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{"title":"Holocene vegetation and soil changes in the driest region of caatinga dry forest – phytolith contribution","authors":"Christianne Farias Fonseca ,&nbsp;Carolina Glaeser Beninca ,&nbsp;Demetrio Angelo Lama Isminio ,&nbsp;Altair Bennert ,&nbsp;Luiz Carlos Ruiz Pessenda ,&nbsp;Rubens Teixeira de Queiroz ,&nbsp;Rafael Albuquerque Xavier ,&nbsp;Bartolomeu Israel de Souza ,&nbsp;Marcia Regina Calegari ,&nbsp;José João Lelis Leal de Souza","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109016","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109016","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates Holocene environmental changes in the driest region of the Caatinga dry forest, using a multiproxy approach integrating phytolith analysis, isotopic data (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N), radiocarbon dating, and comparisons with regional paleoenvironmental records. Three soil profiles from the Borborema Plateau were analyzed to study the vegetation dynamics (time and space) and soil formation processes. Three distinct environmental moments (EM) were identified since the last approximately 8 cal kyr BP, marking transitions from humid to semiarid conditions in the study area. EM I (before 3.5–2.7 cal kyr BP) represents the wettest phase, with a predominance of C₃ plants and increased soil organic matter accumulation. EM II (2.7–1.1 cal kyr BP) marks a drier phase, with the expansion of C₄ grasses and reduced tree cover, signaling the establishment of Caatinga vegetation. EM III (1.1 cal kyr BP–present) indicates environmental stabilization, with vegetation and soil characteristics resembling current conditions. The findings highlight the role of climate fluctuations, sedimentary processes, and soil development in shaping the present-day Caatinga, reinforcing the importance of local landscape features in moisture retention. These results contribute to understanding the long-term environmental history of the region and its implications for vegetation resilience and land-use strategies in semiarid environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"255 ","pages":"Article 109016"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143847690","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":"Identifying the contrasting water uptake patterns of dominant afforestation species along an aridity gradient on the Chinese Loess Plateau using stable water isotopes","authors":"Tingting Pei ,&nbsp;Huawu Wu ,&nbsp;Jing Li ,&nbsp;Jianming Zhang ,&nbsp;Ying Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109024","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109024","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Inappropriate afforestation has caused severe soil desiccation and ecosystem degradation on the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) due to poor knowledge of plants’ water uptake patterns along the aridity gradient. In this study, the spatiotemporal difference of water uptake patterns by dominant afforestation species of tree (<em>Robinia pseudoacacia</em>), shrubs (e.g., <em>Hippophae rhamnoides</em>, <em>Caragana microphylla</em>, and <em>Artemisia Ordosica</em>) and natural grasses are explored by stable isotopes (δ¹³C, δ²H and δ¹⁸O). Results from the MixSIAR model showed that water uptake fractions from various soil layers changed from low to middle to high precipitation sites in the drier (2015) and wetter year (2016). The afforested shrubs derived the highest proportions of deep soil water at the low precipitation (LP) site, however, their root uptake depth remarkably shifted towards the shallow soil layers at the high precipitation (HP) site in 2015. In contrast, shallow soil water gradually became a dominant water source for tree and shrubs because of its higher shallow water availability during 2016. This changed root water uptake depth, indicating that the tested afforested tree and shrubs had a plastic ability to adapt their water uptake patterns in variable environments. In addition, results also showed natural grasses predominantly depended on the shallow soil water on the CLP despite the drier and wetter year. We observed significant differences in the relationship between δ¹³C values in the leaves of trees, shrubs, and grasses and annual precipitation. Specifically, the leaf carbon isotope (δ¹³C) values indicated that the tested trees and shrubs had a higher intrinsic water use efficiency (WUE_i) for leaf-level water efficiency than grasses, implying that trees and shrubs presented a competitive advantage on water use over grasses on the CLP. This study also improved our understanding of spatial water usage strategies on CLP plantation species, which is essential to guide future selection of further plantation species selections and management in similar regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"255 ","pages":"Article 109024"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143847816","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":"The carbon sequestration efficiency of conservation agriculture is constrained by initial carbon contents and duration: Evidence from a meta-analysis of experimental data in China","authors":"Ling Shi ,&nbsp;Jianlin Zhao ,&nbsp;Siying Xiao ,&nbsp;Chaoying Zhao ,&nbsp;Yiwen Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109058","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109058","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Conservation