Protecting headwater streams is essential to minimise downstream sediment loads to rivers, estuaries, and oceans. This study analyses the gully and sheet erosion risk from a 33,000 ha agricultural development proposal in the Normanby catchment draining to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) Lagoon, Australia. The slope‐area threshold for channel initiation was assessed for existing gully channel head locations

Studies of land use/cover change (LUCC) and its impact on sediment retention services (SRS) can provide references for governments to aid them in identifying priorities for conservation or development. We analysed the LUCC characteristics of the Three Gorges Reservoir area (TGRA) and their impact on SRS for the period from the end of the 1970s to 2015 using the Sediment Delivery Ratio model of the

In order to manage soil salinity effectively, it is necessary to understand the origin and the spatial distribution of salinity. There are about 120 salt dome outcrops in southern Iran and little is known about their contribution as the potential sources of salts and the spatial pattern of salts around them. Six machine learning algorithms were applied to model topsoil electrical conductivity (EC)

In residue returned farming, plowing and zero tillage rotation may regulate soil physicochemical properties and help erodible productivity; however, the soil physicochemical property and soil productivity response to plowing and zero tillage rotation remains unclear. The present study evaluated the effects of plowing and zero tillage rotation on soil physicochemical properties and productivity based

Synthetic responses of plant and soil microbial communities to grazing are indefinite in alpine grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau. Three paired fenced and free grazing sites (ASMWP: alpine steppe meadow for winter pasture; ASMSP: alpine steppe meadow for summer pasture; AMSP: alpine meadow for summer pasture) were used to compare how grazing season and grassland type affect responses of the α‐diversity

Appropriate land use planning plays an active role in soil and water conservation. Considering the financial investment and grain security limitations, land use planning practices should be applied focusing on the critical source areas (CSAs) rather than the complete region. In this study, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model was used to identify CSAs for sediment control in the upper Huaihe

Understanding the spatial distribution pattern and driving factors behind ecosystem health is beneficial to ecosystem management and restoration. However, the literature shows little in‐depth exploration of regional heterogeneity and the factors that influence ecosystem health on a global scale. This study assesses global ecosystem health for the period 2000–2015 based on the vigor, organization, resilience

Conservation agriculture (CA) systems represent a set of three soil management principles: minimarbance, permanent soil cover and crop rotations ‐ whereas the CA‐based systems in this study add the bed and furrow tillage techniques as integral elements of CA. Studies on the effects of long‐term CA‐based systems on soil health and crop productivity are rare globally, particularly in Ethiopia. This study

With an area of 6,200 km2, the Gilbués badlands region in the Brazilian drylands is the largest desertification site in the Country. It is located upstream the Boa Esperança Hydroelectric Power Plant and is contiguous to an important Brazilian agricultural area. However, primary quantitative data on erosive processes are scarce or nonexistent. We analyzed on‐site data (2018–2019) concerning small‐scale

This study aimed to evaluate the works undertaken at Rio do Peixe watershed by the Coordination of Agricultural Defense (CDA) during 12 years, where, since 2007, conservationist agriculture practices have been employed to promote the recovery of degraded areas, the reduction of erosion and the improvement of water quality. Additionally, we evaluated the performance of innovative diagnostic strategies

Converting alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) into annual cropland (rotated cropland, RC) is commonly done to reuse degraded alfalfa pasture. However, it is a big challenge for RC to achieve high productivity and maintain high soil organic carbon (SOC) to the levels achieved by previous alfalfa pasture. We converted a long‐term alfalfa pasture into RC in 2010, and studied the effects of fertilization on

Soil degradation by concentrated runoff and soil erosion induces major environmental and economic damages, notably in agricultural areas under temperate climates. The use of herbaceous vegetation aims to increase the hydraulic resistance and thus reduce runoff and soil erosion while retaining sediments on site. However, the identification of the most suitable species to mitigate runoff is often specific

Silvopastoral systems have been widely implemented in Colombian Amazon region by involving a greater diversity of species, soil tillage, fertilization and higher stocking rate, which can induce changes in soil properties and functions. This study aimed to evaluate soil chemical properties and carbon sequestration changes due to the transition from traditional pastures to silvopastoral systems. The

The challenges of land degradation, climate change and food insecurity have led to the introduction of Conservation Agriculture (CA) aimed at enhancing yield and soil quality. Despite positive biophysical results, low adoption rates have been the focus of studies identifying constraints to wider uptake. Whereas the adoption framework is popular for measuring agricultural innovation, objective adoption

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) additions to grasslands increase aboveground plant biomass and modify plant community composition, thereby affecting plant‐derived organic carbon (C) input to soil and soil C cycling and storage. However, the effects of N and P additions on soil organic C (SOC) decomposition and sequestration are not fully understood and their underlying mechanisms are poorly known.

