Land Degradation & Development最新文献

{"title":"Empowering Family Farming Through Participatory Mapping, Land Suitability Analysis and Sustainable Practices","authors":"Gustavo Manuel Cruz‐Bello, Nirani Corona Romero","doi":"10.1002/ldr.5677","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5677","url":null,"abstract":"This study integrated participatory mapping methods and land suitability analysis to address sustainability challenges in family farming in Guerrero, Mexico. Through workshops with farmers, we identified the types of family farming and their problems, such as pests, diseases, low productivity, land degradation, and lack of resources. The solutions proposed include value‐added projects, better financing, and improved farmer organization. A land suitability analysis for cacao, coffee, maize, and mango revealed that these crops are often grown in low or medium‐suitability areas, causing degradation and low profitability. Significant associations between land suitability and farming types were found. Farmers agreed on the utility of relocating or switching crops based on suitability results. This study provides essential insights for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to develop strategies for transitioning family farming toward sustainability. The research ensured its findings were grounded in local knowledge by directly involving farmers. The participatory framework empowered farmers as co‐creators, enhancing the relevance and feasibility of proposed interventions. The study provided actionable insights bridging science, policy, and practice. Its scalable methodology offers a valuable model for addressing similar global challenges in marginalized regions.","PeriodicalId":203,"journal":{"name":"Land Degradation & Development","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144252275","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Deciphering Adaptive and Invasive Strategies of Ipomoea carnea in Formulating Land Management at Elevated Mountains","authors":"Syed Mohsan Raza Shah, Zaheer Abbas, Mansoor Hameed, Muhammad Sajid Aqeel Ahmad, Farooq Ahmad, Sana Basharat, Ansa Asghar, Sana Fatima, Muhammad Ashraf, Mohamed A. El‐Sheikh, Ali El‐Keblawy, Jean Wan Hong Yong, Zainul Abideen","doi":"10.1002/ldr.5681","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5681","url":null,"abstract":"<jats:styled-content style=\"fixed-case\"><jats:italic>Ipomoea carnea</jats:italic></jats:styled-content> Jacq., a widespread invasive medicinal plant, thrives across diverse ecosystems, from deserts and wetlands to plains and mountains. Investigating its adaptations across different elevations is crucial for formulating land management strategies. This study explores the structural and functional plasticity of <jats:styled-content style=\"fixed-case\"><jats:italic>I. carnea</jats:italic></jats:styled-content> along diverse mountain elevations. Plant and soil samples were collected along an elevation gradient (400–2400 m) from Punjab, Azad Jammu, and Kashmir to assess plant eco‐physiological parameters in relation to soil and climate properties. Results revealed a consistent increase in flavonoids, phenolics, soluble sugars, proteins, free amino acids, glycine betaine, and proline with elevation, enabling <jats:styled-content style=\"fixed-case\"><jats:italic>I. carnea</jats:italic></jats:styled-content> to utilize physiological mechanisms such as osmotic adjustment—a prime stress resistance phenomenon—to survive under suboptimal conditions. Chlorophyll a decreased at higher elevations. Leaf vascular bundles and metaxylem tissues are significantly reduced at higher elevations, an essential strategy against cavitation or embolism. Another critical modification for high‐elevation survival was reducing root, stem, and leaf cortical regions to minimize metabolic cost. Stomata size was largest at moderate elevations and smallest at high elevations, reducing transpiration water loss. Increased sclerification intensity in roots, stems, and leaves at high elevations provided rigidity to metabolically active cells. These anatomical and physiological adaptations allowed <jats:styled-content style=\"fixed-case\"><jats:italic>I. carnea</jats:italic></jats:styled-content> populations to invade various environmental conditions, from drylands to the high‐elevation Himalayan ranges. Our results suggest that these adaptations are crucial for their ecological success, facilitating land stabilization and reducing soil erosion at mountainous elevations. Efficient control measures must be implemented in areas with abundant <jats:styled-content style=\"fixed-case\"><jats:italic>I. carnea</jats:italic></jats:styled-content> growth.","PeriodicalId":203,"journal":{"name":"Land Degradation & Development","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144252067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Social Dynamics of Perceived Intangible Values Under Ecological Restoration Among Rural Inhabitants in Yan'an, China","authors":"Xinran Zheng, Yu Liu, Yuehan Dou","doi":"10.1002/ldr.5626","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5626","url":null,"abstract":"Ecological