Catena最新文献

{"title":"Enhancing soil health in urban green spaces: The critical role of terrain and hydrological connectivity in nutrient redistribution","authors":"Pengcheng Lv ,&nbsp;Yang Liu ,&nbsp;Xiaoli Jia ,&nbsp;Rui Li ,&nbsp;Honglin Zhang ,&nbsp;Yunlong Zhai ,&nbsp;Tianyu Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109239","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109239","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urban green spaces are essential for maintaining ecological balance, although the distribution of soil nutrients in these areas can be considerably influenced by topographic features and hydrological connectivity. Understanding the interaction of these factors is crucial for developing sustainable land management practices that optimize soil health. We explore the role of terrain characteristics and hydrological connectivity in shaping soil nutrient distribution across urban parks. A total of 40 plots across two urban parks were surveyed to adequately capture variations in topography and hydrological connectivity within the study areas. The research focused on topographic attributes such as elevation, slope, and curvature, along with hydrological factors like flow paths and wetness indices. The results demonstrate that while individual topographic features show limited direct effects on nutrient levels, their combined influence through hydrological connectivity is substantial. Hydrological connectivity was a key driver of nutrient redistribution, highlighting the role of water-mediated transport. Additionally, we revealed that relationships between terrain and nutrient distribution vary with scale, emphasizing the need for high-resolution digital elevation models to capture fine-scale terrain variations critical for accurately modelling hydrological connectivity and nutrient dynamics. Our findings suggest that terrain modifications, such as slope adjustments, microtopographic reshaping, or the creation of artificial depressions, can improve nutrient retention and support sustainable management of urban green spaces. We provide valuable insights for urban land management, contributing to the optimization of nutrient distribution, and the enhancement of urban ecosystem functionality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 109239"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144297364","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 aggregate stability in karst peak-cluster depressions: How do organic–inorganic cements work together?","authors":"Fang Wang ,&nbsp;Juan Huang ,&nbsp;Yuanfeng Yang ,&nbsp;Qiuyue Tang ,&nbsp;Hui Wei ,&nbsp;Gairen Yang ,&nbsp;Xiaoqian Duan ,&nbsp;Yusong Deng","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109230","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109230","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Karst peak-cluster depressions are among the most ecologically fragile regions in China. Organic–inorganic cementing agents increase soil aggregate stability, but their mechanisms of action are not fully understood. This study assessed the relationships between these cementing agents and soil aggregate stability were assessed by analyzing organic carbon (SOC) and calcium forms in each aggregate across five typical land-use types: cultivated land (CL), citrus plantation (CP), plantation forest (PF), coppice forest (CF), and secondary forest (SF) in the southwest karst region of China. The results showed that the mean weight diameter (MWD) of soil aggregates was influenced by the type of land use and depth of the soil layer, and was the highest in the surface soil of SF, while the subsoil of CL was the lowest. The SOC content in each aggregate size class decreased with depth, with the surface macroaggregates (&gt;0.25 mm) containing more SOC; which was the highest in SF and lowest in CL. Polysaccharide-C dominated CL, CP, and SF soils, while Aromatic-C was predominant in PF and CF and served as the key functional group controlling organic carbon and aggregate stability. The calcium content was the highest in SF and lowest in CL, with acid-soluble calcium (Ca-As) being the most prevalent form across land use types. Among soil aggregate fractions, SOC content and Ca-As exhibited the strongest correlations with aggregate stability metrics. Notably, SOC and Ca-As in 2–3 mm aggregates were the primary contributors to soil aggregate stability, both parameters exerted direct effects on the mean weight diameter of MWDwet, with SOC playing a predominant role (<em>R²</em> = 0.680). The study indicated the key mechanisms by which organic–inorganic cementing substances synergistically regulate soil aggregate stability, offering critical data support and scientific guidance for soil and water conservation in karst areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 109230"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144291501","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":"Gully development drives sediment transport efficiency of forest road-stream pathways