Land Degradation & Development最新文献

{"title":"Assessment of the Efficiency of Coupling Sustainable Well‐Being in Mountain Villages: A Case Study of Qinba Mountain Areas in China","authors":"Chengji Han, Tong Li, YuPing Yang, Feng Han","doi":"10.1002/ldr.5549","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5549","url":null,"abstract":"Under the global Sustainable Development Goals initiative, the pursuit of well‐being is gradually shifting from wealth to sustainable development. Re‐examining the contribution of regional economic, ecological, and social development to the common creation of well‐being, analyzing their deep connections, will help us understand the multidimensional concepts and processes of development, and provide ideas for further promoting the construction of a more equitable and sustainable world. China is moving from comprehensive prosperity to common prosperity, and the continuous improvement of sustainable well‐being provides effective samples for our research. This study focuses on 46 counties in the Qinba Mountains Areas of China and constructs a coupled performance indicator system for sustainable well‐being in mountain villages. The Super SBM model is used to evaluate the matching performance of input and output factors, with Economic capital, Ecological capital, and Social capital as explanatory variables and Sustainable Happiness Index as the expected output. Research has found that: (1) There is a mismatch between the input and output factors of sustainable well‐being in the Qinba Mountain Areas, and management techniques are a key factor hindering the improvement of the coupling performance level of sustainable well‐being in the Qinba Mountain Areas; (2) The coupling performance level of sustainable happiness in the Qinba Mountain Areas is showing a downward trend, and only adjusting the input–output relationship by about 1.02% can achieve optimization and growth in performance level; (3) There is a significant shortage of input factors, with 87% of counties experiencing insufficient economic capital, about 76% experiencing insufficient arable land, and 41% experiencing insufficient social capital. In order to solve the above problems, it is necessary to strengthen the level of sustainable management in the ecological, economic, and social integration of the counties, respectively. Continuously promote capital investment in the mountain economy, such as logistics, industry, consumption, and public services, in order to upgrade the economy. Strict use of arable land and optimization of the land use structure, and implementation of arable land protection policies. Strengthening the level of social governance and enhancing the satisfaction of residents, thereby raising the level of sustainable well‐being. This research will provide a useful reference for achieving sustainable development goals in similar regions of the world.","PeriodicalId":203,"journal":{"name":"Land Degradation & Development","volume":"73 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143599672","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":"Multi-Scenario Simulation of Land Use Changes and Their Ecological Risk in the Global Largest Inland Arid Urban Agglomeration","authors":"Xiaojuan Zhi, Xiaojun Song, Jing Ma, Yongjun Yang, Zhanbin Luo, Fu Chen","doi":"10.1002/ldr.5561","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5561","url":null,"abstract":"Rapid global urbanization had significantly altered land use (LU), threatening the ecology and sustainability of arid regions. Systematic and forward-looking analyses of land use changes (LUCs) and ecological risks in Asia's arid zones, particularly the urban agglomeration on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains (UANSTM), remained limited. Herein, the LUCs in UANSTM under four scenarios, including the ecology-economy balanced development scenario (EES), ecological protection scenario (EPS), economic development scenario (EDS), and natural development scenario (NDS) in 2030, was predicted by employing the PLUS model and the multi-objective programming (MOP) model. Then, an evaluation system was developed from the dimensions of urban expansion, ecological risk, food demand, and ecological degradation to assess the corresponding ecological risk in each case. The results showed that: (1) Under each scenario, desert bare land and grassland were found to be the main LU modes in UANSTM, with a significant increase in cultivated land and negligible change in water and forest; (2) the grassland area decreased under the NDS scenario, while the areas of grassland, forest land, cultivated land, and construction land increased under other scenarios, especially from unused land and grassland; (3) LU-induced ecological risks under these scenarios showed similarities, with overall high ecological risks. Among them, 52.04% of the areas were found to be at high and relatively high-risk levels, and only 2.97% were at low-risk levels. This study reveals the diversified risks of LUCs under different scenarios, thereby facilitating the individualized planning of environmental protection and ecological restoration in the UANSTM.","PeriodicalId":203,"journal":{"name":"Land Degradation & Development","volume":"51 