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Land
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New Insights in Soil Quality and Management in Karst Ecosystem...
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New Insights in Soil Quality and Management in Karst Ecosystem II

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil-Sediment-Water Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 August 2024 | Viewed by 2548

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Chunlai Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Karst Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Guilin 541004, China
Interests: karst carbon cycle; karst geochemistry; pedogenesis of calcareous and its environmental effects
Dr. Fen Huang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Karst Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Guilin 541004, China
Interests: karst carbon cycle; karst eco‐hydrology
Prof. Dr. Tongbin Zhu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Karst Geology Institute, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Guilin 541004, China
Interests: organic-c quality; microbial nitrogen immobilization in soil
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Hui Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Karst Geology, CAGS, Karst Dynamics Laboratory, MLR and Guangxi, Guilin 541004, China
Interests: carbon and nitrogen transformation process and restoration ecology in karst ecosystem
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce the Special Issue of Land on “New Insights in Soil Quality and Management in Karst Ecosystem II”.

Karst landforms typically develop on carbonate rocks (e.g., limestone and/or dolomite) and are widely distributed on the Earth’s surface, covering > 22 million km2 and affecting the life of 1.8 billion people worldwide. Due to the geological specificity, the arable land resources are limited in karst region, thus people often deforest on sloping land to plant crops. However, this cropping pattern induces some negative effects, such as large-scale “rocky desertification” in karst region. Furthermore, the slow growth and low yield of crops frequently happen to hinder the sustainable development of crop. Except for climate factors and management practices, soil quality is considered to be key factor affecting crop productivity.

Soil developed from carbonate rocks in karst region is characterized by large spatial heterogeneity, thin layer, high pH, calcium and magnesium contents, etc. These factors determine that the utilization of soil resources is extremely fragile in karst region. However, the researches on soil quality of cultivated land in karst region are still limited in karst region than non-karst region. Thus, the theory and technique of cultivated land fertility and enhanced nutrient use efficiency in karst region are the key issues that need to be systemically studied in the future. Within this special issue, we welcome the submission including original research and reviews, which can provide the new insights to assess soil quality and management across a wide range of land uses and land management systems in karst ecosystems. It includes case studies from karst ecosystems and the contributions may include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

  • Land-use effects on soil quality;
  • The managements for increasing nutrient use efficiency;
  • The assessment and monitoring method of soil quality;
  • The difference in soil quality among karst landforms.

Dr. Chunlai Zhang
Dr. Fen Huang
Prof. Dr. Tongbin Zhu
Dr. Hui Yang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • soil quality
  • karst landforms
  • soil erosion
  • land-use
  • assessment and monitoring method of soil quality

