Article
Environmental Sciences
Hang Li, Banghui Yang, Yu Meng, Kai Liu, Shudong Wang, Dacheng Wang, Hongyan Zhang, Yuling Huang, Xingtao Liu, Dehui Li, Long Li, Xueke Li
Summary: This study estimates the carbon pool distribution of Inner Mongolia grassland and explores its relationship with environmental changes. The results show that the carbon storage in the grassland is relatively stable with a weak upward trend during 2003-2020. High temperature and drought environment negatively affect vegetation roots and lead to a decrease in below ground biomass. Areas with low altitude, high soil organic carbon density, suitable temperature and humidity are negatively impacted by temperature rise, soil moisture decrease, and drought, affecting grassland biomass and soil organic carbon. However, areas with relatively poor natural environments and low soil organic carbon content are not significantly affected by environmental deterioration and even show an accumulation trend. These findings provide guidance for soil organic carbon management and protection.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zhi-Hua Zhang, Hai-Ying Peng, Yuhua Kong
Summary: The Grain for Green Program initiated by the Chinese government has a significant impact on mitigating environmental degradation. However, soil water resources may constrain large-scale vegetation restoration projects in arid and semi-arid regions. This study found that soil water dynamics varied with the GGP, with younger restored grassland having higher soil water content than older restored grassland and natural grassland. The results suggest that a soil water deficit could be formed after the GGP's implementation for 12 years in semi-arid grassland.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Juan Hu, Qiang Li, Yingxin Huang, Qilin Zhang, Daowei Zhou
Summary: The effects of long-term grazing exclusion on medium mineral elements in grassland were studied. The results showed that with increasing exclusion time, some elements shifted from roots and soil to other parts, while others shifted from soil to plants.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Moritz Koza, Julia Poehlitz, Aleksey Prays, Klaus Kaiser, Robert Mikutta, Christopher Conrad, Cordula Vogel, Tobias Meinel, Kanat Akshalov, Gerd Schmidt
Summary: This study assessed the potential erodibility of grassland and cropland soils and found that cropland soils are more susceptible to water erosion while grassland soils are more susceptible to wind erosion. Considering the projected increase in precipitation in Kazakhstan, the risk of water erosion needs to be taken into account.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Shuya Hu, Changhui Wang, Anita C. Risch, Yuan Liu, Yang Li, Lei Li, Xiaohui Xu, Nianpeng He, Xingguo Han, Jianhui Huang
Summary: Soil net nitrogen mineralization is a crucial biogeochemical process that affects plant available nitrogen and net primary productivity in terrestrial ecosystems. This study investigated the spatial variations and controlling factors of soil net nitrogen mineralization in arid and semi-arid grasslands, and found that it varies among different grassland types and locations, influenced by climatic and soil factors.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Yanan Wei, Xin Jing, Fanglong Su, Zhen Li, Fuwei Wang, Hui Guo
Summary: This study found that short-term soil acidification has greater negative effects on ecosystem multifunctionality than expected. Plant-related factors play a crucial role in mediating ecosystem multifunctionality, with stronger effects than soil properties and microbial factors.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kai Bian, Cuiping Wang, Yulong Shen
Summary: This study presents measurements of Cs-137 in the Qaidam Basin in 2019 and estimates soil wind erosion based on Cs-137 inventories. The results show that Cs-137 inventories in the surface soil range from LDD to 1,072 Bq m(-2), with the highest values in farmland and the lowest in Gobi. Wetlands have higher Cs-137 inventories compared to their neighboring sites.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jinwei Zhang, Xuefeng Wu, Yujie Shi, Chengji Jin, Yuheng Yang, Xiaowei Wei, Chunsheng Mu, Junfeng Wang
