Soil organic carbon storage changes in Yangtze Delta region,China

Soil carbon sequestration plays an essential role in mitigating CO₂ increases and the global greenhouse effect. This paper calculates soil organic carbon (SOC) storage changes during the course of industrialization and urbanization in Yangtze Delta region, China, based on the data of the second national soil survey (1982–1985) and the regional geochemical survey (2002–2005), with the help of remote sensing images acquired in periods of 1980, 2000, 2005. The results show that soils in the top 0–20 and 0–100 cm depth in this region demonstrate the carbon sink effect from the early 1980s to the early 2000s. The SOC storage in 0–20 cm depth has resulted in increase from 213.70 to 238.65 Tg, which corresponds to the SOC density increase from 2.94 ± 1.08 to 3.28 ± 0.92 kg m⁻², and mean carbon sequestration storage and rate are 1.25 Tg a⁻¹, 17.14 g m⁻² a⁻¹, respectively. The SOC storage in 0–100 cm depth has resulted in increase from 690.26 to 792.65 Tg, which corresponds to the SOC density increase from 9.48 ± 4.22 to 10.89 ± 3.42 kg m⁻², and mean carbon sequestration storage and rate are 5.12 Tg a⁻¹, 70.32 g m⁻² a⁻¹, respectively. Urban area in Yangtze Delta region, China, increased more than 3,000 km² and the urban growth patterns circled the central city region in the past 20 years. The SOC densities in 0–20 cm depth decrease gradually along urban–suburban–countryside and the urban topsoil is slightly enriched with SOC. Compared to the data of the second national soil survey in the early 1980s, the mean SOC density in urban area increased by 0.76 kg m², or up 25.85% in the past 20 years. With the characteristics of SOC storage changes offered, land-use changes, farming system transition and ecological city construction are mainly attributed to SOC storage increases. Because of lower SOC content in this region, it is assumed that the carbon sink effect will go on in the future through improved soil management.     

Root biomass distribution in alpine ecosystems of the northern Tibetan Plateau

The root biomass distribution in alpine ecosystems (alpine meadow, alpine steppe, desert grassland and alpine desert) was investigated along a transect on the northern Tibetan Plateau in 2009. The results showed that roots were mainly concentrated in the 0–20 cm layer, and root biomass decreased exponentially with increasing soil depth. Root biomass was estimated to be 1,381.41 ± 245.29 g m⁻² in the top 20 cm soil, accounting for 85% of the total root biomass. The distribution pattern of the root biomass proportion along the soil profile was similar in different alpine ecosystems. The root biomass density varied with different alpine ecosystems and the total average root biomass was 1,626.08 ± 301.76 g m⁻². Root biomass was significantly correlated with average relative humidity, annual precipitation and soil organic matter. This indicates that precipitation and soil organic matter might be crucial for plant growth in the study area, while temperature is not an important factor controlling root growth.     

Designing an optimal multivariate geostatistical groundwater quality monitoring network using factorial kriging and genetic algorithms

The optimal selection of monitoring wells is a major task in designing an information-effective groundwater quality monitoring network which can provide sufficient and not redundant information of monitoring variables for delineating spatial distribution or variations of monitoring variables. This study develops a design approach for an optimal multivariate geostatistical groundwater quality network by proposing a network system to identify groundwater quality spatial variations by using factorial kriging with genetic algorithm. The proposed approach is applied in designing a groundwater quality monitoring network for nine variables (EC, TDS, Cl⁻, Na, Ca, Mg, SO ₄ ²⁻ , Mn and Fe) in the Pingtung Plain in Taiwan. The spatial structure results show that the variograms and cross-variograms of the nine variables can be modeled in two spatial structures: a Gaussian model with ranges 28.5 km and a spherical model with 40 km for short and long spatial scale variations, respectively. Moreover, the nine variables can be grouped into two major components for both short and long scales. The proposed optimal monitoring design model successfully obtains different optimal network systems for delineating spatial variations of the nine groundwater quality variables by using 20, 25 and 30 monitoring wells in both short scale (28.5 km) and long scale (40 km). Finally, the study confirms that the proposed model can design an optimal groundwater monitoring network that not only considers multiple groundwater quality variables but also monitors variations of monitoring variables at various spatial scales in the study area.     

