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{"title":"Does the Three Gorges Dam cause significant loss in mass accumulation rate and organic carbon accumulation rate?—Insights from the largest salt marsh in the Yangtze River","authors":"Xu Ren ,&nbsp;Xuefei Mei ,&nbsp;Sebastian Sobek ,&nbsp;Jinzhou Du ,&nbsp;Yue Li","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109277","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109277","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Three Gorges Dam (TGD), as one of the world’s largest water conservancy projects, plays an important role in flood control and disaster resistance. This study evaluated the accumulation rate, sources and influencing factors of organic carbon in the Eastern Chongming Wetland (ECW) before and after the construction of the TGD. The organic carbon accumulation rate (OC-MAR) was estimated using ²¹⁰Pb radionuclide dating, δ¹³C and C/N ratio mixing model, and the contribution of rivers, vegetation and ocean to organic carbon in the ECW was quantified. Research shows that the mass accumulation rates (MAR) in the <em>Phragmites australis</em> zone (CM-1), <em>Scirpus mariqueter</em> zone (CM-2), and mudflat (CM-3) are 2.88 ± 1.32 g cm⁻² yr⁻¹, 1.95 ± 0.45 g cm⁻² yr⁻¹ and 1.51 ± 1.22 g cm⁻² yr⁻¹ and OC-MAR are 185 ± 97 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹, 80 ± 34 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹, and 33 ± 15 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹, respectively. Integrated analysis of MAR, OC-MAR, and the three-end-member mixing model indicates that, although the construction of the TGD and other reservoirs/dams in the Yangtze River basin has reduced sediment discharge and particulate organic carbon (POC) flux in the Yangtze River, MAR and OC-MAR in the study area did not respond promptly in the short term. This may be attributed to: (1) sampling area being situated within a sedimentary belt formed by flood-dominant tidal currents; (2) a vegetation-dominated sediment trapping mechanism; and (3) continuous sediment supply from the submerged delta (below the spring low tide line). Results from the three-end-member model demonstrate that the increase in riverine OC input driven by finer sediment grain size and the rise in plant OC due to expanded vegetated area are the primary reasons for the OC-MAR increase. The current global annual carbon loss from mudflats (4.8 Tg C yr⁻¹) has reached 330 times the annual carbon burial in the ECW (1.5 × 10⁻² Tg C yr⁻¹).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 109277"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144563760","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":"Reconstruction of paleotopography of the Yunkai Mountains in south China: Insights into the onset of the Asian monsoon","authors":"Ruxin Ding ,&nbsp;Shengcheng Lu ,&nbsp;Yuliu Chen ,&nbsp;Honghua Lu ,&nbsp;Leyi Li ,&nbsp;Weiliang Liu ,&nbsp;Jiawang Wu ,&nbsp;Ke Zhang ,&nbsp;Heping Zou ,&nbsp;Peizhen Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109256","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109256","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Asian monsoon has a large influence range and a significant impact on the lives of nearly half of the world’s population. Yet, the origins and evolutionary processes of the Asian monsoon remain elusive. The rain shadow effect serves as a pivotal indicator of the monsoon’s trajectory, while paleotopography reconstruction aids in ascertaining the existence or absence of this effect. The Yunkai Mountains, among the highest mountain ranges in southern China, constitute a natural barrier impeding the northward expansion of the warm and humid Asian monsoon. The topography can provide critical information on the onset and development of the Asian monsoon. We utilized apatite and zircon (U-Th)/He data collected from a Gaozhou-Luoding horizontal cross-section to reconstruct the two-dimensional paleotopography of the Yunkai Mountains and determine the mean exhumation rates. The results show the following: (1) The Yunkai Mountains reached a maximum elevation of ∼3.4 km around 80 Ma, followed by an asymmetrical decrease. (2) The relatively high exhumation rate of the NE segment during 80–40 Ma may be linked to the thermal extensional tectonics, whereas the gradual exhumation rate and significant elevation reduction of the SW segment since 40 Ma were likely associated with the impact of the Asian monsoon or fault activity. (3) No rain shadow effect existed in the Yunkai Mountains in the Paleocene. The climate boundary near the Yunkai Mountains in the Paleocene was most likely the northern boundary of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. Therefore, we conclude that the Asian monsoon formed after the Paleocene.