Increased use and increasing demands pose serious threats to rangelands. In this study, we document a pronounced downward trend in rangeland quality in the Alborz Mountains in Firozkuh County, Iran using analysis of three machine‐learning models (MLMs). A total of 1,147 transects were established to evaluate the rangeland quality trends from field data collected over a 7‐year period. Twelve independent

Connectivity has emerged as a significant conceptual framework for understanding the transfer of surface water and sediment through landscapes. The concept has been widely adopted in the field of catchment hydrology but has also been valuable to investigate rates of soil erosion by water and sediment export across landscapes. To study connectivity, we gathered a group of scientists that worked on synthesizing

Xeric shrubs often play an important role in reversing desertification and promoting ecological restoration of degraded dryland ecosystems. However, how shrubs affect their associated herbaceous species and environmental conditions remains largely unknown. In this study, we conducted a removal experiment along with stable isotope analysis to determine the water use strategy of a shrub species (Artemisia

Despite global commitments to forest restoration, evidence of the pathways through which restoration creates social and ecological benefits remains limited. The objective of this paper is to provide empirical evidence to generate insights on the relationship between forest cover change and key provisioning ecosystem services and reforestation pathways. In Southern Ethiopia, three zones along a gradient

Rangelands in the arid and semi‐arid regions of Iran are under pressure from frequent degradations and extreme climate conditions, which have affected water conservation and ecosystem services delivery. The timely and efficient assessment of rangeland condition impact on water conservation is crucial in rangeland management. This work represents an integrated modeling approach by linking the Soil and

Direct characterization of the spatial distribution of elements and compound binding of salt‐organic associations in soil is imperative for understanding the mechanisms of organic matter decomposition and nutrient release in soil degradation and development processes. However, traditional chemical methods would damage the chemical bonds in salt‐organic associations, and modern spectroscopic techniques

Recently vast tracts of land have been acquired by foreign and domestic‐foreign partnerships to satisfy an increasing demand for agricultural products, often resulting in the conversion of forested landscapes into agricultural fields. Those conversions often occur in areas characterized by high slope angles with the potential to cause mass wasting and shallow landslides. An interesting case study is

The forest ecosystems of Tibet function as important carbon sinks. However, previous estimates of carbon budgets have included large uncertainties owing to the limitations of data acquisition and the method of estimation. In this study, IPCC and model estimation methods have been used to calculate all the sectors of carbon stocks in typical forest vegetation of Tibet and explore the biogeographical

Autumn phenology variation in temperate grassland is a direct indicator of land degradation, and phenology‐based model has been used to simulate human‐induced land degradation. It is important to reveal how environmental factors influence autumn phenology of herbaceous plants. In this study, we examined the effects of temperature, photoperiod, and soil moisture on the leaf withering date (LWD) of four

The effects of natural processes on deposited mineral material of postindustrial sites is underestimated. Natural vegetation development on mineral material substratum is an unappreciated way of site management. Due to the classification‐based approach to assembly of plant community diversity, remote sensing methods have limited application. We aimed to assess whether remotely sensed data allow for

Surface soil hydraulic properties play critical roles in controlling water infiltration, evaporation, and soil water storage, in‐turn affecting the evolution of soil pore structure in cultivated desert soils of arid areas. The variability in soil pores and hydraulic properties caused by conversion of native desert soils to agroforestry use alter soil water storage and water budget in the desert‐oasis

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) additions reduced soil organic carbon (SOC) contents and stocks in alpine meadows on the Tibetan Plateau. However, little is known about microbial mechanisms behind SOC decline. This study investigated the effects of long‐term N and P additions on microbial community composition and SOC decomposition (C mineralization (Cm), mean resistant times for active C pool (MRTa)

Farming and afforestation in the African Sahel and Great Green Wall (GGW) regions are constrained by climate variability, water scarcity, and degradation of lands. Yet, the debate on dynamics of the Saharan boundary and vegetation productivity in these regions is ongoing. Here, we trace the most unsuitable areas for rainfed agriculture and greening in the two regions over the period 1998–2017 without

The cultivation of steep slopes is a widespread practice in hilly and mountainous areas around the world. Such environments often result in particular agricultural systems linked with unique local values of historical and cultural heritage, economy, and food security. However, steep‐slope agriculture is inherently exposed to slope instability processes, which are now widely aggravated due to natural

Understanding the impacts of different land‐uses on soil microbial communities is essential for maintaining soil health and sustainability in a desert‐oasis ecotone. Information on the microbial community composition of reclaimed soils under different land‐use types after several decades of reclamation are limited. The objective of this study was to investigate the impacts of reclamation of the non‐productive