in mountainous watershed","authors":"Jinhai Yu ,&nbsp;Qinghe Zhao ,&nbsp;Shengyan Ding ,&nbsp;Zaihui Yu ,&nbsp;Yi Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109229","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109229","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Forest roads are a major source of sediment in many mountainous watersheds. The majority of road-eroded sediment is transported to streams via different kinds of pathways (e.g., gullied, partially gullied, and diffuse pathways) on the road-stream hillslopes, which leads to serious hydrological and ecological consequences both on-site and off-site of roads. However, limited research has focused on the transport dynamics of road-eroded sediment on road-stream pathways is crucial for reducing the negative impacts of road erosion. Based on simulated sediment-laden runoff scouring experiments conducted along forest roads in the Xiangchagou watershed located in the Dabie Mountains of China, we examined the effect of gully development of road-stream pathways on the hydrodynamic characteristics and sediment transport characteristics of sediment-laden runoff with different concentrations (0, 5, 10 and 15 g L⁻¹) by manually setting pathways with different gully proportions (0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100%) on the road-stream hillslope. The results showed that as gully development increased, average runoff velocity and energy grew exponentially, while runoff power and shear stress displayed linear increases. The road-stream pathways with fully developed gullies exhibited greater hydrodynamic forces of sediment-laden runoff. In addition, the degree of gully development significantly impacted sediment erosion–deposition ratio (SER, dimensionless parameter) and sediment transport efficiency (STE, %). The SER approached 1 as gully proportions increased, indicating a dynamic balance between erosion and deposition processes, and decreased toward 0 with higher sediment concentrations conversely, at which point sediment deposition dominates the transport process. The STE of road-stream pathways increased linearly with gully development and decreased with higher sediment concentrations indicating that both jointly affect STE. Ultimately, we developed a prediction model (STE = 0.575 – 0.014S_C + 0.490G_P, R² = 0.915, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05) to estimate the STE of road-stream pathways for sediment-laden runoff. These findings provide a basis of evidence for reducing the transport of eroded sediment from forest roads to streams in mountainous watershed from the perspective of controlling gully development of transport pathways.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 109229"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144279769","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 development of biological soil crusts shifts the drivers of soil multifunctionality in drylands","authors":"Mingming Wang ,&nbsp;Boyi Song ,&nbsp;Benfeng Yin ,&nbsp;Ye Tao ,&nbsp;Jing Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiaoying Rong ,&nbsp;Yonggang Li ,&nbsp;Shihang Zhang ,&nbsp;Zihan Kan ,&nbsp;Yongxing Lu ,&nbsp;Hao Guo ,&nbsp;Xing Guo ,&nbsp;Wei Hang ,&nbsp;Jungang Yang ,&nbsp;Fan Du ,&nbsp;Yuanming Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiaobing Zhou ,&nbsp;Jorge Durán","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109238","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109238","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are essential components of drylands, yet the effects of their development on soil multifunctionality (SMF) and the drivers behind these effects remain unclear. We sampled 11 sites in Northwest China’s deserts, representing different successional stages of BSC development (i.e. cyanobacterial, lichen and moss crusts) as well as bare sand areas. We assessed the SMF of the crust layer and underlying soil at various depths (0–2, 2–5, 5–10, 10–20 cm) and also explored the influence of climatic factors (mean annual temperature, aridity, and solar radiation), crust characteristics (compressive strength, roughness, and thickness), and soil properties (pH, electrical conductivity, soil water content) on SMF across these layers. The presence of BSCs significantly enhanced soil nutritional status [soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), ammonia (NH₄⁺-N), nitrate (NO₃^–-N), and available phosphorus (AP)] throughout the 0–20 cm soil depth and increased SMF in the top 0–10 cm. These positive effects intensified with as BSCs progressed from cyanobacterial to lichen to moss stages, but decreased with soil depth. In the crust layer, SMF across all BSC types was positively influenced by our climatic factors. However, as BSCs developed, the negative influence of climatic factors (mainly solar radiation) and soil properties (mainly pH) on SMF decreased, while the positive influence of crust characteristics (mainly thickness) increased. The influence of climate, crust, and soil factors on SMF also decreased