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Copyright of Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology / Yingyong Shengtai Xuebao is the property of Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Wind erosion is recognized as one of the main environmental issues and seriously threatens ecosystem services in the Yarlung Zangbo River basin (YZRB), southern Tibetan Plateau. Exploring the spatiotemporal dynamics and drivers of wind erosion is crucial for improving regional ecosystem services and sustainable development. This study was conducted to examine the spatiotemporal patterns of soil wind erosion modulus (SWEM) in YZRB from 1990 to 2020 by using the revised wind erosion equation (RWEQ) and to identify the influence of climate change and anthropogenic activities on wind erosion dynamics. The results showed that temporally, the overall SWEM presented a significant downward trend (−0.912 t·hm−2·a−1) and a continuous downward trend in the key implementation areas of ecological engineering. Spatially, the severe area of wind erosion is mainly concentrated in the flat and broad river valley, where sand sources are widely distributed. Significant SWEM differences were found among various land use/cover (LULC) types. Exceeding 90% reduction rates in SWEM occurred in forests, grasslands, and cultivated land. Additionally, the influence analysis showed that climate change was the dominant factor driving the variations in wind erosion due to the reduction of wind speed. By contrast, the contribution of anthropogenic activities is relatively less, accounting for 43.50% of wind erosion change, which closely matches the transfer of LULC to grassland and forest land with the implementation area of ecological engineering projects. This study provides useful information on the driving mechanism of wind erosion, prevention service changes, and determining priority zones for desertification prevention in YZRB. We suggest that eco-restoration activities should be endorsed in the future, as well as the adaptive management that is required to control wind erosion and improve ecosystem services and human well-being for people in the YZRB region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Ecology & Rural Environment is the property of Journal of Ecology & Rural Environment Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Wind erosion is recognized as one of the main environmental issues and seriously threatens ecosystem services in the Yarlung Zangbo River basin (YZRB), southern Tibetan Plateau. Exploring the spatiotemporal dynamics and drivers of wind erosion is crucial for improving regional ecosystem services and sustainable development. This study was conducted to examine the spatiotemporal patterns of soil wind erosion modulus (SWEM) in YZRB from 1990 to 2020 by using the revised wind erosion equation (RWEQ) and to identify the influence of climate change and anthropogenic activities on wind erosion dynamics. The results showed that temporally, the overall SWEM presented a significant downward trend (−0.912 t·hm−2·a−1) and a continuous downward trend in the key implementation areas of ecological engineering. Spatially, the severe area of wind erosion is mainly concentrated in the flat and broad river valley, where sand sources are widely distributed. Significant SWEM differences were found among various land use/cover (LULC) types. Exceeding 90% reduction rates in SWEM occurred in forests, grasslands, and cultivated land. Additionally, the influence analysis showed that climate change was the dominant factor driving the variations in wind erosion due to the reduction of wind speed. By contrast, the contribution of anthropogenic activities is relatively less, accounting for 43.50% of wind erosion change, which closely matches the transfer of LULC to grassland and forest land with the implementation area of ecological engineering projects. This study provides useful information on the driving mechanism of wind erosion, prevention service changes, and determining priority zones for desertification prevention in YZRB. We suggest that eco-restoration activities should be endorsed in the future, as well as the adaptive management that is required to control wind erosion and improve ecosystem services and human well-being for people in the YZRB region.

