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

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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 3681

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Dandong Cheng

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Guest Editor

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

Dr. Yixuan Zhang

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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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Dr. Jiaqi Hao

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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

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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 (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1986 KB

Open AccessArticle

Floristic Diversity and Phytogeography of Qatar

by Ahmed Elgharib, María del Mar Trigo, Elsayed Elazazi, Mohamed M. Moursy and Alaaeldin Soultan

Sustainability 2026, 18(10), 4730; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18104730 - 9 May 2026

Viewed by 984

Abstract

Despite the ecological importance of desert ecosystems in Qatar, quantitative analyses integrating species diversity, phytogeographical regionalisation, and environmental drivers remain limited. This study applied species distribution models (SDMs) to delineate phytogeographical regions of Qatar, followed by the identification of indicator species and associated environmental drivers of each region using indicator species analysis and Relative Environmental Turnover (RET). Species distributions were developed for 112 perennial species to address sampling incompleteness, and converted into a presence–absence matrix, which was subjected to UPGMA clustering to identify phytogeographical regions. The analysis delineated three distinct phytogeographical regions: Shrubland–Gravel, Coastal Halophytic, and Inland Sandy Desert. Species richness exhibited a clear spatial gradient, with high richness (>60 species per site) concentrated in northeastern Qatar and declining towards the south. Indicator species analysis identified nine species as strong regional indicators, reflecting pronounced habitat specialisation. RET analysis revealed that soil nitrogen and organic carbon were strongly associated with the Coastal Halophytic region, indicating enhanced nutrient availability in these saline environments. Although the other regions did not exhibit statistically significant environmental clustering, descriptive patterns suggested tendencies toward higher precipitation in the Shrubland–Gravel region and elevated sand content and temperature in the Inland Sandy Desert region. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that vegetation patterns in Qatar are structured by the interaction of soil properties, precipitation variability, and landform heterogeneity. The integration of SDMs with clustering and environmental analyses provides a robust framework for phytogeographical analysis and supports biodiversity conservation and sustainable land management in hyper-arid environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vegetation–Soil–Water Nexus: Ecological Solutions for the Environment)

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22 pages, 12767 KB

Open AccessArticle

Landscape Pattern Reconfiguration and Surface Runoff Response Driven by Vegetation Restoration in the Loess Plateau

by Yiting Shao, Xiaonan Yang, Xuejin Tan, Hanrui Wu, Yu Qiao and Xuben Lei

Sustainability 2026, 18(7), 3206; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18073206 - 25 Mar 2026

Viewed by 329

Abstract

Clarifying the relationship between landscape patterns and runoff coefficient, along with identifying key influencing pathways, is crucial for formulating sustainable water resource management strategies. Since the launch of the Grain-for-Green (GfG) project in 1999, the landscape pattern of the Loess Plateau has been profoundly reshaped, altering regional rainfall-runoff processes. Assessment across 27 catchments selected in the central Loess Plateau demonstrated forest and grassland areas expanded by 738.8 km² and 480.4 km², respectively, paralleled by a 20.1% enhancement in vegetation coverage. Correspondingly, surface runoff decreased by 28.1–90.6% in the 2000s and 12.8–95.5% in the 2010s compared to the 1960s, with a similar decline in runoff coefficient. This study further developed a novel landscape unit mapping method, integrating vegetation coverage, land use, slope, and soil type to compute landscape metrics. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) and piecewise structural equation modeling (piecewiseSEM) were constructed to systematically analyze the linkage between landscape patterns and surface runoff. The constructed landscape metrics explained 64.6% of the variance in the runoff coefficient, with perimeter area fractal dimension (PAFRAC), mean perimeter-area ratio (PARA_MN), and aggregation index (AI) exerting significant influence. The findings provide a scientific basis for water resource management in regions with similar environmental characteristics. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vegetation–Soil–Water Nexus: Ecological Solutions for the Environment)

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17 pages, 3796 KB

Open AccessArticle

Ecological Impacts of Neltuma juliflora Invasion on Native Plant Diversity and Soil Quality in Hyper-Arid Qatar

by Ahmed Elgharib, María del Mar Trigo, Elsayed Elazazi, Mohamed M. Moursy and Alaaeldin Soultan

Sustainability 2026, 18(6), 2908; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18062908 - 16 Mar 2026

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 492

Abstract

Neltuma juliflora (Sw.) Raf. (syn. = Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC.) is among the world’s most aggressive woody invaders, yet its ecological impacts remain poorly quantified in hyper-arid environments, where soils are calcareous and ecosystems recover slowly from disturbance. In this study, we tested two hypotheses: (1) the presence of N. juliflora changes native plant diversity, as well as soil and key physicochemical properties in hyper-arid Qatar, and (2) agricultural farms act as primary sources of N. juliflora invasion. Using a comparative observational design across 62 sites (45 invaded and 17 non-invaded), we applied a generalised additive model (GAM) and a generalised linear mixed model (GLMM) to quantify invasion drivers and the impact of invasion on perennial species diversity, respectively. Additionally, we used the Wilcoxon rank-sum test to compare the soil properties in the invaded and non-invaded sites. Our results indicate that N. juliflora is positively associated with farms, with the probability of occurrence declining by ca. 20% for each kilometre farther away from agricultural farms. This pattern suggests substantial propagule pressure from agricultural farms. Perennial species richness declined from 7.5 species at 0% N. juliflora cover to 4.8 species at full cover (36% reduction). Invaded sites were characterised by higher amounts of coarse sand (16%); reduced silt–clay fractions (5%); and elevated salinity indicators, including electrical conductivity (0.744 dS m⁻¹) and total dissolved solids (476 mg L⁻¹), while major N–P–K pools remained unchanged. These findings demonstrate measurable invasion-related changes in soil conditions and native perennial diversity in hyper-arid ecosystems and highlight the role of agricultural land use as a key driver of biological invasion. From a sustainability perspective, early detection, targeted control near agricultural and grazing zones, and integration of invasive species monitoring into land-use planning frameworks are essential to prevent further ecosystem degradation, protect biodiversity, and enhance the resilience of desert landscapes under increasing climate and land-use pressures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vegetation–Soil–Water Nexus: Ecological Solutions for the Environment)

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21 pages, 6562 KB

Open AccessArticle

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

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1475

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 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

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vegetation–Soil–Water Nexus: Ecological Solutions for the Environment)

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