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{"title":"Response of soil quality to ecosystems after revegetation in a coal mine reclamation area","authors":"Qianwen Ren ,&nbsp;Fangfang Qiang ,&nbsp;Guangquan Liu ,&nbsp;Changhai Liu ,&nbsp;Ning Ai","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109038","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109038","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Revegetation is widely acknowledged as a vital strategy for the ecological restoration of coal mine reclamation areas. However, the mechanisms governing the internal regulation of ecosystems through vegetation succession over extended reclamation periods remain poorly understood. To address this gap, this study investigated the regulatory roles of ecosystem structure and functional factors in mining areas after vegetation reconstruction, as well as their dynamic effects on soil quality. This study specifically focused on the ecosystems of artificial <em>Hippophae rhamnoides</em> forests in the Ordos Mining Area of Inner Mongolia during different restoration periods. This study aimed to elucidate these dynamics by analysing soil quality, network structure, and ecosystem function in <em>H. rhamnoides</em> forests across different reclamation durations. Preliminary findings revealed the following: (1) the minimum data set for assessing soil quality in <em>H. rhamnoides</em> forest land within coal mine reclamation areas included sand, the bacterial Chao1 index, the fungal Shannon index, total phosphorus (TP), total soil porosity (TCP), soil organic matter (OM), available phosphorus (AP), and capillary water-holding capacity (CWHC), among which soil OM and the bacterial Chao1 index were identified as the key indicators for evaluating soil quality. Furthermore, the soil quality index of the <em>H. rhamnoides</em> forest improved with increasing reclamation duration. (2) As the number of reclamation years increased, the ecosystem network became more interconnected and structurally stable. The number of links within the network structure peaked in the seventh year after reclamation. Revegetation altered the hubs of the ecosystem network, with soil grain size and water-holding capacity emerging as significant hubs. Over time, biomass and herbaceous diversity gradually became crucial factors in ecosystems. (3) Soil quality in the <em>H. rhamnoides</em> forest was influenced by various ecological functional factors, as demonstrated by structural equation modelling. Soil OM, AP, and understory herbaceous diversity were identified as the primary factors affecting soil quality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"257 ","pages":"Article 109038"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144083823","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pedosedimentary archive of the Kostenki 21 (Gmelin) site as a memory of the dynamics of periglacial geosystems in the extreme conditions of the Last Glacial Maximum","authors":"S.A. Sycheva ,&nbsp;O.S. Khokhlova ,&nbsp;A.A. Bessudnov","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109152","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109152","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Data on the structure of pedosedimentary archive (PSA) of the Upper Paleolithic Kostenki 21 (Gmelin) site on the first terrace of the Don River are discussed. The site consists of a series of eolian, colluvial, and alluvial loamy and sandy loamy sediments and includes cultural layers, pedosediments, and layers of initial pedogenesis with clear features of cryogenic disturbance. The complex structure of this soil–sediment sequence reflects the transition of the landscape from the subaqueous regime of the disappearing oxbow lake on the Don floodplain to the subaerial regime of slope, as well as the dynamics of local paleogeosystems in the most extreme phase of the last (Valdai) glaciations (MIS 2.2), reflected in three pedocryocycliths. The general trend and cycles of environmental events in the periglacial zone are reconstructed, and the adaptation capabilities of ancient humans in harsh climatic conditions are shown.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"257 ","pages":"Article 109152"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144071933","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prediction of soil organic carbon stock along layers and profiles using Vis-NIR laboratory spectroscopy","authors":"S. Dharumarajan ,&nbsp;C. Gomez ,&nbsp;C.G. Kusuma ,&nbsp;R. Vasundhara ,&nbsp;B. Kalaiselvi ,&nbsp;M. Lalitha ,&nbsp;R. Hegde","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109150","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109150","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is a growing need to estimate soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks at both local and global scales. This study explores the use of Visible–Near Infrared (Vis-NIR) laboratory spectroscopy as an alternative to traditional wet chemistry methods for SOC stock estimation. Two approaches were tested: an indirect method, which uses Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR) models to predict SOC content and bulk density separately and then multiplies them by measured layer depth; and a direct method, where PLSR models predict SOC stock per layer directly. The estimates were then aggregated to calculate the total SOC stock per profile. We evaluated both approaches using 361 samples from 84 soil profiles collected across three villages in Kerala, India. Two calibration scenarios were tested: (i) non-clustering, where 75 % of the dataset was used for calibration and 25 % for validation, and (ii) clustering, where models were trained on samples from two villages and validated on the third. The results showed that the indirect approach consistently outperformed the direct approach, both at the layer and profile scale. The non-clustering calibration scenario provided