The spatial and temporal trends of potential dust emissions from severe aeolian desertified lands and Gobi desert surfaces in China were investigated based on field sample collections, wind tunnel experiments, and historical wind records. The results showed that aeolian desertified lands and Gobi desert surfaces are both key landscapes for dust emissions. The dust emission rate in Gobi deserts was

Globally, mangroves sequester a large amount of carbon into the sediments, although spatial heterogeneity exists owing to a wide variety of local, regional, and global controls. Rapid environmental and climate change, including increasing sea-level rise, global warming, reduced upstream discharge and anthropogenic activities, are predicted to increase salinity in the mangroves, especially in the Bangladesh

Predicting ephemeral gully (EG) location is essential for many land management decisions and for accurate application of widely used soil erosion models. Topographic indexes are widely used for identifying EG head locations, even though the calibration of the topographic index models limits their use for broad scales. The objective of this research was to test the accuracy and usability of grid order

A drop-former rainfall simulator was designed and tested. Its novelty is the use of porous pipes instead of capillaries. Compared to rainfall simulators using capillaries, this feature makes easier its building and maintenance. Rainfall intensity can be selected by simply setting the water supply pressure. The rainfall simulator was able to deliver rainfall intensities between 24 and 75 mm/h for a

Precise spatial information on soil properties in plantation forests is needed to improve soil nutrient management and to sustain productivity. Soil nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, organic matter, carbon and boron are important determinants and indicators of soil fertility and quality. Particularly in forests, these soil properties are highly variable in space and time. In this study, soils were sampled

In environments where continuous agriculture leads to soil organic carbon (SOC) depletion, intensification practices (i.e. polyculture, cover crops (CC), and crop fertilization) have been suggested as strategies to improve crop residue inputs which, in turn, can increase SOC storage. However, SOC dynamics are regulated by a complex interplay of climatic and soil conditions. The objective of our study

South Korea experiences numerous local sedimentation problems, such as landslides, upland erosion, aggradation and degradation, and flood plain sediment deposition. This has necessitated the development of a reliable and consistent approach for modeling sediment processes in the country. In this study, samples obtained from 35 gauging stations at five alluvial river basins in South Korea were used

Soil salinity is best estimated by saturated paste extract (ECe), the most reliable monitoring method to assess plant growth that is directly related to the field water content. However, this procedure is laborious and time-consuming, therefore, more convenient methods such as 1:5 soil: water extract is commonly used to estimate the ECe. Traditionally, a conversion factor (CF) based on a linear correlation

Evaluating the effects of soil and water conservation on the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) during the past 60 years depends mainly on understanding the historical processes of soil erosion fluxes and their mechanism. However, little was known about the historical variation in soil erosion and its driving factors due to the lack of few ideal geological carriers on the CLP. A representative Heshui (HS)

Loess-like deposits and soils distribute extensively along the wide valleys across the Yarlung Tsangpo River (YTR) catchment in southern Tibetan Plateau. They provide insights into pedogenetic processes and environmental changes. The climate of the low reach area of the YTR catchment is currently relatively wet and warm compared with the middle and upper reaches. To reconstruct climate and environmental

Soil moisture is of high variability both in space and time, and root growth may greatly alter the soil texture and lead to distinctive moisture patterns. In order to explore the spatiotemporal variability of rooted soil moisture, this study conducted a series of greenhouse tomato growth experiments using loess and under certain irrigation regimes. The experiment lasted for three months, and throughout

The source dynamics of total and dissolved material in riverine systems are being affected by anthropogenic activities resulting in the degradation of waterways worldwide. Identifying the main sources of total and dissolved material is thus central to the management of increasingly scarce water resources. Here, we utilize data generated from water quality monitoring programs to investigate the sources

Swidden agriculture as a production system has been practiced for thousands of years, based on ecological processes of forest ecosystems. While this cultivation system has often been framed as contributing to environmental degradation, it can also be argued to be compatible with sustainable agricultural practices. Its sustainability strongly depends on the length of the recovery period, the period

The main objective of the study was to investigate influence of Nepalese alder (Alnus nepalensis D. Don) on fine root biomass (diameter ≤ 2 mm) dynamics and the physical and chemical properties of the soil in white oak (Quercus leucotrichophora A. Camus) forests. Five representative stands of each oak mixed alder (OMA) and oak without alder (OWA) were selected along the stand development gradient in

This work investigated the chemical water–rock interaction of black shale interbedded with limestone along a bedding slip zone and how its deterioration affects the surrounding rock mass in the Xujiaping (XJP) landslide. Many dissolved pits were found on the limestone, and geochemical phenomena were investigated. Rock and water samples from the site were analysed for mineralogy, chemical composition

Earthworms are typical ecosystem engineers because they greatly affect the physical properties of soil in various ways. In this study, simulation experiments were performed to assess the effects of earthworms (Amynthas aspergillum) on the soil evaporation process in a subtropical region of China. Five population sizes CK (0), A1 (0), A2 (10), A3 (20), and A4 (30), four cast mulch thicknesses (0, 1