agriculture (CA) represents a crucial strategy for enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) and mitigating climate change. Nevertheless, a comprehensive and quantitative assessment of the effectiveness and controlling factors of SOC sequestration induced by CA measures in China remains lacking. Our study compiled an extensive dataset on the SOC changes induced by CA measures in China, derived from literature reviews, encompassing 469 experimental data points spanning the period from 1978 to 2020. Using this dataset and <em>meta</em>-analysis, we quantitatively assessed changes in the SOC content of China’s topsoil (0–20 cm) and identified controlling factors under various CA measures. Overall, our results indicated that CA measures significantly increased SOC by 29.88 ± 6.44 % (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001) compared to the conventional tillage (CK). The highest SOC change rate (SCR) occurred with no-tillage (NT) combined with chemical fertilizer and straw return measure (NT + CF + S). Additionally, NT with chemical fertilizers (NT + CF), chemical fertilizers with manure (CF + M), and manure (M) measures exhibited SCR values exceeding 40 %. It is noteworthy that the application of CF + S (21.49 ± 3.28 %) or CF + M (54.07 ± 4.76 %) led to greater SOC sequestration compared to the application of CF alone (12.95 ± 2.11 %). Furthermore, the annual SOC change rate (ASCR) of CA measures is closely linked to the experimental duration of its application, demonstrating an overall exponential decline followed by stabilization after several years (<em>R²</em> = 0.79, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). Meanwhile, the initial SOC content was significantly negatively correlated with SCR (<em>R²</em> = 0.66, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). After implementing CA measures, paddy soils with higher initial SOC levels exhibited a smaller increase in SOC compared to black loessial soils with lower initial SOC levels. Our study contributes to the understanding of how CA sequesters carbon in soil, which is crucial for selecting appropriate agricultural measures according to local conditions to minimize soil carbon emissions and improve soil carbon sequestration capacity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"255 ","pages":"Article 109058"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143850382","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":"Unraveling assembly processes shaping soil protist community dynamics across successional stages of temperate forests on the Chinese Loess Plateau","authors":"Jinghua Huang ,&nbsp;Jing Zhang ,&nbsp;Tianyuan Huang ,&nbsp;Guoqing Li ,&nbsp;Xinyue Zhang ,&nbsp;Shiwei Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109030","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109030","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Protists, as pivotal regulators of soil food webs, maintain various ecosystem functioning. However, their assembly dynamics during plant succession remain poorly understood, hindering the integration of protist ecology into restoration frameworks. This study investigated the dynamics of soil protist communities along a 160-year forest succession chronosequence in the Ziwuling region of the Chinese Loess Plateau via 18S rRNA sequencing, quantifying assembly processes contributions and identifying key drivers. Results showed that deterministic processes dominated protist community assembly across succession, with homogeneous selection (73.29 %–76.51 % contribution) decreasing gradually from grasslands to mixed forests (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) but increasing moderately in climax forests (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05), mediated by litter/root inputs, soil properties and understory light. Stochastic processes, particularly dispersal limitation, increased transiently in mixed forests (18.21 % contribution), aligning with maximal plant diversity and heightened environmental heterogeneity, which enhanced protist <em>β</em>-diversity (Bray-Curtis dissimilarity). Despite stable protist <em>α</em>-diversity, functional shifts emerged with succession: consumers declined (75.86 % to 62.40 %) while parasites increased (24.06 % to 37.57 %), with phototrophs suppressed by reduced understory light. Co-occurrence networks transitioned from sparse (grasslands) to densely connected (climax forests), showing increased edge number (519 to 1331) and positive correlations (58.57 % to 90.83 %). Soil nutrients (e.g., readily oxidizable carbon, total nitrogen) and plant-derived resources (litter/root organic carbon) persistently drove protist assembly throughout succession, while abiotic factors like soil bulk density (1.22 g/cm³) and moisture (12.83 %) shaped early-succession and biotic regulation (e.g., microbial biomass) dominated late-succession. These findings demonstrate how plant succession restructures protist communities, providing critical insights for soil biodiversity recovery and ecosystem restoration in arid/semi-arid regions like the Loess Plateau.