Vulnerability Assessment of Potato Growth to Climate Change Based on GIS in Inner Mongolia, China

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Dear authors,

 

Firstly, I would like to thank you for your work in this field.

You did a good job!

After extensive reading, I only have a few comments for the current version, which are not many but essential.

For revision details, please see the following:

 

[1] The title is perfect, I like it.

[2] I suggest you add more keywords and sort the words alphabetically. It can help you improve the manuscript's exposure.

[3] I suggest you re-structure the abstract with the following steps: Research background + Research intention + Methodology & Data research + Specific research content + Main finding + Conclusion from the main finding + Research meaning, Applying experience, etc.

[4] The deep of the introduction is not enough. I suggest you re-order it with the following structure: Development background + research background + research review + research aim + paper overview.

[5] There are many format mistakes. Please double-check this aspect. such as, line 68, 222+223, etc.

[6] line 91. Figure 1 is good, but I suggest you provide a bigger scale map to show its geo-info because your readers would be from worldwide, and not all of them are familiar with this country/region's geo-info. For instance, where is the objective location in this country/region? What is its neighbour region situation, etc?

[7] I suggest you provide details and re-order the statement for the research method, data, and analysis process. From these angles, why/when/how, etc. Clarifying these questions one time can make your logic more intact and help readers get your main research path clearly.

[8] line 193, please tell me, why there is a new figure, but also named fig 1? Which one is the real fig 1? Besides, the context size is too small to recognize in this fig 1. I suggest you double-check this is cross manuscript.

[9] You provide a lot of analysis, but I am unsure about the exact research output/result/value/meaning. I can see your analysis, but what does these mean/value? it seems this manuscript/research is semi-manufactured.

[10] I suggest you add a chapter named conclusion and order this chapter with the following structure: research issue + research result + research value + research direction in the future.

[11] Here is a critical problem: the current number of reference citations is absolutely insufficient. Normally, for standard research and the length of this kind of research, the references should be more than 60/70. But the current number is 43, far from the standard. This means this manuscript lacks essential citations or analysis.

 

If my comments are properly considered and followed, I have no further comments on this manuscript.

Again, I have a high comment on your current contribution. All my upon-revision recommendations are intended to help this manuscript be more readable for readers.

language check.

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

In this paper, the authors established a vulnerability assessment index for potato production, based on GIS, in Inner Mongolia, China.  

However, the situation is more complex and, in the future, it must take into consideration the influence of climate changes concerning potato pests and diseases.

I am agree with publishing of this paper in present form 

English language are fine

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

Incorrect scientific conceptualization of the article. A scientific paper should have a clearly defined scientific problem, on the basis of which a specific research objective and hypotheses and/or research questions should be constructed. The summary and discussion of the results should be related to these elements.

The Questions and discussions part should be separated. The summary should include the conclusions that arise from the presented research results (of a scientific and implementation nature). 

Discussions should be devoted strictly to the relation of the research results to the predetermined scientific gap and conclusions to the worldwide scientific debate on this topic.

Questions should be devoted to further unsolved problems that should be the subject of future studies.

The very weak background is basically limited to the publications of two researchers - Yang Xiu [30-32] and Dong Zhiqiang [33], which gives the work an intrinsic character, not included in the mainstream of world research. To change this, one should:

- Track publications on the impact of climate change on agricultural crops (especially potatoes) around the world, 

- Identify on this basis the research gap (both methodological and territorial) that the authors want to fill,

- Refer to the discussion on how they managed to fill the given research gap,

- What should be the further development of this research?

Some of the conclusions are unauthorized and do not follow directly from the results of the research - they belong to the so-called scientific confabulations. From which, for example, comes the belief that, quote: "Therefore, in these regions, efforts should be made to speed up the pace of economic development and the construction of new villages, raise the income level of farmers and encourage farmers to improve crop varieties and apply advanced production technologies to improve their ability to adapt to climate change" (line 337-341). The relationship between the level of economic development and density of new villages, etc. and the level of adaptation to climate change was not, after all, the subject of the research presented here.

Author Response

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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 4 Report

In my opinion, this is an interesting topic. It will certainly be useful in terms of evaluating the potato production. However, for me article needs to be refined before publication.

- 4. Construction of the indicator system, 4.1 Description of the indicator system – please provide the example of natural and endogenous  factors and socioeconomic factors that affect the degree of vulnerability.

- 4.3 Primary selection and screening of indicators: “To collect and analyze the literature on vulnerability assessment in China and abroad and to combine land use, agricultural production environment and socioeconomic status  data in Inner Mongolia, 24 relevant assessment indicators were collected and classified  according to sensitivity and adaptability and an Alternative Index database was  constructed.” - please list these indicators or add some kind of table with them, this will help better assess what is being considered e.g. in primary selection.

- There are two Figure 1 in the text (on pages: 3 and 6)

- On pages 7 and 8 there is 1 table. Table has two signatures from the top and bottom, in addition, from the bottom is named table 5. In turn, in the text there is a reference only to the table 2.

-I think that the part „Questions and discussions” could also be developed a little more.  Refer to some related literature.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

No further comments.

Reviewer 4 Report

In my opinion, the article is suitable for publication in its current form.