Analysis of spatiotemporal heterogeneity and influencing factors of soil erosion in a typical erosion zone of the southern red soil region, China

[Display omitted] •The spatiotemporal variation characteristics of soil erosion from 2000 to 2020 were investigated.•The soil erosion modulus decreased from 10.00 t·hm−2·a−1 to 3.38 t·hm−2·a−1 during the past 20 years.•Land use and vegetation cover dominate the spatial distribution of soil erosion.•Compared with climate change, human activities play a more active role in mitigating soil erosion. The southern red soil region (SRSR) of China, a region that is environmentally sensitive, suffers severe soil erosion (SE) as a result of climate change and human activity. The factors driving SE changes in the SRSR of China under changing settings have, however, only been the subject of a small number of research. Changting County is a typical SE area in the SRSR of China. The spatiotemporal variation characteristics of SE in Changting County from 2000 to 2020 were investigated using the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE), while the dominant factors influencing the spatiotemporal dynamic change of SE were analyzed using the optimal parametric geographical detector (OPGD) and logarithmic mean Divisia Index (LMDI). The results showed that the average annual soil erosion modulus in Changting County shows a decreasing trend, with the SE modulus decreased from 10.00 t·hm−2·a−1 in 2000 to 3.38 t·hm−2·a−1 in 2020. Slight SE intensity was the dominant SE class, accounting for more than 75% of the total area, and the proportion is trending upwards. Natural and anthropogenic factors showed significant effects on the spatial variation of SE, of which land use and vegetation cover were the main factors influencing the spatial distribution of SE. Furthermore, the interaction between these two dominant factors explained greatly the spatial variation of SE. The mitigation of SE was mainly attributed to the increase in vegetation cover following the implementation of various ecological projects, contributing to the reduction of SE by 68.7%. In addition, the changes in land use types and rainfall amounts also played positive roles in reducing SE, showing contributions of 20.2% and 11.1%, respectively.