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Desertification Control and Sustainable Land Management

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainability in Geographic Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 7676

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Duanyang Xu

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Guest Editor

Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Interests: desertification monitoring and assessment; desertification dynamic modeling; desertification control policy

Dr. Alin Song

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Guest Editor

Key Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Interests: soil microorganism; soil health; nutrition cycling
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Desertification is one of the most important types of land degradation. The problems induced by land desertification, such as soil quality decline, loss of biodiversity, sand storms, etc., have seriously restricted the sustainability of our world. Over the past decades, many attempts have been undertaken by different countries to coordinate the human–land relationship to achieve desertification control. As one of the most important ways that humans adapt to the natural environment, sustainable land management (SLM) has been treated as an effective measure with which to combat desertification by maintaining and enhancing the productivity and resilience of land. Previous studies have made great efforts to explain the causes of land desertification and the potential contribution of SLM; however, in regard to the relationship between desertification control and SLM, especially for the evidence-based knowledge with which to support SLM for desertification control and sustainable development, much of the relevant information is absent or incomplete. This Special Issue focuses on the mechanisms, relationships, and contributions of SLM to desertification control at different scales by considering the synergies and trade-offs from ecological, economical, and societal perspectives. It aims to provide innovative and reliable evidence for policymakers and land managers to control desertification in a sustainable way. Therefore, this Special Issue welcomes studies, including original research articles, case studies, and reviews, from a wide range of disciplines, including resource and land management, soil and plant science, restoration ecology, ecology modeling, ecosystem services, etc., to make a clear connection between desertification control and SLM.

Dr. Duanyang Xu
Dr. Alin Song
Guest Editors

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Keywords

desertification control
sustainable land management
land degradation
ecology restoration
land conservation policy
ecosystem service
ecology modeling
regional planning
ecological and economic benefit

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 28955 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Land Use/Cover Change on Soil Wind Erosion in the Yellow River Basin since the 1990s

by Wenfeng Chi, Yuetian Wang, Yuxin Lou, Ya Na and Qiancheng Luo

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12930; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912930 - 10 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1313

Abstract

“Ecological conservation and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin” is one of the fundamental national strategies related to national food security and ecological security in China. Evaluating the impact of land use/cover change (LUCC) on soil erosion is valuable to improving regional ecological environments and sustainable development. This study focused on the Yellow River Basin and used remote sensing data, the soil wind erosion modulus (SWEM) calculated with the revised wind erosion equation (RWEQ), to analyze the impact of regional scale LUCC from 1990 to 2018 on soil wind erosion. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) The total area of cultivated land, grass land, and unused land decreased, with a total reduction of 11,038.86 km²; total areas of forest land and built-up areas increased, increased by 2746.61 and 8356.77 km², respectively, with differences within the region in these LUCC trends at different periods. From 1990 to 2000, the area of cultivated land increased by 1958.36 km² and built-up land area increased by 1331.90 km². The areas of forestland, grass land, water area, and unused land decreased. From 2000 to 2010, the area of cultivated land and grass land decreased by 4553.77 and 2351.39 km², respectively, whereas the areas of forestland and built-up land significantly increased. From 2010 to 2018, the area of cultivated land and grass land continued to decrease, and the area of built-up land continued to increase. (2) Since the 1990s, the SWEM has generally declined (Slope_1990–2018 = −0.38 t/(ha·a)). Total amount of wind erosion in 2018 decreased by more than 50% compared with the amount in 1990. During this period, the intensity of wind erosion first increased and then decreased. In terms of the SWEM, 90.63% of the study area showed a decrease. (3) From 1990 to 2018, LUCC reduced the total amount of soil wind erosion by 15.57 million tons. From 1990 to 2000, the conversion of grass land/forest land to cultivated land and the expansion of desert resulted in a significant increase in soil wind erosion. From 2000 to 2018, the amount of soil wind erosion decreased at a rate of about 1.22 million tons/year, and the total amount of soil wind erosion decreased by 17.8921 million tons. During this period, the contribution rate of ecological programs (e.g., conversion of cultivated land to forest land and grass land, ecological engineering construction projects, etc.) to reduction of regional soil wind erosion was 59.13%, indicating that ecological programs have a positive role in reducing soil wind erosion intensity. The sustainable development of the ecological environment of the Yellow River Basin should be continued through strengthening ecological restoration and protection, to further consolidate gains made in this fragile ecosystem. This study provides scientific and technological support and relevant policy recommendations for the sustainable development of the Yellow River ecosystem under global change. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Desertification Control and Sustainable Land Management)

