Microplastics (MPs) have emerged as widespread and persistent pollutants in terrestrial ecosystems, yet their distribution and influencing factors in terraced landscapes remain underexplored. Large-scale soil and water conservation projects have been established in the hilly regions of the Loess Plateau, China. However, limited research has addressed how different terraced land use types influence the occurrence and characteristics of soil MPs in this erosion-prone area. The objective of this study was to investigate differences in MPs abundance, color, shape, polymer composition, and vertical distribution among terraced farmland, terraced forestland, terraced orchard, and abandoned cropland in the Qiaozigou watershed. The spatial distribution of MPs within the watershed was examined to assess the effects of land use and soil and water conservation measures on MPs. The results indicated that MPs abundance was high in the terraced watersheds. The MPs abundance in the surface soil (0-10 cm) of terraced farmland was 1300 +/- 108.78 items/kg, whereas the MPs content in abandoned cropland was significantly lower, i.e., one-third lower. However, in the reforested areas, no significant difference in MPs content was found compared with that in the terraced farmlands. With increasing soil depth, the MPs abundance in terraced farmland decreased by approximately 50 % relative to the surface layer (0-10 cm), while that in abandoned cropland decreased by about 33 %. Transparent MPs accounted for 77.81 % of all samples, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was found to be a prevalent MPs polymer. Densely populated areas with higher levels of human activity typically produce greater amounts of transparent fiber MPs. This study demonstrated the impact of different land use types on MPs in the Qiaozigou watershed, providing new insights into the likely sources of soil MPs under various terrace management strategies.