Environmental Monitoring and Assessment最新文献

{"title":"Immobilization of Cd and Pb in soil using PEI (polyethyleneimine)-functionalization biochar derived from agricultural residues","authors":"Yi Wang,&nbsp;Chao Meng,&nbsp;Qina Chen,&nbsp;Zhiyuan Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s10661-025-14563-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10661-025-14563-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The rapid development of industry and agriculture has led to a significant increase in the toxicity and pollution of cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in soil. Consequently, soil remediation employing biochar or modified biochar has emerged as a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable approach to address the issue of heavy metal (HM) ion pollution. PEI-functionalization biochar (PBC) derived from corn straw (PBCC), wood straw (PBCW), and rice straw (PBCR) was synthesized to immobilize Cd and Pb in contaminated acidic yellow soil. Characterization revealed successful PEI grafting N-doped carbon XRD patterns at 26.7°. PBC increased average pore size by 25.23–30.60% (3.976–3.175 nm, 23.906–18.34 nm) but reduced specific surface area due to polymer occlusion, PBCW retaining the highest surface area (214.9 m²/g). Applied at 1–7% doses, PBC significantly elevated soil pH and electrical conductivity while enhancing soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and phosphorus. The 5% dose of PBCR showed strong Cd immobilization (47.15% reduction in bioavailable Cd, 8.32–11.01 mg/kg, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) and reduced bioavailable Pb by 24.43% (0.06–0.11 mg/kg, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.01). Sequential extraction confirmed PBC converted weak acid-extractable Cd/Pb into stable residual fractions. This study demonstrates that 5% PEI-modified rice straw biochar (PBCR) effectively remediates Cd/Pb co-contaminated acidic soils while enhancing agricultural productivity, confirming simultaneous metal passivation and nutrient retention. This work establishes agricultural residue-derived PEI-biochar as a sustainable strategy for co-remediating heavy metals and enhancing productivity in contaminated farmland.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":544,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Monitoring and Assessment","volume":"197 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145028337","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evolution of mass loss at Alamkouh Glacier in Iran using multi-temporal high-resolution DEMs between 2010 and 2023","authors":"Neamat Karimi,&nbsp;Sara Sheshangosht","doi":"10.1007/s10661-025-14442-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10661-025-14442-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Small glaciers situated in high mountainous areas are experiencing notable declines, characterized by unprecedented rates of ice loss in recent years. This study investigates the recent changes in surface elevation and mass loss occurring between 2010 and 2023 within the Alamkouh Glacier over three subperiods, one of the biggest glaciers in Iran and the Middle East. These assessments are derived from a combination of high-resolution LiDAR data in 2010 (with a spatial resolution of 20 cm) and multi-temporal surveys conducted using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in 2018, 2020, and 2023 (with spatial resolutions varied from 10 to 20 cm). The outcomes of this analysis demonstrate that the Alamkouh Glacier experienced an average mass balance of approximately − 0.20 ± 0.04 m w.e.a⁻¹ from 2010 to 2023. These findings highlight that the Alamkouh Glacier exhibits a relatively moderate rate of mass loss when compared to many other glaciers around the world, as well as to the global average rate of glacier mass loss, which is approximately − 0.5 m w.e.a⁻¹. The mean mass loss for the specific periods of 2010–2018, 2018–2020, and 2020–2023 was − 0.18 ± 0.03, − 0.24 ± 0.04, and − 0.25 ± 0.04 m w.e.a⁻¹, respectively. These findings suggest that, although the mass loss of the Alamkouh Glacier remained relatively constant over the entire study period, there was a slight acceleration in mass loss during the latter part of the study. The elevation change analysis reveals extensive heterogeneous patterns of glacier elevation change where the maximum ice loss was observed in areas with supraglacial ponds and exposed ice cliffs, with mean ice thinning rates of approximately − 1.09 ± 0.35 and − 0.73 ± 0.25 m/a, respectively. In contrast, the mean thinning rates for debris-free and debris-covered areas were around − 0.64 ± 0.20 and − 0.20 ± 0.24 m/a, respectively. This variation underscores the significant impact of different supraglacial features on the glacier’s overall mass balance, highlighting the complex dynamics of glacier change in response to environmental factors. Our findings underscore the importance of continuous monitoring and detailed modeling to understand the drivers of glacier change and predict future trends, especially using high-resolution UAV data.