Inner Mongolia is the important ecological barrier zone in northern China, which plays an important role in the prevention and control of wind in the regional ecosystem. Based on the Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ) model and the cost-recovery method, this study simulated the wind erosion prevention service (WEPS) in Inner Mongolia in 2010 and 2015, investigated the spatial pattern of material and monetary value of WEPS, and analyzed the differences among various cities and various ecosystems. The results indicated that the total WEPS of Inner Mongolia was estimated to be 73.87×108 t in 2015, which was 4.61×108 t less than in 2010, while the monetary value of WEPS was calculated to be 738.66×108 yuan in 2015, which was 46.16×108 yuan less than in 2010. Among all the leagues and cities, Xilin Gol League supported the highest WEPS, reaching 18.65×108 t in 2015, while Wuhai provided the lowest. The WEPS of Hulunbeier increased the most, by 4.37×108 t from 2010 to 2015. The WEPS in the grassland ecosystem was the highest among the different ecosystems, accounting for more than 55% of the total WEPS in Inner Mongolia, but it was reduced by 1.05×108 t during the same period. The WEPS in the forest ecosystem increased the most, reaching 0.19×108 t. This study found that the implementation of projects such as returning farmland to forests and grasses and sand control effectively increased the WEPS by increasing the forest area. However, unsuitable land use increased the desertification of ecosystems which resulted in a reduction of WEPS in Inner Mongolia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil loss prevention is an important ecosystem service for protecting human and environmental health. Using spatiotemporal climate and environmental data of the Eastern Gobi Steppe, a region missing from previous studies of Mongolian wind-based soil erosion, we implemented the Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ) model to estimate soil loss. A replicable pipeline was developed to perform these computations, and made available openly. Soil loss was estimated on a monthly basis to analyze seasonal variations. The results show that the annual total soil loss was 61 × 1010 kg over an area of 69.3 × 103 km2, which is about 90 tonnes per hectare. Increasing fractional vegetation coverage to a uniform 50% coverage (doubling current vegetation coverage in every 1 km2) could reduce soil loss by 60%, highlighting the importance of protecting and increasing vegetation coverage in ecosystem service preservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem service research is essential to identify the contribution of the ecosystem to human welfare. As an important ecological barrier zone, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) supports the use of a crucial wind erosion prevention service (WEPS) to improve the ecological environment quality. This study simulated the spatiotemporal patterns of the WEPS based on the Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ) and its driving factors. From 2000 to 2015, the total WEPS provided in the QTP ranged from 1.75 × 109 kg to 2.52 × 109 kg, showing an increasing and then decreasing trend. The average WEPS service per unit area was between 0.72 kg m−2 and 1.06 kg m−2. The high-value areas were concentrated in the northwest and north of the QTP, and the total WEPS in different areas varied significantly from year to year. The average retention rate of the WEPS in the QTP was estimated to be 57.24–62.10%, and high-value areas were mainly located in the southeast of the QTP. The total monetary value of the WEPS in the QTP was calculated to be between 223.56 × 109 CNY and 321.73 × 109 CNY, and the average WEPS per unit area was between 0.08 CNY m−2 and 0.13 CNY m−2, showing a declining–rising–declining trend. The high-value areas gradually expanded to the west and east of the QTP. The slope was the most important factor controlling the spatial differentiation of the WEPS, followed by the landform type, average annual precipitation, and average annual wind speed, and human activities such as land-use change could improve the WEPS by returning farmland to grassland and desertification control in the QTP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various large-scale risk maps show that the eastern part of Austria, in particular the Pannonian Basin, is one of the regions in Europe most vulnerable to wind erosion. However, comprehensive assessments of the severity and the extent of wind erosion risk are still lacking for this region. This study aimed to prove the results of large-scale maps by developing high-resolution maps of wind erosion risk for the target area. For this, we applied a qualitative soil erosion assessment (DIN 19706) with lower data requirements and a more data-demanding revised wind erosion equation (RWEQ) within a GIS application to evaluate the process of assessing wind erosion risk. Both models defined similar risk areas, although the assignment of severity classes differed. Most agricultural fields in the study area were classified as not at risk to wind erosion (DIN 19706), whereas the mean annual soil loss rate modeled by RWEQ was 3.7 tha-1 yr-1. August was the month with the highest modeled soil loss (average of 0.49 tha-1 month-1), due to a low percentage of vegetation cover and a relatively high weather factor combining wind speed and soil moisture effects. Based on the results, DIN 19706 is suitable for a general classification of wind erosion-prone areas, while RWEQ can derive additional information such as seasonal distribution and soil loss rates besides the spatial extents of wind erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change influences both ecosystems and ecosystem services. The impacts of climate change on ecosystems and ecosystem services have been separately documented. However, it is less well known how ecosystem changes driven by climate change will influence ecosystem services, especially in climate-sensitive regions. Here, we analyzed future climate trends between 2040 and 2100 under four Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP2-4.