Articles | Volume 6, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-1185-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-1185-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
03 Nov 2015
Research article |
| 03 Nov 2015
MODIS normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and vegetation phenology dynamics in the Inner Mongolia grassland
Z. Gong
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation (IDEC), Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan
K. Kawamura
Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation (IDEC), Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan
The Research Center of Animal Science (RCAS), Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan
N. Ishikawa
Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
M. Goto
Faculty of Bioresources, Mie University, Tsu, Mie, Japan
T. Wulan
Rangeland Survey and Design Institute of Inner Mongolia, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Office of agriculture and animal husbandry, Huhhot, Inner Mongolia, China
D. Alateng
Biotechnology Research Center, Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Huhhot, Inner Mongolia, China
T. Yin
Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry, IAA, Tokyo, Japan
Y. Ito
Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation (IDEC), Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan
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F. K. Tang, M. Cui, Q. Lu, Y. G. Liu, H. Y. Guo, and J. X. Zhou
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S. Schlüter, F. Leuther, S. Vogler, and H.-J. Vogel
Solid Earth, 7, 129–140, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-7-129-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-7-129-2016, 2016
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A new protocol for digital volume correlation facilitates detailed insights into internal deformation of soil. Structure deformation during centrifugation is revealed by comparing X-ray CT images before and after centrifugation. Quantitative image analysis reveals that soil structure changes are driven by soil shrinkage due to drying and soil compaction due to compression.
J. Svajda, S. Korony, I. Brighton, S. Esser, and S. Ciapala
Solid Earth, 7, 115–128, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-7-115-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-7-115-2016, 2016
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N. Yazdanpanah
Solid Earth, 7, 105–114, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-7-105-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-7-105-2016, 2016
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B. G. J. S. Sonneveld, M. A. Keyzer, and D. Ndiaye
Solid Earth, 7, 93–103, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-7-93-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-7-93-2016, 2016
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A. Cruz-Ruíz, E. Cruz-Ruíz, R. Vaca, P. Del Aguila, and J. Lugo
Solid Earth, 7, 1–9, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-7-1-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-7-1-2016, 2016
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Z. Wang, D. A. Johnson, Y. Rong, and K. Wang
Solid Earth, 7, 55–65, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-7-55-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-7-55-2016, 2016
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Grazing increased diversity, but heavy grazing decreased aboveground biomass and increased the non-grass component. Overgrazing homogenized soil characteristics at a 10m scale. Therefore, moderate grazing was recommended as the preferred management alternative for grasslands in northern China because of increased plant diversity without negative consequences related to decreased forage quality forage quantity and soil heterogeneity in northern China's grasslands.
J. Y. Zhang, M. H. Dai, L. C. Wang, C. F. Zeng, and W. C. Su
Solid Earth, 7, 83–91, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-7-83-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-7-83-2016, 2016
H. Biswas, A. Raizada, D. Mandal, S. Kumar, S. Srinivas, and P. K. Mishra
Solid Earth, 6, 1247–1257, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-1247-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-1247-2015, 2015
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The paper presents a simple and novel approach to prioritize districts (or subregions) of a state (or region) for implementing soil conservation measures through computation of weighted soil erosion risk (WSER), by deducting soil loss tolerance limit values from soil erosion rates. WSER values obtained for the districts of Telangana state, India, led us to identify Adilabad, Warangal, and Khammam as the districts calling for the urgent attention of policymakers for natural resource conservation.
L. Lin, Y. K. Li, X. L. Xu, F. W. Zhang, Y. G. Du, S. L. Liu, X. W. Guo, and G. M. Cao
Solid Earth, 6, 1237–1246, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-1237-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-1237-2015, 2015
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We investigated environmental factors and plant functional groups to quantity and identify factors during alpine grassland succession processes. The degree of degradation of alpine meadows may be delineated by development of mattic epipedon and PFG composition. Because relatively few environmental factors are investigated, this approach can save time and labor to formulate a conservation management plan for degraded alpine meadows.