Impacts of at-site wastewater disposal systems on the groundwater aquifer in arid regions: case of Sfax City, Southern Tunisia

Groundwater in Sfax City (Tunisia) has been known since the beginning of the century for its deterioration in quality, as a result of wastewater recharge into the aquifer. An average value of 12 × 10⁶ m³ of untreated wastewater reaches the groundwater aquifer each year. This would result not only in a chemical and biological contamination of the groundwater, but also in an increase of the aquifer piezometric level. Quantitative impacts were evaluated by examining the groundwater piezometric level at 57 surface wells and piezometers. The survey showed that, during the last two decades, the groundwater level was ever increasing in the urban area with values reaching 7 m in part; and decreasing in Sidi Abid (agricultural area) with values exceeding −3 m. Groundwater samples for chemical and microbial analysis were collected from 41 wells spread throughout the study area. Results showed significantly elevated levels of sodium, chlorides, nitrates and coliform bacteria all over the urban area. High levels (NO₃: 56–254 mg/l; Na >1,500 mg/l; Coliforms >30/100 ml) can be related to more densely populated areas with a higher density of pit latrine and recharge wells. Alternatively results showed a very variable chemical composition of groundwater, e.g. electrical conductivity ranges from 4,040 to19,620 μs/cm and the dry residual varies between 1.4 and 14 g/l with concentrations increasing downstream. Furthermore a softening of groundwater in Set Ezzit (highly populated sector) was observed.     

A new Late Holocene sea-level record from the Mississippi Delta: evidence for a climate/sea level connection?

A detailed relative sea-level (RSL) record was constructed for the time interval 600–1600 AD, using basal peat to track sea level and containing 16 sea-level index points that capture ～60 cm of RSL rise. The study area is in the Mississippi Delta where the spring tidal range is ～0.47 m, the impact of ocean currents on sea-surface topography is limited, and crustal motions are well constrained. Age control was obtained by AMS ¹⁴C dating and most ages represent weighted means of two subsamples. Sample elevations were determined by combining differential GPS measurements with optical surveying. All index points were plotted as error boxes using 2σ confidence intervals for the ages, plus all vertical errors involved in sampling and surveying, as well as the indicative range of the samples. A striking clustering of sea-level index points between ～1000 and ～1200 AD suggests a possible acceleration in the rate of RSL rise. Removal of the long-term trend (0.60 mm yr^?1) allows for the possibility of a sea-level oscillation with a maximum amplitude of ～55 cm. However, given the size of the error boxes the possibility that oscillations did not occur cannot be entirely ruled out. Comparison of the new RSL record with various proxy climate records suggests that sea level in this area may have responded to hemispheric temperature changes, including the Medieval Warm Period and the Little Ice Age. However, given the error margins associated with this reconstruction, it is stressed that this causal mechanism is tentative and requires corroboration by high-resolution sea-level reconstructions elsewhere.     

Using climate to relate water discharge and area in modern and ancient catchments

Models relating sediment supply to catchment properties are important in order to use the geological record to deduce landscape evolution and interplay between tectonics and climate. Water discharge (Q _w) is an important factor in the widely used ‘BQART ’ model, which relates sediment load to a set of measurable catchment parameters. Although many of the factors in this equation may be independently estimated with some degree of certainty in ancient systems, water discharge (Q _w) certainly cannot. An analysis of a world database of modern catchments with 1255 entries shows that the commonly applied equation relating catchment area (A ) to water discharge (Q _w = 0·075A^0·8) does not predict water discharge from catchment area well in many cases (R ² = 0·5 and an error spanning about three orders of magnitude). This is because the method does not incorporate the effect of arid and wet climate on river water discharge. The inclusion of climate data into such estimations is an opportunity to refine these estimates, because generalized estimates of palaeoclimate can often be deduced on the basis of sedimentological data such as palaeosol types, mineralogy and palaeohydraulics. This paper investigates how the relationship between catchment area and river discharge varies with four runoff categories (arid, semi‐arid, humid and wet), which are recognizable in the geological record, and modifies the coefficient and exponent of the above‐mentioned equation according to these classes. This modified model yields improved results in relating discharge to catchment area (R ² = 0·95 and error spanning one order of magnitude) when core, outcrop or regional palaeoclimate reconstruction data are available in non‐arid systems. Arid systems have an inherently variable water discharge, and catchment area is less important as a control due to downstream losses. The model here is sufficient for many geological applications and makes it possible to include variations in catchment humidity in mass‐flux estimates in ancient settings.     

