Analysis of Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Soil Erosion in the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau during 2000–2030
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe paper provides an in-depth study of the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of soil erosion and its driving factors on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau from 2000 to 2020 based on the RULSE model. It also uses the PLUS model to predict land use for 2025 and 2030, simulating future soil erosion. The research results are of great guidance for soil and water conservation work in the region. The structure of the article is clear, and the language is fluent. However, there are still some issues that need further explanation and clarification by the authors. Therefore, it is recommended that the manuscript undergo minor revisions before acceptance.
1. Introduction: The necessity and innovation of the study are not well presented. It is suggested to explain in the introduction why the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau was chosen as the study area and the impact of land use on soil erosion.
2. Line 137-138: The phrase “The soil erosion modulus of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau from 2025 to 2050 was predicted with the assistance of the PLUS model” is unclear.
3. Future Soil Erosion Calculation: There is no detailed description of the predictive data used for future soil erosion calculations. It is suggested to add a description of the data used.
4. Parameter Values: The parameter values (p-values) for construction land and unused land are missing.
5. Line 348: The statement “river water had a significant role in soil erosion in this area” is mentioned, but this viewpoint is not reflected in the previous text. Please add descriptions in the text to support this statement.
6. Figure 3: According to the calculations based on the actual data from 2000-2020, the soil erosion modulus shows a decreasing trend year by year. However, in the future soil erosion calculations for 2025 and 2030, the soil erosion modulus shows an increasing trend. If possible, explain the possible reasons for this phenomenon and add corresponding analysis or discussion.
7. Future Soil Erosion Calculation Method: Although the future soil erosion calculation from the perspective of land use can somewhat reflect the impact of human activities on soil loss, changes in vegetation cover due to changes in land use should also be considered. Therefore, it is suggested to reconsider the rationality of the future soil erosion calculation method.
8. 2020 Grassland Soil Erosion Modulus: The article mentions that the soil erosion modulus for grassland in 2020 is the highest. If possible, explain the possible reasons for this phenomenon and add corresponding analysis or discussion.
9. Line 475-477: Verify if “Shandong Province” is a typographical error. If it is incorrect, correct it to the actual location name.
10. Figure Presentation: Please standardize the presentation of figures, such as Figures 5 and 9.
11. Please indicate the coordinate system used in the paper.
12. In sections 3.3 to 3.6, what relationship is intended to be expressed, and why are some factors investigated for their influence after establishing correlations? If the goal is merely to describe spatial distribution, what is the issue to be addressed by the centroid changes in land use types? It is recommended to reorganize the logical relationships, ensure that the process from correlation analysis to factor influence investigation is rational, and add language descriptions to clarify the purpose and results of each step.
Comments on the Quality of English Languageok
Author Response
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Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsGeomatics
Analysis of spatial and temporal patterns of soil erosion on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau during 2000-2030.
Manuscript ID: geomatics-3143392
For Author
This paper deal is: “Analysis of spatial and temporal patterns of soil erosion on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau during 2000-2030”.
Comments:
Abstract: Suggestions for improvement
1) Provide more specific details about the study area, the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, to give the reader a better understanding of the geographical context.
2) Clarify the main objective of the study, which seems to be predicting future soil erosion patterns using the RUSLE and PLUS models, and highlight the novelty of this approach.
3) Summarize the key findings more concisely, focusing on the trends in soil erosion modulus, the shifts in the centers of gravity for different land use types, and the identified hotspots of severe erosion.
4) Discuss the significance of the drivers of soil erosion analysis, particularly the strong explanatory power of evapotranspiration (ET), and how this contributes to the scientific understanding of the erosion processes.
5) Emphasize the practical implications and applications of the study's findings, such as providing a scientific basis for rational prevention and management of soil erosion in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau.
Introduction: Suggestions for improvement
6) Provide more context and background information on the importance of studying soil erosion, particularly in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau region.
7) Clearly state the research objectives and hypotheses of the study.
