Land degradation negatively impacts water, food, and nutrition security and is leading to increased competition for resources. While landscape restoration has the potential to restore ecosystem function, understanding the drivers of degradation is critical for prioritizing and tracking interventions. We sampled 300–1000 m² plots using the Land Degradation Surveillance Framework across Nyagatare and Kayonza districts in Rwanda to assess key soil and land health indicators, including soil organic carbon (SOC), erosion prevalence, vegetation structure and infiltration capacity, and their interactions. SOC content decreased with increasing sand content across both sites and sampling depths and was lowest in croplands and grasslands compared to shrublands and woodlands. Stable carbon isotope values (δ¹³C) ranged from −15.35 ‰ to −21.34 ‰, indicating a wide range of historic and current plant communities with both C3 and C4 photosynthetic pathways. Field-saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_fs) was modeled, with a median of 76 mm h⁻¹ in Kayonza and 62 mm h⁻¹ in Nyagatare, respectively. Topsoil OC had a positive effect on K_fs, whereas pH, sand, and erosion had negative effects. Soil erosion was highest in plots classified as woodland and shrubland. Maps of soil erosion and SOC at 30 m resolution were produced with high accuracy and showed strong variability across the study landscapes. These data demonstrate the importance of assessing multiple biophysical properties in order to assess land degradation, including the spatial patterns of soil and land health indicators across the landscape. By understanding the dynamics of land degradation and interactions between biophysical indicators, we can better prioritize interventions that result in multiple benefits as well as assess the impacts of restoration options.

中文翻译：

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评估卢旺达东部两个景观的土壤和土地健康状况，为恢复活动提供信息

土地退化对水、粮食和营养安全产生负面影响，并导致对资源的竞争加剧。虽然景观恢复具有恢复生态系统功能的潜力，但了解退化的驱动因素对于优先考虑和跟踪干预措施至关重要。我们使用卢旺达 Nyagatare 和 Kayonza 地区的土地退化监测框架对 300–1000 m ²地块进行采样，以评估关键的土壤和土地健康指标，包括土壤有机碳 (SOC)、侵蚀发生率、植被结构和渗透能力，以及它们的相互作用. SOC 含量随着两个地点和采样深度的沙子含量的增加而降低，与灌木地和林地相比，农田和草地的 SOC 含量最低。稳定的碳同位素值 ( δ¹³ C) 范围从− 15.35 ‰ 到− 21.34 ‰，表明具有 C3 和 C4 光合途径的历史和当前植物群落范围广泛。对场饱和导水率 ( K _fs ) 进行建模，Kayonza的中值分别为 76 mm h ^-1和 Nyagatare 的中值分别为62 mm h ^-1。表土 OC 对K _fs有积极影响，而 pH 值、沙子和侵蚀有负面影响。在归类为林地和灌木地的地块中，土壤侵蚀最高。以高精度生成 30 m 分辨率的土壤侵蚀和 SOC 地图，并在整个研究景观中显示出很强的可变性。这些数据证明了评估多种生物物理特性以评估土地退化的重要性，包括整个景观中土壤和土地健康指标的空间模式。通过了解土地退化的动态和生物物理指标之间的相互作用，我们可以更好地优先考虑带来多重效益的干预措施，并评估恢复方案的影响。