Based on the land use maps of Northwest Guizhou Province

which were interpreted from Landsat images of 1974

1992 and 2008

we analyzed and simulated the status of soil erosion before and after the land use/cover change(LUCC) and the soil erosion effect of main types of LUCC with incorporation of the revised universal soil loss equation(RUSLE). The results show that the structure of LUCC had changed significantly in Northwest Guizhou Province. The areas of shrub and cultivated land varied dramatically

showing oppo-site change trends from 1974 to 2008. With great increment of cultivated land and decrement of shrub

the soil erosion modulus increased from 29.55 t/(hm2~a) to 37.76 t/(hm2~a) in the area from 1974 to 1992. The area of cultivated land decreased and the area of shrub and forest increased from 1992 to 2008

resulting a significant reduction in soil erosion(30.39 t/(hm2~a) in 2008]. As cultivated land contributes most to soil erosion

the massive conversion from shrub to cultivated land was the main cause of severe soil erosion in 1992

while the extensive conversion from cultivated land to shrub and forest reduced soil erosion greatly in 2008. Even recently

the conversion from shrub to cultivated land caused a substantial amount of soil ero-sion. The related agencies should strengthen the management of shrub land.