Climate warming has widely variable effects on terrestrial ecosystems, and warming-induced changes in soil erosion could accelerate or slow down future warming. Numerous methods and models have been developed to evaluate soil erosion. However, the quantification of the impact of climate change on soil erosion and selection of the most appropriate soil erosion model for a particular study area remain

This paper presents the first modern pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs and grain size data from a pristine mangrove tidal creek on the South Andaman Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. The surface sediment samples were collected from different mangrove environments of the Wright Myo Creek, South Andaman to study the relationship between the pollen-spore data and present vegetation cover. Results

Biochar has been globally recognized as a soil amendment to ameliorate the degraded soil structures. We investigated the different biochar percentages contributed to the changes in soil water retention, soil infiltration, and water-holding capacity of one dimensional scale. Besides, infiltration models were compared, and an improved genetic algorithm (GA) combined with multi-objective optimization

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are widely distributed in arid and semiarid ecosystems and provide critical ecological functions. Understanding how biocrusts change across broad regional scales allows us to manage them more effectively under changing climates and land-use pressures. Based on field surveys, we used boosted regression trees and correlation analysis to examine the changes in cover

The vadose zone serves as a connection and transformation link between the atmosphere, plants, soil, surface water and groundwater. It is considered to be an important component of the geosphere and has sensitive interactions with the hydrosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere, which greatly impacts the environment and human health. This study was conducted in the Achnatherum splendens grassland of the

The study focused on the question of how the natural and human forcing has affected the morphodynamic evolution of bars in the middle Yangtze River. A large channel bar was investigated using satellite remote sensing data during 1986–2017. A novel algorithm was proposed to select images acquired at the similar river stage. The bar was delineated from selected images and surface area, volume and centroid

Controlling and adjusting the reconstructed soil bulk density (RSBD) in an artificially disturbed ecosystem is one of the main challenges in land reclamation. Exploring the spatial distribution of RSBD is the best starting point to analyze and improve reclamation technology. This study quantifies the spatial distribution pattern and variation of RSBD on reclaimed land in the loess area of China using

As soil erosion is a major threat for global food security, soil and water conservation (SWC) structures are essential in degraded lands of the tropics facing water scarcity. However, some fundamental questions regarding the impact of SWC measures on soil aggregate stability, organic carbon (SOC) pools within bulk soils and aggregates, and biological activities remain unexplored. A 11-year study was

Flood spatial susceptibility prediction is the first essential step in developing flood mitigation strategies and reducing flood damage. Flood occurrence is a complex process that is not easily predicted through simple methods. This study describes optimization of support vector regression (SVR) using meta-optimization algorithms including the grasshopper optimization algorithm (GOA) and particle swarm

Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) plantation appears to be a sustainable alternative to other crop types because it has the potential to improve nutrient cycling and the productivity in Southwest China. However, the changes of soil organic matter (SOM) quality during the long-term tea planting process have not yet been well documented, and it is difficult to reveal tea plantation effects on the chemical stability

Soil erodibility (K) is a key factor in predicting the erosion of soil by water. K is spatially influenced by many environmental factors, but studies of the scales of factors influencing K are rare. The objective of this study was to identify the scale-dependent relationships between K and various environmental factors using multivariate empirical mode decomposition (MEMD). K and nine environmental

A sediment fingerprinting approach was applied to identify dominant sediment sources in an area where soil conservation measures (i.e. terracing) had been carried out on steep, intensively cultivated lands but the outcome was unknown. The wider purpose was to provide scientific evidence to inform decisions on where erosion control and sediment mitigation strategies could be further targeted. Geochemical

Seabirds are powerful environmental modulators, generating major changes in soil properties and vegetation in areas where their breeding colonies are established. One of the largest yellow-legged gull colonies in the world is found in the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park. In this study, we performed seasonal monitoring, over a period of 5 years, of the flora and soil in eight subcolonies characterized

A meta-analysis was preformed to reveal how environmental and experimental factors alter the effects of N enrichment on the concentrations and stoichiometry of N and P in both mature and senesced foliage and nutrient resorption, with published studies from Chinese grasslands. N enrichment, when averaged across the studies, significantly increased the mature leaf N, P and N:P by 27.89%, 2.55% and 20

Rill erosion is a widespread form of soil erosion on loess slope surfaces. The rill formation, evolutionary mechanism, and the quantitative expression of rill erosion dynamic changes in a micro-topographic level are currently lacking, primarily owing to lack of finer-scale measurements. This work presented the rill erosion evolutionary process and their dynamic changes at different slope gradients

The Indus River valley has frequently reorganized itself to attain geomorphic equilibrium during the Late Quaternary. In this regard, significant advances have been made towards the understanding of the response of landform/ landscape to climate (exogenic) forcings. However, advancements in geomorphic studies on the upper Indus basin focusing on recent tectonics (endogenic) are lacking, thus implementing

Returning crop straw into farmland is an important application and effective soil amendment method as it can increase soil organic matter to improve soil fertility and crop yield. In addition, this practice can help retain soil moisture and slow down the rainfall runoff rate, particularly on sloping farmland. This study uses laboratory experiments with a silt loam soil to examine the effects of wheat