restoration has been considered and implemented as an effective approach to reverse land degradation, particularly in vulnerable drylands. While there has been a large body of research focusing on the ecological and economic benefits of these projects, few studies have focused specifically on the intangible socio‐cultural values like cultural heritage, identity, and social cohesion in these areas. The difficulty in quantifying these values lies in their subjective perception among individuals and keep changing dynamic social contexts. Therefore, it remains unclear about how local inhabitants perceive the intangible cultural and social benefits provided by dryland ecosystems and how this perception impact community well‐being. This study employs the Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES) framework to evaluate how rural communities perceive the intangible benefits under ecological restoration. We re‐classify the commonly used ten types of CES into four main categories, auto‐responsive/intrinsic, behaviors, meanings and personal. We conducted 466 semi‐structured household interviews across 17 representative villages in Yan'an, China's Loess Plateau region. Through latent class analysis, we identified three distinct perception patterns of CES. Results revealed universal recognition of all CES types, with education and income significantly influencing their perceptions. Certain landscapes like grasslands and villages strongly shaped “sense of place” and social connections, while wetlands and waterfalls had minimal impact. Social engagement, particularly employment, enhanced CES recognition, whereas religious activities showed limited influence. This exploratory study examines the social dynamics of perceived intangible values in dryland ecosystem restoration. Our innovation lies in applying the CES framework to assess these values in dryland areas, using latent class analysis to identify three perception categories linked to demographics, landscapes, and activities. This approach offers targeted suggestions for enhancing CES, supporting ecological restoration policies that value both nature and culture. While our study establishes a foundation, further long‐term research is needed to fully understand the relationship between CES perceptions and ecological restoration outcomes.","PeriodicalId":203,"journal":{"name":"Land Degradation & Development","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144237751","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrating GIS and Multi‐Criteria Analysis for Sustainable Livestock Grazing: A Holistic Assessment of Biophysical and Socio‐Economic Determinants in Semi‐Arid Dawa Watershed of Ethiopia","authors":"Brook Legese, Praveen Kalura, Arega Degife, Galma Godana, Jida Chamara","doi":"10.1002/ldr.5658","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5658","url":null,"abstract":"The degradation of rangelands in semi‐arid areas threatens pastoral livelihoods and ecosystem services, making it imperative that integrated approaches find a place in the sustainable land management program. In this regard, the study made use of GIS‐based multi‐criteria evaluation to determine livestock grazing suitability and degradation risks in the semi‐arid Dawa watershed, integrating five relevant biophysical parameters (land use/cover, rainfall, water accessibility, slope, and soil type) with socio‐economic indicators derived from expert informant surveys. Importantly, land use/cover classification recorded an accuracy of 98.3% (kappa = 0.97), confirming the soundness of the methodology. Among the species assessed, camels were found to have a fair share of appropriate rangelands, 72% moderately suitable, and 20% highly suitable, thus emphasizing the potential for specific management approaches targeting this species. Furthermore, with the three assembled socio‐economic variables including service accessibility (<jats:italic>β</jats:italic> = 0.65), infrastructure quality (<jats:italic>β</jats:italic> = 0.61), and market accessibility (<jats:italic>β</jats:italic> = 0.40), multiple regression analysis showed these were useful in explaining 78.9% of variance in rangeland suitability. In a way, these results stress the important need to run environmental and socio‐economic affairs in parallel to halt land degradation, improve ecosystem production, and sustain pastoral livelihoods in the long run. Thus, the study recommends an enhancement of infrastructure and market integration, coupled with specific zoning as the prerequisite sustainable land management practices in semi‐arid rangeland situations.","PeriodicalId":203,"journal":{"name":"Land Degradation & Development","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144237748","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nitrogen Application Under Aerated Irrigation Mitigated Drought Stress by Improving Leaf Carbon and Nitrogen Reserves in Tomato","authors":"Xiaoyan Li, Yadan Du, Tinglin Yan, Yuming Wang, Yining Lu, Xiaobo Gu, Wenquan Niu, Kadambot