Understanding the trend of vegetation change and its reaction to climate variation is important for revealing the mechanism of ecosystem behavior. However, current research rarely systematically analyzes the time effects of climate variation on vegetation dynamics (time-lag and time-accumulation effects), especially in arid and semi-arid mountainous terrain. The typical mountainous terrain—the Qilian

Although correlations between soil respiration (Rs) and environmental factors in different ecosystems have been extensively investigated, results based on long-term experiments are limited. In this study, we analyzed the correlations between Rs and soil temperature (Ts), moisture (θ), the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and soil organic matter (SOM) based on an 11-year field campaign

Inland river terminal lakes help maintain the regional ecological environment. However, terminal lakes in arid regions have shrunk dramatically over the past 50 years. We extracted the water areas of Taitema Lake in the arid region of Central Asia and calculated the fractional vegetation coverage (FVC) of the surrounding areas based on Landsat images from 1989 to 2019. We analysed the evolution and

Vegetation fractional coverage is an important indicator for the ecological environment quality in the mining area. The relationship between vegetation fractional coverage and topographical and climatic factors has been studied intensively. However, in coal mining areas, anthropogenic factors are closely linked to vegetation cover for the frequent production activities, and should be accounted into

Continuous climate warming in northeastern China has intensified the melting of permafrost, leading to its degradation. The thawing of permafrost increases the instability of wetland soil organic matter and accelerates decomposition; this will inevitably have a strong impact on the transformation of soil organic matter and the process of vegetation growth. Therefore, the present study used the Xing’an

The classification of a soil at different taxonomic levels provides abundant information on the weathering and physical–chemical properties of the soil. Geochemical indices are quantitative models that correlate soil weathering status to soil geochemical properties. Therefore, the use of such indices provides a quantitative criterion for determining the intensity of weathering as well as help to recognising

A large imbalance in soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) inputs induced by anthropogenic activities is anticipated to profoundly influence soil carbon (C) budgets in salt marshes. In this study, we hypothesized that imbalances in the nitrogen–phosphorus (N–P) input would result in the nonlinear response of soil organic carbon (SOC) content, fractions and mineralization to the N–P input ratio. We applied

Soil morphological properties described in the field, such as texture, consistence or structure, provide a valuable tool for the evaluation of soil productivity potential. In this study, we developed a regression model between the soil morphological variables of banana plantations and a crop Productivity Index (PI) previously developed for the same areas in Venezuela. For this, we implemented categorical

The Lund Warming Ramsar Site (LWRS), located in southeastern Brazil, is an area rich in geological and geomorphological features, especially karst formations that are excellent representatives of local geodiversity. However, the Geotourism potential of LWRS has not yet been studied in its full potential. This research aims to perform a spatial analysis of the Geotourism potential of LWRS. The methods

Sedimentation in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) affects flood control, navigation, power generation and the ecological environment. We present a comprehensive analysis of the characteristics of sedimentation in the TGR from 2003 to 2018. The data set includes field measurements (runoff and sediment) at hydrological stations and estimation for areas where measured data are not available. Based on

The Iberian Central System (ICS) is a clue region to reveal Mediterranean/Atlantic inferences over Iberia. We present a multidisciplinary study from western Spain conducted in the Navamuño depression (ND), covering the last 16.8 ka (cal BP). A reconstruction of the palaeotemperature from the resulting geochemical data highlights four cold and dry intervals, namely, the Oldest Dryas, Older Dryas, Intra-Allerød

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) monoculture contributes to soil degradation. Intensification of soybean-based sequences through polyculture, cover crops (CC), and crop fertilization can enhance soil physical quality and help mitigate its degradation. We assessed the effect of intensification practices in cropping sequences with soybean predominance on soil physical quality indicators in contrasting

The spatial distribution of landscape pattern in catchments has a great impact on the potential sediment detachment and transport capacity. In this study, a sediment connectivity model was applied to evaluate the effect of the spatial distribution of landscape pattern on the sediment transfer in a typical catchment on the Loess Plateau in China based on land use and topography data in 1964, 2004, and