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 6 (CMIP6). We quantified their impacts on ecosystems patterns and on the ecosystem service of sandstorm prevention on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), one of the most climate-sensitive regions in the world, using Random Forest model (RF) and Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ). Strong warming (0.04°C/yr) and wetting (0.65 mm/yr) trends were projected from 2015 to 2100. Under these trends, there will be increased interspersion in the pattern of grassland and sparse vegetation with meadow and swamp vegetation, although their overall area will remain similar, while the areas of shrub and needle-leaved forest classes will increase and move toward higher altitudes. Driven by the changes in ecosystem patterns caused by climate change indirectly, grassland will play an irreplaceable role in providing sandstorm prevention services, and sandstorm prevention services will increase gradually from 2040 to 2100 (1.059–1.070 billion tons) on the QTP. However, some areas show a risk of deterioration in the future and these should be the focus of ecological rehabilitation. Our research helps to understand the cascading relationship among climate change, ecosystem patterns and ecosystem services, which provides important spatio-temporal information for future ecosystem service management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil loss prevention is an important ecosystem service for protecting human and environmental health. Using spatiotemporal climate and environmental data of the Eastern Gobi Steppe, a region missing from previous studies of Mongolian wind-based soil erosion, we implemented the Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ) model to estimate soil loss. A replicable pipeline was developed to perform these computations, and made available openly. Soil loss was estimated on a monthly basis to analyze seasonal variations. The results show that the annual total soil loss was 61 × 1010 kg over an area of 69.3 × 103 km2, which is about 90 tonnes per hectare. Increasing fractional vegetation coverage to a uniform 50% coverage (doubling current vegetation coverage in every 1 km2) could reduce soil loss by 60%, highlighting the importance of protecting and increasing vegetation coverage in ecosystem service preservation.

• The dynamics of sand fixation was identified in northern China from 1981 to 2015. • Effect of climate change on sand fixation was more significant than effect of LUCC. • Solar radiation was the dominant climatic factor for sand fixation changes. • Desertification control had a great influence on the increase of sand fixation. Wind erosion creates one of the most serious environmental problems in arid and semi-arid regions. The sand fixation function of vegetation can control hazards created by sandstorms and is closely related to the ecological stability of entire regions and to human well-being. In order to formulate measures to control wind erosion and achieve sustainable development in desert ecosystems, this paper identified the dynamics of sand fixation function, based on the Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ) model, in northern China from 1981 to 2015 and its relationship to changes in climate and land use. The results showed that sand fixation function has changed significantly in northern China over the past 35 years, and the spatial distribution exhibited considerable heterogeneity. In aspect of regions experiencing a significant increase of sand fixation function, changes in climate and land use accounted for 69.74% and 23.85%, respectively, which was mainly attributed to a decrease in solar radiation and desertification control. Changes in climate and land use accounted for 47.75% and 8.56%, respectively. Specifically, the coupled effects of temperature, precipitation, and wind speed were the main climate drivers of sand fixation function, and grassland degradation was the main land use driver. Future planning and management of land use will need to further strengthen the sand fixation function on the landscape and develop the ecological security barriers in northern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various large-scale risk maps show that the eastern part of Austria, in particular the Pannonian Basin, is one of the regions in Europe most vulnerable to wind erosion. However, comprehensive assessments of the severity and the extent of wind erosion risk are still lacking for this region. This study aimed to prove the results of large-scale maps by developing high-resolution maps of wind erosion risk for the target area. For this, we applied a qualitative soil erosion assessment (DIN 19706) with lower data requirements and a more data-demanding revised wind erosion equation (RWEQ) within a GIS application to evaluate the process of assessing wind erosion risk. Both models defined similar risk areas, although the assignment of severity classes differed. Most agricultural fields in the study area were classified as not at risk to wind erosion (DIN 19706), whereas the mean annual soil loss rate modeled by RWEQ was 3.7 t ha−1 yr−1. August was the month with the highest modeled soil loss (average of 0.49 t ha−1 month−1), due to a low percentage of vegetation cover and a relatively high weather factor combining wind speed and soil moisture effects. Based on the results, DIN 19706 is suitable for a general classification of wind erosion-prone areas, while RWEQ can derive additional information such as seasonal distribution and soil loss rates besides the spatial extents of wind erosion.

