Progress of UAV Application in Soil Erosion Research

Soil erosion is a major global environmental concern. Safeguarding soil and water resources requires a comprehensive understanding of erosion processes to proactively address and manage soil erosion. Accurately identifying key erosion features and implementing targeted soil and water conservation efforts are therefore imperative. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) remote-sensing technology offers a novel method for advancing soil erosion research. As UAV applications in this field continue to progress, it is essential to systematically review and compare recent developments in soil erosion research between China and other countries so as to anticipate future research directions. In this study, we used the CiteSpace software to perform a bibliometric analysis of 871 Chinese and English articles published from 2008 to 2022 that were indexed in the Web of Science core database and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. Using statistical data from these publication databases, CiteSpace, Scimago Graphica, and ArcGIS, visual network maps were generated to summarize the fundamental characteristics and research hotspots related to UAV use in soil erosion research. The results indicate that the overall trend of UAV use in soil erosion studies is increasing. Countries such as the UK, France, Italy, Germany, and Australia have taken the lead, resulting in significant academic influences. Chinese researchers have built on mature research conducted abroad and are actively innovating, resulting in more publications and a growing academic impact. Globally, soil erosion research has predominantly focused on UAV photogrammetric technology and soil erosion mechanisms. Global research hotspots include the acquisition and integration of UAV and multi-source remote sensing data in erosion studies, innovative improvements in UAV-based erosion monitoring and information extraction algorithms, hydrological sediment connectivity and soil erosion model construction using UAV data as a source, and improvements to erosion disaster investigation, prevention, and comprehensive management of soil and water conservation based on UAV remote sensing data. Based on the current state of Chinese and international research, future studies should investigate data processing algorithms, establish precise evaluation and improvement methodologies, and strengthen multi-source and multi-scale data integration to establish the data foundation for understanding sedimentation mechanisms. Additionally, we recommend rationally arranging soil and water conservation measures based on erosion prevention mechanisms, as well as balancing erosion controls, ecological restoration, and sustainable production during the implementation of soil and water conservation efforts.