Numerous artificial slopes emerged in the watersheds of the Chinese Loess Plateau (LP) after the Gully Land Consolidation project (GLCP) that cut slopes to create farmland in the gully, which had incurred instabilities over time and could potentially resulted in soil erosion and geological hazard. This paper explored the characteristics and prevention mechanisms of artificial slope instability after

Saturated soil hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) and soil moisture content (Θ) are key soil hydraulic properties for the understanding of hydrological processes at the watershed scale. Previous approaches in the use of Ksat to describe hydrological processes have mainly applied standardized or derived Ksat values, although the high spatial variability of this soil parameter has been frequently reported

In recent years, gully erosion has ceased many development activities and imposed a living threat to local communities residing in southern Iran. Hence, this study sets out to investigate the prediction performance of a machine learning model named the quick, unbiased, efficient statistical tree (QUEST) model for gully susceptibility mapping. Its results were compared to two conventional statistical

The thickness and composition of forest floors plays an essential role for the efficiency and resilience of mountain forests to store carbon, water and nutrients. Up to now, the distribution of particularly thick organic forest floors (TOFF) in the Bavarian Calcareous Alps is poorly known and their ecosystem services deserve increased consideration under climate change. We wanted to improve the knowledge

To cope with and reduce environmental degradation, the Chinese government initiated a series of new, national-scale policies and ecological projects in the late 1990s and early 2000s. However, under different political systems, the impact of such restoration measures on vegetation productivity in the Bailong River Basin (BRB) in China is unclear. Here, based on the analysis of the LUCC from 2000 to

The dominant factors influencing forest soil bacterial richness and diversity are still obscure. In this study, a meta-analysis method was employed to clarify the different patterns of forest soil bacterial community biodiversity in China and to reveal how climate and soil factors shape these patterns. In total, 105 groups of soil microbial data were collected from 47 study sites, covering four types

At present, there is no consensus regarding the degree to which climate change and human activity affect aeolian desertification in northern China. The purpose of this study is to assess quantitatively the temporal and spatial impacts of climate change on aeolian desertification. The aridity index (AI) was used as an indicator of climate change and its relationship with regional aeolian desertification

Phosphorus (P) is a chemical element that can cause lake eutrophication, tracing the source of P in lake sediments is crucial in the management and control of nutrient discharges in a watershed. To combine watersheds with lakes and provide watershed surface feature support for the traceability of sediment P fractions, the estuary was used as the key location collecting sediments. The Revised Universal

Agricultural reclamation via the conversion of desert into cropland offers a strategy to utilize arid lands and combat desertification. However, limited irrigation water resources have forced the abandonment of reclaimed agricultural lands and succession towards unmanaged natural states, which may contribute greatly to erosion potential. Soil microorganisms can affect the degradation and wind erosion

The technological and computational development has raised new possibilities for soil scientists to describe and infer about soil-forming processes and functions. Thus, why not to insert the contrasts between soil layers in a profile revealed by proximal sensing? We proposed to study the soil profile heterogeneity by reflectance (Vis-NIR-SWIR), X-ray fluorescence and magnetic susceptibility aiming

Encroachment of woody plants has a positive effect on hydrological functions (e.g., infiltration), but few studies have examined the effects of shrub patches on infiltration under different grazing scenarios. We examined differences in characteristics of plants and soils and saturated hydraulic conductivity between shrubs and their associated interspaces in two grazing regimes at three sites in a semi-arid

During July and August 2018, a series of four Mw > 6.0 earthquakes (Event I − 2018.07.28 Mw 6.4, Event II − 2018.08.05 Mw 6.9, Event III − 2018.08.19 Mw 6.3, and Event IV − 2018.08.19 Mw 6.9) struck Lombok Island, Indonesia. A detailed interpretation of satellite imagery reveals that the Lombok earthquake sequence triggered 10,521 landslides with a cumulative extent of 28.0 km2 over an affected area