Wind erosion is an important soil degradation process that takes place in arid and semiarid environments, and the sand-fixing service has been used as one of the key indicators of the ecological restoration effects in the Beijing-Tianjin sandstorm source region. Over the past few decades, some studies have focused on the sand- fixing service at local areas in the Beijing-Tianjin sandstorm source region, but few researchers explored the entire changes and regional differences of sand- fixing service. The inadequate information on the sand- fixing service heterogeneity has hindered the implementation of the diversified measures for land management. This paper investigated the dynamic changes and regional differences of the sandfixing service in the Beijing-Tianjin sandstorm source region from 2000 to 2015 through multiperiod RS data and GIS spatial statistical technologies. The annual amount of fixed sand and average amount of fixed sand per hectare of land served as two indicators for the changes and differences of sand-fixing service. The results indicated that, the annual amount of fixed sand nearly reached 2.90 billion tons in the study region, the average capacity of sand- fixing was 68.24 t/hm2, and the two indexes annually increased by 1.10% and 0.71%, respectively. The average sand- fixing ability in the northwest of sandstorm source region has a significantly higher level than the southeast part. Approximately 49.06% of the Beijing-Tianjin sandstorm source region generated the sand- fixing capacity higher than 70 t/hm2, and nearly 54% presented an obvious increase in the sand- fixing ability from 2000 to 2015. The Hunshadake sand subzone, the typical grassland subzone and the desert grassland subzone provided 88% of the total amount of fixed sand in the sandstorm source region, whereas the sand-fixing ability in the Jinbei mountain- hill subzone and the Yanshan mountain- hill- water source protection subzone showed higher annual increase rates. In addition, the accumulated amount of fixed sand in Xilin Gol, Chifeng and Ulanqab exceeded 77% of the total amount of sand- fixing service, however, those regions with higher sand-fixing ability are mainly located in Shuozhou and Baotou, and the lands in Beijing and Tianjin showed higher increase rates in sand- fixing abilities. Therefore, we should take differential strategies in different sand- fixing service restoration zones, and pay more attention to the improvement of sand- fixing service in the western and northern parts of the Beijing-Tianjin sandstorm source region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landscape pattern, an important factor affecting the supply and maintenance of ecosystem services, is the basis for the healthy and stable regional ecosystem and the optimal decision of land use. Taking the Hexi Corridor in the northern sand fixation belt as the study area, we quantified and analyzed the temporal and spatial variations and response relationship between landscape pattern and windbreak and sand fixation services during 2000-2020 by using the software Fragstats 4.2, the revised wind erosion equation and the spatial autocorrelation method. The results showed that, the landscape pattern of land use types changed obviously in the study area during 2000-2020, mainly from Gobi to cultivated land and from grassland to cultivated land, and that the landscape pattern tended to be diversified, heterogeneous, and fragmented. The spatial pattern of windbreak and sand fixation services was generally characterized by "high in southeast and low in northwest", with the amount of windbreak and sand fixation increasing at first and then decreasing. The windbreak and sand fixation capacity was higher in cultivated land and grassland and lower in the bare land and construction land. Shannon's diversity index, patch density and landscape shape index were all positively correlated with windbreak and sand fixation services, while mean patch size was negatively correlated with it. Our results indicated that the increases of landscape heterogeneity, the more uniform distribution, the more patches and the more complex landscape shape had a promoting effect on windbreak and sand fixation services in the Hexi corridor of the northern sand fixation belt with Gobi Desert as the dominant landscape.

