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28 pages, 13059 KiB  
Article
Transformation of Arable Lands in Russia over Last Half Century—Analysis Based on Detailed Mapping and Retrospective Monitoring of Soil–Land Cover and Decipherment of Big Remote Sensing Data
by Dmitry I. Rukhovich, Polina V. Koroleva, Dmitry A. Shapovalov, Mikhail A. Komissarov and Tung Gia Pham
Sustainability 2025, 17(13), 6203; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17136203 - 7 Jul 2025
Viewed by 536
Abstract
The change in the socio-political formation of Russia from a socialist planned system to a capitalist market system significantly influenced agriculture and one of its components—arable land. The loss of the sustainability of land management for arable land led to a reduction in [...] Read more.
The change in the socio-political formation of Russia from a socialist planned system to a capitalist market system significantly influenced agriculture and one of its components—arable land. The loss of the sustainability of land management for arable land led to a reduction in sown areas by 38% (from 119.7 to 74.7 million ha) and a synchronous drop in gross harvests of grain and leguminous crops by 48% (from 117 to 61 million tons). The situation stabilized in 2020, with a sowing area of 80.2 million ha and gross harvests of grain and leguminous crops of 120–150 million tons. This process was not formalized legally, and the official (legal) area of arable land decreased by only 8% from 132.8 to 122.3 million ha. Legal conflict arose for 35 million ha for unused arable land, for which there was no classification of its condition categories and no monitoring of the withdrawal time of the arable land from actual agricultural use. The aim of this study was to resolve the challenges in the method of retrospective monitoring of soil–land cover, which allowed for the achievement of the aims of the investigation—to elucidate the history of land use on arable lands from 1985 to 2025 with a time step of 5 years and to obtain a detailed classification of the arable lands’ abandonment degrees. It was also established that on most of the abandoned arable land, carbon sequestration occurs in the form of secondary forests. In the course of this work, it was shown that the reasons for the formation of an array of abandoned arable land and the stabilization of agricultural production turned out to be interrelated. The abandonment of arable land occurred proportionally to changes in the soil’s natural fertility and the degree of land degradation. Economically unprofitable lands spontaneously (without centralized planning) left the sowing zone. The efficiency of land use on the remaining lands has increased and has allowed for the mass application of modern farming systems (smart, precise, landscape-adaptive, differentiated, no-till, strip-till, etc.), which has further increased the profitability of crop production. The prospect of using abandoned lands as a carbon sequestration zone in areas of forest overgrowth has arisen. Full article
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23 pages, 4508 KiB  
Review
Nitrogen Acquisition by Invasive Plants: Species Preferential N Uptake Matching with Soil N Dynamics Contribute to Its Fitness and Domination
by Xingang Chang, Wenying Wang and Huakun Zhou
Plants 2025, 14(5), 748; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14050748 - 1 Mar 2025
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1414
Abstract
Plant invasions play a significant role in global environmental change. Traditionally, it was believed that invasive plants absorb and utilize nitrogen (N) more efficiently than native plants by adjusting their preferred N forms in accordance with the dominant N forms present in the [...] Read more.