Soil microbes play an important role in improving soil quality and enhancing carbon cycling, and consequently, are of great significance for the recovery of soil function of degraded lands. However, little is known about soil microbial properties of reconstructed ecosystems established on degraded lands. We investigated soil microbial biomass and enzyme activity for three restored tree types in post-mining

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) play essential roles in plant growth and deserve more attention in desert ecosystems. Nutrients stoichiometry patterns across various plant organs can reflect the plants' trade-offs to obtain resources and their growth strategy. However, it is still unclear how these nutrients are allocated among desert plant organs and how they are related to the arid climate conditions

Soil erosion and deposition processes act as key drivers of soil organic carbon (SOC) translocation and transformation, resulting in a spatially heterogenous distribution of SOC in terms of its quantity and composition. Soil aggregation and its interactions with geomorphic processes exert significant control over SOC dynamics, particularly in landscapes that are undergoing accelerated soil erosion

Intensive tillage frequently has adverse impact on soil physical quality and soil organic carbon stocks in temperate regions. A consequence of this has been a reduction in crop production over the years demonstrating the necessity of effective and sustainable agriculture. This study aimed to evaluate soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and pools, soil bulk density, aggregation and nutrient availability

Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in grasslands contribute considerably to global warming and are influenced substantially by nitrogen deposition. However, the impacts of N deposition impact on soil N2O emission rates across global grassland remain unclear due to spatial heterogeneity. Here, we synthesized data from 34 published studies to clarify the response of N2O emission rates to N deposition across

Quantifying the soil pore structure is critical for understanding plant growth and water/solute movements in the soil. However, most previous studies quantified the soil pore structure in a shallow layer by using low resolution medical computed tomography (CT), whereas few have quantified the soil pore structure in deep soil layers with high resolution CT. In this study, we quantified the soil pore

The Three Gorges Dam (TGD), on the upper valley of the Yangtze River, China, is the largest water conservancy and power generation project in the world. Problematic sedimentation in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) is related to the reservoir lifetime, hydropower generation, riverbed erosion, and sustainable development of ecosystems. In this study, measures to holistically and systematically address

Soil enzymes act in biogeochemical cycles of elements and are indicators of soil quality since they rapidly reflect changes of the environmental conditions. Moreover, enzymes are related to soil physicochemical properties, but their spatial distribution has been rarely evaluated. The hypothesis of this work is that soil properties related to fertility and texture (F), total contents of chemical elements

Anomalous CO2 absorption by soils in drylands has been reported worldwide. It has been reported that atmospheric carbon can first be converted into soil dissolved inorganic carbon, and then be carried and rapidly sequestered in groundwater through irrigation (artificial water input). Nevertheless, the deposition rate may be inapplicable in drylands without artificial water input, and the fate of the

The nature of Holocene Asian summer monsoon (ASM) evolution documented by diverse natural archives remains controversial, with a contentious issue being whether or not a strong Asian summer monsoon prevailed during the early Holocene. Here we present sequences of multiple proxies measured in sediment cores from Genggahai Lake in the NE Tibetan Plateau (NETP). The results suggest that a higher lake

The influence of plant secondary succession on soil enzyme activities has been increasingly recognized recently. However, the characteristics of specific enzyme activities and temperature sensitivity (Q10) in the rhizosphere remain elusive. We collected rhizosphere and bulk soil samples from a secondary successional series (0, 7, 12, 17, 22, and 32 years after farmland abandonment, and a natural grassland

The geomorphological characteristics of the loess succession at Malá nad Hronom (Slovakia) mean that it provides a valuable opportunity for the investigation of differences in soil formation in various topographic positions. Along with the semiquantitative characterization of the paleosols (on the basis of physical properties, texture, the characteristics of peds, clay films, horizon boundaries), high-resolution

Road-related soil erosion is an important source of sediment that should be properly evaluated. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) can quickly acquire field soil erosion information and was adopted in this study to explore the details of soil loss along road segments. Twenty typical unpaved road segments in a small watershed of Southeast China were measured. High-resolution (0.05 m) digital elevation

Palynological and other sedimentary records in the south-eastern peninsular India where the retreating (North-East) monsoon brings the main rainfall are scarce. This paper tries to address not only this gap in data but also the methodological challenges of interpreting such data in terms of sea level, depositional environment and climatic changes of the area going back nearly 11040 years. In addition

Elemental carbon (EC) is a chemically heterogeneous class of carbonaceous particles—including char, soot, coke, charcoal, and others—that form by incomplete fossil fuel and biomass combustion. Many previous studies indicate that EC has a better correlation with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) distribution in urban soils than total organic carbon (TOC). Nevertheless, the correlation between EC

The emergence of modern geospatial techniques has brought a considerable change in data capturing, processing, and visualization tools. Digital elevation models (DEMs) are a 3D mathematical representation of the earth’s surface. Due to enormous advancement in geographic information system (GIS) tools and technologies, DEMs have a wide range of applications in natural resources management, environmental