About the Cover
Cover Illustration: The Loess Plateau in north-west China, also known as the Yellow-Earth Plateau, covers an area of 406 thousand km2, has an average annual rainfall of 400-600 mm, and is believed to be the cradle of China's agriculture and civilization. Over-cropping on the steep slopes, concentration of rainfalls in the summer, and the loose texture of the yellow soil have caused very serious soil erosion in the region, manifested by the heavy muddy Yellow River. The top image and the third image show waterfalls in the deep bed of the Yellow River that cuts through the valley of the
Plateau. The second image shows desertification at the margins of the Plateau. The bottom image shows a typical soil erosion path after heavy rain. (Photographs taken by J Zhang.)
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