Antibiotics are pollutants that are constantly input into ocean and coastal wetlands and affect the growth and activity of microorganisms. Ammonia‐oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB), which are very important in the global nitrogen cycle, are affected by antibiotics in the environment as well. Antibiotics have different influences on AOA and AOB microbial communities due to their different biochemical

Violence in Rakhine state of Myanmar forcibly displaced nearly one million Rohingya. They took refuge, from 25 August 2017 to date, in Cox's Bazar–Teknaf peninsula of Bangladesh. Initially, nearly 2,000 ha of forested lands had to be cleared to accommodate them in one of the most ecologically critical areas (ECA) in the peninsula. To support Rohingyas livelihoods, fuelwood collection and illegal logging

Sandy soils are widely distributed in Brazil and occur in most states. However, they have serious limitations for agricultural use due to low natural fertility, low water retention capacity, low resilience and high susceptibility to erosion. Management of these soils through a no‐till (NT) system following its basic principles (i.e., elimination of plowing, diversification of crop rotation, retention

Development of biological soil crusts (BSCs) on bare land is a sign of reversal of desertification, and microbial communities of BSCs are the biogeochemical engineers of desert ecosystems. However, regulation of different microbial groups involved in the carbon (C) cycle is not clear. This study investigated the correlation between bacteria, fungi, and archaea of BSCs involved in the C cycle during

As the main invasive plant species in the Yellow River Delta, Spartina alterniflora (S. alterniflora) has been a great threat to local ecosystems, but there are few studies on the growth scale, habitat structural changes, and expansion pattern of S. alterniflora. In this study, the native and invasive species in the Yellow River Delta were examined for their spatiotemporal characteristics and succession

Biomass allocation is a key factor in understanding how ecosystems respond to changing environmental conditions. The role of soil chemistry in the above‐ and belowground plant biomass allocation in restoring grassland is still incompletely characterized. Consequently, it has led to two competing hypotheses for biomass allocation: optimal partitioning, where the plants allocate biomass preferentially

Carbon (C) is playing an important role in the activity and diversity of soil microbial community, but there is still limited information about how C source utilization soil microbial structure responds to soil organic carbon changes under double‐cropping rice (Oryza sativa L.) system in southern of China paddy field. Therefore, the effects of short‐term (5‐year) tillage treatments on characteristics

Severe rocky desertification and considerable topographic relief in karst areas increase the difficulty of identifying determinants of ecosystem services (ESs), leading to relatively insufficient research on the quantitative attribution of karst ESs. This study investigates environmental determinants and their interactions for karst ESs in southwest China and spatially variable correlations between

The reclamation and utilization of natural wetlands can affect the community structure of soil microorganisms. However, knowledge regarding succession of microbial communities during long‐term reclamation and the links with related nutrient cycles is still limited. Using Illumina sequencing, we identified the patterns and environmental drivers of soil bacterial and fungal succession along a 150‐year

The Amazon region has presented considerable deforestation rates related to logging, cattle ranching and agriculture. Recently, attention has been given to deforestation due to mining activities. This paper aims to estimate the land area extent associated with mining activities in protected and nonprotected areas, the value of the traded mineral extraction per commodity, and the mineral commodity with

Extensive areas have been degraded worldwide, especially through mineral extraction. The mining classe II, especially sand and pebble mining has grown significantly in Brazilian Amazon mainly in state of Pará. In this context, the development of suitable and efficient recovery techniques is necessary to ensure the mined land restoration. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different

Until now, nearly 90% of alpine grasslands on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau (QTP) have been degraded. However, there is currently no consensus on how soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil total nitrogen (STN) stocks vary with the degradation succession of alpine grasslands in this region. Here, a meta‐analysis was conducted to quantify the dynamics of SOC and STN stocks in topsoil (0–30 cm) at different

We aim to understand the impact of ecological restoration on soil biogeochemistry, and the interrelationship between vegetation and soil phosphorus. In a study of two different‐aged soils in coastal New Zealand, soils are described along a transition from abandoned agricultural pasture, through 6‐year old restoration plots, towards forest fragments that have been largely undisturbed for 75 and 166 years

Land use change is a pressing concern for the livelihoods of people in tropical developing countries. Changes in land use from swidden (shifting cultivation) agriculture to smallholder tree‐dominated areas producing timber, fruits and cash crops can result in changing livelihood outcomes for rural communities. This paper examines land use patterns of rural households and the association with food production

In the Yellow River Delta of China, soil salinization is of serious concern from both agricultural and environmental perspectives. In this study we investigated the microstructural characteristics of saline‐alkali soils in this region and explored the influence of frost heave on soil microstructure. Soil mineral composition, pore distribution, particle arrangement, and pore characteristics were measured

