Soil erosion leads to degradation of hydraulic properties in the agricultural region of Northeast China

•We examined the effects of agricultural erosion on hydraulic and physical properties.•Erosion increased soil bulk density but decreased saturated hydraulic conductivity.•Erosion decreased microaggregates but increased macroaggregates.•Erosion decreased θr, θs, and n but increased α of soil water retention curve.•Effects of erosion on most soil properties were greater at the 0−30 cm depth.