The synergistic effects of afforestation and the construction of check‐dams on sediment trapping: Four decades of evolution on the Loess Plateau, China

Soil erosion represents a major environmental threat to ecosystems. Effective sediment trapping relies on the cooperation of multiple soil erosion control measures. However, findings on the synergistic effects of multiple soil erosion control measures are still lacking, in particular on a large spatial scale. This study provides a first attempt to analyze four decades of data from the 1980s to the 2010s on the Loess Plateau. The analysis combines the spatial investigation of check‐dam construction in gullies, afforestation on hillslopes, and station‐observed sediment yield within the evaluation framework of the Water and Tillage Erosion Model/Sediment Delivery Model. The results indicate two periods of effective sediment trapping on the Loess Plateau in the last four decades: 1980s–1990s and 2000s–2010s. Check‐dam construction was the main driver of reduced sediment yields before the 1990s. Massive afforestation played an increasingly important role beginning in 1999. The synergistic effects of afforestation and the construction of check‐dams in the period from the 2000s to the 2015 include not only the effective trapping of sediment but also the improvements in the resistance of ecosystems to climate change. These results improve our understanding of the synergistic effects of multiple soil erosion control measures on sediment trapping. The findings support a rational collocation of different soil erosion control measures to support comprehensive management in erosion‐prone regions.