İ. Gümüş and C. Şeker
Solid Earth, 6, 1231–1236, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-1231-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-1231-2015, 2015
X. Lu, Y. Yan, J. Sun, X. Zhang, Y. Chen, X. Wang, and G. Cheng
Solid Earth, 6, 1195–1205, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-1195-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-1195-2015, 2015
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Grazing exclusion has been widely adopted to restore degraded grasslands in Tibet. We investigated soil properties and nutrients by comparing free-grazing and grazing exclusion grasslands. The results showed that grazing exclusion had no impact on most soil properties and nutrients, and even caused a considerable decrease in soil TN and TP in the soil surface layer. Nevertheless, climate conditions during the growing season played an important role in controlling the soil quality status.
C. Y. Niu, A. Musa, and Y. Liu
Solid Earth, 6, 1157–1167, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-1157-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-1157-2015, 2015
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The higher soil moisture content among different land uses was exhibited by the grassland, and followed by cropland, poplar land, inter-dunes and shrub land. The temporal variations of soil moisture in different land uses were not always consistent with the rainfall due to the dry sequence. The infiltration depth exhibited a positive correlation with precipitation under all land uses. This study provided an insight into the implications for land and agricultural water management in this area.
K. Wasak and M. Drewnik
Solid Earth, 6, 1103–1115, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-1103-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-1103-2015, 2015
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The paper shows soil organic carbon sequestration (SOC) rates in calcareous shallow soils in reforested areas in the Tatra Mts., with a particular focus on the different forms of organic matter (OM) storage. Fifty years after the conversion of pastureland to grassland, the emergence of dwarf pine shrub, larch forest, the development of genetic soil horizons as well as SOC sequestration and the occurrence of OM forms in soil, are related to plant community.
D. Tsozué, J. P. Nghonda, and D. L. Mekem
Solid Earth, 6, 1087–1101, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-1087-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-1087-2015, 2015
P. Musinguzi, P. Ebanyat, J. S. Tenywa, T. A. Basamba, M. M. Tenywa, and D. Mubiru
Solid Earth, 6, 1063–1073, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-1063-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-1063-2015, 2015
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This study showed that resource-poor smallholder farmers can ably rate fields for soil fertility as poor or good but had difficulties in identifying medium-fertility fields. Rating with SOC improved precision to rate medium-fertility fields. SOC and clay content explained the highest yield variances in heterogeneous smallholder farms. A combination of SOC and farmers' field experiences can be affordable approaches to guide fertility management and fertilizer application.
A. Erol, Ö. Koşkan, and M. A. Başaran
Solid Earth, 6, 1025–1035, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-1025-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-1025-2015, 2015
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In addition to physical factors, socioeconomic factors have crucial effects on soil erosion, although the joint study of physical and socioeconomic factors has been limited to date. To address this, the present study aimed to determine the effect of socioeconomic factors on soil loss and, in turn, to modify the universal soil loss equation (USLE).
J. Wang, A. Ge, Y. Hu, C. Li, and L. Wang
Solid Earth, 6, 997–1006, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-997-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-997-2015, 2015
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A fuzzy intelligent system based on a fuzzy decision tree was established for land potential evaluation. We proposed one new model for feature selection based on the fuzzy measure using the L1-norm method, which can help to construct an index system for intelligent evaluation. The data comes from the “Three Old” project of Shunde, China. It is huge and heterogeneous and is therefore used first for research. The fuzzy intelligent system shows good performance for land potential evaluation.
Q. Dai, Z. Liu, H. Shao, and Z. Yang
Solid Earth, 6, 985–995, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-985-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-985-2015, 2015
M. Yazdani, S. M. Monavari, G. A. Omrani, M. Shariat, and S. M. Hosseini
Solid Earth, 6, 945–956, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-945-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-945-2015, 2015
C. Cassinari, P. Manfredi, L. Giupponi, M. Trevisan, and C. Piccini
Solid Earth, 6, 929–943, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-929-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-929-2015, 2015
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The amount of water available to plants in a closed landfill soil is analyzed by laboratory analyses, by using pedotransfer functions (PTFs) and by studying plant coverage. The laboratory analyses and PTFs highlighted the soil's inability to hold water. The closed landfill plant coverage consists of annual species (therophytes) typical of disturbed environments. The soil's low-water content, together with other degraded soil characters, justifies the plant coverage.
