The Inner Mongolia section of the Yellow River is a primary alluvial segment of the main channel. The variations in water and sediment not only alter the cross-sectional morphology and flow capacity of the river but also impact the scheduling of upstream cascade reservoirs. Based on runoff and sediment load data and topographic information from typical hydrological stations, the characteristics of runoff and sediment load variations and the evolutionary pattern of siltation in the Inner Mongolia River section were analyzed via trend analysis methods, Mann–Kendall test methods, the sediment load transport rate method, and the water level–flow relationship. The results showed that the water and sediment loads at the hydrological stations in the Inner Mongolia River section significantly changed from the 1960s to after 2000, with runoff decreasing by approximately 22% to 32% and the sediment load decreasing by approximately 65% to 73%. Sedimentation in the river section generally increased, and the average annual siltation amount reached 0.144 billion t. The joint utilization of the Longyangxia and Liujiaxia reservoirs in 1987 was the main reason for the rapid increase in siltation, and siltation in the Inner Mongolia River section was slightly reduced after 2005. In addition, the critical sediment load coefficients of the Bayangaole–Sanhuhekou and Sanhuhekou–Toudaoguai River sections were 0.0073 and 0.0051 kg·s/m⁶, respectively, from 1952 to 1968, and 0.0053 and 0.0037 kg·s/m⁶, respectively, from 1969 to 2020. This study could provide technical support for river flood control and reservoir water sediment regulation in Inner Mongolia.

Flood events are major drivers of soil erosion and sediment yield on the Loess Plateau, where extensive ecological restoration has been implemented. This study investigates runoff–sediment dynamics by analyzing 215 flood events recorded in the Chabagou watershed (1959–2022), with a focus on changes under intensifying restoration efforts. Using long-term hydrological and rainfall data, we applied cluster and discriminant analyses to classify flood events based on sediment hysteresis loops and evaluated variations across three management periods (1959–1979, 1980–1999, and 2000–2022), characterized by progressive increases in check dam construction and vegetation recovery. The results show that the floods characterized by short duration, low peak flow, and low sediment concentration were predominant, accounting for 77.7% of the recorded 215 events. A clear decreasing trend was observed, with average sediment yield and peak discharge declining by approximately 68% and 52%, respectively. Anticlockwise hysteresis loops were most common (45.6%), followed by complex (27.9%) and figure-of-eight loops (23.7%). The proportion of figure-of-eight loops increased notably from 17% to 39%, indicating reduced sediment connectivity due to large-scale ecological restoration. Extreme rainfall events consistently produced complex hysteresis patterns, influenced mainly by rainfall intensity but increasingly modulated by human interventions. These results highlight adaptive watershed management strategies that target figure-of-eight and complex flood events to mitigate erosion and flood risks.

Making clear the sediment reduction benefits of soil and water conservation measures is the primary in the researches of ecological benefits of soil and water conservation. In order to make the sediment reduction benefits of China clear, relevant monitoring and research results were collected which focus on determining the amount of sediment reduction per unit area for single measure by provincial administrative units. Taking the average of all the results of sediment reduction benefits when single measure exists more than one result. Then, the basic characteristics and factors in the existed measures in eight soil and water loss zones dominated by water erosion in China have been discussed. The results indicated that the sediment reduction modulus of soil and water conservation measures in the order: 4146.17 t·km-2·a-1 in terraces < 3064.73 t·km-2·a-1 in soil and water conservation forests < 2819.16 t·km-2·a-1 in fruit-bearing forests < 2273.77 t·km-2·a-1 in artificial grass planting < 1973.31 t·km-2·a-1 in blockading administration; the sediment reduction modulus of eight soil and water loss zones in the order: 2400.87 t·km-2·a-1 in the Southwest Karst Region < 2493.93 t·km-2·a-1 in the Northern Earth and Rock Mountain Region < 2741.69 t·km-2·a-1 in the Southern Red Soil Region < 2831.48 t·km-2·a-1 in the Northern Wind-blown Sandland Region < 3061.22 t·km-2·a-1 in the Southwest Purple Soil Region < 3088.04 t·km-2·a-1 in the Northeast Black Soil Region < 3187.89 t·km-2·a-1 in the Loess Plateau Region < 3259.82 t·km-2·a-1 in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Region. Therefore, terrace was completely worthy of promotion in suitable regions. This review reflected the effect of the soil and water conservation in China in recent years, and provided substantial contribution on the control of regional water and soil loss. This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program [grant number 2016YFC0500802].Key words: sediment reduction benefits; soil and water conservation measures; soil and water loss zones; China