Plant invasions play a significant role in global environmental change. Traditionally, it was believed that invasive plants absorb and utilize nitrogen (N) more efficiently than native plants by adjusting their preferred N forms in accordance with the dominant N forms present in the soil. More recently, invasive plants are now understood to optimize their N acquisition by directly mediating soil N transformations. This review highlights how exotic species optimize their nitrogen acquisition by influencing soil nitrogen dynamics based on their preferred nitrogen forms, and the various mechanisms, including biological nitrification inhibitor (BNI) release, pH alterations, and changes in nutrient stoichiometry (carbon to nitrogen ratio), that regulate the soil nitrogen dynamics of exotic plants. Generally, invasive plants accelerate soil gross nitrogen transformations to maintain a high supply of NH4+ and NO3 in nitrogen-rich ecosystems irrespective of their preference. However, they tend to minimize nitrogen losses to enhance nitrogen availability in nitrogen-poor ecosystems, where, in such situations, plants with different nitrogen preferences usually affect different nitrogen transformation processes. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding requires more situ data on the interactions between invasive plant species’ preferential N form uptake and the characteristics of soil N transformations. Understanding the combination of these processes is essential to elucidate how exotic plants optimize nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and minimize nitrogen losses through denitrification, leaching, or runoff, which are considered critical for the success of invasive plant species. This review also highlights some of the most recent discoveries in the responses of invasive plants to the different forms and amounts of N and how plants affect soil N transformations to optimize their N acquisition, emphasizing the significance of how plant–soil interactions potentially influence soil N dynamics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Nitrogen Nutrition in Plants)
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14 pages, 307 KiB  
Review
Advances in the Study of NO3 Immobilization by Microbes in Agricultural Soils
by Xingling Wang and Ling Song
Nitrogen 2024, 5(4), 927-940; https://doi.org/10.3390/nitrogen5040060 - 11 Oct 2024
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1951
Abstract
The extensive application of nitrogen (N) fertilizers in agriculture has resulted in a considerable accumulation of N in the soil, particularly nitrate (NO3), which can be easily lost to the surrounding environments through leaching and denitrification. Improving the immobilization of [...] Read more.
The extensive application of nitrogen (N) fertilizers in agriculture has resulted in a considerable accumulation of N in the soil, particularly nitrate (NO3), which can be easily lost to the surrounding environments through leaching and denitrification. Improving the immobilization of NO3 by soil microorganisms in agriculture is crucial to improve soil N retention capacity and reduce the risk of NO3 loss. In this paper, we reviewed the significance of microbial immobilization of soil NO3 in soil N retention, the techniques to quantify soil gross microbial NO3 immobilization rate, and its influencing factors. Specifically, we discussed the respective contribution of fungi and bacteria in soil NO3 retention, and we clarified that the incorporation of organic materials is of vital importance in enhancing soil microbial NO3 immobilization capacities in agricultural soils. However, there is still a lack of research on the utilization of NO3 by microorganisms of different functional groups in soil due to the limited techniques. In the future, attention should be paid to how to regulate the microbial NO3 immobilization to make soil NO3 supply capacity match better with the crop N demand, thereby improving N use efficiency and reducing NO3 losses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Nitrogen Cycling)
16 pages, 2419 KiB  
Article
Adaptive Grazing of Native Grasslands Provides Ecosystem Services and Reduces Economic Instability for Livestock Systems in the Flooding Pampa, Argentina
by Elizabeth J. Jacobo, Ulises J. Martínez Ortiz, Santiago M. Cotroneo and Adriana M. Rodríguez
Sustainability 2024, 16(10), 4229; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16104229 - 17 May 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1899
Abstract
There is a widespread concern about the negative impact of intensive livestock farming on climate change and biodiversity loss. We analyzed the trade-off between meat production and environmental variables related to global warming—energy consumption, use efficiency of energy, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, carbon [...] Read more.
