Abstract:The Zhifanggou watershed in the loess hilly and gully region was selected as the study area in this study. By high-precision remote sensing images (resolution 0.068 m) and DEM (resolution 0.34 m) data, combined with field investigations, the collapse, slide, landslide, creep and sinkhole were analyzed. The spatial distribution of different types of instability bodies were analyzed by using statistics and sensitivity coefficient methods. The main controlling factors of instability bodies were further clarified. The results showed that:(1) The instability bodies was obtained using high-precision remote sensing images, mainly in the form of small-scale and shallow shedding, collapse and slide. The total area of the three was 0.417 km2, accounting for 5.04% of the total watershed area. (2) Among the evaluation factors, the red clay of the soil parent material, the natural shrubland and grassland of the land use, the ditch slope of the landform, the slope of > 35° and RF of 0.74~3.34 m, were the highly sensitive areas where slope instability occurred. They are also the common sensitive area for collapse, slide, shedding, and sinkhole. (3) The weights of the main controlling factors affecting the stability of the slope were as following from large to small soil parent material, RF, slope, land use and aspect. The main controlling factors of collapse, slide and shedding were the same as the overall slope stability, but their internal weights of the factors were different. The order of the weights of the main controlling factors of collapse was consistent with the overall slope stability. The weights of the main controlling factors of landslide were as follows:soil parent material > RF=slope > land use > slope aspect > landform position. The weights of the main controlling factors of shedding was soil parent material > land use > RF > slope=slope aspect > landform position. The main controlling factors of landslide were slope andRF. The weights of the main controlling factors of caverns was soil parent material > RF > slope > slope aspect.