[Objective] The optimal vegetation coverage of the ecological green heart area of Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan urban agglomeration and the regional soil and water loss status in 2018 were studied to provide a theoretical basis for comprehensive management of regional soil erosion.[Methods] Using GIS and RS technology

based on rainfall

soil

terrain

land use and other data in the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan area

the normalized difference vegetation index and USLE were adopted as the preferred models.[Results] The total area of the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan green heart area was 52 287 hm2

and the overall vegetation condition was above par. The high coverage (75%~100%) area was the largest

constituting more than half of the total area of the green heart area (26 869.79 hm2); the low coverage (30%~40%) area was the smallest

being only 8.61% of the total area (4 501.90 hm2). The total area of erosion (excluding microdegree) in the green heart area was 3 654.24 hm2 (which was 6.99% of the total area). The proportion of erosion in Xiangtan City was the highest (8.51%)

followed by Changsha City (6.67%) and Zhuzhou City (5.68%). The erosion area of construction land was 963.92

310.74

and 735.11 hm2 in the prohibited development zone

restricted development zone

and the controlled construction zone

respectively.[Conclusion] The coverage space of the ecological green heart area of Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan urban agglomeration appeared to be low in the west and high in the middle-east part

which might have resulted from man-made factors

urban construction

and industrial distributions. Engineering construction was the main reason for soil and water loss in the green heart area.