There is a widespread concern about the negative impact of intensive livestock farming on climate change and biodiversity loss. We analyzed the trade-off between meat production and environmental variables related to global warming—energy consumption, use efficiency of energy, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, carbon footprint, and GHG balance—of two alternative intensification strategies of livestock farming in the Flooding Pampa: conventional intensification (CI) based on external inputs, and ecological intensification (EI) based on maintaining native grassland in good condition through adaptive multi-paddock grazing (AMPG). We also explored the relationship between meat production and the economic variables gross margin and its year-to-year variation. Energy consumption was positively correlated with meat production (ρ = 0.95, p = 0.0117), and EI farms consumed less fuel energy and showed higher energy use efficiency than CI farms (294 ± 152 vs. 2740 ± 442 MJ ha−1 y−1, 38.4 ± 28.8 vs. 1.23 ± 0.13 MJ kg LW−1 y−1, p < 0.05, respectively). GHG emissions and carbon footprint did not show significant differences between EI and CI strategies. As soil carbon sequestration was significantly higher in EI farms than in CI farms (1676 ± 304 vs. −433 ± 343 kg CO2eq ha−1 y−1, p < 0.05), GHG balance resulted almost neutral and higher under the EI strategy (−693 ± 732 vs. −3520 ± 774 kg CO2eq ha−1 y−1, p < 0.05). CI strategy obtained higher meat production but a similar gross margin to the EI strategy and a more unstable economic return, as the coefficient of variation in the gross margin doubled that of the EI strategy (84 + 13.3 vs. 43 + 2.6, respectively, p < 0.05). Ecological intensification of cattle production in the Flooding Pampa demonstrates the potential for a positive relationship between individual cattle farmers’ profits and overall societal benefits, as reflected in improved environmental performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plants, Biodiversity and Sustainable Ecosystem)
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17 pages, 2967 KiB  
Article
Corn Cropping Systems in Agricultural Soils from the Bajio Region of Guanajuato: Soil Quality Indexes (SQIs)
by Alejandra Sánchez-Guzmán, Héctor Iván Bedolla-Rivera, Eloy Conde-Barajas, María de la Luz Xochilt Negrete-Rodríguez, Marcos Alfonso Lastiri-Hernández, Francisco Paúl Gámez-Vázquez and Dioselina Álvarez-Bernal
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(7), 2858; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14072858 - 28 Mar 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1760
Abstract
Agriculture is a sector of great importance for Mexico’s economy, generating employment and contributing significantly to the country’s gross domestic product. The Bajio stands out as one of the most productive agricultural regions in Mexico. However, intensive agricultural practices in this area have [...] Read more.
Agriculture is a sector of great importance for Mexico’s economy, generating employment and contributing significantly to the country’s gross domestic product. The Bajio stands out as one of the most productive agricultural regions in Mexico. However, intensive agricultural practices in this area have caused a progressive deterioration and loss of soil fertility. This study focused on evaluating the quality of soils used for agriculture in the Bajio region of the State of Guanajuato, Mexico. This evaluation, utilised soil quality indexes (SQIs) based on a total of 27 physicochemical, biological and enzymatic indicators. These indicators were selected by means of a principal component analysis (PCA), which allowed for the identification of a minimum set of data. The SQIs developed in this study categorised soils into different quality levels, ranging from low to high, mainly based on the values observed in the biological indicators (SMR and qCO2), which comprised the established SQIs. The inclusion of these biological indicators provides the developed SQIs with greater sensitivity to detect minor disturbances in agricultural soils due to human activity, compared with SQIs consisting only of physicochemical indicators. The developed SQIs can be used to ensure high-quality food production in soils used for corn cultivation under similar conditions, both nationally and internationally. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Environmental Sciences)
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21 pages, 6546 KiB  
Article
Response of Vegetation Productivity to Greening and Drought in the Loess Plateau Based on VIs and SIF
by Xiao Hou, Bo Zhang, Jie Chen, Jing Zhou, Qian-Qian He and Hui Yu
Forests 2024, 15(2), 339; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15020339 - 9 Feb 2024
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2295
Abstract
In the context of global warming, the frequent occurrence of drought has become one of the main reasons affecting the loss of gross primary productivity (GPP) of terrestrial ecosystems. Under the influence of human activities, the vegetation greening trend of the Loess Plateau [...] Read more.
