“…Land degradation has been considered a vital economic, social, and ecological problem owing to its impact on food security and ecological environment (Lu, Batistella, Mausel, & Moran, ), which has stroked the attention of the world, especially on the Loess Plateau of China. The Loess Plateau, characterized by the deepest loess deposits in the world, not only has a unique landscape but is also known for its fragile ecosystem, which is especially vulnerable to soil erosion (Fu et al, ). Although some measures, such as the construction of check dams (Zhao, Mu, Wen, Wang, & Gao, ) and terraces (Wei et al, ), have resulted in prominent reductions in soil erosion, vegetation restoration has also had an important influence on soil and water conservation (Lu et al, ).…”