Comprehensive Benefits of Soil and Water Conservation in Small Watersheds in Karst Desertification Areas of Guangxi

Guangxi faces the challenge of karst desertification during its economic and social development, which poses a potential threat to the local environment. This paper takes the Tuokan small watershed in Tiandeng County, Guangxi, as an example. The Tuokan small watershed is a typical karst landform area, with desertification covering 62.9% of the total watershed area. Locally, vegetation coverage has been gradually restored through afforestation and mountain closure for forest cultivation. Pioneer plants and drought-tolerant native plants suitable for the local environment have been selected for planting, and unreasonable land use practices have been addressed through converting farmland to forest and grazing land to grassland. Through setting up observation points in slope runoff areas, the runoff characteristics of different land types were observed in detail. The observation results show that the Tuokan small watershed faces varying degrees of soil erosion issues, but after treatment, land productivity and land use efficiency have significantly improved, vegetation coverage has notably increased, and the overall treatment effect is favorable.