Assessment and attribution analysis of soil erosion in the black soil region of southern Harbin City

The four southern administrative units of Harbin (Shuangcheng District, Acheng District, Wuchang City, and Shangzhi City) are located in the core region of Northeast China black soil zone. However, the current status, spatial distribution patterns, and driving factors of soil erosion in this area remain unclear. Based on the Chinese Soil Loss Equation(CSLE), this study establishes a soil erosion assessment model using the ArcMap model builder, and applies the methods such as correlation analysis, sensitivity analysis, and geodetector analysis to quantitatively identify the soil erosion intensity, spatial heterogeneity, and associated driving factors. The results indicate that the study area has an average soil erosion modulus of 64.1 t/(a·km²) and an average annual soil loss thickness of 0.53 mm/a, with the area experiencing mild and above erosion intensity of 1 830.1 km², accounting for 8.61% of the total area. The slope length factor(L) and rainfall erosivity factor(R) are identified as the primary sensitivity factors influencing soil erosion. Vegetation coverage and land use type emerge as the dominant driving factors in farmland protection zones; while land use type is the primary factor in mountainous areas and vegetation coverage plays the leading role in hilly areas.