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"255 ","pages":"Article 109030"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143843523","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":"Sediment and soil source apportionment using geochemical fingerprinting techniques in the Winam Gulf, Lake Victoria","authors":"Olivier S. Humphrey ,&nbsp;Job Isaboke ,&nbsp;Odipo Osano ,&nbsp;Christopher Mulanda Aura ,&nbsp;William H. Blake ,&nbsp;Michael J. Watts","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109053","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109053","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accelerated soil erosion is a major cause of land degradation in East Africa’s agricultural and pastoral landscapes with severe consequences for food, water and livelihood security. In this study, we aimed to provide a tool to support the sustainable management of land and water resources in a region significantly impacted by land degradation. We employed source apportionment methods to quantify the relative contribution of sediment sources within the Nyando and Sondu-Miriu River basins and their subcatchments in the Winam Gulf, Kenya. A total of 237 riverbed sediment samples and 76 composite surface soil samples were collected from the Nyando and Sondu-Miriu River basins. The total elemental concentrations of these samples, determined using ICP-MS/MS, were utilised as geochemical tracer properties. Conservativeness index, consensus ranking and consistent tracer selection methods were then used to identify the optimum unmixing tracers before applying the frequentist unmixing model FingerPro to determine sediment provenance. Sediment source analysis revealed that the Ainamutua and Nyando-Kipchorian subcatchments, areas predominantly affected by land degradation activities such as poor crop management practices and deforestation on steep slopes, contributed 39 ± 4 % and 44 ± 4 %, respectively. In contrast, the Awach Kano and Nyaidho subcatchment, with a higher proportion of tree-cover and lower soil erosion rates, only contributed 17 ± 7 %. In the Sondu-Miriu, the Yurith and Kipsonoi subcatchments contributed 68 ± 5 % and 20 ± 6 %, respectively, due to the predominance of forest encroachment and ridges in the Yurith subcatchment. Additional fingerprinting analysis within each<!--> <!-->of the Nyando and Sondu-Miriu basins reveals the significance of land use, landform and soil types on source contributions. Quantifying sediment source contributions within large river basins provides essential information for environmental managers and policymakers developing integrated catchment management plans. The results from this study can be used to implement sustainable land use policy focused on soil restoration in the Lake Victoria drainage basin.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"255 ","pages":"Article 109053"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143843524","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":"Nutrient inputs control the carbon sequestration efficiency of peatlands in the northern margins of the East Asian Summer Monsoon","authors":"Mingming Zhang ,&nbsp;John P. Smol ,&nbsp;Wenkai Liu ,&nbsp;Li Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109057","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109057","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The peatlands at the northern margins of the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) are an important carbon pool for the global carbon cycle. However, the major factors that influence the carbon flux and carbon sequestration of these peatlands remains unclear. In this study, we investigate the carbon flux and carbon sequestration history of the Gangwayao peatland at the northern margins of the EASM to explore these issues. Macrofossil evidence indicates that this peatland developed from a fen to a bog over the past 4700 years. Carbon flux parameters, such as net carbon pool (NCP) representing the carbon sequestration potential, net carbon uptake (NCU) representing carbon input, net carbon release (NCR) indicating carbon loss and net carbon accumulation rate (NCAR) of this peatland were mainly controlled by nutrient inputs. Additionally, correlation analysis suggested that the NCU has significant impact on the NCAR and NCAR, further affecting the NCP. The NCU and NCAR were controlled by nitrogen and phosphorus inputs released by human activity and tephra deposition. The carbon sequestration modes in the study area can be identified as two types. The first type is a high carbon sequestration efficiency mode, when human activities and frequent volcanic eruptions provided nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which promoted the high productivity of peat vegetation and the high carbon sequestration efficiency of the peatland. The second type is a low carbon sequestration efficiency mode, when fewer nutrient additions from human activities resulted in low productivity of peat vegetation and the low carbon sequestration efficiency of the peatland. These results extend our understanding of the connections between human activity, volcanic activity and carbon sequestration in peatlands, which provide a foundation for future predictions of the carbon sequestration potential of peatlands at the northern margins of the EASM.