with increasing soil depth and varied by BSC type. Further, our findings demonstrate that the BSC development can buffer the negative effects of increased soil pH and solar radiation on SMF while enhancing the positive effects of crust properties, particularly thickness. This highlights the importance of preserving and promoting BSC development to enhance surface soil multifunctionality and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on dryland ecosystem multifunctionality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 109238"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144279745","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":"Landscape evolution and chronostratigraphic correlations of the cave entrance depositional environments and palaeosols of the Gran Dolina unit TD10 (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain)","authors":"Lila Warnitz ,&nbsp;David Manuel Martín-Perea ,&nbsp;Andreu Ollé ,&nbsp;Palmira Saladié ,&nbsp;Antonio Rodríguez-Hidalgo ,&nbsp;Marina Mosquera ,&nbsp;Josep Maria Parés ,&nbsp;Eudald Carbonell ,&nbsp;Josep Vallverdú","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109191","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109191","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Gran Dolina Unit TD10 is a sedimentary succession located at the cave entrance depositional environment of the Sierra de Atapuerca multilevel cave complex (Burgos, Spain). Its lithostratigraphic units include four archaeostratigraphic subunits (TD10.1, TD10.2, TD10.3, TD10.4) dating to the Middle Pleistocene, which have been the focus of numerous multidisciplinary studies. This research is based on the examination of large-format thin sections (14 x 6 cm) cut from monolith samples of undisturbed sediments, combined with field descriptions of TD10. We divide unit TD10 in three lithostratigraphic units: TD10a, TD10b and TD10c.</div><div>Our detailed description and interpretation of the TD10 microfacies classification is guided by facies models and sedimentary process of slope deposits. The primary findings support the identification of distinct sedimentary processes, illustrating the evolution of cave entrance talus scree deposits into stratified slope deposits. Field and microscopic observations of cave entrance deposits are closely integrated with palaeoecological reconstructions, particularly concerning the vanished middle Pleistocene soils of the slopes of Gran Dolina prehistoric site.</div><div>Additionally, analogies with other archaeological sites and soil formation processes provide insights into palaeosol profiles and the formation processes of the archaeological record. Finally, we discuss and formalize depositional and palaeoenvironmental units, correlating them with marine isotopic stages and substages using Bayesian chronostratigraphic modelling and TD10 palaeosols. Chronological uncertainties arise in TD10b between Bayesian dates and permafrost and (paleo-argillic) brown earths buried horizons, which are correlated with MIS 12 and MIS 11 in north-western Europe. TD10a Bayesian chronology aligns with MIS 9 in agreement with a interglacial palaeosol record. This research emphasizes the complexity of cave entrance stratigraphy and its pivotal role in reconstructing past environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 109191"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144272525","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":"Exploring the impact of rainfall spatial differentiation on sediment yield of a typical watershed in the Loess Plateau of China","authors":"Yue Liang ,&nbsp;Wei Qin ,&nbsp;Lin Ding ,&nbsp;Tao Ma ,&nbsp;Zhongbao Xin ,&nbsp;Qi Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109221","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109221","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rainfall functions as the predominant driving force of runoff and sediment yield on watershed scale. However, previous studies chiefly focused on the effects of areal rainfall characteristics at event scale on runoff and sediment yield, yet the impacts of rainfall spatial differentiation at event scale, i.e., the spatial distribution of rainfall variables within the watersheds, remained inadequately explored. In the present study, comprehensive data were meticulously collected. This data encompassed runoff and sediment data from a hydrological station, as well as rainfall hyetographs from multiple rainfall stations within a representative watershed on the Loess Plateau of China from 1982 to 2020. Subsequently, a series of indicators were proposed to characterize the features of rainfall spatial differentiation within the watersheds. Based on these indicators, the erosive rainfall events were categorized into diverse rainfall spatial patterns. The roles of rainfall spatial patterns in influencing runoff and sediment were revealed, and sediment yield regression models integrating rainfall spatial differentiation were developed. The findings indicated that multiple proposed rainfall