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 109256"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144523545","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":"Effects of land-use type and soil depth on soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activities and bacterial community composition in black soil region of Northeast China","authors":"Tongtong Geng,&nbsp;Zhonghua Wang,&nbsp;Qiankun Wang,&nbsp;Qingsong Yang,&nbsp;Junguang Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109276","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109276","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil bacteria play a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem functions and regulating carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles. However, soil bacterial communities in Northeast China’s black soil region remain understudied regarding land use and depth effects. We used high-throughput sequencing and FAPROTAX to analyze impacts of land use (forest: FL, grassland: GL, 20/100-year arable lands TY/HY) and soil depth (0–100 cm, 5 layers) on soil properties, enzymes, bacteria, and function. Changes from natural ecosystems (GL/FL) to arable land (HY/TY) reduced enzyme activity but increased alpha diversity (Shannon: GL:5.185, FL:5.78, HY:5.914, TY:6.267), attributed to high organic inputs with low disturbance. Agricultural intensification enriched eutrophic taxa (Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria) and enhanced chemoheterotrophic (TY vs GL: +77 %; TY vs FL: +13 %) and nitrate reduction functions (TY vs GL: +13 %; TY vs FL: +9%), but suppressed nitrogen fixation (TY vs GL: –32 %; TY vs FL: −55 %). Soil organic carbon (SOC), total phosphorus (TP), and available potassium (AK) drove community composition (p &lt; 0.01). Over-cultivation decreased SOC (HY vs TY: −24 %), TN (−38 %), enzyme activity, and alpha diversity. Vertically, SOC, TN, and enzymes declined &gt; 50 % from surface to 100 cm depth. Alpha diversity decreased with depth except in TY. Chloroflexi increased while other phyla decreased along the profile. Agricultural use thus enhances microbial diversity and C-metabolism plasticity but depletes organic matter and simplifies functionality. Sustainable management must balance productivity with preservation of depth-dependent microbial functions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 109276"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144523650","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":"High connectivity region dominates the critical source area of sediment yield in the Loess Plateau watershed","authors":"Jiaxin Li ,&nbsp;Lei Wu ,&nbsp;Shuai Liu ,&nbsp;Yimu Liu ,&nbsp;Bailin Du ,&nbsp;Huanwei Li ,&nbsp;Zongjun Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109260","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109260","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent decades, soil erosion on the Loess Plateau has markedly declined, leading to a significant reduction in sediment entering river systems. However, the relationships among sediment connectivity, soil erosion, and critical source areas (CSAs) of sediment yield remain inadequately understood. This study addresses this gap by developing a coupled erosion and sediment yield model that integrates the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), the modified Index of Sediment Connectivity (IC_R), and sediment retention estimates from check dams. The Geodetector model is employed to identify the dominant factors influencing soil erosion, while statistical analyses based on land use and land cover (LULC) data are used to identify CSAs. The results demonstrate that the coupled erosion-sediment yield model is both applicable and robust for the Yanhe watershed over the study period from 2000 to 2020. Vegetation cover, slope, and slope length are identified as the primary driving factors of soil erosion. The contribution of sediment reduction by check dams significantly declined from 60.7 % during 2000–2003 to 14.7 % during 2016–2020. The remaining 39.3 %–85.3 % of sediment reduction is attributed to changes in sediment connectivity driven by vegetation restoration and rainfall variability. The contribution from vegetation-induced sediment reduction is expected to increase over time. Areas characterized by both high sediment connectivity and high erosion intensity are identified as key zones for erosion control. Spatial analysis reveals that 76.82 % of CSAs are located in regions with high connectivity. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis identified CSAs thresholds of 10.74 % for forest cover and 27.84 % for source land types (cropland and bare ground). Based on these thresholds, CSAs occupy only 36.54 % of the watershed area but contribute 52.16 % of the total sediment yield, indicating their disproportionate impact on sediment production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 109260"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144519136","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 functional groups govern soil multifunctionality during alpine grassland restoration via turf transplantation","authors":"Ruixuan Li ,&nbsp;Pengpeng Wang ,&nbsp;Qinghua Liu ,&nbsp;Ruyi Luo ,&nbsp;Xueyong Pang","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109269","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109269","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Turf transplantation is a critical strategy for minimizing biodiversity loss in degraded alpine grasslands, yet its impacts on soil multifunctionality—a key indicator of ecosystem recovery—remain poorly understood. Based on high-throughput sequencing, ecological network, PICRUSt2, and FUNGuild analyses, this study investigated microbial traits, plant traits, and soil multifunctionality across stacked (Top, Middle, and Bottom layers) and relaid turfs (stacked turfs return to initial positions) on the eastern Tibetan Plateau. Results indicated that stacked turfs significantly reduced soil multifunctionality relative to natural soil, while relaid turfs partially restored functionality in the Top layer relative to stacked turfs, though still below natural grassland soil. Contrary to expectations, microbial taxonomic diversity and network complexity showed limited correlations with multifunctionality. Indeed, microbial life-history strategies (e.g., resource acquisition strategy (A-strategy)) and fungal functional guilds (pathotrophs, saprotrophs) emerged as primary drivers. Notably, fungal functional redundancy exacerbated soil function decline, whereas bacterial functional shifts mediated recovery. Plant diversity and taproot biomass exhibited strong positive feedback with soil multifunctionality, emphasizing the role of vegetation-microbe interactions. Our findings challenge the conventional focus on microbial diversity in restoration ecology, advocating for a paradigm shift toward functional trait-based frameworks. These insights refine turf transplantation protocols, highlighting the necessity to limit stacking height and prioritize microbial functional resilience in alpine grassland restoration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 109269"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144519137","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":"Influence of biopolymer-based topsoil treatments on surface-subsurface hydrological processes: Implications for protection and restoration of sandy slopes","authors":"Jin Liu ,&nbsp;Runqi Zhang ,&nbsp;Miao Jing ,&nbsp;Simin Yang ,&nbsp;Zezhuo Song ,&nbsp;Wenyue Che","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109266","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109266","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil protection is critical to the long-term stability and ecology of sandy slopes, wherein the surface–subsurface hydrological processes play a central part. This study investigates the hydrological impacts of a novel hydrophilic polysaccharide biopolymer (HPB) soil modifier on sandy soil, examining its effects on permeability, specific yield, runoff generation, water balance, and soil saturation dynamics. Laboratory tests were conducted to assess the influence of varying HPB concentrations (10 %, 20 %, and 30 %) and curing times (6 h, 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h) on soil hydraulic properties. The integrated surface–subsurface hydrological model, ParFlow, is used to study the controls of topsoil treatment on hydrological processes based on a real-world application example at Xinmeng river, Changzhou region, China. Experimental results indicate that higher HPB concentrations and extended curing times reduce soil permeability and specific yield. Runoff generation patterns are significantly influenced by HPB concentration, with higher concentrations leading to infiltration-excess runoff, while lower concentrations result in saturation-excess runoff. The water balance is controlled by the interplay between rainfall intensity and HPB concentration, with higher concentrations and intensities increasing overland flow and reducing infiltration. Soil saturation profiles are controlled by topsoil treatment, particularly with high HPB concentrations, creating a distinct interface between treated and untreated soils and isolating the subsoil from meteorological influences, which facilitates the ecological restoration of engineering slopes. The study provides decision-making support on the use of HPB for soil treatment in environmental and engineering applications, particularly for the stablization and restoration of sandy slopes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 109266"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144523649","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":"Soil pH neutralization by conversion of cropland to forest in China: A meta-analysis","authors":"Debao Li ,&nbsp;Hong Chen ,&nbsp;Yangzhou Xiang ,&nbsp;Jianping Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109263","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109263","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The “Grain for Green” project is recognized for its promotion of soil nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, and soil quality. Soil pH is a key regulator of biogeochemical cycling in terrestrial ecosystems and has cascading consequences for the structure and function of these systems. Nevertheless, little is known about how the conversion of cropland to forest impacts soil pH, and available relevant research is inconclusive. Here, we carried out a meta-analysis using 4240 observations collected from 135 studies conducted in China to examine the influence of afforestation on soil pH. We quantified variation in the effects of afforestation-induced changes to soil pH, identified the key factors underlying this variation, and assessed its consequences. We found that soil pH significantly increased by 1.29% in acid soil (tropical/subtropical) and decreased by 1.59% in alkaline soil (temperate) across China. Mean annual precipitation and temperature, initial soil pH, latitude, afforestation duration, and climate zone were the main drivers of variation in soil pH. Moreover, we found that changes in soil nutrient content and organic carbon were strongly linked to alterations in soil pH following afforestation. Our results suggest that forest restoration changes soil pH significantly, raising pH in relatively acidic soils and lowering pH in relatively alkaline soils, thereby potentially promoting ecosystem productivity and improving soil fertility. Considering the critical role of soil pH in regulating carbon and nutrient cycling, these results provide insight for understanding the long-term influence of afforestation on biogeochemical cycling and can be used to inform regionally adapted afforestation efforts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 109263"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144519135","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":"Similar carbon accumulation rates with distinct drivers in two temperate forest restoration approaches","authors":"Fengfeng Du ,&nbsp;Yimian Zhang ,&nbsp;Lingyan Zhou ,&nbsp;Peter Dietrich ,&nbsp;Guiyao Zhou ,&nbsp;Jing Wang ,&nbsp;Quanzhi Zhang ,&nbsp;Xingchang Wang ,&nbsp;Zhenggang Du ,&nbsp;Xuhui Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109249","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109249","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Forestation serves as a critical nature-based climate solution, sequestering substantial fractions of anthropogenic CO₂ emissions. However, uncertainties persist regarding the carbon sequestration efficiency of planted (PFs) versus naturally regenerated (NRFs) forests, impacting climate projections. Using a terrestrial ecosystem model framework integrating Bayesian inversion and traceability analysis, we evaluated long-term carbon dynamics in 4 NRFs and 2 PFs after 54 years of reforestation in a temperate forest in Northeast China. Our results showed divergent carbon accumulation rates ranging from 135.1 (Mongolian oak) to 400.3 g C m⁻² year⁻¹ (Dahurian larch) during 2015–2100. By 2100, Dahurian larch forests (PFs) exhibited the highest total carbon storage driven by exceptional net primary production (NPP). Hardwood forests (NRFs) ranked second due to prolonged ecosystem carbon residence time. Furthermore, the efficiency of carbon sequestration in PFs correlated strongly with plant traits, especially NPP, as well as the turnover rate of foliage and carbon allocation to wood biomass. By contrast, the carbon sequestration efficiency of NRFs depended primarily on the soil organic carbon residence time, the litter carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratio, and soil inorganic nitrogen (N) content. This study highlights the different contributions of plants and soil to carbon storage in PFs and NRFs and advances our understanding of carbon accumulation between PFs and NRFs in the long term under identical climatic conditions. Our findings provide critical insights for designing reforestation strategies to enhance temperate forest carbon sinks in a changing climate.