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"255 ","pages":"Article 109057"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143843522","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":"Elevation and seasonal variation patterns of soil respiration components and their influencing factors in Pinus taiwanensis forests in Wuyi mountain, China","authors":"Chenlu Zhu ,&nbsp;Jinlong Li ,&nbsp;Jun Sun ,&nbsp;Xiaocai Ge ,&nbsp;Dandan Hu ,&nbsp;Quanlin Zhong ,&nbsp;Dongliang Cheng","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109055","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109055","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding how elevation gradients influence soil respiration in forest ecosystems is crucial for predicting carbon (C) dynamics under climate change. This study conducted long-term monitoring of <em>Pinus taiwanensis</em> forest soil respiration across elevation gradient and examined the response mechanisms of soil respiration and temperature sensitivity to elevation-driven variations in soil environmental factors in the Wuyi Mountain National Nature Reserve. The results revealed that the monthly dynamics of soil respiration rate closely aligned with soil temperature fluctuations. The Van’t Hoff model effectively captured the relationship among soil respiration with soil temperature, explaining up to 90 % of the observed variation. The relationship between soil moisture and soil respiration was not adequately captured by a univariate equation (<em>R</em>² = 0.001–0.195). However, soil moisture still accounted for an average of 9.62 % of the variation in soil respiration and temperature sensitivity (<em>Q</em>₁₀). Notably, soil moisture exhibited a significant negative correlation with the <em>Q</em>₁₀ of heterotrophic respiration (<em>Q</em>_RH) (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01) and was significantly associated with other soil environmental factors (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). Both the annual flux of total soil respiration (<em>E</em>_RS) and heterotrophic respiration (<em>E</em>_RH) decreased with increasing elevation. The annual flux of autotrophic respiration (<em>E</em>_RA) and <em>E</em>_RA/<em>E</em>_RS initially increased with elevation before declining, while <em>E</em>_RH/<em>E</em>_RS and <em>E</em>_RH/<em>E</em>_RA displayed the inverse trend. The <em>Q</em>₁₀ did not exhibit a linear increase with elevation but rather fluctuated within the 1400 m-1600 m. The <em>Q</em>₁₀ showed a significant positive correlation with acid phosphatase (ACP) (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01), whereas available phosphorus (AP) exhibited an inverse relationship (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01). Overall, random forest analysis revealed that soil environmental factors explained 89.15 %-95.21 % of the variation in soil respiration and its temperature sensitivity across the elevation gradient, with soil moisture and temperature contributing 9.62 % and 5.65 %, respectively. Additionally, ACP, nitrate nitrogen (NO₃-N) and soil organic carbon (SOC) were also identified as key explanatory variables.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"255 ","pages":"Article 109055"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143843525","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":"Effect of intercropping with forage soybean on the rhizosphere soil nutrients of tea plants","authors":"Yuhang Jiang ,&nbsp;Xiaoqin Lin ,&nbsp;Haibin Wang ,&nbsp;Yina Xu ,&nbsp;Wenxiong Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109060","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109060","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Intercropping agriculture has important theoretical and practical significance for solving many problems faced by intensive tea orchards. Forage legumes have great advantages in reducing fertilizer use to increase fertilizer efficiency. Currently, intercropping with legumes has certain effects on improving the environment of tea orchards and tea quality. However, these methods are often not comprehensive enough because the effects of the rhizosphere on the soil fertility of tea plants are frequently ignored. Therefore, four types of planting patterns were tested: monoculture Tieguanyin tea plant (MT), Laredo forage soybean (<em>Glycine</em> max Linn.) no barrier intercropping with tea (IT), plastic partition intercropping with tea (PPIT), and net partition intercropping with tea (NPIT). Nutrient uptake by tea plant roots mediated by forage legumes according to a noninvasive microtest (NIT) showed that the uptake rates of NO₃^– and NH₄⁺ fluxes increased by 95.91 % and 132.33 %, respectively (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). The determination of amino sugars in different tea rhizosphere soils by GC-MS revealed that 6.25-fold more amino sugars were enriched in the rhizosphere. Al speciation distribution analysis revealed that rhizosphere effects shifted exchangeable Al to organic-bound forms, reducing exchangeable Al by 28.5 % and increasing organic Al by 12.7 % (both <em>P</em> &lt; 0.001). Intercropping significantly enhanced tea rhizosphere soil enzyme activity, including 29.80 % sucrase, 171.40 % cellulase, 40.30 % urease and 62.40 % peroxidase. It also had greater 12.50 % MBC, 38.80 % MBN and 17.80 % MBP than those in monocultural tea. Reducing exchangeable Al³⁺ accumulation on soil aggregates enhanced CEC and alkalinity, boosting soil buffering capacity to alleviate tea rhizosphere acidification. The rhizosphere effect increased the temporal stability of the fertility of the rhizosphere of tea plants. These findings will help us better understand the effect of the rhizosphere on soil fertility and provide a solid