spatial differentiation indicators were significantly correlated with runoff depth (H) and specific sediment yield (SSY) (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). Compared to rainfall patterns with weaker spatial differentiation, those with stronger spatial differentiation resulted in the substantially larger specific sediment yield (SSY), sediment coefficient (SLC) and peak discharge (Q_max) (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05) of the watershed. The uneven coefficient of maximum 30-min rainfall intensity (η_-I30), the maximum 30-min rainfall intensity of “high-rainfall amount zone” (I_30CA-P) and the IC (index of connectivity) of “high-maximum 30-min rainfall intensity zone” (IC_CA-I30) controlled SSY. The models considering rainfall spatial differentiation outperformed those considering only areal rainfall characteristics in predicting SSY, with higher <em>R</em>² values, lower RMSE values and higher NSE values. These results offer valuable perspectives on the remarkable influence of rainfall spatial differentiation in generating and predicting the sediment yield of watersheds, thereby shedding new light on the exploration of rainfall-sediment relationships on the watershed scale.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 109221"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144272524","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":"Human activities drive accelerated soil aggregation in Quaternary red soil","authors":"Si-Yi Duan ,&nbsp;Zhong-Xiu Sun ,&nbsp;Hong-Bin Liu ,&nbsp;Feng-Kui Qian ,&nbsp;Qiu-Bing Wang ,&nbsp;Ying-Ying Jiang ,&nbsp;Xiao-Dong Song","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109232","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109232","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding aggregate formation is crucial for enhancing soil fertility and ecosystem quality and promoting the sustainable utilization of soil resources. This study examines the long-term evolution of aggregates and binding agents in Quaternary red soil (QRS) under various anthropogenic land use activities. Using a quantitative soil reconstruction method, dynamics of aggregates, crystalline iron oxides (Fec), poor crystalline iron oxides (Feo), and soil organic carbon (SOC) were analyzed since 91.01 ka BP. Results showed significant decreases in 0.25–0.5 mm (MAA₅), 0.053–0.25 mm (MIA), and &lt;0.053 mm aggregates (SCF), while significant increases in &gt; 5 mm (MAA₁), 2–5 mm (MAA₂), 1–2 mm (MAA₃), and 0.5–1 mm (MAA₄) aggregates under anthropogenic activities. SOC and Feo contents increased in MAA₁–MAA₅ and showed a positive correlation (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05), whereas Fec decreased in MAA₅, MIA, and SCF, with a notable positive association between Fec loss and MAA₅ content (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). A model of aggregate formation in QRS influenced by anthropogenic activities was proposed, encompassing four stages: importation of SOC, activation of Fec, decomposition of SOC, and crystallization of Feo. The primary aggregate formation processes revealed that SCF was bound into MAA₁ while MAA₅ broke up. Aggregate aggregation was more pronounced than breakdown. The cumulative aggregation rate of MAA was higher in sparse forest grassland [0.60 g/(cm²·ka)] and woodland [0.38 g/(cm²·ka)] compared to grassland [0.29 g/(cm²·ka)] and cultivated land [0.27 g/(cm²·ka)]. Thus, anthropogenic land use activities accelerate aggregate aggregation in QRS by promoting the formation of SOC and crystallization of Feo.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 109232"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144264006","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":"Slope effects on soil moisture migration and evolution in shallow layers of loess high-fill slopes in the Gully Land Consolidation","authors":"Han Bao ,&nbsp;Chenlin Ji ,&nbsp;Hengxing Lan ,&nbsp;Han Zheng ,&nbsp;Changgen Yan ,&nbsp;Jianbing Peng ,&nbsp;Langping Li ,&nbsp;Juntian Wang ,&nbsp;Guanmiao Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109206","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109206","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Many loess high-fill slopes have been constructed in the Loess Plateau of China, which are susceptible to shallow diseases and disasters owing to water migration and evolution. The existence of a slope surface profoundly affects soil moisture dynamics, thus potentially altering the slope instability. According to long-term, multi-point, and multi-depth on-site monitoring, shallow soil moisture’s migration and evolution characteristics under slope effects were investigated. The influence of the microtopography on the slope effects is also clarified. The results showed that the characteristics under sloped conditions significantly differed from those under flat terrain conditions. During water infiltration and redistribution, the sloping topography shifts the depth of influence of rainfall infiltration