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143600046","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":"Microbial Metabolic Limitation in Response to Phosphorus Enrichment: Implications for Carbon Sequestration in a Nitrogen-Enriched Desert Steppe","authors":"Zhao Fang,&nbsp;Hailong Yu,&nbsp;Feng Jiao,&nbsp;Juying Huang","doi":"10.1002/ldr.5505","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ldr.5505","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The availability of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) significantly influences microbial metabolism, thereby affecting soil carbon (C) sequestration. However, it remains unclear how microbial resource limitation and C turnover dynamics respond to P availability under elevated N loads in dryland ecosystems. To address this, we conducted a 7-year experiment in a desert steppe in northern China, applying a gradient of P additions (0–16 g P m⁻² year⁻¹) under conditions of N loading (atmospheric N deposition +5 g N m⁻² year⁻¹). Our aim was to investigate microbial nutrient limitations and their impact on microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) based on stoichiometry theory. Our findings revealed that, under N loading, microbial metabolism in both the surface (0–10 cm) and subsurface (10–20 cm) layers of the topsoil was limited by both C and P. Interestingly, with increasing P addition, microbial C limitation initially increased and then decreased at the surface but remained unchanged in the subsurface. Under conditions of C limitation, P enrichment did not alleviate microbial P limitation in either soil layer. Surprisingly, the microbial communities in both the surface and subsurface layers maintained plastic stoichiometric homeostasis despite aggravated C:P and N:P imbalances. Furthermore, P enrichment decreased microbial CUE in both soil layers, with the surface experiencing the most significant decline. Further analysis showed that the factors driving microbial nutrient limitation and CUE varied between soil layers under P enrichment, with enhanced microbial C limitation strongly inhibiting CUE. Our study indicates that increased C limitation due to P enrichment can reduce CUE and exacerbate stoichiometric imbalances. This could potentially lead to greater C loss in N-enriched dryland soils.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":203,"journal":{"name":"Land Degradation & Development","volume":"36 7","pages":"2405-2419"},"PeriodicalIF":3.6,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143600049","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":"The Distance From the Sea Determined the Distribution Pattern of Saline-Alkali Soil Quality Through Indirect Effect","authors":"Hanwen Liu, Meng Chen, Qingmiao Yang, Yi Zhang, Haibo Zhang, Xiaoling Liu, Qian Ma, Guangxu Cui, Guangmei Wang","doi":"10.1002/ldr.5566","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5566","url":null,"abstract":"Soil quality is a crucial attribute for maintaining biological productivity, human health, and ecosystem service function. However, the distribution of saline-alkali soil quality and its influencing factors in the Yellow River Delta region remain poorly understood, posing challenges to sustainable agricultural development. The study evaluated soil quality across various land-use types and depths in the southern Yellow River Delta region. A total of 134 soil samples were collected from two soil layers at 67 soil sample points, distributed across three land use types. Spatial distribution maps revealed that inland areas exhibited improved soil texture and nutrient levels compared to coastal regions. All nutrients, except soil total potassium, were higher in the 0–20 cm soil layer than in the 20–40 cm soil layer. The spatial distribution pattern of Soil Quality Index (SQI) demonstrated a pattern of higher values at the central part of the study area, gradually declining toward the edges. Furthermore, SQI in cultivated land was found to be 1.8%–8% higher than in forest land and 52.7%–84% higher than in wasteland. The Structural Equation Modeling results indicated that distance from the sea indirectly influenced soil quality through different mechanisms between the two soil layers. In the model for the 0–20 cm soil layer, SQI was indirectly affected by chemical properties, nutrients, and base ions, explaining 85% of the variation in SQI. In the model for the 20–40 cm soil layer, SQI was primarily influenced by chemical properties, accounting for 83% of the variation. These findings offer valuable insights for land use and crop selection aligned with soil properties, supporting sustainable agricultural practices in the region.","PeriodicalId":203,"journal":{"name":"Land Degradation & Development","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143600061","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":"Evaluation and Tradeoff‐Synergy Analysis of Ecosystem Services in an Ecologically Vulnerable Region in the Northern China","authors":"Lili Zhao, Mengzhu Liu, Yanjun Shen, Yan‐Jun Shen, Hongyan Liu, Fengpeng Han, Hongwei Pei","doi":"10.1002/ldr.5560","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5560","url":null,"abstract":"The Northern Hebei Province (NHB) in Northern China serves as a crucial