In the context of global warming, the frequent occurrence of drought has become one of the main reasons affecting the loss of gross primary productivity (GPP) of terrestrial ecosystems. Under the influence of human activities, the vegetation greening trend of the Loess Plateau increased significantly. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the response of GPP to drought in the Loess Plateau under the greening trend. Here, we comprehensively assessed the ability of vegetation indices (VIs) and solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) to capture GPP changes at different seasonal scales and during drought. Specifically, we utilized three vegetation indices: normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), near-infrared reflectance of vegetation (NIRV), and kernel NDVI index (kNDVI), and determined the drought period of the Loess Plateau in 2001 based on the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) and the standardized soil moisture index (SSMI). Moreover, the anomalies of VIs and SIF during the drought period and the relationship with GPP anomalies were compared. The results showed that both SIF and VIs were able to capture changes during the drought period as well as in normal years. Overall, SIF captured drought changes better due to water and heat stress as well as GPP changes compared to VIs. Across different time scales, SIF showed the strongest relationship with GPP (meanR2 = 0.85), followed by NIRV (meanR2 = 0.84), NDVI (meanR2 = 0.76), and kNDVI (meanR2 = 0.74), suggesting that SIF is more sensitive to physiological changes in vegetation. Notably, kNDVI performed best in sparse vegetation (meanR2 = 0.85). In capture during drought, NIRV and kNDVI performed better in less productive land classes; SIF showed superior capture as land use class productivity increased. In addition, GPP anomalies correlated better with kNDVI anomalies (meanR2 = 0.50) than with other index anomalies. In the future, efforts to integrate the respective strengths of SIF, NIRV, and kNDVI will improve our understanding of GPP changes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Remote Sensing in Vegetation Dynamic and Ecology)
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20 pages, 4784 KiB  
Article
The Throughfall, Stemflow, and Canopy Interception Loss in Corn and Soybean Fields in Northeast China
by Jilei Wang, Yanqing Liu, Baoguo Li, Zizhong Li, Yan Zhang, Shuai Zhang, Yafei Pan and Feixia Zhang
Water 2024, 16(2), 253; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16020253 - 11 Jan 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1908
Abstract
Information about throughfall, stemflow, and canopy interception loss is essential for the water use efficiency of crops and the dynamic processes of water erosion. A two-year field experiment was conducted under natural rainfall conditions to observe the characteristics and factors that affect throughfall, [...] Read more.
Information about throughfall, stemflow, and canopy interception loss is essential for the water use efficiency of crops and the dynamic processes of water erosion. A two-year field experiment was conducted under natural rainfall conditions to observe the characteristics and factors that affect throughfall, stemflow, and canopy interception loss in corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.) fields in northeast China from 2019 to 2020. Nine measurement sites (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and I) were distributed horizontally between two planting rows under the crop canopy. The mean value of the throughfall volume (TF) in measurement locations B, C, and G under the corn canopy and measurement locations B and C could represent the mean level of TF of corn and soybean fields, respectively. The volume of TF, stemflow (SF), and canopy interception loss (CI) of two growing seasons from 2019 to 2020 accounted for approximately 58.5%, 30.1%, and 11.4% of the gross rainfall (GR) of two growing seasons in corn fields, and 78.0%, 7.5%, and 14.5% of the GR in the soybean field, respectively. The TF and TFR of each rainfall event in the corn and soybean fields could be predicted by linear regression models with a normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) lower than 25.0%. These results and prediction models will be used in water management and soil erosion control in northeast China. Full article
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24 pages, 32854 KiB  
Article
Soil Erosion in a Changing Environment over 40 Years in the Merguellil Catchment Area of Central Tunisia
by Taoufik Hermassi, Mohamed Lassaad Kotti and Fathia Jarray
Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(21), 11641; https://doi.org/10.3390/app132111641 - 24 Oct 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1832
Abstract
Soil degradation and erosion in semi-arid regions can significantly impact agricultural development, environmental sustainability, and hydrological balance. Understanding the impacts of land use changes and soil and water conservation (SWC) technique implementation on soil erosion and sediment yield is critical to planning effective [...] Read more.