Fine materials emissions from severe wind-induced soil erosion have multiple impacts on land degradation and environmental pollution in the agropastoral ecotone in northern China (APEC). Assessment of wind erosion for the agricultural land management systems in APEC is needed to determine which systems are most sustainable. In this study, the Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ) with a geographic information system method has been applied to estimate alternative wind erosion control measure scenarios. Simulation results of alternative agricultural land management scenarios for the period 2000 to 2008 indicated that the most severe potential wind eroded areas were scattered in the Horqin Sands, Hunshan Dake Sands, and Mu Us Sands. The scenarios results further showed that most croplands in the APEC would suffer severe wind erosion if no effective measures were implemented. The results further indicated that conservation tillage, no-tillage after harvest, and retention of crops residues until sowing season in the following year produced the most favorable impact on reducing wind erosion. Shrub barriers reduced wind erosion effectively, but irrigation twice per year could not reduce the wind erosion level markedly in the APEC. Even though combinations of conservation tillage, wind barriers, and irrigation could greatly reduce wind erosion, most farmlands in the APEC are still at the risk of degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The dynamics of wind erosion was identified in Northern China from 1981 to 2015. • Under real climatic conditions, there was a slight increase in the amount of wind erosion. • Under average climatic conditions, wind erosion decreased at an average rate of 6.11 million t·a−1. • Ecological programs contributed 34.46 % of the variation of wind erosion in northern China. Wind erosion, an important topic of research on land-use and land-cover change, as well as global environmental change, is closely linked with social stability and regional or even global ecological security. In this study, wind erosion in the sandy regions of northern China in the period 1981–2015 was estimated using the revised wind erosion equation. Additionally, the rates of contribution of ecological programs to the variation of wind erosion in various sandy regions were also estimated. Results show the following. (1) In the period 1981–2015, the multi-year average amount of soil lost to wind erosion in northern China was 7.696 billion t. The area of the lightly wind-eroded regions accounted for 55.24 % of the total area of all the wind-eroded regions. (2) Under real climatic conditions, overall, there was a slight increase in the amount of wind erosion in the sandy regions of northern China in the 35-year period. There was a relatively significant change in wind erosion in regions with relatively low vegetation coverage. (3) Under average climatic conditions, overall, wind erosion in the sandy regions of northern China in the 35-year period decreased at an average rate of 6.11 million t·a−1. (4) On average, ecological programs contributed 34.46 % of the variation of wind erosion in northern China. Various sandy regions also exhibited notable spatial heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ecological land provides wind erosion prevention service (WEPS). • From 1990 to 2015, the area of ecological land decreased while non-ecological land increased. • The effects of five second-level types of ecological land changes on WEPS were discussed. • The transformation of desert to ecological landimproved WEPS. • The improvement of second-level ecological land types with low vegetation cover improved WEPS. As an important "buffer" to slow down the expansion of desertification, ecological land can provide wind erosion prevention service (WEPS), which is closely related to regional ecological security and human well-being. Previous studies have focused on the response of WEPS to land use change, to a certain extent, would easily cause uncertainties, where the same type can be influenced by different physical and anthropogenic factors and further alter the WEPS. To solve this problem, ecological land was defined from the main function of land in this paper as a new indicator, and the impact of ecological land change on WEPS was quantitatively measured. The results indicated the following: (1) During the period 1990–2015, the net area of ecological land reduced by 16,244 km2 or 17.74%. All second-level types of ecological land experienced a decreasing trend. (2) The annual average WEPS rate in the Tarim Basin was 34.82%, which increased by 1.42% across the 25 year period. (3) The increase of WEPS was mainly attributed to the expansion of oasis and the transformation of second-level ecological land types from low vegetation coverage to high vegetation coverage. The transformation of ecological land to desert was the main reason for the deterioration in WEPS. In the period 1990–2015, the protection and effective management of ecological land improved the ecological environment and increased the surface shelter in some regions, which was conducive to the improvement in WEPS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]