geographical barrier for ensuring the ecological security of the mega city‐group of Beijing –Tianjin‐Hebei. Due to rapid urbanization and anthropogenic afforestation, the NHB is confronted with a significant challenge in coordinating the preservation of ecosystem services (ESs) and socio‐economic development. Consequently, understanding the impacts of these human disturbances on ESs is essential for future decision‐making in ecological management and optimal provisions of ESs. The Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade‐offs Tools (InVEST) model was used for evaluating the long‐term trends of five key ESs in the NHB, namely carbon storage (CS), habitat quality (HQ), water yield (WY), net primary productivity (NPP) and food production (FP). Further, the trade‐offs/synergy of these five ESs were analyzed, with ESs bundles identified. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) From 1996 to 2020, the impervious surface (+122.84%), barren (+169.74%), forest (+19.8%) and shrub (+49.03%) were increased; waters (−39%), cropland (−20.22%) and grassland (−6.14%) were decreased. (2) HQ, CS, and WY decreased by −5.68%, −10.69% and − 20.55%, respectively, while the other ESs increased (NPP by 115.09%, FP by 137.14%). Increases in the forest area improved multiple ESs but reduced WY. Increases in the barren significantly reduced ESs but enhanced land use efficiency. (3) Five pairs of ESs showed synergies, and another five pairs of ESs showed trade‐offs. The trade‐offs between the three pairs of ESs (CS‐WY, FP‐WY, and FP‐NPP) were strengthened, while the synergies between the other ESs were enhanced. (4) The ecologically fragile bundle decreased by 19.44% at the county level and by 83.89% at the pixel level. As evidenced by the ES bundles at the two levels, there are distinct goals for ESs management at different levels. ESs planning and management should be based on ESs bundles at two spatial levels, which can provide the necessary information to support the sustainable development of regional ecosystems.","PeriodicalId":203,"journal":{"name":"Land Degradation & Development","volume":"51 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143599120","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":"Quantitative Characterization of Mining‐Induced Disturbed Aeolian Sandy Soil—A Case Study of Daliuta Mining Area, China","authors":"Dejun Yang, Minyue Wang, Ping Luo, Jiachao Jian, Xueyu Geng","doi":"10.1002/ldr.5553","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5553","url":null,"abstract":"Mining leads to soil degradation and land subsidence, resulting in decreased soil quality. However, there are limited studies on the detailed effects of mining activities on soil properties, particularly in western aeolian sand. This study, therefore, quantitatively assessed the aeolian sandy soil disturbance induced by mining activities in the contiguous regions of Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia. The following soil physical quality indices were measured in the pre (May 2015), mid (October 2015), and postmining period (April 2016), such as the soil water content (SWC), particle size (PS), soil penetration (SP), and soil saturated hydraulic conductivity (SSHC). The results showed that mining activities brought irreversible effects on soil structures. In the pre‐mining period, land subsidence broke up large soil particles, destroying soil structure, leading to decreased PS (218.33 vs. 194.36 μm), SP (4615.56 vs. 2631.95 kPa), and subsequently decreased SSHC (1.12 vs. 0.99 cm/min). Rainfall during the midmining period exacerbated this fragmentation. Thereafter, low temperatures and humidity caused the soil to freeze, allowing the small soil particles to merge into larger ones. Meanwhile, the natural re‐sedimentation, subsidence, and heavy mechanical crushing in the post‐mining period increased PS and SP. The SSHC hence increased to 1.21 cm/min. Furthermore, the evaluation of soil indices from different stress zones showed that the external pulling stress zone always had a higher SSHC than the neutral zone in any mining period, possibly due to the presence of large cracks and high SWC. This study contributes to the understanding of the impact of mining activities on soil physical qualities, providing a theoretical basis and quantitative guidance for the surface damage caused by coal mining in the aeolian sandy area in Western China.","PeriodicalId":203,"journal":{"name":"Land Degradation & Development","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143599122","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":"Comparative Analysis of Dynamic Changes and Scenario Predictions of Carbon Storage in a Small Watershed Driven by Social‐Natural Factors in Cold Regions","authors":"Xiaomeng Guo, Li Wang, Zilong Wang, Qiang Fu, Fang Ma","doi":"10.1002/ldr.5556","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5556","url":null,"abstract":"Carbon storage (CS) influences the balance and stability of the carbon cycle in global terrestrial ecosystems. Research on changes in CS and scenario forecasting is essential for developing sustainable socioeconomic policies. To more accurately predict the CS in small watersheds in cold regions, this study takes the Ashi River