Summary: The study found that there is a unimodal relationship between species diversity and soil pH, and that biomass production did not reach its maximum in patch types with the greatest plant diversity, but live vegetation N storage reached its maximum. Additionally, the largest SOC and SNC storage values were found in the highly diverse patches.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Lawani Adjadi Mounirou, Roland Yonaba, Fowe Tazen, Gebiaw T. Ayele, Zaher Mundher Yaseen, Harouna Karambiri, Hamma Yacouba
Summary: Soil erosion is influenced by observation scale and soil surface conditions. At larger scales, soil loss increases significantly, highlighting the scale effect. Additionally, soil surface conditions have a significant impact on soil erosion, with higher soil loss occurring on barren and degraded soils.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Bing Tong, Jianping Guo, Hui Xu, Yinjun Wang, Huirong Li, Lingen Bian, Jian Zhang, Shenghui Zhou
Summary: Surface energy partitioning, influenced by soil moisture, net radiation, and vapor pressure deficit, plays a crucial role in land-atmosphere coupling. This study investigates the impact of these factors on surface evaporation fraction (EF) using observations from a semi-arid grassland site in China. The results suggest that the effect of one factor on EF is influenced by the other two factors. Soil moisture tends to increase EF, while increased vapor pressure deficit weakens the relationship between soil moisture and EF. Path analysis shows that soil moisture, net radiation, and vapor pressure deficit not only directly affect EF, but also indirectly affect EF through canopy conductance and temperature difference between land surface and air.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Xueqin Li, Yan Yan, Xuyang Lu, Lijiao Fu, Yanling Liu
Summary: Changes in precipitation do not significantly affect the structure of soil microbial communities, but can lead to separation of soil microbial communities in different treatments. The microbial interaction network is more closely connected in the water-increasing treatment group, while there is a stronger correlation between species in the water-reducing treatment group.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Congwen Wang, Zhangkai Liu, Wanying Yu, Xuehua Ye, Linna Ma, Renzhong Wang, Zhenying Huang, Guofang Liu
Summary: Soil microbial communities in grasslands are affected by degradation levels, with degradation influencing fungal community structure more significantly than bacterial community structure. Soil properties, such as nutrients and texture, are major drivers of fungal community composition and structure, while soil pH plays a larger role in bacterial community. This study emphasizes the importance of managing and restoring degraded grasslands by prioritizing soil fungal community.
Article
Ecology
Huilong Lin, Yuting Zhao
Summary: The source park of the Yellow River, located on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, has been experiencing degradation and desertification, leading to soil erosion. This study used Cs-137 element tracing technique and machine learning algorithms to analyze the mechanism and factors influencing soil erosion in the park. The results identified the distribution pattern of soil erosion and showed the severity of erosion in different areas. Additionally, the economic impact of soil erosion was also assessed.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Mirko Castellini, Simone Di Prima, Ryan Stewart, Marcella Biddoccu, Mehdi Rahmati, Vincenzo Alagna
Summary: This article discusses the importance of conserving water resources in the face of climate change, particularly in arid and semi-arid areas. It highlights the advances in ecohydrology sciences and their role in optimizing water resources usage and mitigating climate change, as well as specific issues related to the topic.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yanru Wen, Till Kasielke, Hao Li, Harald Zepp, Bin Zhang
Summary: This study investigated gully erosion in the central Mollisol region of Northeast China, finding that gully density and size have been increasing since 1968, mainly due to agricultural development converting forests and grasslands into farmland, leading to gully erosion. The results highlight the severe impact of gully erosion on the Mollisol region and underscore the need for effective measures to combat gully erosion.
