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Vegetation–Soil–Water Nexus: Ecological Solutions for the Environment

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Water Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 491

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China
Interests: watershed conservation; ecological restoration

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Guest Editor
Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an 710127, China
Interests: sustainable land management; biodiversity conservation

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Guest Editor
College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Xianyang 712100, China
Interests: soil health; ecosystem services

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The intricate interplay between vegetation, soil, and water systems forms the foundation of terrestrial ecosystems, driving essential ecological processes and services. This Special Issue focuses on the critical nexus of vegetation, soil, and water, exploring innovative ecological solutions to address pressing environmental challenges such as land degradation, water scarcity, biodiversity loss, and climate change impacts. By integrating multidisciplinary approaches, we aim to advance our understanding of how sustainable management of these interconnected systems can enhance ecosystem resilience, restore degraded landscapes, and promote environmental sustainability.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The role of vegetation in soil conservation and water regulation.
  • Ecological restoration techniques for degraded soils and watersheds.
  • Sustainable land-use practices to balance agricultural productivity and ecosystem health.
  • Climate-smart strategies for vegetation–soil–water management.
  • Technological innovations in monitoring and modelling the vegetation–soil–water nexus.
  • Policy frameworks and community-based approaches for integrated ecosystem management.

We invite original research articles, reviews, and case studies that provide novel insights into the vegetation–soil–water nexus and its applications in achieving ecological sustainability. Contributions from diverse fields, including ecology, environmental science, hydrology, and land management, are welcome.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Dandong Cheng
Dr. Yixuan Zhang
Dr. Jiaqi Hao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • vegetation–soil–water nexus
  • ecological restoration
  • sustainable land management
  • watershed conservation
  • climate resilience
  • ecosystem services
  • biodiversity conservation
  • soil health
  • water resources
  • environmental policy

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

21 pages, 6562 KB  
Article
Vegetation Response to Climate and Human Interventions on the Loess Plateau: Trends, Variability, and the Influence of the Grain for Green Program
by Jiangbo Li, Huan Liu, Dandong Cheng, Hangzhen Zhang, Guizeng Qi and Weize Wang
Sustainability 2025, 17(18), 8233; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17188233 - 12 Sep 2025
Viewed by 308
Abstract
Since the launch of the Grain for Green (GFG) program in 1999, the Loess Plateau has undergone significant vegetation changes. However, the driving mechanisms behind these changes in the post-GFG period remain insufficiently understood. This study analyzes the spatiotemporal dynamics of vegetation on [...] Read more.
Since the launch of the Grain for Green (GFG) program in 1999, the Loess Plateau has undergone significant vegetation changes. However, the driving mechanisms behind these changes in the post-GFG period remain insufficiently understood. This study analyzes the spatiotemporal dynamics of vegetation on the Loess Plateau from 1982 to 2015, based on long-term NDVI time series, and quantitatively identifies the relative contributions of climate variability and human activities using partial correlation and multiple regression residual analysis. The results reveal a significant increase in NDVI after 2000, with the annual variation rate rising from 0.0009 to 0.0028, and the proportion of rapidly greening areas expanding from 13.3% to 62.9%. Spatially, vegetation recovery was more prominent in the eastern and lower-latitude regions. While both climate and anthropogenic factors influenced vegetation changes, the latter became dominant after 2000. The area where human activities significantly enhanced vegetation increased from 1.9% to 60.6%, with the most notable improvements observed in forests, followed by croplands and grasslands. Vegetation in the southern plateau was more sensitive to temperature, while the northern region responded more strongly to precipitation. From 2000 to 2015, the GFG program contributed to increases of 17,059.46 km2 in grasslands and 10,105.78 km2 in forests. These findings improve our understanding of vegetation change drivers on the Loess Plateau and offer a scientific basis for ecological restoration, policy-making, and sustainable development in the Yellow River Basin. Full article
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