watershed (ARW) as a case to explore the “past–present–future” in CS. We quantify the dominant factors affecting CS and further focus on the prediction of CS under four SSP–RCP scenarios considering the dominant factors from a new perspective by coupling the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) and Patch‐generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) models, which is important for implementing the dual carbon policy in cold regions. The findings revealed a pattern of growth followed by reduction in CS between 1990 and 2020, resulting in an overall increase of 2.68% to 3947.40 × 10<jats:sup>4</jats:sup> Mg in 2020. Both natural and socioeconomic factors drove changes in CS, with natural factors having a direct positive impact and socioeconomic factors a direct negative impact. Climate factors and land use types were significantly correlated with CS. The simulations showed a significant increase in CS across all four scenarios, with the largest increase of 52.39% occurring under the ecological protection scenario and 18.36% under the black soil cropland conservation scenario. A carbon management strategy was developed based on land use and land cover change (LUCC) and the ARW's developmental trajectory to establish an economic–ecological balanced development model. The results of this study can provide a valuable reference for decision‐makers in formulating sustainable development strategies for CS units in cold regions.","PeriodicalId":203,"journal":{"name":"Land Degradation & Development","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143589676","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 Erosion Responses to CMIP6 Climate Scenarios and Land Cover Changes in the Gidabo Watershed, Ethiopia: Implications for Sustainable Watershed Management","authors":"Degefu Dogiso, Alemayehu Muluneh, Abiot Ketema","doi":"10.1002/ldr.5546","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5546","url":null,"abstract":"Soil erosion, driven by climate and land cover changes, poses a significant challenge to watershed sustainability. This study assessed historical and projected soil erosion in Ethiopia's Gidabo Watershed using climate data from an ensemble of six GCMs and Landsat images (2003, 2011, and 2019), which were classified and predicted by integrating the Random Forest classifier and Google Earth Engine, and the InVEST‐SDR model to evaluate erosion potential. Historical and future land cover change projections revealed a trend of increasing agricultural and built‐up areas, while dense vegetation exhibited a declining trend. The average annual precipitation in the baseline scenario showed an insignificant decreasing trend, whereas future projections indicated an overall increase. Soil erosion was assessed for both baseline and future periods by integrating CMIP6 GCMs (SSP2‐4.5 and SSP5‐8.5) with land cover maps. The results indicated that the mean annual soil loss increased from 18.74 t ha<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> yr<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> during the baseline period to 22.75 t ha<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> yr<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> in the 2030s and 24.76 t ha<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> yr<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> in the 2050s under SSP2‐4.5. Under SSP5‐8.5, soil erosion rates reached 23.12 t ha<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> yr<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> in the 2030s and 25.42 t ha<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> yr<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> in the 2050s. This increase was driven by agricultural expansion, reduced vegetation cover, and high rainfall erosivity. High soil erosion rates were concentrated in the southwestern and northeastern sub‐watersheds, requiring immediate conservation interventions in severely eroded areas. Reforestation, terracing, and sustainable land management are essential to mitigate soil erosion and enhance watershed resilience, providing key insights for targeted conservation strategies and sustainable watershed management.","PeriodicalId":203,"journal":{"name":"Land Degradation & Development","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143599124","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":"Aboveground and Root Growth Dynamics of Native Herbaceous Species and Their Potential for Rapid Ground Cover in Restoration Projects in a Subtropical Climate","authors":"Paula Letícia Wolff Kettenhuber, Beatriz Batticini Vitto, Gustavo Brunetto, Maristela Machado Araújo, Álvaro Luis Pasquetti Berghetti, Lincon Oliveira Stefanello da Silva, Matheus Severo de Souza Kulmann, Anderson Cesar Ramos Marques, Fabrício Jaques Sutili","doi":"10.1002/ldr.5569","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5569","url":null,"abstract":"Soil erosion is one of the main causes of land degradation and a threat to global ecosystem conservation. Herbaceous species, such as native species, can be used for surface protection, soil aggregation, and nutrient cycling. However, it is necessary to know the functional traits above and below ground, and how soil attributes