Understating of forest functioning is crucial for ensuring the sustainable flow of forest ecosystem services. Climate regulation service of a forest ecosystem can be ensured through emission reduction by increasing carbon sequestration in forests. However, understanding about the functioning of forests for carbon sequestration is constrained due to lack of information on nutrient stocks and stoichiometry

As a physical property of soil, magnetic susceptibility (MS) has been widely used to delineate soil drainage conditions over the past two decades, where all MS values were derived from laboratory measurements. In this paper, the ability of an electromagnetic induction (EMI) instrument, Geonics EM38, in in-field measurements of apparent magnetic susceptibility (MSa or κa) of topsoil was tested on six

Sedimentation in reservoirs constitutes a major issue worldwide, especially when hydropower, and hence profit, is involved. In this study, the sedimentation rates, due to soil erosion and sediment yields, are analyzed in the reservoir of the Rio di Pusteria hydropower dam, in South Tyrol (Italian Alps). The focus is on a five-year period, between two consecutive sediment flushing operations occurred

Models are typically applied to estimate the potential adverse effects of fire on land degradation and water resources and the potential benefits of post-wildfire rehabilitation treatments. However, few modeling studies have been conducted for meso-scale catchments, and only a fraction of these studies include transport and deposition of eroded material within the catchment or represent spatial erosion

Home‐field advantage (HFA) in litter decomposition implies that litter decomposes faster in its ‘home’ habitat, i.e., where the litter originates, than in any other distant (i.e., ‘away’) environment. Soil fauna plays a key role in litter decomposition, while its contribution to HFA may vary greatly. To elucidate how soil fauna interacts with litter quality to influence the occurrence and variability

Sediment deposition is considered a potential risk to the operation of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR). In this study, the bottom sediments of the TGR and its main tributaries were sampled during the flood, dry, and even periods, for 2017–2018, together with the surrounding hillslope soils. These samples were analyzed for Pb isotopes, and major and trace elements. Through the Pb isotopic comparison

Loess, as an allochthonous material, plays a significant role in the formation of Pleistocene periglacial slope deposits (PPSD), and thus also for Holocene soil formation, in the central European low mountain range. Although the differing loess proportions in different layers of the PPSD have been well recognized, quantitative distribution and mixing processes of loess in PPSD are still not fully understood

Spatial heterogeneity, which is one of the basic characteristics of ecological and geographical elements, is substantial in mountainous areas. Research on ecosystem services (ESs) increasingly considers spatial heterogeneity in environmental management-related decision-making. This study quantified the dominant ESs and ES trade-offs for the Hengduan Mountain region in Southwest China. The spatial heterogeneity

Iron oxide minerals are widely present in soil and known to be closely associated with soil-forming environments. In this study, a detailed quantitative analysis of the iron oxide minerals in the Late Pleistocene hard clay of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) was conducted using new integrated methods of magnetism, selective chemical-dissolution, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. A variety of established

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) is characterized by the world's highest timberlines, largest altitudinal range of forest distribution, and high warming rates. Whether the growth of most forests benefits from climate warming or is inhibited by warming-induced drought stress is still under debate. To understand this question, we collected tree-ring width (TRW) data from 6762 trees at 203 sites that contain

Soil organic carbon turnover time (τ, year) is an important indicator of soil carbon stability and a major factor determining soil carbon sequestration capacity. Many previous studies have investigated τ in the topsoil layers, but little is known about subsoil τ and its environmental drivers. We estimated subsoil τ (the ratio of subsoil organic carbon (OC) stock to net primary production) using field

Tillage along slopes creates furrows similar to rills which exposes the soil surface directly to raindrop impact (RI) especially in semi-arid regions. In order to quantify the effect of RI on soil physical degradation and rill detachment we determined the change of soil aggregate stability, bulk density, surface resistance and rill detachment in semi-arid soils. Toward these some dominant soils including