Globally, temperate grasslands have been significantly degraded as a result of urbanisation, grazing and agriculture. Weeds now dominate most of these ecosystems, resulting in the loss of ecosystem services, reduced carrying capacity for farmers, and loss of habitat for native plants and animals. This paper reviews the literature relating to temperate grassland restoration efforts across the globe

This study evaluates the effects of prescribed burnings on soil physico‐chemical and biological properties in the short term since it is still in the process of evaluation and their effect in Mediterranean pine forest is not understand completely. Prescribed burning was carried out in three plots of mixed Pinus halepensis and Pinus pinaster stands in Castilla‐La Mancha (Spain) while monitoring soil

Since desertification threatens the global environment and the security of societies, predicting its patterns and trends across space and time would inform policy‐making strategies for desertification control and sustainable development. China is among the countries most severely affected by desertification, representing 17.93% of its total land area. To better understand the future dynamics of desertification

Plastic film mulching can affect soil organic carbon (C) lability in semiarid regions. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi represent an important route for plant‐derived C into soil and can be influenced by agricultural practices. Whether the changes of AM fungal community affect soil organic C sequestration is a fundamental question in semiarid environments. To this end, we conducted two field experiments

The sediment transport capacity plays a pivotal role in erosion research, and is usually predicted using hydraulic variables. The transport capacity and hydraulic variables are affected by vegetation cover. Our understanding of the effect of vegetation cover, including the size, density, and arrangement of vegetation stems, on the relationship between the sediment transport capacity and hydraulic variables

Open‐cast mining of lignite leads to considerable degradation of the natural environment, which then must be reclaimed. The aim of this study was to assess the transformation of Technosols in an area after lignite mining which had been under 40‐year cultivation of alfalfa with grass at various NPK fertilization rates. We hypothesized that 40‐year cultivation of plants caused morphological transformation

As important node cities in the Belt and Road region, Shenzhen and Bangkok are faced with similar environmental threats posed by the high‐speed social development process. Rapid urbanization leads to changes in vegetation growth and land cover types and then affects ecosystem services. In the current study, we used a time‐series normalized difference vegetation index dataset from 2000 to 2019 and two

A successful technique for remediation of cadmium (Cd) contaminated soil could not only reduce its availability but also improve soil biological function. However, there are few studies involved on evaluation the efficiency of remediation of Cd‐contaminated soil with a sustainability framework. Therefore, a field study was conducted to investigate the remediation effectiveness and environmental impact

Predicting changes in carbon and nutrient cycles in plantations requires a mechanistic understanding of the effects of stand age on soil quality and microbial communities. Here, we evaluated soil quality by using an integrated soil quality index (SQI) and traced the parallel shifts in fungal community composition using high‐throughput sequencing in a chronosequence of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata)

Herbivores can influence plant species richness and plant aboveground biomass. However, only a few studies have examined their impact on the relationship between plant aboveground biomass and plant species richness, focusing on large herbivores. This study examined the influence of a small burrowing herbivore, the plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) with averaging 150 g, on the plant aboveground biomass

Lager scale ecological restoration practices are increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. Meta‐analysis is by far the most widely applied technique for describing SOC at large spatial scales, but there is a lack of field‐based investigations on a series of individual watersheds. In this study, a watershed transect of six watersheds distributed in a hilly and gully area of the Loess Plateau was

Reforestation is a feasible option for the eventual restoration of biodiversity and ecosystem services on deforested oil‐sands mining sites. The associations between plant diversity and productivity spanning the different strata of restoration forests, in conjunction with specific factors that may impact these relationships, remain uncertain. We sampled 94 sites that encompassed conifer, mixed‐wood

This study investigates the effects of perennial grass species richness levels and consortium of three bacteria on properties of a slightly alkaline soil and on biomass production of grasses. Four species of perennial aromatic grasses namely: vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides), lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii), and citronella (Cymbopogon winterianus) were planted in all

Soil water repellency (SWR) has significant effects on soil degradation by changing some soil processes (e.g., carbon sequestration and soil erosion). Understanding the influence factors of SWR under conservation agriculture are playing a vital role in the sustainable development for improving soil quality. However, how soil pore structure influence on SWR remains unclear. We aim to assess the impact

Chernozems or mollisols/black soils are 'reference soils' with a high content of organic matter, which ensures a high level of crop yield. In the article, we describe the structural characteristics of a typical medium‐thick Chernozem taken from Kursk region and their improvement via treatment by a 1 wt% aqueous solution/suspension of interpolyelectrolyte complex (IPEC), a product of electrostatic interaction