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 4074 KiB  
Article
Distribution Characteristics, Risk Assessment, and Source Analysis of Heavy Metals in Farmland Soil of a Karst Area in Southwest China
by Yiqi Ma, Jing Ning, Hui Yang, Liankai Zhang, Can Xu, Chao Huang and Jianhong Liang
Land 2024, 13(7), 979; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13070979 - 3 Jul 2024
Viewed by 443
Abstract
Soil environmental quality related to the residents’ life, health, and safety, has been the hotspot issues in science of ecological environment protection. Evaluating the distribution characteristics, ecological risk, and source of heavy metals in farmland is important for protecting soil resources. The agricultural [...] Read more.
Soil environmental quality related to the residents’ life, health, and safety, has been the hotspot issues in science of ecological environment protection. Evaluating the distribution characteristics, ecological risk, and source of heavy metals in farmland is important for protecting soil resources. The agricultural area of Lianhua town, Gongcheng County, Guilin is a typical karst landform. In response to the problem of heavy metal pollution and complex sources in the soil of this area, the characteristics and sources of heavy metal pollution in the soil profiles from farmland, abandoned land, and forest were studied using the single-factor index method, the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) principal component analysis (PCA) and positive matrix factorization (PMF) model. The results showed that: (1) that the contents of cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) in the soil profile of the study area were higher than that of the soil elements background values in Guangxi. The total and available forms contents of all heavy metal elements exhibited the characteristics of accumulation in the surface profile; (2) among the six heavy elements, the contents of Cd were in a moderately to heavily polluted state. The contents of Cd in some soil profiles exceeded the control standard for agricultural land soil pollution. The contents of Zn and Ni were from slightly to moderately polluted in areas with frequent agricultural activities; (3) according to the PCA and PMF model, there were three main sources of heavy metals in the study area. Among them, Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn are related to agricultural activities; the elements As, Cd, Cr, and Hg are closely related to geological background; Pb and Zn are mainly affected by atmospheric sedimentation of transportation. Agricultural activities and natural geological background are the main contribution sources of heavy metals in soil. Human activities are the main factors that cause the accumulation of heavy metals in soil. This research has theoretical guidance and practical significance for the prevention and control of soil heavy metal pollution and the protection of farmland environmental quality in the region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights in Soil Quality and Management in Karst Ecosystem II)
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20 pages, 6325 KiB  
Article
Characteristics of an Inorganic Carbon Sink Influenced by Agricultural Activities in the Karst Peak Cluster Depression of Southern China (Guancun)
by Ning Zhang, Qiong Xiao, Yongli Guo, Pingan Sun, Ying Miao, Fajia Chen and Cheng Zhang
Land 2024, 13(7), 952; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13070952 - 28 Jun 2024
Viewed by 374
Abstract
Land use in karst areas affects soil properties, impacting carbon sinks. Accurate estimation of carbon sink flux in karst areas through zoning and classification is crucial for understanding global carbon cycling and climate change. The peak cluster depression is the largest continuous karst [...] Read more.
Land use in karst areas affects soil properties, impacting carbon sinks. Accurate estimation of carbon sink flux in karst areas through zoning and classification is crucial for understanding global carbon cycling and climate change. The peak cluster depression is the largest continuous karst landform region in southern China, with the depressions primarily covered by farmland and influenced by agricultural activities. This study focused on the Guancun Underground River Basin, a typical peak cluster depression basin, where sampling and analysis were conducted during the agricultural period of 2021–2022. Using hydrochemical analysis and isotopic methods, the results indicated that: (1) The primary hydrochemical type in the Guancun Underground River Basin is HCO3-Ca, with hydrochemical composition mainly controlled by carbonate rock weathering. (2) The primary sources of Cl−, SO42−, and NO3− are agricultural activities, with agriculture contributing 0.68 mmol/L to dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), accounting for about 13.86%, as confirmed by ion concentration analysis and isotope verification. (3) The size of the depression area is proportional to the contribution of agricultural activities to DIC, while also being influenced by dilution effects. A comparison was made regarding the contribution of other land use types to DIC. The impact of land use on DIC in karst processes should not be overlooked, and zoning and classification assessments of carbon sink flux under different influencing factors contribute to carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights in Soil Quality and Management in Karst Ecosystem II)
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21 pages, 6024 KiB  
Article
The Spatiotemporal Variability of Soil Available Phosphorus and Potassium in Karst Region: The Crucial Role of Socio-Geographical Factors
by Weichun Zhang, Yunyi Zhang, Xin Zhang, Wei Wu and Hongbin Liu
Land 2024, 13(6), 882; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060882 - 18 Jun 2024
Viewed by 440
Abstract
The contents of soil available phosphorus (AVP) and potassium (AVK) in karstic mountainous agricultural areas have changed rapidly in recent decades. This temporal variation displays strong spatial heterogeneity due to these areas’ complex topography and anthropogenic activities. Socio-geographical factors can reflect the changes [...] Read more.
The contents of soil available phosphorus (AVP) and potassium (AVK) in karstic mountainous agricultural areas have changed rapidly in recent decades. This temporal variation displays strong spatial heterogeneity due to these areas’ complex topography and anthropogenic activities. Socio-geographical factors can reflect the changes in the natural environment caused by human beings, and our objective is to enhance understanding of their role in explaining the changes of AVP and AVK. In a typical karst region (611.5 km2) with uniform soil parent material and low climatic variability, 255 topsoil samples (138 in 2012 and 117 in 2021) were collected to quantify the temporal AVP and AVK changes. Random forest (RF) and partial dependence plot analyses were conducted to investigate the responses of these changes to socio-geographical factors (distance from the nearest town center [DFT] and village density [VD]), topography, biology, and landscape pattern indexes. The mean values of AVP (48.25 mg kg−1) and AVK (357.67 mg kg−1) in 2021 were significantly (p < 0.01) higher than those in 2012 (28.84 mg kg−1 and 131.67 mg kg−1, respectively). Semi-variance analysis showed strong spatial autocorrelation for AVP and AVK, ranging from 7.29% to 10.95% and 13.31% to 10.33% from 2012 to 2021, respectively. Adding socio-geographical factors can greatly improve the explanatory power of RF modeling for AVP and AVK changes by 19% and 27%, respectively. DFT and VD emerged as the two most important variables affecting these changes, followed by elevation. These three variables all demonstrated clear nonlinear threshold effects on AVP and AVK changes. A strong accumulation of AVP and AVK was observed at DFT < 5 km and VD > 20. The AVP changes increased dramatically when the elevation ranged between 1298 m and 1390 m, while the AVK changes decreased rapidly when the elevation ranged between 1350 m and 1466 m. The interaction effects of DFT and VD with elevation on these changes were also demonstrated. Overall, this study examined the important role of socio-geographical factors and their nonlinear threshold and interaction effects on AVP and AVK changes. The findings help unravel the complex causes of these changes and thus contribute to the design of optimal soil phosphorus and potassium management strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights in Soil Quality and Management in Karst Ecosystem II)
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Review

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19 pages, 5227 KiB  
Review
Matched Relationships and Mechanisms of Water and Land Resources in Karst Mountainous Areas: A Review
by Xiaofei Pang, Binggeng Xie, Xuemao Zhang, Jing Xie and Jianyong Xiao
Land 2024, 13(6), 813; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060813 - 6 Jun 2024
Viewed by 465
Abstract
The matching relationship between water and land resources in the karst mountains is closely related to regional ecological and environmental security, human well-being, and high-quality socio-economic development. Based on a massive literature review, this review systematically summarizes the research overview, development process, and [...] Read more.
The matching relationship between water and land resources in the karst mountains is closely related to regional ecological and environmental security, human well-being, and high-quality socio-economic development. Based on a massive literature review, this review systematically summarizes the research overview, development process, and matching mechanism of karst water and land resources. The results show the following: (1) Since 1990, the number of publications on karst water and land resources has shown a steady upward trend, with the journals covering multiple fields, characterized by multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary features. (2) The matching relationship between water and land resources in karst mountainous areas has experienced three stages: “single element–binary matching–multiple coupling”. It reveals the evolutionary process from focusing on the single internal system of water and land resources to focusing on the mutual matching relationship between water and land resources, and then to the study of multiple coupling between water and land resources system and other external systems. (3) The internal coordinated development of the water and land resources system in karst mountainous areas depends on the joint interactions of natural, economic, and social factors, while the external matching mainly focuses on the mechanism around the three aspects of water and land resources and agricultural production, ecological environment, and economic and social development. Furthermore, the review proposes that future research should explore the matching of water and land resources in karst mountainous areas through theoretical framework construction, model innovation, scale refinement, and mechanism analysis. The expected results will provide a scientific reference for advancing theoretical research on karst water and land resources and optimizing their management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Insights in Soil Quality and Management in Karst Ecosystem II)
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