downward; the lateral flow duration and the peak of the change rate of moisture content (CRMC) at the slope step were significantly smaller than those at the slope face. During the drainage stage, the slope effect enhances the draining capacity and range of soil layers, with the slope step exhibiting greater draining efficiency. Besides, the slope effect reduces the magnitude and amplitude of soil water potential gradients (SWPG), thereby weakening the intensity of driving force evolution. Among the factors influencing the slope effect, large rainfall events and root plant development promote the slope effects, whereas high initial water content and shallow groundwater tend to suppress it. These findings are of great significance for advancing the understanding of slope soil moisture migration patterns and ensuring the stability of shallow slope layers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 109206"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144264007","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":"Shrub encroachment and degradation impact water balance by altering water fluxes in alpine meadows","authors":"Lirong Zhao ,&nbsp;Kexin Li ,&nbsp;Nufang Fang ,&nbsp;Suyuan Jia ,&nbsp;Zeng Cui ,&nbsp;Yi-Fan Liu ,&nbsp;Shixiong Li ,&nbsp;Xiaoli Wang ,&nbsp;Yu Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109231","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109231","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Shrub encroachment and degradation in alpine meadow (AM) are global ecological problem that may profoundly impact water fluxes. However, the water flux dynamics after shrub encroachment and degradation are poorly understood. Here, changes in evaporation, transpiration, water infiltration, and water recharge for severe shrub-encroached meadow (SM) and severe degraded meadow (DM) on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau were explored through field experiments and stable water isotope methods. The results showed that the soil water evaporation ratios of the SM and DM were 21.4 % and 19.8 % lower than that of the AM, respectively. The average transpiration rates (TR) of the predominant plants in the SM and DM were 33.6 %-39.0 % and 11.8 %-14.7 % higher than that in the AM, respectively. However, the TR of <em>L. virgaurea</em> in DM was 3.7 g H₂O h⁻¹g⁻¹, which was lower than that of <em>K. pygmaea</em> (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Furthermore, the groundwater recharge and river recharge increased significantly in the SM (2.4 times and 1.4 times) and in the DM (2.4 times and 2.2 times) compared to that in the AM. Our findings highlight the influence of shrub encroachment and degradation on the water balance. The results provide a theoretical basis for water resource conservation and vegetation restoration in the AM ecosystem of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 109231"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144262165","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":"Plateau zokor mounds decrease soil respiration by shifting microenvironment","authors":"Fanglong Su ,&nbsp;Fuwei Wang ,&nbsp;Donghui Li ,&nbsp;Yueqing Xu ,&nbsp;Zhongling Yang ,&nbsp;Yue Du ,&nbsp;Renhui Miao","doi":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109234","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.catena.2025.109234","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The mound-building activity of plateau zokor is a common disturbance to alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau, which greatly impacts ecosystem processes and threatens ecosystem stability. However, the effects of zokor mounds on soil respiration (SR) and the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Here, we conducted an in-situ experiment to learn about the effects of new and old zokor mounds on SR in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau. The results showed that both new and old zokor mounds significantly decreased SR, and SR in new mounds was significantly lower than that in old mounds. Structural equation modeling showed that the negative effects of zokor mounds on SR were caused by soil moisture (SM) and soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC). Since SM and MBC will still be negatively affected by the mounds due to their microtopography, the findings not only showed that SR in soil mounds was significantly decreased during the plant recovery but also suggested that zokor mounds might still negatively affect SR for a long period after recovery. This study revealed the effects of zokor mounds on SR and soil biotic/abiotic factors, highlighted the importance of SM and soil microbes in regulating SR in zokor mounds, and provided a basis for estimating the impact of plateau zokors on grassland carbon cycling.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":9801,"journal":{"name":"Catena","volume":"258 ","pages":"Article 109234"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144264010","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}