The rill erosion of a partially thawed soil slope is of great importance for understanding erosion dynamics and supplying datasets to estimate rill erosion model parameters. This study aimed to investigate the effects of thawed soil depth on rill erosion and to quantify the functional relationship between rill length and erosion. A series of laboratory experiments were conducted to measure sediment

Dendrogeomorphic-based landslide activity dating is a commonly employed scientific approach used to detect historical landslide events with subannual precision. Trees are dominantly used for this research, but in some localities, current dendrogeomorphic methods are not suitable due to their exclusive occupation by shrub species. Nevertheless, shrub species have recently been successfully used in dendroclimatic

At present, most lakes in the world are facing the threat of eutrophication, especially mesotrophic lakes, which are in a critical period of ecosystem transformation. However, how the internal biological composition and structure of these lakes change accordingly has not yet been explored extensively. Here, a paleolimnological evaluation of subfossil Cladocera was initiated to study ecological and

Understanding how topography affects the distribution of soil properties is essential in the management of landscape hydrology and establishment of sustainable soil management practices. This study investigated the impact of topography on the variation in particle size distribution, coarse fragments, and soil bulk density using different interpolation techniques and fractal analysis. It also evaluated

The most dominant fragmented erosional landform, usually termed as “Benggang” or “Collapsing gully”, has been highlighted as a national concern in China due to its serious impacts on ecosystem and social services in tropical and subtropical regions. To facilitate the investigation and prevention of Benggang, a comparative study relating to Benggang and similar erosional landforms around the world has

Moss-biocrusts (BCs) play an essential role in soil stabilization, but it reduces soil hydraulic conductivity, hindering precipitation convert to soil water. Freeze-thaw cycles (FTCs) is a natural phenomenon, which can alter soil properties, causing widespread concern. However, few studies have focused on the effects of FTCs on hydraulic conductivity in BCs, which may alter the negative effects of

The Datong Basin in northern China is notorious for its geogenic arsenic (As)-polluted groundwater hosted by late Quaternary strata. Deciphering the mechanism of arsenic pollution requires an understanding of stratigraphic architecture and depositional processes, which, however, are hindered by weak chronological data. Here we utilized the optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating technique to

The Quadrilátero Ferrífero (QF) in Brazil is a region of great economic, social and environmental importance, involving conflicts of interest due to land use and heavily pressured by iron mining and urban sprawl. This is an area of environmental importance due to supporting rupestrian vegetation areas on ferruginous substrates and springs from important watersheds. Thus, studies that can bring more

Various forms of microtopography are widely distributed and exist in the loess area of northern Shaanxi. Microtopography is also an important consideration for near-natural vegetation restoration models. The soil quality under the different microtopography types affects which near-natural vegetation configuration and restoration mode should be applied. Therefore, this paper took the microtopography

Rare earth elements (REEs) have been widely used to infer the provenance of sediments. However, sedimentary sorting and chemical weathering may produce REE compositions within sediments that vary with grain size, leading to complications and uncertainty when tracing possible source areas. In desert areas, the extent to which REE compositions within eolian sands are affected by sedimentary sorting along

The improper and unconscious use of the soil, a production material for humans, increases the risk of desertification and degradation. This study examines the some erosion susceptibility parameters such as soil erosion factor (USLE-K), dispersion ratio, and aggregate stability by applying various algorithms in decision trees and evaluating the spatial distribution of these properties using multiple

Understanding the spatial variability of soil organic carbon (SOC) and its main influencing factors is crucial for sustainable land use management and climate change mitigation. Existing studies mostly focus on the influence of environmental factors on the spatial variability of SOC, while little attention has been paid to the effects of wind erosion which has important influences in arid and semi-arid

Wildfires can have strong negative effects on soil and water resources, especially in headwater areas. The spatially explicit OpenLISEM model was applied to a burned catchment in southern Portugal to quantify the individual and combined impacts of wildfire and rainfall on hydrological and erosion processes. The companion paper has calibrated and assessed model performance in this area before and after