Abstract: Since the 1980s, notable progress has been made in scientific research of water and soil conservation in the Yangtze River Basin, providing scientific evidence to understanding the current situation of soil erosion in the basin, formulating soil and water conservation policy and planning, and implementing soil and water conservation. At present, China is in the crucial period of promoting the construction of ecological civilization. In view of this, we sum up the development process of soil and water conservation research, the key points and highlights of basic theory and key technology, as well as the construction of scientific research platform in the Yangtze River Basin. But overall, the scientific research foundation of soil and water conservation in the Yangtze River Basin is still relatively weak, the theoretical research still lags behind the practice of soil and water conservation. By clarifying future research priorities, that is, the dynamic mechanism and process of soil erosion, erosion prevention mechanism and applicability of soil and water conservation measures, restoration mechanism and technology research and development of degraded ecosystem, ecological process and effectiveness evaluation of major ecological treatment projects, our research would be of great significance to strengthening science and technology innovation and promoting the development of soil and water conservation in the Yangtze River Basin.

Key words: Yangtze River Basin, soil and water loss, soil erosion, soil and water conservation, water ecology