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":544,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Monitoring and Assessment","volume":"197 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145021609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating the effectiveness of biotic indices for long-term ecological quality assessment in a heavily polluted estuary","authors":"J. Emilio Sánchez-Moyano,&nbsp;Mario López-Cepeda,&nbsp;Isabel García-Asencio","doi":"10.1007/s10661-025-14546-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10661-025-14546-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Marine ecosystems, particularly estuaries, are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic pressures. The Odiel Estuary has suffered severe contamination from acid mine drainage and industrial activities. Since 1986, mitigation efforts have been implemented, yet their long-term ecological effectiveness remains under-evaluated. This study assesses environmental recovery by analyzing six biotic indices over 18 years (1998–2016). Our objectives were to determine spatial gradients and temporal improvements in ecological status within the estuary using these indices, and to identify the most reliable monitoring tools for transitional ecosystems. Results revealed a clear spatial gradient, with inner estuary sites in poor condition and outer marine zones showing better status. A detectable improvement in benthic community structure and water quality was observed over time, particularly in 2016. M-AMBI and BENFES correlated strongly with species diversity and effectively captured environmental gradients, whereas AMBI, BENTIX, and BOPA/BO2A showed lower sensitivity. Despite observed improvements, persistent heavy metal contamination requires continued monitoring and management. The study underscores the challenge of distinguishing natural estuarine variability from anthropogenic impacts, advocating for multi-index approaches to enhance ecological assessments. These findings provide insights for future monitoring and standardized protocols in transitional waters globally.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":544,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Monitoring and Assessment","volume":"197 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10661-025-14546-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145021685","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Ocimum sanctum for efficient Congo red dye removal: a response surface methodology approach","authors":"S. Murugeshwari,&nbsp;B. Senthil Rathi,&nbsp;N. Kalaiarasi,&nbsp;R. M. Saravana Kumar,&nbsp;I. Arunkumar,&nbsp;M. Vasanth,&nbsp;P. Senthil Kumar,&nbsp;Gayathri Rangasamy","doi":"10.1007/s10661-025-14525-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10661-025-14525-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Synthetic dyes, such as Congo red (CR), pose serious threats to human health and aquatic ecosystems because of their carcinogenicity and resistance to degradation, necessitating the development of efficient and eco-friendly remediation strategies. In this study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized via a green method using <i>Ocimum sanctum</i> (holy basil) leaf extract and applied for CR dye removal from aqueous solutions. The adsorption process was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) based on Box-Behnken design (BBD), evaluating the influence of key parameters including pH, AgNP dosage, initial dye concentration, contact time, and temperature. Under optimized conditions (pH 5, 0.4 g/L AgNPs, 50 mg/L dye, 50 °C, 60 min), a maximum removal efficiency of 93% was achieved. Characterization of AgNPs confirmed the presence of functional biomolecules, high crystallinity, and predominantly spherical morphology with an average particle size of 12.53 nm. Adsorption followed the Langmuir isotherm model, indicating monolayer coverage and pseudo-second-order kinetics, suggesting chemisorption, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 51.19 mg/g. Thermodynamic studies revealed that the process was spontaneous and exothermic. Moreover, desorption and reusability studies demonstrated an 85% removal efficiency after 10 cycles, highlighting the stability of the synthesized AgNPs. These findings underscore the potential of green-synthesized AgNPs as effective and sustainable adsorbents for the treatment of dye-contaminated wastewater.\u0000</p></div>","PeriodicalId":544,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Monitoring and Assessment","volume":"197 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145028166","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Urban-impacted river pollutant sources: WQI ranking and PMF analysis","authors":"Ming Chen,&nbsp;Zongpu Xue,&nbsp;Song Bai,&nbsp;Hao Hou,&nbsp;Huaimin Chen,&nbsp;Diandian Xu","doi":"10.1007/s10661-025-14572-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10661-025-14572-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A multi-indicator framework was developed to resolve multi-source pollution in highly urbanized rivers, demonstrated in the Qinhuai River Basin, Nanjing, China. Water quality index (WQI) stratification was integrated with dissolved organic matter (DOM) fluorescence components, hydrochemical ions, and conventional parameters and analyzed using positive matrix factorization (PMF). Correlation analysis further elucidated source compositions and interactions. DOM fluorescence profiles showed minimal variation across WQI levels, indicating limited discriminatory power of optical metrics alone. In contrast, K⁺, Na⁺, Ca²⁺, and Mg²⁺ concentrations increased with declining WQI and were strongly intercorrelated, reflecting the growing influence of wastewater inputs on water quality deterioration. PMF identified non-point sources predominantly in upstream reaches with relatively good water quality, point sources dominating degraded reaches with signatures consistent with domestic sewage, and internal sources that contributed more in summer due to sediment release and microbial decomposition. Strong correlations between nitrate, total nitrogen, and Na⁺ indicated wastewater treatment plant effluents as the primary nitrogen source. This integrated approach enables high-resolution source apportionment in urban rivers, providing a cost-effective and transferable tool for precision watershed management and transboundary water governance.