Search Results - "Loess Plateau"

Although Vegetation Restoration Programs (VRPs) on the Loess Plateau, China, have significantly improved the region’s ecological condition, their impact on the local economy and agriculture remain unclear. Here we used the difference-in-differences analysis to quantify the effects of the VRPs on pop...

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A large portion of the Loess Plateau of China is characterized as “marginal” with serious land degradation and desertification problems. Consequently, two policies, Grain for Green and Western Development Action were established by the Chinese government in response to the demand for ecological prot...

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Clarifying the succession patterns and assembly mechanisms of soil bacterial and fungal communities across reclamation chronosequences is essential for restoring soil health and ensuring ecological stability in mining areas. We analyzed soil microbial diversity, composition, co-occurrence network st...

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The study was conducted in Zhifanggou Watershed, Shaanxi Province, China, to evaluate the effect of different vegetation types on hot-water extractable C, N and P fractions, with the aim to determine whether hot-water extractable fractions could be used as indicators of soil quality change in Loess...

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Excessive use of N fertilizers (driven by high-yield goals) and its consequent environmental problems are becoming increasingly acute in agricultural systems. A 2-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of three N application methods (application of solid granular urea once (O...

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The “Grain for Green” policy has led to a reduction in cultivated land area in the Loess Plateau, intensifying the conflict between ecological conservation and food security. As a key strategy to mitigate this tension, irrigated farmland has undergone significant changes in both its spatial extent a...

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Accurately identifying active gully erosion sites across a small-scale region under typical catchment conditions is essential for effectively managing and mitigating soil erosion on the Loess Plateau. This paper presents a comprehensive methodology integrating high-accuracy digital elevation model (...

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Soil water is strongly affected by land use/cover in the Loess Plateau in China. Water stored in thick loessal soils is one of the most important resources regulating vegetation growth. However, soil water in the deep loess profile, which is critical for maintaining the function of the “soil water p...

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Proper nutrient management and planting density can effectively improve crop yields and economic efficiency. Optimized fertilization and high-density planting measures have gained attention for their ability to balance high crop yields with efficient nitrogen utilization. High and stable yield of ma...

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Afforestation is a key strategy for accelerating greenness in drylands, yet planted forests are threatened by decline (i.e., greening-to-browning reversals) due to increased depletion of local water resources. China’s Loess Plateau (CLP) has experienced significant greening following the implementat...

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Precipitation plays a critical role in the Earth's hydrological and energy cycles， significantly influencing the biogeochemical cycles and energy exchanges on the land surface.In the ecologically fragile region of the Loess Plateau， the spatial and temporal variability of precipitation has prof...

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The forest canopy height (FCH) is a crucial indicator of ecosystem processes, significantly influencing biomass distribution and biodiversity. Accurately and efficiently obtaining large-scale FCH information is vital for monitoring forest health and carbon storage. However, current research and prod...

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ABSTRACT Understanding how ecological communities respond to environmental variation is one of the fundamental goals in ecology. Both intraspecific trait variability (ITV) and species turnover contribute to shaping community functional composition, yet their relative importance in mediating communit...

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This study aimed to determine the characteristics of soil microbial community composition and its relationship with soil chemical properties during natural recovery in the Loess Plateau. The soil microbial community composition was analyzed by comparing the soil microbial phospholipid fatty acids (P...

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ABSTRACT Progressively higher atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition increasingly affects soil ecosystems' elemental cycling and stability. Biochar (BC) amendment has emerged as a possible means of preserving soil system stability. Nevertheless, the pattern of soil–microbial nutrient cycling and s...

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Shortages and fluctuations in precipitation are influential limiting factors for the sustainable cultivation of rain-fed winter wheat on the Loess Plateau of China. Plastic film mulching is one of the most effective water management practices to improve soil moisture, and may be useful in the Loess...

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Accurately understanding the interactions among ecosystem services (ESs) and analyzing their complex driving mechanisms is crucial for enhancing ESs on the Loess Plateau. Yan’an is a typical loess hilly and gully area facing serious population-land-food conflicts. It is necessary to systematically e...

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The fully mulched ridge–furrow (FMRF) system has been widely used on the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China due to its high maize (Zea mays L.) productivity and rainfall use efficiency. However, high outputs under this system led to a depletion of soil moisture and soil nutrients, which reduces its su...

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Vegetation restoration is critical for improving soil quality and microbial community dynamics in degraded mining areas. This study explored the effects of different vegetation types (grassland, shrubland, and mixed grass–shrub areas) on soil physicochemical properties, organic carbon fractions, and...

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Rural socio-ecological systems (SESs) in ecologically vulnerable regions are increasingly threatened by climate change and human activities, with China’s Loess Plateau (LP) serving as a critical example of escalating vulnerability challenges. However, comprehensive studies integrating multi-scale sp...

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