Soil degradation and erosion in semi-arid regions can significantly impact agricultural development, environmental sustainability, and hydrological balance. Understanding the impacts of land use changes and soil and water conservation (SWC) technique implementation on soil erosion and sediment yield is critical to planning effective watershed management. This study aims to evaluate the impacts of environmental changes in the Merguellil watershed (Central Tunisia) over the last forty years. To achieve this, remote sensing techniques and a geographic information system (GIS) will be employed to classify Landsat images from 1980 to 2020. Additionally, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation model will be utilized to estimate soil erosion rates, while the sediment delivery distributed model will be employed for sediment yield modeling. Spatiotemporal changes in land use and land cover and in areas treated with SWC techniques were analyzed as the main factors influencing changes in erosion and sediment yield. The combined impact of land use change and SWC techniques resulted in a decrease in the annual soil erosion rate from 18 to 16 t/ha/year between 1980 and 2020 and in sediment yield from 9.65 to 8.95 t/ha/year for the same period. According to the model’s predictions, both soil erosion and sediment yield will experience a slight increase with further degradation of natural vegetation and a reduction in the efficiency of SWC works. This emphasizes the importance of continued efforts in adopting and sustaining SWC techniques, as well as preserving natural vegetation cover, to proactively combat soil degradation and its adverse effects on the environment and communities. Continuous dedication to these measures is crucial to preserving our ecosystem, promoting sustainable practices, and protecting the well-being of both the environment and society. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Remote Sensing and GIS in Land and Soil Resources)
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17 pages, 1470 KiB  
Article
Adapting Cropping Patterns to Climate Change: Risk Management Effectiveness of Diversification and Irrigation in Brandenburg (Germany)
by Hannah Jona von Czettritz, Seyed-Ali Hosseini-Yekani, Johannes Schuler, Kurt-Christian Kersebaum and Peter Zander
Agriculture 2023, 13(9), 1740; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13091740 - 1 Sep 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2176
Abstract
Climate-induced production risk is expected to increase in the future. This study assesses the effectiveness of adapting crop rotations on arable farms in Brandenburg as a tool to enhance climate resilience. Two risk-minimizing measures are investigated: crop diversification and the inclusion of irrigated [...] Read more.
Climate-induced production risk is expected to increase in the future. This study assesses the effectiveness of adapting crop rotations on arable farms in Brandenburg as a tool to enhance climate resilience. Two risk-minimizing measures are investigated: crop diversification and the inclusion of irrigated crops. Based on state-wide simulated yield data, the study compares two different scenarios. In the first scenario, the most profitable crop rotations based on predicted future weather conditions are chosen for each agro-ecological zone. In the second scenario, cropping plans are derived based on an adaption of the Target MOTAD (Minimization of Total Absolute Deviation) model taking climate-induced risks into account. A comparison of the scenarios shows a high risk reduction effect of diversification, while the economic risk reduction effect of irrigation only increases slightly. The trade-off between the highest possible gross margins and lower possible losses varies depending on the soil and climate conditions. Diversification contributed most to economic resilience in areas with moderate to low agricultural productivity. Subsidies focusing on diversification in less productive areas might be a tool to increase economic resilience with low risk-avoidance costs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Agricultural Economics, Policies and Rural Management)
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15 pages, 2783 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Soil Nitrogen Retention Capacity by Biochar Incorporation in the Acidic Soil of Pomelo Orchards: The Crucial Role of pH
by Xiaojie Qian, Qinghua Li, Hongmei Chen, Lin Zhao, Fei Wang, Yushu Zhang, Jinbo Zhang, Christoph Müller and Zhigang Yi
Agronomy 2023, 13(8), 2110; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13082110 - 11 Aug 2023
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3061
Abstract
Biochar is commonly used to improve acidic soil and reduce nitrogen loss. However, the impact of biochar on soil nitrogen retention, especially at varying pH levels, is not fully understood. Soil samples were obtained from an acidic red soil citrus orchard. The soil [...] Read more.