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":544,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Monitoring and Assessment","volume":"197 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145028174","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Systematic evaluation of industrial greenbelts for quantifying carbon sequestration potential of afforestation activities","authors":"Nirav P. Raval,&nbsp;Aravind D,&nbsp;A. N. Ramesh,&nbsp;Himanshu Pandey,&nbsp;Pradeep Kumar Ghosal,&nbsp;Milind Rawal,&nbsp;Mrugesh H. Trivedi","doi":"10.1007/s10661-025-14559-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10661-025-14559-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>India’s energy demand increased by 7.3% in 2023 compared to 2022 (5.6%), primarily met by coal-based thermal power plants (TPPs) that contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. In line with national climate goals set under the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for 2030, India mandates 33% green cover within TPPs for carbon (C) sequestration. This study assesses the C sequestration potential of greenbelts at Tata Coastal Gujarat Power Limited (CGPL) plant (465 ha) and its township (TS, 13.86 ha). The analysis integrates field-based allometric biomass estimation with CASA modeling, supported by remote sensing (RS) and GIS-based evaluation of NDVI and NDBI indices. While the TS exhibited higher species richness (28 families, 3,706 trees), the TPP (19 families, 363,467 trees) recorded higher sequestration values (CO₂-equivalent: 52.52 Mg ha⁻¹ vs. 2.13 Mg ha⁻¹). Statistical modeling demonstrated that biomass accumulation was the strongest predictor of carbon storage (<i>R</i>² = 1 for biomass–CO₂eq) across both sites indicating that larger DBH and higher total biomass consistently resulted in greater CO₂eq sequestration. NDVI-based analysis indicated a consistent increase in vegetation health over 2010–2023, while NDBI showed moderate expansion in built-up area. CASA estimates annual CO₂ sequestration of ~8,745 Mg ha⁻¹ for TPP and 1058 Mg ha⁻¹ for the TS. This study provides a reference framework for afforestation-driven carbon mitigation by optimizing green areas within industrial landscapes, thereby contributing to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).\u0000</p></div>","PeriodicalId":544,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Monitoring and Assessment","volume":"197 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145021610","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing land surface temperature dynamics and urban heat island effects in Delhi: a multi-temporal analysis and future projections","authors":"Dyvavani Krishna Kapuganti,&nbsp;Kailash C. Tiwari,&nbsp;Gopala Areendran","doi":"10.1007/s10661-025-14390-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10661-025-14390-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Understanding the intricate relationship between land use/land cover (LULC) transformations and land surface temperature (LST) is critical for sustainable urban planning. This study investigates the spatiotemporal dynamics of LULC and LST across Delhi, India, using thermal data from Landsat 7 (2001), Landsat 5 (2011) and Landsat 8 (2021) resampled to 30-m spatial resolution, during the peak summer month of May. The study aims to target three significant aspects: (i) to analyse and present LULC-LST dynamics across Delhi, (ii) to evaluate the implications of LST effects at the district level and (iii) to predict seasonal LST trends in 2041 for North Delhi district using the seasonal auto-regressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) time series model. LULC classification is performed using the random forest (RF) approach, and the LULC-LST relationships are statistically examined using a one-way ANOVA paired with Tukey’s HSD post hoc test, Pearson’s correlation and simple linear regression analysis. The SARIMA model is employed to predict district-level LST for North Delhi in 2041. The results highlight significant LULC-driven LST variations across Delhi, with urban expansion and post-harvest agriculture lands contributing to the temperature increase. Bare land and urban areas exhibited the highest LST, while vegetation and waterbodies consistently recorded lower temperatures. The surface urban heat island intensity was predominantly pronounced in densely built-up areas including the Aerocity region. The district-level analysis reveals substantial spatial heterogeneity, with western districts predominated by agriculture and major urban expansion recording the highest LST, while the southern-central districts experienced lower temperatures due to influence of floodplains, vegetation and ridges. The correlation analysis demonstrated a strong positive association between urban expansion and LST (<i>r</i> = 0.98), while the one-way ANOVA test indicated significant differences in LST across LULC classes (<i>F</i>(4, 148,238) = 9646, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.05, <i>n</i> = 3). The SARIMA-based projections for North Delhi predict escalating temperatures in all seasons by 2041, with a root mean squared error of 2.1. The finding emphasises the need for adaptive urban planning, advocating for strategic integration of vegetation buffers around industrial zones, landfills and along agriculture-urban interfaces to mitigate heat and inform future urban development policies such as the Master Plan Delhi 2041.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":544,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Monitoring and Assessment","volume":"197 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145011797","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Removal of cadmium from aqueous solution using montmorillonite-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron","authors":"Jiali Xu,&nbsp;Yi Chen,&nbsp;Junpeng Zhou","doi":"10.1007/s10661-025-14547-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10661-025-14547-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Cadmium (Cd) contamination in water poses a critical global challenge. A novel nanocomposite, montmorillonite (Mt)-supported nanoscale zero-valent iron (Mt-nZVI), synthesized by liquid phase reduction, offers a promising method for effectively removing Cd. The material underwent characterization through various techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope(SEM). The effects of initial pH, Cd