The risk gradation of soil erosion is an important approach to study soil erosion hazard degree.To find a suitable approach to the gradation of soi erosion and its hazard degree in practice

soil erosion degree and its potential risk for the scientific investigation area in the red soil region of Southern China

as well as sediment delivery ratio for the main lakes within the basins in the region

were gradated according to the MWR(Ministry of Water Resources)Standards for soil erosion classification and gradation and the data from the scientific investigation by the MWR.Results showed that there were light

moderate

intense and extremely intense soil erosion degrees in the investigated area.The moderate erosion and intense erosion were the main soil erosion types and accounted for 84% of the whole area

while the light erosion and extremely intense erosion accounted for 16%.The types of no risk

light risk

risk and extreme risk were all found in the potential risk gradation.The light risk and risk were the main risk types and accounted for 84% of all the risk types

while the no risk and extreme ris accounted for 16%.Soil erosion was harmful to the places nearby.Sediment delivery ratios in 60% of the lakes were greater than 0.5

which indicates that soil erosion occurred in the upstream of the lakes is dangerous

even extremely dangerous to the places nearby.Results from the study may offer reference for soil erosion gradation and control in the whole red soil region.