Study Progress of the GIS-Based Soil Erosion and Sediment Yield Models

With the development of the geographic information system(GIS), the combination of soil erosion and sediment yield model with GIS has shown an increasing trend. The paper expatiated the main contents, characteristics, and applying regions of the GIS based erosion models which are widespread in the world, such as RUSLE, WEPP, ANSWERS, and so on, and illustrated and reviewed the soil erosion and sediment models which are connected with GIS in recent years in China. The paper brought forward the primary existing problems in the study of soil erosion and sediment yield models, and finally showed the study trend for soil erosion and sediment yield models. The GIS based soil erosion and sediment yield models, which can reflect the process of spatial distribution of soil erosion and sediment, will be the study focus in the future.