concentration, solid-to-liquid ratio, temperature, solid dosage, and reaction time on the performance of Mt-nZVI in removing Cd were investigated. Remarkably, a notable 93.12% removal rate was achieved for Cd concentration of 10 mg·L⁻¹ under a 2-h reaction time, pH 7, and 0.5 g·L⁻¹ Mt-nZVI dosage. The adsorption process exhibited an excellent fit with both the pseudo-second-order kinetic model and the intra-particle diffusion model, suggesting that the adsorption mechanisms involve both the chemical adsorption and intra-particle diffusion. Dynamic adsorption experiments were conducted using Mt-nZVI. Under optimized conditions (adsorbent-to-quartz sand mass ratio of 1:250 and flow rate of 2 mL·min⁻¹), Mt-nZVI achieved optimal Cd removal efficiency, demonstrating its potential for continuous wastewater treatment applications. The removal mechanism of Cd, as inferred from a series of characterization analyses, likely involves processes including rapid adsorption facilitated by electrostatic interactions, hydrolysis of Fe leading to the formation of precipitates with Cd, and surface corrosion of nZVI resulting in the formation of surface complexes with Cd. Overall, these findings highlight the excellent potential of Mt-nZVI for treating Cd-containing wastewater.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":544,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Monitoring and Assessment","volume":"197 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145021611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Machine learning-based assessment of land use change effects on land surface temperature fluctuations in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam","authors":"Bui B. Thien,&nbsp;Vu T. Phuong,&nbsp;Ioshpa R. Alexsander,&nbsp;Krivoguz O. Denis","doi":"10.1007/s10661-025-14540-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10661-025-14540-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Sustainable urban development requires actionable insights into the thermal consequences of land transformation. This study examines the impact of land use and land cover (LULC) changes on land surface temperature (LST) in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam, between 1998 and 2024. Using Google Earth Engine (GEE), three machine learning algorithms—random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and classification and regression tree (CART)—were applied for LULC classification. RF delivered the best performance, achieving an average overall accuracy of 93.09% and a kappa coefficient of 0.916. The findings show that built-up areas expanded by over 12%, primarily at the expense of agricultural lands, while mean LST increased by approximately 1.75 °C during the study period. Urban zones exhibited the highest LST values due to the urban heat island (UHI) effect, whereas vegetated and water-covered areas showed strong cooling functions. A positive correlation was identified between LST and built-up areas, while vegetation and water indices were negatively correlated with LST. The study integrates LULC classification, LST retrieval, and biophysical indices to capture urban heat dynamics in a tropical megacity context. The results highlight the importance of green–blue infrastructure in mitigating urban warming and provide valuable guidance for policymakers seeking to enhance urban climate resilience through sustainable land management.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":544,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Monitoring and Assessment","volume":"197 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145021608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating UN sustainable development goal (SDG) indicator 15.3.1 and methods for land degradation monitoring in mountainous regions","authors":"Abiot Molla,&nbsp;Yin Ren,&nbsp;Shudi Zuo,&nbsp;Pengfei Zhu,&nbsp;Zhifeng Wu,&nbsp;Kindeneh Bekele,&nbsp;Panfeng Dou","doi":"10.1007/s10661-025-14548-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10661-025-14548-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Land degradation (LD) is a critical environmental challenge caused by human activities and climate change. Reversing degraded land requires effective LD monitoring. The UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicator 15.3.1, “Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area,” was established to assess and report LD status at regional and global levels. However, SDG indicator 15.3.1 requires comprehensive, consistent, easily accessible data and would induce large uncertainty, especially in mountainous regions. This study assesses LD in Southern China’s mountainous regions by integrating national and global land cover (LC) datasets with a customized LC transition matrix to improve the effectiveness of UN SDG indicator 15.3.1 for LD assessment. The national LC transition matrices were tailored to align with the specific context of the study region and the country’s ecological restoration policies and ecosystem services. The results of LD by national LC datasets were compared with the global (default) datasets provided by the Trend.Earth plugin in QGIS. Both sets of results were then compared with the validated LD findings. Using default LC datasets, 20.58% of land areas were classified as degraded, compared to 12.74% with national LC datasets. Land improvement assessed by national data was 7.58% higher than the default datasets. The LD results by national datasets and customized LC transition were closest to the validated LD data, with 94% overall accuracy. Therefore, incorporating national LC datasets and a customized LC transition matrix into UN SDG indicator 15.3.1 could enhance the effectiveness of assessing LD in mountainous regions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":544,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Monitoring and Assessment","volume":"197 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145021683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}