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Advanced Remote Sensing Technologies for Soil Erosion Mapping and Modeling

A special issue of Remote Sensing (ISSN 2072-4292). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Remote Sensing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 433

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China
Interests: GIS-based ecological modeling

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Guest Editor
New South Wales Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, University Technology Sydney, P.O. Box 624, Parramatta, NSW 2150, Australia
Interests: remote sensing; landscape modeling
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soil erosion is a critical global environmental threat that jeopardises land productivity, water quality, and ecosystem sustainability. Accurate and timely estimation of soil erosion rates is paramount for developing effective conservation strategies. While traditional methods like the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) are widely used, they often suffer from limitations in data availability and spatial resolution. The advent of high-resolution remote sensing data (from satellites, UAVs, etc.) and advanced geospatial technologies (GIS, machine learning) has revolutionised our ability to map, monitor, and model soil erosion processes at multiple scales with unprecedented accuracy. This Special Issue aims to capture the latest advancements in leveraging remote sensing for precise and dynamic soil erosion estimation.

This Special Issue, entitled "Advanced Remote Sensing Technologies for Soil Erosion Mapping and Modeling", aligns perfectly with the Remote Sensing journal's scope of "applied remote sensing for environmental monitoring and management." The primary aim is to collate innovative research that integrates remote sensing data with modeling approaches to improve the quantification of soil erosion. We encourage submissions that address key challenges, such as deriving high-resolution input parameters (e.g., C-factor, P-factor), quantifying gully erosion, assessing the impact of conservation practices, and forecasting erosion under climate change scenarios.

We invite original research articles, reviews, and case studies on topics including, but not limited to, the following:

  • Novel remote sensing techniques​ for mapping soil erosion features (gullies, rills);
  • Machine learning and AI​ applications in soil erosion prediction;
  • High-resolution mapping​ of RUSLE parameters using satellite/UAV imagery;
  • Integration of multi-source data​ (optical, radar, LiDAR) for comprehensive erosion assessment;
  • Soil erosion monitoring and assessment​ at various scales (from plot to watershed);
  • Impact assessment of land use/cover change and soil conservation measures​ on erosion dynamics;
  • Applications of UAV/drones​ in quantifying soil erosion and sediment transport.

Dr. Haijing Shi
Dr. Xihua Yang
Prof. Dr. Alfredo Huete
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Remote Sensing is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • soil erosion
  • remote sensing
  • RUSLE
  • gully erosion
  • land degradation
  • machine learning
  • GIS
  • UAV
  • sediment yield
  • conservation practices

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

34 pages, 11094 KB  
Article
Regional Soil Erosion Assessment Using Remote Sensing and Field Validation: Enhancing the Erosion Potential Model
by Siniša Polovina, Boris Radić, Vukašin Milčanović, Ratko Ristić, Ivan Malušević, Armin Hadžialić and Šemsa Imširović
Remote Sens. 2026, 18(8), 1227; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18081227 (registering DOI) - 18 Apr 2026
Abstract
Soil erosion assessment in Southeast Europe’s mountainous regions often lacks systematic field validation, limiting confidence in model-based predictions. This study integrates the Erosion Potential Model (EPM) with remote sensing and field verification across 26,570 km2 in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina [...] Read more.
Soil erosion assessment in Southeast Europe’s mountainous regions often lacks systematic field validation, limiting confidence in model-based predictions. This study integrates the Erosion Potential Model (EPM) with remote sensing and field verification across 26,570 km2 in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) and Brčko District (BD). We developed a two-stage framework: initial GIS-based assessment using digital elevation models, soil maps, climate data, CORINE Land Cover, and Landsat imagery, followed by field calibration at 190 representative sites. Spectral indices (NDVI, BSI) provided dynamic corrections for vegetation cover and visible erosion features. Field validation significantly improved model performance; the erosion coefficient increased from Z = 0.21 to Z = 0.24, while discriminatory power improved AUC from 0.82 to 0.85, with corresponding gains in overall accuracy from 0.78 to 0.84 and F1-score from 0.78 to 0.85. The field-validated model estimated mean annual sediment production of 546.60 m3·km−2·year−1, with total erosion material production of 14,074,940.2 m3·year−1. Field calibration revealed substantial spatial redistribution, with medium-to-excessive erosion categories expanding by 30.37%, affecting 1319.12 km2 requiring priority intervention. The Kappa coefficient (0.81) confirms high classification reliability. This field-validated framework enables evidence-based identification of degradation hotspots and provides actionable guidance for soil conservation planning in geomorphologically heterogeneous, data-limited regions. Full article
24 pages, 6766 KB  
Article
Spatiotemporal Analysis and Multi-Scenario Projection of Soil Erosion in the Loess Plateau Using the PLUS-CSLE Model
by Xiaohan Su, Haijing Shi, Yangyang Liu, Zhongming Wen, Ye Wang, Guang Yang, Yufei Zhang and Xihua Yang
Remote Sens. 2026, 18(8), 1202; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18081202 - 16 Apr 2026
Abstract
Soil erosion remains a critical ecological challenge on China’s Loess Plateau (LP), where fragile geomorphology and intensive human activities jointly amplify land degradation risks. As land-use and land-cover change (LUCC) is a primary determinant of erosion processes, clarifying the nexus between land patterns [...] Read more.
Soil erosion remains a critical ecological challenge on China’s Loess Plateau (LP), where fragile geomorphology and intensive human activities jointly amplify land degradation risks. As land-use and land-cover change (LUCC) is a primary determinant of erosion processes, clarifying the nexus between land patterns and erosion intensity is essential for formulating effective conservation strategies. This study integrates the Chinese Soil Loss Equation (CSLE) with the Patch-generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) model to analyze the spatiotemporal dynamics of soil erosion from 2000 to 2020 and project future patterns for 2060 under five scenarios: Natural Development (ND), Ecological Protection (EP), Economic Development (ED), Cropland Protection (CP), and Planning Guidance (PG). Results indicate a fluctuating decline in LP soil erosion during 2000–2020, marked by a transition toward predominantly slight erosion (~70% of the total area), while high-intensity erosion remained concentrated in central and western cropland and grassland. Scenario projections reveal pronounced divergence in erosion outcomes. The EP scenario, characterized by sustained vegetation expansion, demonstrated the highest efficacy in erosion mitigation. Conversely, the ED scenario exhibited the most severe erosion risk due to urban expansion into ecological areas. The PG scenario effectively reconciled the trade-offs between ecological conservation and socioeconomic demands, maintaining a balanced erosion control performance. In the context of global climate change, the complexity of soil and water conservation governance is expected to intensify. This study suggests that future efforts should focus on scientifically guiding the evolution of land-use patterns through sustainable spatial planning. Furthermore, targeted engineering and biological conservation measures must bae implemented for high-risk land categories to ensure the long-term stability of the regional ecological security barrier. Full article
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