H. M. Siddique","doi":"10.1002/ldr.5667","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5667","url":null,"abstract":"Nitrogen (N) application can improve drought tolerance and water use efficiency (WUE) in crops. Previous studies have shown that aerated irrigation improves crop nitrogen absorption and utilization. However, the mechanisms behind the interaction of water and nitrogen under aerated drip irrigation and its impact on crop WUE remain unclear. This study conducted a 2‐years greenhouse experiment with spring‐summer and autumn‐winter tomato to investigate the effects of water and nitrogen coupling on leaf carbon (C) and nitrogen content, photosynthetic characteristics, plant dry matter accumulation, yield, and WUE. The experiment included three irrigation levels (W1, 50% ET&lt;jats:sub&gt;c&lt;/jats:sub&gt;; W2, 75% ET&lt;jats:sub&gt;c&lt;/jats:sub&gt;; W3, 100% ET&lt;jats:sub&gt;c&lt;/jats:sub&gt;) and three nitrogen application rates (N1, 0 kg ha&lt;jats:sup&gt;−1&lt;/jats:sup&gt;; N2, 150 kg ha&lt;jats:sup&gt;−1&lt;/jats:sup&gt;; N3, 250 kg ha&lt;jats:sup&gt;−1&lt;/jats:sup&gt;). The results showed that increased nitrogen application and irrigation levels significantly increased leaf carbon and nitrogen content, net photosynthetic rate (&lt;jats:italic&gt;P&lt;/jats:italic&gt;&lt;jats:sub&gt;&lt;jats:italic&gt;n&lt;/jats:italic&gt;&lt;/jats:sub&gt;), and stomatal conductance (&lt;jats:italic&gt;G&lt;/jats:italic&gt;&lt;jats:sub&gt;&lt;jats:italic&gt;s&lt;/jats:italic&gt;&lt;/jats:sub&gt;) (&lt;jats:italic&gt;p&lt;/jats:italic&gt; &lt; 0.05). Under deficit irrigation, nitrogen application increased leaf carbon content by 2.17% and nitrogen content by 9.34%, improved leaf photosynthetic capacity, and increased &lt;jats:italic&gt;P&lt;/jats:italic&gt;&lt;jats:sub&gt;&lt;jats:italic&gt;n&lt;/jats:italic&gt;&lt;/jats:sub&gt; by 15.57% and &lt;jats:italic&gt;G&lt;/jats:italic&gt;&lt;jats:sub&gt;&lt;jats:italic&gt;s&lt;/jats:italic&gt;&lt;/jats:sub&gt; by 19.32%. The W2 treatment demonstrated more significant improvement compared to W1. The W3N3 treatment produced the highest plant dry matter accumulation for both tomato types, with no significant difference from W2N3 (&lt;jats:italic&gt;p&lt;/jats:italic&gt; &gt; 0.05). The W2N3 treatment produced the highest yield, 8.67%–9.13% higher than W3N3. The highest WUE occurred in W2N3 for spring‐summer tomato and W1N3 for autumn‐winter tomato. Although W1N3 had 1.02% higher WUE than W2N3, it had a 15.25% lower yield. Thus, W2N3 is recommended as the optimal water‐nitrogen management strategy for greenhouse tomato production. Correlation analysis revealed that leaf carbon and nitrogen contents positively correlated with &lt;jats:italic&gt;P&lt;/jats:italic&gt;&lt;jats:sub&gt;&lt;jats:italic&gt;n&lt;/jats:italic&gt;&lt;/jats:sub&gt;, plant dry matter accumulation, and yield, whereas the leaf ratio of carbon and nitrogen (C/N) negatively correlated with WUE, suggesting that leaf carbon and nitrogen contents regulate tomato WUE. Nitrogen application under deficit irrigation enhanced leaf carbon and nitrogen contents, photosynthetic capacity (&lt;jats:italic&gt;P&lt;/jats:italic&gt;&lt;jats:sub&gt;&lt;jats:italic&gt;n&lt;/jats:italic&gt;&lt;/jats:sub&gt;, &lt;jats:italic&gt;G&lt;/jats:italic&gt;&lt;jats:sub&gt;&lt;jats:italic&gt;s&lt;/jats:italic&gt;&lt;/jats:sub&gt;), plant dry matter accumulation, yield, and WUE. Regression models suggest that the optimal w","PeriodicalId":203,"journal":{"name":"Land Degradation & Development","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144237750","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Soil Quality Indicators and Machine Learning to Assess Iron Mining Waste Piles Revegetation in the Eastern Amazon","authors":"Letícia Coelho Vaz Silva, Aline Oliveira Silva, Éder Rodrigues Batista, Marcela Vieira da Costa, Jessé Valentim dos Santos, Marisângela Viana Barbosa, Davi Santos Tavares, Silvio Junio Ramos, Markus Gastauer, José Oswaldo Siqueira, Marco Aurélio Carbone Carneiro","doi":"10.1002/ldr.5680","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5680","url":null,"abstract":"In the eastern Brazilian Amazon, iron mining significantly impacts the environment. This study evaluated soil recovery in revegetated mining waste piles in the Carajás Mineral Province, focusing on chemical, physical, and biological indicators. Revegetation stages (0–2, 3–5, 6–8, and 9–11 years) were evaluated and compared to native tropical forest reference soils over 4 years, during the dry season. After 9–11 years, soil organic carbon (SOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and enzymatic activity in revegetated soils reached levels similar to reference conditions. In early stages (0–2 years), microbial carbon was a key component, but from year 3 onward, plant‐derived organic material likely contributed to increased SOC. Distance‐based redundancy analysis showed significant temporal differences in microbial variables (<jats:italic>p</jats:italic> &lt; 0.001), with SOC, Al<jats:sup>3+</jats:sup>, Mn, Ca<jats:sup>2+</jats:sup>, pH (CaCl<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>), and