LAND DEGRADATION & DEVELOPMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zul Hilmi F. Saidin, Delphis F. Levia, Hiroaki Kato, Momo E. Kurihara, Janice E. Hudson, Kazuki Nanko, Yuichi Onda
Summary: This study examined the vertical variation of radiocesium flux from branchflow and stemflow through the canopies of young Japanese cedar and Japanese oak trees after the Fukushima nuclear accident. The results showed that the oak canopy had higher concentrations and depositional fluxes of Cs-137 compared to the cedar canopy. These findings provide important data for understanding radiocesium cycling in forests.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yasunori Igarashi, Kenji Nanba, Toshihiro Wada, Yoshifumi Wakiyama, Yuichi Onda, Shota Moritaka, Alexei Konoplev
Summary: The 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident led to the release of a large amount of radioactive materials into the environment. This study examined the seasonal fluctuations of dissolved and particulate Cs-137 activity concentrations in the middle course of the Abukuma River, and identified the factors controlling Cs-137 seasonality. The results showed seasonal variations in dissolved Cs-137 concentration, with an increase in summer and a decrease in winter, primarily influenced by water temperature and K+ concentration.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-BIOGEOSCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Water Resources
Chen-Wei Chiu, Takashi Gomi, Marino Hiraoka, Katsushige Shiraki, Yuichi Onda, Bui Xuan Dung
Summary: This study examined the effects of 50% strip thinning on catchment-scale annual and seasonal evapotranspiration using runoff data. The results showed that evapotranspiration increased after thinning, with compatible seasonal patterns. The STWB model used in this study can evaluate the impact of timber harvesting on evapotranspiration changes.
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yupan Zhang, Yuichi Onda, Hiroaki Kato, Bin Feng, Takashi Gomi
Summary: In this study, we successfully reconstructed the understory vegetation using Structure from Motion and ultralow-flying drone technology in a densely planted forest. We generated understory vegetation biomass distribution models, which are important for evaluating erosion and evapotranspiration in dense plantation forests and future environmental management.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hiroaki Kato, Yuichi Onda, Keita Maejima
Summary: This study examined the distribution of radiocesium from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in a densely planted Japanese cedar stand. The results showed that the Cs-137 inventories were heterogeneously distributed and had weak correlation between the deposited organic material and mineral soil. The controlling mechanisms of Cs-137 inventories differed in different layers. Additionally, the Cs-137 inventory in the soil increased with distance from the nearest tree trunk.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Bin Feng, Yuichi Onda, Yoshifumi Wakiyama, Keisuke Taniguchi, Asahi Hashimoto, Yupan Zhang
Summary: Mechanical soil decontamination is an important tool in remediating contaminated soils. The study found that upstream decontamination caused persistently excessive suspended sediment loads downstream, but rapid vegetation recovery can shorten the duration of such unsustainable impacts. Future upstream remediation should consider pre-assessing local natural restoration and preparing appropriate revegetation measures in remediated regions for downstream sustainability.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Donovan Anderson, Hiroaki Kato, Yuichi Onda
Summary: This study assessed the impact of precipitation on the deposition of 137Cs in forests after the Fukushima accident. The results showed that in areas where wet deposition processes were dominant, dense forests had lower ambient dose rates and contamination levels. Furthermore, 137Cs was retained in forest canopies for an extended period regardless of the deposition mode.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hiroyuki Arai, Takehiko Fukushima, Yuichi Onda
Summary: This study analyzed the changes and migration of radiocesium concentrations in sediments and suspended solids in Lake Kasumigaura following the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011. The results showed that the radiocesium concentration decreased due to riverine input and atmospheric deposition, but remained relatively high. Furthermore, the difference in input between different rivers into the lake is gradually decreasing.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Correction
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Bin Feng, Yuichi Onda, Yoshifumi Wakiyama, Keisuke Taniguchi, Asahi Hashimoto, Yupan Zhang
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hikaru Sato, Maksym Gusyev, Dmytro Veremenko, Gennady Laptev, Naoaki Shibasaki, Yuichi Onda, Mark Zheleznyak, Serhii Kirieiev, Kenji Nanba
Summary: This study investigated the impact of water level drawdown in the cooling pond near the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant on the groundwater system. The results showed that the decrease in water levels led to a significant increase in 90Sr concentration at certain locations and affected the groundwater flow direction and velocity. Therefore, further monitoring is needed to verify the transport of 90Sr from areas of elevated concentrations and its impact on the aquifer.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Isabela Silveira Baptista, Maki Tsujimura, Yuichi Onda
Summary: In this study, a new methodology utilizing stable isotopic concentrations and SF6 concentrations was applied to investigate temporal variations in the mean transit time of spring water in a forested headwater catchment in Japan. The results indicate that the mean transit time of spring water changed after forest thinning, suggesting long-term changes in hydrological processes.
