The paper analyzes the dynamics of erosion in sloping lands of ordinary chernozems of the Rostov region. For this purpose, the materials of aerial and satellite imagery from different years (1945, 1976, 1989 and 2012) were analyzed and amended by the field studies of 2008-2010.The analysis of the material of aerial and satellite images revealed that in 1945 the territory of the study area was divided into fields in the absence of shelterbelts. At that time slopes were strongly eroded. By 1976, on the borders of fields the major shelterbelts and the near-gully shelterbelts were created which were supplemented by the auxiliary one by 1989. This has stopped the erosion by the 1976, and since 1989, there has been noted the territory leveling. The assessment of the dynamics of erosion at that territory under the protection of shelterbelts and without them under influences of melt water runoff and rainfall showed that the runoff of low intensity (16 mm) in 2008 in the fields with shelterbelts in conjunction with contour-strip subsoiling was completely absorbed. In the fields without shelterbelts on the slopes of 1.5-1.8 degrees the plane washout of low intensity (3.2 t/ha) was defined, and on the slopes of 3-4 degrees it turned to rill erosion. Scour depth was 5-9 cm, width – 35-61 cm, total eroded soil – 17.9 t/ha. Heavy rains in 2008 in the absence of soil conservation measures on a fallow land led to a loss of approximately 6 tones of soil per hectare on a slope of 1.5-1.8 degrees and nearly 30 tones on the slopes of 3.5-4 degrees. Washout on the fields of sunflowers in 2010 was 9.7 t/ha, that was less then at the fallow land. Thus, the soil conservation measures system consisting of contour-strip placement of crops in combination with the shelterbelts provides reliable protection from soil erosion caused by a melt water runoff and rainfall.