variable accuracy, with R2_val values ranging from 0.52 (direct approach) to 0.70 (indirect approach). The clustering scenario produced more variable results depending on the calibration set used. Overall, this study confirms that Vis-NIR spectroscopy is a promising, rapid, non-destructive, and cost-effective method for SOC stock estimation. However, scaling up its application across agricultural landscapes will require substantial data collection and further methodological refinement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"257 ","pages":"Article 109150"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144072067","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Natural and anthropogenic contributions to desertification in Central Asia","authors":"Yabin Wei ,&nbsp;Hui Tao ,&nbsp;Zbigniew W. Kundzewicz ,&nbsp;Sanjit Kumar Mondal ,&nbsp;Anqian Wang ,&nbsp;Yaoming Li ,&nbsp;Tong Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109154","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109154","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Desertification is one of the most critical global environmental challenges, with significant ecological and socio-economic impacts. Understanding its dynamics and underlying drivers is crucial for developing effective prevention and control strategies. This study provides a comprehensive spatiotemporal analysis of desertification dynamics in the drylands of Central Asia (CA) from 1982 to 2020, employing the Desertification Difference Index (DDI). A non-linear Granger causality framework was utilized to quantify the relative contributions of natural and anthropogenic drivers to desertification across various land cover types. The trend analysis revealed that approximately 14.81% of the drylands in Central Asia experienced desertification during the study period. Pixel-wise fitted random forest Granger causality models identified Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) as a dominant factor influencing dryland changes in the region, particularly in cropland, grassland, shrubland, and bare land. In contrast, temperature emerged as the dominant driver of forest degradation. Overall, 69.1% of desertification in CA was attributed to natural drivers, while anthropogenic drivers accounted for 30.9%. These findings offer pivotal insights into the processes driving desertification in Central Asia’s drylands, highlighting the need for region-specific land management and ecological conservation strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"257 ","pages":"Article 109154"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144072159","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tracking the multiple sources of sediment within an agricultural catchment in Northeast China","authors":"Chengbo Shu ,&nbsp;Gang Liu ,&nbsp;Hong Chen ,&nbsp;Ya Liu ,&nbsp;Chenxi Dan ,&nbsp;Fekadu Fanjana Falta ,&nbsp;Qiong Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhen Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109143","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109143","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the multiple sources of sediment is essential for effective soil erosion mitigation and catchment-scale management. However, in the Mollisol region of Northeast China, the complex interplay of human activities, land use changes and developing gullies present significant challenges for accurately identifying sediment sources at the catchment scale. This difficulty hinders a comprehensive understanding of erosion processes in this region. This study employed geochemical fingerprinting techniques to estimate sediment contributions within an agricultural catchment in Northeast China, utilizing three source classification schemes. The goodness-of-fit and virtual mixtures by using a suite of evaluation metrics were employed to evaluate the performance and uncertainty of the mixing model, thereby confirming the applicability of this technique to the study area. Compared to the two-source approach, the multi-source classification schemes indicated lower variability in geochemical elements and reduced model uncertainty. All three source classification schemes consistently identified cultivated land and gully banks as the primary sediment sources. In the four-source classification scheme, the average sediment contributions from cultivated land, gully banks, ephemeral gullies and unsealed roads were 48.1 % ± 26.3 %, 27.8 % ± 18 %, 19.9 % ± 21.6 %, and 4.2 % ± 3.9 %, respectively. Moreover, spatial heterogeneity in sediment contributions across sub-catchments suggests that variations in key erosion drivers, such as land use intensity and gully density, may influence the primary sediment sources within the catchment. These findings provide actionable insights for targeted catchment management and the preservation of Mollisols in Northeast China, advancing strategies to mitigate soil degradation in agriculturally sensitive regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"257 ","pages":"Article 109143"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144072160","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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 pterins as potential indicators of organic carbon dynamics in estuarine and coastal sediments","authors":"Kang Mei ,&nbsp;Yitong Pan ,&nbsp;Danny Alejandro Osorio ,&nbsp;Lizhe Cai ,&nbsp;Hualong Hong ,&nbsp;Mohammad Mazbah Uddin ,&nbsp;Song Wang ,&nbsp;Xin Xiao ,&nbsp;Xuri Dong ,&nbsp;Li Chen ,&nbsp;Shicong Xiao ,&nbsp;Deli Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109147","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109147","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pterins serve as precursors, pigments, and enzymatic cofactors in microbes, contributing to global nutrient cycles and unconventional carbon and nitrogen utilization. This study investigated the biogeochemical characteristics of microbial