Abstract:Cultivated land in Southwest Karst Area is characterized by a special double space structure with surface and underground, which cause particularity and complexity in soil erosion process in those areas, and produce a series of special environmental geological problems, such as soil erosion, drought, and desertification. This paper aimed on process and the driving forces of soil loss or leakage on karst slope land, which could provide theoretical basis and technical support for the comprehensive controlling and ecological restoration of rocky desertification. Meanwhile, this paper had summarized the latest research progress on surface erosion and underground leakage loss mechanism in the karst slope of Southwest in China. So far, the process and mechanism of surface erosion have conducted qualitative, whereas the studies of underground leakage loss were in qualitative description and indoor simulation exploration stage. Simulations and field observations on karst slope land showed that soil erosion type on karst slope farmland was a process of transition from underground leakage to surface erosion. That was, the soil loss type was dominated by underground leakage when small rainfall occured, and the surface erosion and underground leakage loss was equal even the surface erosion was higher than the underground soil loss at heavy or storm rain conditions. Alternatively, analyzed deeply the research and development of soil and water loss control in Karst areas, and pointed out the future development of soil and water loss.