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20 pages, 6275 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study on the Coupling Relationship between Relocation for Poverty Alleviation and Spatiotemporal Evolution of Rocky Desertification in Karst Areas of Southwest China

by Xiaopiao Wu, Zhongfa Zhou, Meng Zhu, Denghong Huang, Changli Zhu, Qing Feng and Wanlin Luo

Sustainability 2022, 14(13), 8037; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14138037 - 30 Jun 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1852

Abstract

The implementation of China’s ex situ poverty alleviation and relocation project has alleviated the further deterioration of the ecological environment in the relocation area. It can create favorable conditions for the management of ecological problems such as the natural restoration of rocky desertification and soil erosion. Panzhou City, Guizhou Province, is one of the key areas for the implementation of ex situ poverty alleviation and relocation projects in the 13th Five-Year Plan for China’s National Economic and Social Development. The typical ecological problem of karst rocky desertification is an important factor hindering the sustainable development of local society, economy, and ecology. Based on the five-phase remote sensing images and relocated population data, the dynamic change rate, transition matrix, and coupling coordination degree model are utilized to analyze the spatiotemporal changes in rocky desertification in Panzhou City. Meanwhile, the cellular automata (CA) Markov model is used to simulate its future scenarios of rocky desertification. The results show that (i) over the past 20 years, the vegetation coverage in Panzhou has generally increased. The implementation of the ex situ poverty alleviation and relocation project has significantly promoted the reduction of the area and degree of rocky desertification. After relocation (2015–2020), the positive improvement rate of rocky desertification accelerated. (ii) After relocation, the potential rocky desertification (PRD), light rocky desertification (LRD), medium rocky desertification (MRD), severe rocky desertification (SRD), and extreme severe rocky desertification (ESRD) showed a trend of transition to the no rocky desertification (NRD). The improvement effect of rocky desertification is remarkable, and the main contribution is from the PRD and LRD. (iii) The greater the relocation intensity is, the more obvious the improvement effect of the rocky desertification area is, and the higher the corresponding coupling coordination level is. The coupling coordination between LRD and relocation intensity is the highest. (iiii) The forecast results show that by 2025 and 2035, rocky desertification in Panzhou will continue to improve. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Desertification Control and Sustainable Land Management)

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Review

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11 pages, 768 KiB

Open AccessReview

How Can We Stabilize Soil Using Microbial Communities and Mitigate Desertification?

by Faten Dhawi

Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 863; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010863 - 03 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3658

Abstract

The desert, which covers around one-third of Earth’s continental surface, is defined as the harshest terrestrial environment and comprises a highly extensive biome of the terrestrial ecosystem. Microorganisms are key drivers that maintain the integrity of desert terrestrial ecosystems. Over the past few decades, desertification has increased owing to changes in rainfall patterns and global warming, characterized by land degradation, loss of microbial diversity (biocrust diversity), and multifunctionality with time. Soil stabilization is a geotechnical modality that improves the physiochemical properties of the soil. Biological modality is an emerging method that attracts the scientific community for soil stabilization. Enriching the soil with microorganisms such as some bacteria geniuses (Cystobacter, Archangium, Polyangium, Myxococcus, Stigmatella and Sorangium, Bacillus, Acinetobacter, Proteus, Micrococcus, and Pseudom) or Cyanobacteria (Oscillatoria pseudogeminata, Chroococcus minutus, Phormidium Tenue, and Nostoc species), and Lichens (Collema sps., Stellarangia sps., and Buellia species) might contribute to stabilizing the soil and mitigating desertification. In this timeline review article, we summarize the biological method of soil stabilization, especially focusing on the role of microorganisms in soil stabilization in the desert. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Desertification Control and Sustainable Land Management)

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