica not only effectively reduce surface runoff but also effectively direct rainfall into deeper soil layers and reduce the sediment content in runoff. It is identified as the dominant vegetation pattern for regional soil and water conservation.