Biochar is commonly used to improve acidic soil and reduce nitrogen loss. However, the impact of biochar on soil nitrogen retention, especially at varying pH levels, is not fully understood. Soil samples were obtained from an acidic red soil citrus orchard. The soil pH was adjusted using CaO, with five levels (4.0, 5.1, 5.8, 6.6, and 7.2), and two biochar doses (0% and 1%) were applied. The study used 15N-Tracer and Ntrace to investigate biochar’s influence on soil nitrogen retention at different pH levels. The results showed that soil amendment with biochar improved gross mineralization rates (TM) and gross NH4+ immobilization rates (TI), except at pH 4.0 for TI. Biochar enhanced heterotrophic nitrification (ONrec) within pH 4.0–7.4, with a threshold for autotrophic nitrification (ONH4) at pH 6.4. The findings revealed biochar’s positive effect on soil nitrogen retention within pH 4.5–6.4. Biochar had a greater impact on TI than TM and inhibited ONH4, potentially enhancing nitrogen retention in this pH range. These results highlight the significance of considering biochar incorporation for improving nitrogen use efficiency and reducing NO3-N loss in subtropical pomelo orchards. Full article
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27 pages, 5411 KiB  
Article
Modeling the Impacts of Soil Management on Avoided Deforestation and REDD+ Payments in the Brazilian Amazon: A Systems Approach
by Alexandre Anders Brasil, Humberto Angelo, Alexandre Nascimento de Almeida, Eraldo Aparecido Trondoli Matricardi, Henrique Marinho Leite Chaves and Maristela Franchetti de Paula
Sustainability 2023, 15(15), 12099; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151512099 - 7 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3195
Abstract
An Integrated Assessment Model (IAM) was employed to develop a Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) and a quantitative model to investigate the changes in land use within the Brazilian Amazon. The process began by creating a theoretical NPF using a ‘systems thinking’ approach. Subsequently, [...] Read more.
An Integrated Assessment Model (IAM) was employed to develop a Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) and a quantitative model to investigate the changes in land use within the Brazilian Amazon. The process began by creating a theoretical NPF using a ‘systems thinking’ approach. Subsequently, a ‘system dynamic model’ was built based on an extensive review of the literature and on multiple quantitative datasets to simulate the impacts of the NPF, specifically focusing on the conversion of forests into open land for ranching and the implementation of soil management practices as a macro-level policy aimed at preserving soil quality and ranching yields. Various fallow scenarios were tested to simulate their effects on deforestation patterns. The results indicate that implementing fallow practices as a policy measure could reduce deforestation rates while simultaneously ensuring sustainable long-term agricultural productivity, thus diminishing the necessity to clear new forest land. Moreover, when combined with payments for avoided deforestation, such as REDD+ carbon offsets, the opportunity costs associated with ranching land can be utilized to compensate for the loss of gross income resulting from the policy. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the significance of different model variables, revealing that lower cattle prices require resources for REDD+ payments, and vice-versa. The findings indicate that, at the macro level, payments between USD 2.5 and USD 5.0 per MgC ha−1 have the potential to compensate the foregone cattle production from not converting forest into ranching land. This study demonstrates that employing an IAM with a systems approach facilitates the participation of various stakeholders, including farmers and landowners, in policy discussions. It also enables the establishment of effective land use and management policies that mitigate deforestation and soil degradation, making it a robust initiative to address environmental, climate change, and economic sustainability issues. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Soil Conservation and Sustainability)
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35 pages, 9554 KiB  
Article
Spatiotemporal Patterns in Land Use/Land Cover Observed by Fusion of Multi-Source Fine-Resolution Data in West Africa
by Beatrice Asenso Barnieh, Li Jia, Massimo Menenti, Le Yu, Emmanuel Kwesi Nyantakyi, Amos Tiereyangn Kabo-Bah, Min Jiang, Jie Zhou, Yunzhe Lv, Yelong Zeng and Ali Bennour
Land 2023, 12(5), 1032; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051032 - 9 May 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3170
Abstract
Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) change is a major global concern and a topic of scientific debate. In West Africa, the key trend among the changes of the past few years is the loss of natural vegetation related to changes in different LULC categories, [...] Read more.
Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) change is a major global concern and a topic of scientific debate. In West Africa, the key trend among the changes of the past few years is the loss of natural vegetation related to changes in different LULC categories, e.g., water bodies, wetland, and bare soil. However, not all detected changes in these LULC categories are relevant for LULC change management intervention in a resource-constrained continent, as a massive change in the dominant LULC types may be due to errors in the LULC maps. Previous LULC change analysis detected large discrepancies in the existing LULC maps in Africa. Here, we applied an open and synergistic framework to update and improve the existing LULC maps for West Africa at five-year intervals from 1990 to 2020—updating them to a finer spatial resolution of 30 m. Next, we detected spatial–temporal patterns in past and present LULC changes with the intensity analysis framework, focusing on the following periods: 1990–2000, 2000–2010, and 2010–2020. A faster annual rate of overall transition was detected in 1990–2000 and 2010–2020 than in 2000–2010. We observed consistent increases in shrubland and grassland in all of the periods, which confirms the observed re-greening of rangeland in West Africa. By contrast, forestland areas experienced consistent decreases over the entire period, indicating deforestation and degradation. We observed a net loss for cropland in the drought period and net gains in the subsequent periods. The settlement category also gained actively in all periods. Net losses of wetland and bare land categories were also observed in all of the periods. We observed net gains in water bodies in the 1990–2000 period and net losses in the 2010–2020 period. We highlighted the active forestland losses as systematic and issued a clarion call for an intervention. The simultaneous active gross loss and gain intensity of cropland raises food security concerns and should act as an early warning sign to policy makers that the food security of marginal geographic locations is under threat, despite the massive expansion of cropland observed in this study area. Instead of focusing on the dynamics of all the LULC categories that may be irrelevant, the intensity analysis framework was vital in identifying the settlement category relevant for LULC change management intervention in West Africa, as well as a cost-effective LULC change management approach. Full article
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20 pages, 4287 KiB  
Article
Factors Influencing Four Decades of Forest Change in Guizhou Province, China
by Xiaona Guo, Ruishan Chen, Michael E. Meadows, Qiang Li, Zilong Xia and Zhenzhen Pan
Land 2023, 12(5), 1004; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051004 - 3 May 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2958
Abstract
Globally, the loss of forest vegetation is a significant concern due to the crucial roles that forests play in the Earth’s system, including the provision of ecosystem services, participation in biogeochemical cycles, and support for human well-being. Forests are especially critical in mountains [...] Read more.
Globally, the loss of forest vegetation is a significant concern due to the crucial roles that forests play in the Earth’s system, including the provision of ecosystem services, participation in biogeochemical cycles, and support for human well-being. Forests are especially critical in mountains environments, where deforestation can lead to accelerated biodiversity loss, soil erosion, flooding, and reduced agricultural productivity, as well as increased poverty rates. In response to these problems, China has implemented a series of ecological restoration programs aimed at restoring forests. However, there is a lack of knowledge as to whether the forest cover is increasing or decreasing, as well as the relative roles played by natural and human factors in forest change. Here, we aim to address these issues by analyzing the pattern and process of the forest changes in Guizhou province, a typical mountainous karst area with a fragile environment in southwestern China, between 1980 and 2018, and evaluating the extent to which these forest changes were influenced by natural and anthropogenic driving forces. Using a temporal sequence of satellite images and a Markov model, we found that the forest cover increased by 468 km2, and that over 33% of the cropland in Guizhou province was converted into forest between 1980 and 2018, with the most significant increases in the forest cover occurring in Qiandongnan. Through correlation analyses and generalized linear model (GLM) regression, we demonstrate that management factors exerted a more significant positive impact on the forest cover than climate change. While the mean annual precipitation and temperature were mostly stable during the period studied, the effects of population and gross domestic product (GDP) on the forest changes weakened, and the influence of land-use change markedly increased. These findings provide valuable information for resource managers engaging in forest protection, deforestation prevention, and ecological restoration in similar regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Karst Land System and Sustainable Development)
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15 pages, 3541 KiB  
Article
Comprehensive Effects of Atmosphere and Soil Drying on Stomatal Behavior of Different Plant Types
by Zhi Xu, Ye Tian, Zhiwu Liu and Xinran Xia
Water 2023, 15(9), 1675; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15091675 - 25 Apr 2023
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3923
Abstract
The soil water supply and atmospheric humidity conditions are crucial in controlling plants’ stomatal behavior and water use efficiency. When there is water stress caused by an increase in saturated water vapor pressure (VPD) and a decrease in soil water content (SWC), plants [...] Read more.