Article
Engineering, Civil
Ayumi Sugiyama, Maki Tsujimura, Yuichi Onda, Koichi Sakakibara, Kosuke Nagano, Shinjiro Yano, Kazuyo Nagaosa, Kenji Kato
Summary: In this study, the spatiotemporal distribution of prokaryotic communities in groundwater and spring water was investigated to examine the relationship between the groundwater flow system and prokaryotic dynamics. The results showed that as the residence time of groundwater increased, the density of prokaryotes in the shallow subsurface also increased, whereas that of the prokaryotes in the deep subsurface decreased.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bin Feng, Yuichi Onda, Yoshifumi Wakiyama, Keisuke Taniguchi, Asahi Hashimoto, Yupan Zhang
Summary: After the Fukushima nuclear accident, the Japanese government conducted extensive decontamination work in contaminated catchments. However, the impact of land use changes on river sediment discharge remained unknown. This study utilized a 6-year database to directly link the dynamics of river suspended sediment to land use changes caused by humans, providing fundamental data for understanding the response of river sediment to land use change.
Article
Forestry
Yupan Zhang, Yiliu Tan, Yuichi Onda, Asahi Hashimoto, Takashi Gomi, Chenwei Chiu, Shodai Inokoshi
Summary: This paper describes an innovative tree detection method using drone LiDAR data from a new perspective of the under-canopy structure. The method relies on trunk point clouds, with under-canopy sections split into heights ranging from 1 to 7 m, which were processed and compared to determine a suitable height threshold to detect trees. The results show that this trunk-section-based method significantly reduces the difficulty of tree detection in dense plantation forests with high accuracy (F1-Score = 0.9395).
Article
Geography, Physical
A. Securo, C. Del Gobbo, L. Rettig, S. Pillon, A. De Luca, D. Fontana, E. Benedetti Fasil, R. R. Colucci
Summary: Small glaciers in temperate mountain regions have experienced significant reduction and unprecedented melt rates in recent years. Some glaciers have transitioned from clean ice to debris-covered or even rock glaciers. This study examines the surface elevation change of the Popera Alto glacier in the Sesto Dolomites using LiDAR and Structure from Motion surveys, and analyzes its evolution in terms of surface cover and geomorphic processes. The glacier has lost an average of 0.35 m water equivalent per year over the past 16 years, with active modification of its surface cover by geomorphic processes. The role of debris and local topography feedback has allowed the resilience of the glacier, leading to a marked difference between the current environmental equilibrium line altitude (envELA) and the effective ELA (effELA) of the glacier.
Article
Geography, Physical
Zhenzhen Yan, Yaolin Shi, Lili Kang, Xiangtao Fan
Summary: This study proposes a quantitative regional deformation model based on global positioning system (GPS) data to quantitatively analyze the morphological evolution of rivers in the Three Rivers Region. It finds that tectonic deformation phases significantly control regional landscape development and drainage features.
Article
Geography, Physical
Said Mukhtar Ahmad, Nitheshnirmal Sadhasivam, Mona Lisa, Luigi Lombardo, Mustafa Kemal Emil, Amira Zaki, Cees J. Van Westen, Islam Fadel, Hakan Tanyas
Summary: In this study, we investigated a large slow-moving landslide in Northern Pakistan, using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) analysis. Our results showed that the crown of the landslide is moving faster than the surrounding regions, while the footslope experienced high deformations. We discussed the possible roles of meteorologic and anthropogenic factors in causing these deformations.
Article
Geography, Physical
Shuang Bian, Xibin Tan, Yiduo Liu, Suoya Fan, Junfeng Gong, Chao Zhou, Feng Shi, Michael A. Murphy
Summary: The Yarlung River's drainage divide is primarily moving north due to variations in precipitation across the Himalayas. The Gangdese drainage divide shows predominantly northward and southward migration, controlled by base-level rise and downstream influences. The presence of north-trending rifts separates the drainage divides into five zones, each with a distinct migration pattern.