theoretical basis for tea cultivation and management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"255 ","pages":"Article 109060"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143837926","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":"The Upper Paleolithic paleolandscapes: A record in the paleosol-sedimentary sequence of the archaeological site Kostenki 17 (Voronezh region, Russia)","authors":"F.G. Kurbanova ,&nbsp;E.A. Konstantinov ,&nbsp;M.P. Lebedeva ,&nbsp;A.A. Bessudnov ,&nbsp;O.I. Manakova ,&nbsp;V.V. Ponomareva ,&nbsp;M.V. Portnyagin ,&nbsp;A.V. Pochikalov ,&nbsp;R.S. Shukhvostov ,&nbsp;M.Yu. Alexandrin ,&nbsp;T.A. Puzanova","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Kostenki-Borshevo archaeological complex, located on the right bank of the Don Valley, is the largest cluster of Upper Paleolithic sites in Eastern Europe. Despite extensive research, many paleoecological issues related to these sites remain unresolved, particularly those concerning the history of their surface and pedogenic processes. In this study, we focus on the topography and the colluvial paleosol–sediment sequence at Kostenki 17 (K-17) as one of the most representative sites in terms of landscape record completeness. Our research involved geodetic surveys, drilling, tephra analysis, and a variety of soil-lithological methods, including grain size analysis, loss on ignition (LOI), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), organic carbon content (TOC), and both macro- and micromorphological analyses.</div><div>The results of the research made it possible to trace the stages of the recent geological history of the K-17 site and to reconsider some established ideas about the sedimentation and pedogenic processes that formed the deposits containing cultural layers. We have shown that the K-17 site is not part of a river terrace, as was often previously believed, but belongs to a colluvial cover leaning against the base of the bedrock slope of the valley. Convincing evidence was found for the presence of permafrost and solifluction process, which deformed the so-called Upper Humic Bed (UHB, second part of MIS 3), containing cultural layer I. Additionally, we have identified that the formation of the paleosols within the UHB was significantly impacted by humans. The high saturation of wood and bone charcoal, as well as artefacts, point to an anthropogenic influence on soil formation. For the first time, reliable geochemical evidence has been obtained for the source of volcanic ash at the K-17 site. We made the assumption that the site was chosen for settlement by Paleolithic humans based on its geomorphological position.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"255 ","pages":"Article 109011"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143843521","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":"Response of soil detachment and erodibility to perennial fibrous-rooted vegetation coverage (Stipa bungeana) on the Loess Plateau","authors":"Zhengchao Zhou ,&nbsp;Qunwei Zheng ,&nbsp;Mingyu Chen ,&nbsp;Ning Wang ,&nbsp;Jun’e Liu ,&nbsp;Bingbing Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109043","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109043","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite the widespread application of revegetation for soil and water conservation, yet the mechanisms and pathways by which vegetation coverage modulates soil detachment (Dr) and erodibility (kr) remain poorly characterized. This study examined 5 distinct vegetation coverages (0 % (cornfield), 15–25 %, 35–45 %, 55–65 %, and 75–85 %) of <em>Stipa bungeana</em>, a typical perennial fibrous-rooted vegetation, across 3 representative sampling sites on the Loess Plateau to quantitatively assess vegetation coverage effects on Dr and kr dynamics. Our results demonstrated that as vegetation coverage increased, soil bulk density decreased; while soil organic matter and root properties (the densities of root volume, length, surface area, and mass) improved. Structural equation modeling revealed that Dr, kr, and critical shear stress (τ_c) were regulated by synergistic interactions between vegetation roots and soil properties, with vegetation restoration exerting its primary influence through root properties. The kr was more significantly affected by soil properties (path coefficient of −0.53) compared to root properties (path coefficient of −0.45), whereas τ_c was primarily influenced by root properties. Vegetation restoration effectively reduced Dr under varying water flow intensities, and the influence of root properties on Dr increased with increasing water flow, showing a significant increasing trend in the absolute values of path coefficients (R² = 0.87, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Notably, site-specific variations in erosion mitigation efficiency were observed under equivalent vegetation coverage levels, highlighting the necessity of incorporating local edaphic factors when optimizing vegetation restoration strategies. Future investigations should encompass a broader spectrum of vegetation functional types across heterogeneous edaphic environments to establish a robust scientific framework for optimizing revegetation protocols.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"255 ","pages":"Article 109043"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143837927","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}