Abstract:Based on natural precipitation observations,impacts of different types of land use on processes of soil and water loss over purple soil related slopeland were studied by simulated rainfall experiments.Measurement data revealed that rainstorms and slope length are the essential factors accountable for soil and water loss on purple soil slopeland for intense rill erosion can be caused on 10 meter long purple soil slopes by high intensity rainfall.Under circumstances of rainstorms,annual hedge plants grown on 25°slopeland can cause a reduction of runoff by 22~43 percent and that of erosion induced sand content by 94~98 percent. Stone bunded horizontal terraces can lead to a runoff reduction by 62~67 percent in comparison with steep slopelands and that of erosion induced sediment by 97.8~99 percent.Soil and water loss can be substantially decreased on steep slopes by hedge plants with a cost of only 10~20 percent of that of the steep bunded horizontal terraces.Hence it is an effective way to control soil and water loss in terms of slopeland amelioration and utilization in the Three Gorges reservoir area