The soil water supply and atmospheric humidity conditions are crucial in controlling plants’ stomatal behavior and water use efficiency. When there is water stress caused by an increase in saturated water vapor pressure (VPD) and a decrease in soil water content (SWC), plants tend to close stomata to reduce water loss. This affects the gross primary productivity (GPP) and evapotranspiration (ET), subsequently leading to changes in water use efficiency (WUE) and carbon use efficiency (CUE) in plants. However, land–atmosphere interactions mean that water vapor in the atmosphere and soil moisture content causing water stress for plants are closely related. This study aims to compare and estimate the effects of VPD and SWC on the carbon cycle and water cycle for different plant functional types. Based on the fluxnet2015 dataset from around the world, the WUE and CUE of five plant functional types (PFTs) were estimated under varying levels of VPD and SWC. The results showed that high VPD and low SWC limit the stomatal conductance (Gs) and gross primary productivity (GPP) of plants. However, certain types of vegetation (crops, broad-leaved forests) could partially offset the negative effects of high VPD with higher SWC. Notably, higher SWC could even alleviate limitations and partially promote the increase in GPP and net primary production (NPP) with increasing VPD. WUE and CUE were directly affected by Gs and productivity. In general, the increase in VPD in the five PFTs was the dominant factor in changing WUE and CUE. The impact of SWC limitations on CUE was minimal, with an overall impact of only −0.05μmol/μmol on the four PFTs. However, the CUE of savanna plants changed differently from the other four PFTs. The rise in VPD dominated the changes in CUE, and there was an upward trend as SWC declined, indicating that the increase in VPD and decrease in SWC promote the increase in the CUE of savanna plants to some extent. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges of Hydrological Drought Monitoring and Prediction)
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20 pages, 3305 KiB  
Article
Evaluating the Losses and Recovery of GPP in the Subtropical Mangrove Forest Directly Attacked by Tropical Cyclone: Case Study in Hainan Island
by Lan Wu, Enliang Guo, Yinghe An, Qian Xiong, Xian Shi, Xiang Zhang and Zhongyi Sun
Remote Sens. 2023, 15(8), 2094; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15082094 - 16 Apr 2023
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3429
Abstract
The gross primary production (GPP) of the mangrove ecosystem determines the upper limit of the scale of its “blue carbon” sink. Tropical cyclones (TCs) are among the most important extreme events that threaten the subtropical mangrove ecosystem and have a serious impact on [...] Read more.
The gross primary production (GPP) of the mangrove ecosystem determines the upper limit of the scale of its “blue carbon” sink. Tropical cyclones (TCs) are among the most important extreme events that threaten the subtropical mangrove ecosystem and have a serious impact on mangrove ecosystem GPP. However, there are somewhat insufficient scientific findings on regional-scale mangrove ecosystem GPP responding to large-scale weather events such as TCs. Therefore, we selected the subtropical Hainan Island mangrove ecosystem, where more than two TCs pass through per year, as the research area; selected direct-attack TCs as the research object; and took the mangrove vegetation photosynthesis light-use efficiency model established based on the eddy covariance observation data as the tool to evaluate the loss and recovery of mangrove ecosystem GPP after TCs attacked at a regional scale. We found that the TC impacted the mangrove ecosystem GPP through the photosynthetic area and rate, and the recovery of the rate occurred prior to the recovery of the area; the loss of mangrove ecosystem GPP is inversely proportional to the distance to the center of the TC and the distance to the coastline; and the canopy height, diameter at breast height, and aspect where the tree stands significantly influence the response of the mangrove ecosystem GPP to TCs. However, the response varies for different mangrove community compositions, soil conditions, and planting densities as well as different frequencies and intensities of TCs, and they should be analyzed in detail. This study is expected to provide technical and data support for the protection of blue carbon in a subtropical island mangrove ecosystem in response to extreme events and post-disaster recovery. Full article
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