pterins in the Jiulong River Estuary and Xiamen Bay, focusing on their spatiotemporal distribution in estuarine wetlands during dry and flood seasons. However, the ecological significance of pterins as biomarkers for carbon accumulation and degradability in estuarine sediments remains underexplored, limiting their application in monitoring coastal carbon sinks and algal bloom dynamics. By analyzing correlations between environmental factors and biological indices, we provide novel insights into estuarine ecological processes. Our results indicate that during the flood season, phytoplankton, including freshwater algae and cyanobacteria, are the primary sources of microbial pterins, driven by high productivity from upstream inputs. In the dry season and under reducing sediment conditions, heterotrophic contributions to microbial pterins become more prominent. Dihydro-neopterin and neopterin dominate in reducing sediments, while biopterin and its metabolite isoxanthopterin are more prevalent in the water column. The strong correlation between chlorophyll <em>a</em> and pterins suggests that microbial pterins co-vary with phytoplankton biomass and may serve as indicators of marine algal blooms. Increased pterin levels signal bloom initiation, while their rapid consumption marks bloom progression. Additionally, sediment C/N ratio and isoxanthopterin levels hint at the potential use of pterins as biomarkers for revealing coastal carbon dynamics. These findings highlight the need for further research on the role of pterins in carbon cycling and their application in monitoring marine ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"257 ","pages":"Article 109147"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144069014","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Seasonal variations of dissolved silicon in a karst bamboo forest soil-plant system","authors":"Lintong Zhou ,&nbsp;Jun Fan ,&nbsp;Rencheng Li ,&nbsp;Richard S. Vachula ,&nbsp;Bin Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109139","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109139","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The distribution and transformation of silicon (Si) and phytolith in soil–plant systems in karst mountainous regions and their role in the terrestrial biochemical carbon-Si coupling cycle are poorly understood. Understanding seasonal variations of Si in a soil–plant system is helpful to reveal the interaction between available Si and phytolith dynamics, and their controlling mechanisms. Soil (O, A, AB-horizons) and different organs (culm, branch, old / new leaves) of bamboo (<em>Dendrocalamus ronganensis</em>) grown on a karst mountain were collected over the course of several seasons. The citric acid extractable Si (citric-Si) and phytolith contents of all samples from the soil–plant system were analyzed to assess their seasonal variations and their links to plant growth and environmental conditions. There was negative correlation between soil phytolith abundance and soil citric-Si content. And the soil citric-Si content rose with months and precipitation increased, were increased but independent on soil parent rock weathering, underground water and organic matter, likely due to rainfall affecting phytolith dissolution. In bamboo organs, citric-Si and phytolith content were increased from culm to branch, and to leaves. However, the citric-Si concentration of the culm remained relatively constant values and showed no apparent correlation with soil citric-Si. Silicon concentration in new leaves was correlated with monthly temperature and precipitation. Our experimental results illustrated that new leaves are suitable for studying the relationships between Si accumulation and climatic variables, whilethe culm is an ideal organ to record the interactions between plant and soil citric-Si concentrations during plant growth. The availability of Si for plant demand is governed more by the plant uptake rate of citric-Si, rather than its concentration. These findings contribute to a better understanding of soil plant available Si management and ecological remediation of karst mountains.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"257 ","pages":"Article 109139"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144069558","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Determination and energy-sediment relationship analysis of erosive runoff events on the entire slope of the Chinese Loess Plateau","authors":"Qingyuan Wang ,&nbsp;Letao Zhang ,&nbsp;Yunfeng Cen ,&nbsp;Tong Wu ,&nbsp;Guanfang Sun ,&nbsp;Yonghong Li ,&nbsp;Zhaoliang Gao","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109155","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109155","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Erosive events are the primary rainfall–runoff patterns responsible for soil erosion on slopes. Understanding the energy–sediment relationship during erosive events is crucial for the control of soil erosion. While previous studies have focused on defining erosive rainfall thresholds, the thresholds for erosive runoff and the associated energy erosion mechanisms remain unclear. This study addressed this gap by investigating a typical agricultural catchment in the hilly loess region of the Chinese Loess Plateau, using data from three entire-slope plots. Two energy parameters (stream energy factor and stream power) were constructed to derive erosive runoff thresholds for the entire slope using frequentist statistics. Based on the energy thresholds, erosive and nonerosive runoff events were separated, and their energy–sediment relationship and sediment flow behavior were examined. Results showed that the threshold for stream power (<em>ω</em>) ranged from 166.7 W·m⁻¹ to 385.0 W·m⁻¹, while the threshold for the stream energy factor (<em>SE</em>) varied between 0.72 and 1.02 W. Area-specific sediment yield (<em>SSY</em>) demonstrated the strongest correlation with <em>SE</em>, predominantly following linear and power function relationships. Average sediment concentration exhibited the best correlation with <em>ω</em> in nonerosive events, adhering to a logarithmic relationship. For similar values of <em>ω</em> (difference ≤ 20 W·m⁻¹), <em>SSY</em> of erosive runoff was 2.07–2.48 times higher than that of nonerosive runoff. Sediment delivery capacity of erosive runoff was 1.03–1.26 times higher than that of nonerosive runoff. Nonerosive runoff showed a greater potential for sediment increment, ranging from 6.05 times to 12.62 times that of erosive runoff. Under the threshold for <em>ω</em>, the sediment reduction benefit from the transition of erosive runoff to nonerosive runoff ranged from 12.3 % to 55.0 %. Thus, implementing soil and water conservation measures to regulate erosive energy and facilitate the transition from erosive to nonerosive runoff is essential for effective soil erosion control on slopes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"257 ","pages":"Article 109155"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144072066","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impacts of land use change on carbon storage in termite mounds of South Africa","authors":"Teneille Nel ,&nbsp;Catherine E. Clarke ,&nbsp;Michele L. Francis ,&nbsp;Brian Sakala ,&nbsp;Daniel O. Breecker ,&nbsp;Timothy Gallagher ,&nbsp;Carlos A. Sierra","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109141","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109141","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Subterranean termite mounds are key contributors to soil carbon storage in the semi-arid landscapes of the Greater Cape Floristic Region of South Africa. This study assessed soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil inorganic carbon (SIC) stocks in cultivated and uncultivated mounds in the Swartland region of the Western Cape. Radiocarbon activities of organic matter and soil-respired CO₂ were measured to evaluate vertical carbon mixing rates within uncultivated mound soil profiles and to gain insight into microbial SOC utilization in topsoils of cultivated and uncultivated mounds. Cultivation significantly decreased total C stocks in mound topsoils. Spatial distribution of SOC, allocation of SOC to different stability fractions and SOC radiocarbon signatures in uncultivated mound soils showed that termite bioturbation facilitated the downward vertical movement of organic material and subsequent stabilization by organo-mineral interactions in subsoils. Spatial association of SOC with SIC provided evidence of biogenic carbonate formation in both cultivated and uncultivated mounds, which may serve as an additional C stabilization mechanism. Cultivation altered SOC stability, as soil-respired CO₂ with lower radiocarbon activity (Δ¹⁴C = −18.6 ‰) in cultivated mound topsoils compared to uncultivated mounds (Δ¹⁴C = 15.7–100.45 ‰) indicates microbial exhaustion of labile SOC and degradation of recalcitrant pools in cultivated mound soils. The findings highlight termite mounds as critical reservoirs of subsoil SOC and SIC in a semi-arid region of South Africa. Cultivation destabilizes SOC stores in mound topsoils, therefore sustainable management of termite-affected landscapes is essential to maintain their carbon storage potential.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"257 ","pages":"Article 109141"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144069013","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Divergent responses of vegetation and soil characteristics to grassland degradation in the Qinghai-Tibet and Inner Mongolia plateaus","authors":"Zhiyong Du ,&nbsp;Nan Cong ,&nbsp;Guang Zhao ,&nbsp;Zhoutao Zheng ,&nbsp;Dongliang Wang ,&nbsp;Xiangtao Wang ,&nbsp;Mengke Cai ,&nbsp;Yiyang Guo ,&nbsp;Yangjian Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109146","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109146","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Grassland ecosystems are experiencing degradation due to drastic climate change and human activities, yet the impacts on vegetation and soil properties across different grassland ecosystems remain insufficiently explored. This study presented a meta-analysis of 215 publications to investigate how vegetation and soil characteristics respond to degradation in the grasslands of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) and Inner Mongolia Plateau (IMP). Eleven key indicators were selected to evaluate the effects of degradation on these grasslands. The results showed that with degradation intensified, soil bulk density (SBD) and soil pH increased (+16.74%, and +6.08%, respectively), while other soil properties declined. Regarding vegetation features, above-ground biomass (AGB), below-ground biomass (BGB), and vegetation height (VH) generally decreased (−95.85%, −86.94%, and −109.98%, respectively). Notably, reductions in AGB and VH were more pronounced in the IMP than in the QTP, whereas other indicators exhibited stronger responses to the degradation in the QTP. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that both AGB and BGB were significantly positive correlated with soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen (STN), and soil water content (SWC). While remarkable negative correlations were found between BGB and pH. Redundancy analysis identified SBD and VH as the most responsive indicators to grassland degradation in both regions. Our findings indicated that degradation severely affected vegetation and soil properties, with regional differences in their responses. This study may provide valuable insights for developing regional management strategies aimed at assessing and restoring degraded grasslands.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"257 ","pages":"Article 109146"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144069557","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}