soil texture driving these changes. Random Forest modeling proved effective in identifying key soil indicators of recovery stages, with model performances of Overall Accuracy (OA) = 0.80 and Cohen's Kappa coefficient (CKC) = 0.74, achieving high predictive accuracy. Key predictor variables included β‐1,4‐glucosidase, MBC, clay content, Fe, and SOC. While findings demonstrate that revegetation improves soil quality and carbon dynamics, limitations include sampling restricted to the dry season and potential variability in mining waste materials and climate conditions. Still, this study highlights the importance of combining soil quality indicators with machine learning to support sustainable land management in tropical environments, as shown in the revegetation of mining waste piles in the Eastern Amazon.","PeriodicalId":203,"journal":{"name":"Land Degradation & Development","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144252066","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Interactions of Hydrogeological Environments and Land Use Impact the Vertical Distribution of Soil Inorganic Carbon","authors":"Jinjin Sun, Wenting Feng, Fenghua Sun, Yugang Wang","doi":"10.1002/ldr.5693","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5693","url":null,"abstract":"The heterogeneity of hydrogeological environments significantly influences carbon transport in terrestrial landscapes. Large-scale land-use changes disrupt hydrological processes and alter soil properties, consequently affecting the distribution of soil inorganic carbon (SIC). This study comprehensively analyzes the vertical distribution and controlling factors of SIC across one-meter profiles in various hydrogeologic units (HGUs) and land-use types (LUTs) from 100 soil profiles in the Sangong River watershed, Xinjiang, China. Our findings reveal that the alluvial-pluvial plain stores more SIC than the alluvial-pluvial fan at depths of 0–100 cm. Among land-use types, shrubland exhibits the highest SIC stock (SICD) in the topsoil (0–20 cm), while cropland shows greater SICD in deeper layers (20–60 and 60–100 cm). Importantly, HGUs significantly influence SIC distribution at depths of 0–20 and 20–60 cm, whereas the effect of LUTs on topsoil SIC is less pronounced, suggesting a dominant role of hydraulic connectivity and pedogenic processes. In contrast, LUTs significantly influence SICD in the subsoil (60–100 cm), with HGUs having a diminished effect. These results underscore the complex interplay between hydrogeological conditions and land use in shaping SIC distribution, particularly highlighting that the hydraulic connectivity governed by HGUs weakens at greater depths. Understanding these dynamics is essential for predicting SIC behavior and soil carbon balance in dryland ecosystems amidst evolving land-use and hydrological conditions.","PeriodicalId":203,"journal":{"name":"Land Degradation & Development","volume":"42 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144237394","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing Thermal Activity and Ecological Response in Coal-Waste Dumps: A Case Study of Chorzów Dump","authors":"Anna K. Abramowicz, Oimahmad Rahmonov, Justyna Ciesielczuk","doi":"10.1002/ldr.5685","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5685","url":null,"abstract":"The Upper Silesian Coal Basin faces ongoing challenges with self-heating in coal waste dumps, a problem that leads to dangerous and unpredictable subsurface fires. This study investigates the thermal dynamics and vegetation response in a coal waste dump, expanding on previous research that links waste temperatures with plant health and distribution. The study area—a small, old coal waste dump located in a highly urbanized area—was subjected to comprehensive environmental monitoring focused on various fire determinants. The findings confirm that coal waste dumps, regardless of size and complexity, experience similar fire determinants, with vegetation colonization progressing in bands starting with pioneer species in less heat-affected areas. As the distance from the fire zone increases, plant density and diversity improve, indicating a recovery in thermally stabilized zones. The study also demonstrates the repeatability of relationships between subsurface temperatures and vegetation status across different coal waste dumps, supporting the use of plants as indicators of underground fires. Elevated subsurface temperatures in thermally active zones lead to clear ‘dying’ and ‘death’ zones, where excessive heat damages plant roots, causing die-offs. In contrast, areas with moderate temperatures allow vegetation growth, even in winter, due to favourable root-zone conditions. The study highlights the need for improved monitoring and fire mitigation strategies to address thermal activity in reclaimed sites, especially those with limited historical data. These insights are crucial for preventing similar issues in the future and minimizing the long-term impacts on surrounding communities and ecosystems.","PeriodicalId":203,"journal":{"name":"Land Degradation & Development","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144219521","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Poplar–Soybean Intercropping and Fertilizer Application Increased Soil Fungal Diversity and Nutrient Content","authors":"Cheng Xu, Wenqi Song, Xiaopeng Liu, Zhuangzhuang Qian, Xiaomin Ge, Luozhong Tang","doi":"10.1002/ldr.5690","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5690","url":null,"abstract":"Intercropping significantly affects soil microbial communities and nutrient content; however, the influence of intercropping with fertilizer application on them has yet to be elucidated. A pot experiment was performed with three planting patterns: P (poplar monoculture; <i>Populus deltoides</i>), S (soybean monoculture; <i>Glycine max</i>) and PS (poplar–soybean intercropping), with three fertilizer application rates of 0, 5, and 10 g (10 kg of soil per pot). The soil properties and fungal community under different treatments were analyzed. Planting patterns and fertilizer application rates significantly influenced soil properties and fungal communities. The PS pattern exhibited significantly higher soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), total potassium (TK), and ammonium nitrogen (NH₄⁺-N) contents; greater urease (UR) and sucrase (SUR) activities; and greater soil fungal diversity than did the S and P patterns. Soil nitrate nitrogen (NO₃⁻-N), available phosphorus (NH₄⁺-N, AP), available potassium (AK) contents, UR, SUR activities; and fungal diversity increased with a higher fertilizer application rate, with the highest values occurring in the 10 g fertilizer treatment. Structural equation modeling revealed that intercropping and fertilizer application affected soil nutrients by altering fungal community and enzyme activity. Soil water content and NO₃⁻-N content were the dominant factors affecting the soil fungal community (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). The PS pattern significantly decreases the relative abundance of soil pathogenic fungi and increases the relative abundance of soil fungi related to SOM transformation and nutrient utilization efficiency. In conclusion, these findings emphasize the importance of poplar intercropping and fertilizer application on soil quality, providing guidance for the selection and management of planting patterns in agriculture to improve soil quality.","PeriodicalId":203,"journal":{"name":"Land Degradation & Development","volume":"55 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144219518","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Plant Functional Composition, Ecological Niche Distribution, and Biodiversity Measures Across Urban Grasslands of Different Size, Localisation, and Type","authors":"Małgorzata W. Raduła, Tomasz H. Szymura, Sebastian Świerszcz, Hassanali Mollashahi, Magdalena Szymura","doi":"10.1002/ldr.5683","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5683","url":null,"abstract":"Urban grasslands (UGs) are among the most abundant type of green infrastructure in cities worldwide. They deliver a range of ecosystem services and perform numerous ecosystem functions. To ensure the multifunctionality of UGs, enhancing their biodiversity is crucial; however, owing to urbanisation effects and inappropriate management, UGs often have low species richness. While urban vegetation has been studied in general, detailed ecological insights into the patterns of vegetation functional, ecological, and compositional attributes across different size, localisation, and type of UGs are still lacking. Better ecological knowledge regarding UGs vegetation will facilitate management aimed at increasing their biodiversity and multifunctionality. In the city of Wrocław, Central Europe, we surveyed 244 UG patches which differed in size (small, medium, and large), type (lawns, embankments, road verges, and UG in parks), and locality (city centre and periphery). Functional traits composition, ecological niches distribution, and biodiversity measures were assessed based on plant species composition and information obtained from open databases, including disturbance indicator values for plants. The results showed that the main trade-offs in functional traits composition and species niche distribution were related to biomass loss associated with mowing frequency. The examined factors (patch size, locality, and type) significantly affected UG vegetation, with each having distinct influences on biodiversity and multifunctionality. Many factors related to urban expansion (e.g., urban heat islands, soil reaction change, landscape fragmentation, biological invasions) are difficult to mitigate. However, proper management, such as extensive mowing, could help moderate the negative impacts of urbanisation. Increasing or maintaining a high proportion of forbs in vegetation would also enhance the multifunctionality of UGs.","PeriodicalId":203,"journal":{"name":"Land Degradation & Development","volume":"85 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144219519","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}