and climatic variables can affect morphological variables. A 3‐year field experiment was conducted to evaluate the aboveground and root growth dynamics of native herbaceous species for rapid ground cover, and their relationship to soil chemical variables was evaluated in a subtropical climate. Four perennial and herbaceous plant species native to Brazil, <jats:styled-content style=\"fixed-case\"><jats:italic>Arachis pintoi</jats:italic></jats:styled-content>, <jats:styled-content style=\"fixed-case\"><jats:italic>Axonopus affinis</jats:italic></jats:styled-content>, <jats:styled-content style=\"fixed-case\"><jats:italic>Paspalum notatum</jats:italic></jats:styled-content>, and <jats:styled-content style=\"fixed-case\"><jats:italic>Sphagneticola trilobata</jats:italic></jats:styled-content>, were propagated in a greenhouse and then planted in randomized plots in 2018, with 36 plants in each plot. Over time, we evaluated vegetation cover (%), aboveground biomass production (AGB) and root morphology dynamics using a minirhizotron system. <jats:styled-content style=\"fixed-case\"><jats:italic>A. affinis</jats:italic></jats:styled-content>, <jats:styled-content style=\"fixed-case\"><jats:italic>A. pintoi</jats:italic></jats:styled-content>, <jats:styled-content style=\"fixed-case\"><jats:italic>P. notatum</jats:italic></jats:styled-content>, and <jats:styled-content style=\"fixed-case\"><jats:italic>S. trilobata</jats:italic></jats:styled-content> present great potential for quick establishment required in restoration projects for soil erosion control. After 12 months at transplantation, all species had covered more than 94% of the soil surface. However, their aboveground (AGB) and belowground (number of roots, length of roots, surface area of roots, root length density) functional traits decreased under conditions of low rainfall and low P, Ca, Mg, pH in water, and base saturation. The grass species, especially <jats:styled-content style=\"fixed-case\"><jats:italic>P. notatum</jats:italic></jats:styled-content>, are more resistant to precipitation changes, maintaining great amounts of biomass above ground (816 kg ha<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup>) and root system with a higher number of thin roots and high RLD (42.2 km m<jats:sup>−3</jats:sup>) in the surface layers of the soil, even in conditions of water limitation. Our results provide the initial basis for the use of native herbaceous species for the prevention and control of soil erosion and assist in the selection of the most suitable species for each purpose and environmental condition.","PeriodicalId":203,"journal":{"name":"Land Degradation & Development","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143599121","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":"Bacillus-Enriched Organophosphorus Biochar Formulations Increase Soil Microbial Diversity and Pigeon Pea Yield","authors":"Kannan Pandian, Kavin Samiyappan, Anandham Rangasamy, Indirani Raju, Krishnaveni Dhanuskodi, Jayakumar Bose, Sivasankar Annamalai, Sangchul Hwang","doi":"10.1002/ldr.5557","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.5557","url":null,"abstract":"Phosphorus (P) deficiency significantly limits pigeon pea growth in acidic soils. Applied P fertilizers tend to diffuse and bind to the active surface sites where they form insoluble complexes with aluminum and iron, rendering the P unavailable for plant uptake. The interactive effects of farmyard manure (FYM), P fertilizers, phosphate-solubilizing bacterium, and maize biochar on P availability and plant growth in acidic soils remain largely unexplored. To enhance P availability in acidic soils, four P fertilizer formulations were developed and tested using pigeon pea as a test crop: (1) biochar-enriched super phosphate and rock phosphate; (2) FYM-enriched super phosphate and rock phosphate; (3) Biochar + FYM-enriched super phosphate and rock phosphate; and (4) <i>Bacillus megaterium-fortified</i> Biochar + FYM-enriched super phosphate and rock phosphate. Field trials were conducted over 2 years to evaluate the effects of these treatments on P availability, uptake, bacterial community dynamics, and pigeon pea yield. The application of <i>B. megaterium</i> (~2 kg) fortified biochar and FYM-enriched rock phosphate at 750 kg ha⁻¹ significantly improved soil available P (10 mg kg⁻¹), P uptake (21.7 kg ha⁻¹) and <i>Bacillus</i> population (16% higher) compared to super phosphate alone. This formulation also enhanced acid phosphatase activity, microbial biomass phosphorus, biomass carbon, and microbial community composition, contributing to improved plant growth and seed yield (1558 kg ha⁻¹). The combined application of <i>B. megaterium</i> (2 kg) and 50 kg P in biochar-FYM-enriched rock phosphate at 750 kg ha⁻¹ demonstrated a sustainable approach for increased phosphorus availability and uptake in low pH soils. This eco-friendly strategy improved pigeon pea production and reduced reliance on chemical fertilizers, presenting a viable solution for sustainable P management practices in acid soil.","PeriodicalId":203,"journal":{"name":"Land Degradation & Development","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143582643","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}