Y. Mohawesh, A. Taimeh, and F. Ziadat
Solid Earth, 6, 857–868, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-857-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-857-2015, 2015
R. E. Masto, S. Sheik, G. Nehru, V. A. Selvi, J. George, and L. C. Ram
Solid Earth, 6, 811–821, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-811-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-811-2015, 2015
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Impact of coal mining on soil was assessed through an integrated environmental soil quality index (ESQI). Biological activity was higher in underground mine (UGM) soil. As, Be, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, and Pb were higher in opencast mine (OCM) soil, whereas Cd was higher in UGM. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were higher in UGM soil. Calculated ESQI, based on total PAHs, loss on ignition, bulk density, Be, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb, and microbial quotient, was higher for UGM (+10.1%) than OCM soils.
J. Ni, D. H. Luo, J. Xia, Z. H. Zhang, and G. Hu
Solid Earth, 6, 799–810, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-799-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-799-2015, 2015
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The root biomass study of karst (limestone and dolomite) vegetation in southwestern China and even in the word’s karst regions is rarely investigated. The mixed evergreen and deciduous broadleaved forest in karst terrain of SW China has higher root biomass, but very high ratio of root to aboveground biomass compared to non-karst subtropical evergreen broadleaved forests. Such findings have significant ecological meanings for vegetation restoration and carbon increment.
S. Vingiani, G. Mele, R. De Mascellis, F. Terribile, and A. Basile
Solid Earth, 6, 783–797, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-783-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-783-2015, 2015
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An integrated soil study was carried out on landslides which have occurred on the steep northern slopes of Mt. Vezzi on the island of Ischia (Italy). The studied soils showed a substantial abrupt discontinuity in all the studied properties along a buried fine ash layer (namely, the 2C horizon). Nevertheless, only the identification of a layer of thin, finely stratified ash on the top of 2C, by optical microscopy, enabled us to assume this interface to be an impeding layer for water fluxes.
T. Erkossa, A. Wudneh, B. Desalegn, and G. Taye
Solid Earth, 6, 765–774, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-765-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-765-2015, 2015
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The paper reviews global and regional literature related to soil erosion and crop productivity. It argues that the cost of not replacing the nutrient lost due to erosion is more meaningful in areas where farmers do not apply the recommended rate of fertilizers. Thus, it established a functional relationship between the nutrients and yield of major crops based on data from three watersheds in the Nile basin and estimated the annual financial loss based on the local market price of the crops.
B. Turgut
Solid Earth, 6, 719–725, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-719-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-719-2015, 2015
K. E. Seutloali and H. R. Beckedahl
Solid Earth, 6, 633–641, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-633-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-633-2015, 2015
M. Wiesmeier, M. Lungu, R. Hübner, and V. Cerbari
Solid Earth, 6, 609–620, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-609-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-609-2015, 2015
Y. Yu, W. Wei, L. D. Chen, F. Y. Jia, L. Yang, H. D. Zhang, and T. J. Feng
Solid Earth, 6, 595–608, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-595-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-595-2015, 2015
E. L. Poelking, C. E. R. Schaefer, E. I. Fernandes Filho, A. M. de Andrade, and A. A. Spielmann
Solid Earth, 6, 583–594, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-583-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-583-2015, 2015
L. W. Xie, J. Zhong, F. F. Chen, F. X. Cao, J. J. Li, and L. C. Wu
Solid Earth, 6, 515–524, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-515-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-6-515-2015, 2015
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Short summary
This study evaluated trends in vegetation cover and phenology dynamics in the Inner Mongolia grassland by applying a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series obtained by the Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) during 2002–2014. The positive trends of the cumulative annual NDVI (77.10%) could be interpreted as an increase in plant productivity in the Inner Mongolia permanent grassland. And the growing season has lengthened by 10.86 days.
This study evaluated trends in vegetation cover and phenology dynamics in the Inner Mongolia...