Article
Geography, Physical
Joon-Young Park, Seok Yoon, Deuk-Hwan Lee, Seung-Rae Lee, Hwan-Hui Lim
Summary: This study developed a multiple-regression model to estimate site-specific average growth rates of debris flow events. The proposed model was validated through a case study and showed reasonable predictions of debris flow velocities and heights.
Article
Geography, Physical
Nicholas Reilly Mccarroll, Arnaud Temme
Summary: New geochronological data from hillslope boulder armor in the Flint Hills reveal the rates and timing of lateral retreat in the landscape. Surfaces of limestone boulders dating back to the Pleistocene era were found, and the ages of the hillslope armor increased with distance from the limestone bench. The estimated rate of lateral retreat in this landscape is 0.02 mm/yr.
Article
Geography, Physical
Xinbo Yao, Yuntao Tian
Summary: By studying the Longmenshan-Minshan drainage divide, we found that it has reached a dynamic steady state, indicating a balance between erosion and rock uplift. This study also reveals the process of formation and evolution of the divide and raises questions about the effectiveness of divide migration metrics.
Article
Geography, Physical
Junhui Yu, Pin Yan, Yanlin Wang, Guangjian Zhong, Changliang Chen
Summary: The seafloor mounds in the Chaoshan Depression of the South China Sea are identified as mud volcanoes, with fluids coming from underlying mud-fluid diapirs. The hydrocarbon gases feeding the mud volcanoes and diapirs are reasoned to originate from deep Mesozoic source rocks, indicating significant Mesozoic hydrocarbon potential in the Chaoshan Depression.
Article
Geography, Physical
Marius Huber, Luc Scholtes, Jerome Lave
Summary: This paper investigates the relationships between hillslope stability and fabric anisotropy of brittle rock materials and the implications for landscape shaping. It explores the different stability modes and movement characteristics of anisotropic materials, and demonstrates the significant control of material anisotropy on landscape shaping.
Article
Geography, Physical
Shubhra Sharma, Anil D. Shukla
Summary: The study investigates the relationship between glacial dynamics and lake sedimentation during the mid-Holocene climate variability in the Southern Zanskar ranges. It utilizes geomorphological disposition, elemental geochemistry, and optical chronology of relict lake sediment to reconstruct the pattern of minor glacier responses to climate variability. The results indicate six centennial to millennial-scale climatic phases, with warmer phases represented by decreased mineralogical fine grain flux and increased coarse grain flux. The study highlights the potential of relict lake sediment and para/peri-glacial landforms in understanding glacial dynamics and climate change during the Holocene.
Article
Geography, Physical
Jean-Francois Bernier, Sydney W. Meury, Patrick Lajeunesse
Summary: In this study, an approach combining various data and observation methods was proposed to improve the monitoring of landfast ice dynamics and its geomorphic impact on sedimentary systems. The results demonstrate the ability of the approach to accurately measure interannual variations in landfast ice and constrain geomorphic changes. Additionally, the study found a strong relationship between the severity of freezing seasons and the response of landfast ice to hydrometeorological events, with different geomorphic responses observed under different winter conditions.
Article
Geography, Physical
Heping Shu, Fanyu Zhang
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between susceptibility of soil-water hazards and human activities, geoheritage sites in the Loess Plateau, China. Landslide and gully erosion susceptibility were obtained using gradient boosting and support vector machines, and a hazard matrix was formed to couple landslide and gully erosion susceptibility. The study found different trends in the magnification times of soil-water hazards chain under different scenarios.
Article
Geography, Physical
Guangqiang Qian, Zhuanling Yang, Xuegang Xing, Zhibao Dong, Youyuan Guo
Summary: Granule ripples are aeolian landforms armored against erosion by coarse grains. This study investigates their seasonal morphological evolution and migration in the Sanlongsha Dune Field. The findings show that wind events, especially those exceeding the threshold velocities of coarse grains, significantly influence the morphodynamics of granule ripples. The study highlights the importance of considering the reptation and saltation of coarse grains in future research on granule ripples.