because they are easily identified on maps and on the ground and they allow for detailed descriptions of some ecosystem processes and capabilities (RWCSCB, 1998). Prior to 1990, soil and water conservation measures were implemented without unified planning in the TGA. However, since the 1990s, Integrated Small Watershed Management (ISWM) for soil conservation has developed in the TGA. Up to 2008, the central government invested 15.2 billion Yuan (RMB) (Liao, 2010), and the ISWM has been conducted in >5000 small watersheds. Both soil erosion reduction and regional economic growth were