8) Discuss the limitations of previous studies and how this study aims to address them.
9) Highlight the novelty and significance of using the PLUS model to predict future land use changes and integrate it with the RUSLE model.
10) Specify the time period covered by the study and justify the choice of the 2000-2030 timeframe.
Methodology: Suggestions for improvement
11) Provide more details on the data sources and preprocessing steps for the various input variables used in the RUSLE and PLUS models.
12) Explain the rationale behind the selection of the PLUS model and its specific parameterization for this study.
13) Discuss the limitations and potential sources of uncertainty in the RUSLE and PLUS model applications.
14) Describe the steps taken to validate the PLUS model predictions, including the reported kappa coefficient.
15) Clarify how the future rainfall data was obtained and the assumptions made in incorporating it into the RUSLE model.
Results: Suggestions for improvement
16) Present the results in a more structured and coherent manner, with clear subsections for each key finding.
17) Provide visual aids (e.g., maps, graphs, tables) to better illustrate the spatial and temporal patterns of soil erosion.
18) Discuss the significance and plausibility of the projected decrease in soil erosion modulus from 2025 to 2030.
19) Analyze the implications of the observed shifts in the centers of gravity for different land use types.
20) Clearly identify the areas with the most severe soil erosion and discuss the potential drivers behind this spatial pattern.
Discussion: Suggestions for improvement
21) Critically evaluate the strengths and limitations of the combined RUSLE and PLUS modeling approach compared to previous studies.
22) Discuss the potential drivers and underlying mechanisms behind the projected trends in soil erosion, beyond the analysis provided in the results.
23) Contextualize the findings within the broader literature on soil erosion in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and other similar regions.
24) Highlight the potential applications and policy implications of the study's findings for soil erosion management and ecological conservation.
25) Acknowledge any uncertainties or assumptions that could affect the interpretation and generalization of the results.
Conclusions: Suggestions for improvement
26) Clearly summarize the key findings and their significance in a concise manner.
27) Emphasize the main conclusions that can be drawn from the study and their scientific and practical relevance.
28) Discuss the potential limitations of the study and suggest directions for future research to address them.
29) Outline the broader implications of the study for understanding and managing soil erosion dynamics in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau.
30) Provide a clear and coherent take-home message for the readers.
References: Suggestions for improvement
31) Authors should be added few recent references in introduction, data, methods and discussions.
32) Change the format of references according to the requirement of the journal.
33) References cited in the text must appear in the list of references.
34) You will find some new related references, which should be added to the literature review.
35) Digital Object Identifier (DOI) for the references should be added.
36) Some References are cited in the body but their bibliographic information is missing. Kindly provide its bibliographic information in the list.
Comments on the Quality of English Language
None
Author Response
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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe essay ID geomatics-3143392 submitted to the journal geomatics addresses a relevant topic, as it seeks to estimate future erosion and thus allow mitigation measures to be taken in advance.
However, the article presents serious typing and writing problems. Many of these problems were pointed out in the revised article (attached).
Keywords should not repeat words or expressions from the title.
The text is often verbose and should be more objective.
Citations should be rigorously reviewed and corrected, as some citations do not correspond to the references, which makes it difficult to check whether the other citations are correct. Many citations are in superscript.
Equations should be typed with the appropriate mathematical symbols.
Figure names in the text should be standardized.
Figures should be given the unit km instead of KM (Figure 9).
The text cites supplementary material, but this material is not available for review.
Discussions are poorly developed and conclusions should be more objective.
The bibliographical references do not follow the journal's rules and are not standardized. They must follow the geomatics rules.
Comments for author File: Comments.pdf
Author Response
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Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Round 2
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe authors have satisfactorily responded to the requests for improvements to the article. However, they need to correct the cited references. In some cases indicated in the attached text, the numbers do not correspond to the reference itself. This causes a problem that will get worse as you read on.
Numbers should also use commas to separate thousands in numbers with more than 4 digits.
Comments for author File: Comments.pdf
Author Response
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Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
