Principal component analysis of factors influencing soil erosion on Da river basin, Vietnam

Abstract

This study applies Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to identify and quantify the dominant factors influencing soil erosion in the Da River Basin, Vietnam. Using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and long-term hydro meteorological, soil, and land use data, ten key parameters were analyzed. PCA reduced these interrelated variables to four principal components explaining 77.3% of total variance. The first component, accounting for 36.7%, highlights rainfall erosivity, precipitation, and sand content as primary drivers of erosion. The second and third components represent the effects of slope, soil erodibility, and silt content, while the fourth reflects the influence of land management and conservation practices. Regression analysis confirmed a strong positive association between rainfall–soil texture interactions and erosion intensity.