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 109249"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144513497","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":"Climate change inferred from a fluvial‐lacustrine profile during the Last Deglaciation in the Mu Us Desert, China","authors":"Xingdi Yang ,&nbsp;Xiaokang Liu ,&nbsp;Xiaoyi Cui ,&nbsp;Tuoyu Li ,&nbsp;Zhiyong Ding ,&nbsp;Zhibao Dong","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109265","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109265","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Mu Us Desert, located at the edge of the monsoon region, has long been an ideal location for investigating Late Quaternary paleo‐climate and paleo‐environment changes. However, due to the difficulty in obtaining suitable sedimentary profiles, dedicated studies on climate change during the Last Deglaciation remain scarce. This study focuses on a newly excavated fluvial‐lacustrine profile (FHCM) at the southeastern margin of the Mu Us Desert, China. The profile preserves sedimentary strata from the entire Last Deglaciation. By analyzing AMS¹⁴C dating results and environmental indicators including grain size, chromaticity, loss on ignition (LOI), and geochemical element content, the climate evolution patterns of the Mu Us Desert during the Last Deglaciation (19–12 ka BP) were reconstructed. The results show that: (i) The climate changes in the Mu Us Desert during the Last Deglaciation can be divided into three periods: a period of frequent dry-wet and cold-warm climate fluctuations (19.4–16.8 ka BP), a cold-dry climate period (16.8–14.5 ka BP), and a warm-wet climate period (14.5–12.8 ka BP). (ii) The FHCM profile has recorded at least six climatic cycles. End-member analysis of the profile reveals at least two different transport mechanisms in the study area. (iii) The FHCM profile exhibits distinct signals of climatic events, including Heinrich Stadial 1 (HS1) and Bølling/Allerød (B/A) interstadial, demonstrating that the climate evolution of the Mu Us Desert was influenced by the coupled effects of the East Asian Monsoon dynamics, ice-sheet expansion/retreat cycles, and Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) oscillations. This study provides crucial evidence for high-resolution paleoclimate reconstructions in monsoon-marginal zones and advances the mechanistic understanding of global-regional climate coupling dynamics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 109265"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144513499","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":"Comparative analysis of soil functional indicators affected by forest, shrubland and grassland in a semi-arid ecosystem","authors":"Yahya Kooch ,&nbsp;Azam Nouraei ,&nbsp;Zahra Mohmedi Kartalaei ,&nbsp;Katayoun Haghverdi ,&nbsp;Rosa Francaviglia","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109261","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109261","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil plays a fundamental role in maintaining the health of ecosystems, especially in semi-arid mountainous regions, which are known as sensitive environments. These areas, consisting of forests, shrublands, and grasslands, are influenced by changes in vegetation cover that alter the soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties. Such changes impact soil microorganisms, enzymes, nutrient cycling, and ecosystem stability. However, the influence of different types of vegetation on soil characteristics in this type of landscape is not yet fully understood. To resolve this gap, the current study examined the influence of different land cover types (including forests, shrublands, and grasslands) on soil functional indicators, with a particular focus on fertility and biological properties, in northern Iran. It was proposed that (i) the existence of tree cover improves soil fertility and biological properties, creating concentrated areas (zones) of soil functional indicators, and (ii) the forest ecosystem, in comparison to shrubland and grassland vegetation types, exhibits superior storage of soil carbon and nitrogen. Therefore, three plots with a surface of one-hectare (quadrat area 100 m × 100 m; at a distance of 3–5 km from each other) were selected in each vegetation type, for a total of 36 soil samples (3 types of vegetation × 3 plots within each vegetation types × 4 soil samples). Based on principal component analysis (PCA), distinct differences were observed in the soil factors across the various vegetation types. Soil functional indicators followed a decreasing trend from forest to grassland to shrubland. The results indicated no significant variation in carbon stocks among the vegetation types (42–52 Mg ha⁻¹), while nitrogen stock was nearly twice in the forest (7.40 Mg ha⁻¹) compared to grassland (3.90 Mg ha⁻¹) and shrubland (3.62 Mg ha⁻¹). Our results revealed that earthworm populations, especially <em>Lumbricus terrestris</em>, are crucial in the accumulation of soil nitrogen across different vegetation types. Based on the results, it can be stated that in a semi-arid landscape, woody vegetation, particularly tree forests, can improve soil functional indicators that are also involved in soil functions (e.g., C and N stocks). Therefore, the sustainability of these ecosystems can be achieved through the presence of appropriate vegetation types.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 109261"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144511003","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}