Integrated geoelectrical resistivity,hydrochemical and soil property analysis methods to study shallow groundwater in the agriculture area,Machang, Malaysia

Integrated geoelectrical resistivity, hydrochemical and soil property analysis methods were used to study the groundwater characteristics of sandy soils within a shallow aquifer in the agriculture area, Machang. A pilot test investigation was done prior to the main investigation. The area was divided into two sites. Test-Site 1 is non-fertilized; Test-Site 2 is the former regularly fertilized site. From the surface to depths of 75 cm, a lower average resistivity was obtained in Test-Site 2 (around 0.37 less than in Test-Site 1). The presence of nitrate and chloride contents in pore water reduced the resistivity values despite the low moisture content. The pH values for the whole area range from 4.11 to 6.88, indicating that the groundwater is moderately to slightly acidic. In the southern region, concentration of nitrate is considered to be high (>20 mg/l), while it is nearly zero in the northern region. In the south, the soil properties are similar. However, the geoelectrical model shows lower resistivity values (around 18 Ω m) at the sites with relatively high nitrate concentration in the groundwater (>20 mg/l). Conversely, the sites with low nitrate concentration reveal the resistivity values to be higher (>35 Ω m). Basement and groundwater potential maps are generated from the interpolation of an interpreted resistivity model. The areas that possibly have nitrate-contaminated groundwater have been mapped along with groundwater flow patterns. The northern part of the area has an east to west groundwater flow pattern, making it impossible for contaminated water from the southern region to enter, despite the northern area having a lower elevation.     

Assessing spatial uncertainty in mapping soil erodibility factor using geostatistical stochastic simulation

Soil erosion is one of most widespread process of degradation. The erodibility of a soil is a measure of its susceptibility to erosion and depends on many soil properties. Soil erodibility factor varies greatly over space and is commonly estimated using the revised universal soil loss equation. Neglecting information about estimation uncertainty may lead to improper decision-making. One geostatistical approach to spatial analysis is sequential Gaussian simulation, which draws alternative, equally probable, joint realizations of a regionalised variable. Differences between the realizations provide a measure of spatial uncertainty and allow us to carry out an error analysis. The objective of this paper was to assess the model output error of soil erodibility resulting from the uncertainties in the input attributes (texture and organic matter). The study area covers about 30 km² (Calabria, southern Italy). Topsoil samples were collected at 175 locations within the study area in 2006 and the main chemical and physical soil properties were determined. As soil textural size fractions are compositional data, the additive-logratio (alr) transformation was used to remove the non-negativity and constant-sum constraints on compositional variables. A Monte Carlo analysis was performed, which consisted of drawing a large number (500) of identically distributed input attributes from the multivariable joint probability distribution function. We incorporated spatial cross-correlation information through joint sequential Gaussian simulation, because model inputs were spatially correlated. The erodibility model was then estimated for each set of the 500 joint realisations of the input variables and the ensemble of the model outputs was used to infer the erodibility probability distribution function. This approach has also allowed for delineating the areas characterised by greater uncertainty and then to suggest efficient supplementary sampling strategies for further improving the precision of K value predictions.     

Short-term changes in C and N distribution in soil particle size fractions induced by agricultural practices in a cultivated volcanic soil from Mexico

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of agricultural practices on the characteristics of soil organic carbon (SOC). The study area is located in the Central Volcanic Belt (Michoacán) in Mexico. The soil is an Acrisol, acidic and rich in clays and sesquioxides. Experimental plots were treated with four different agronomic management systems between 2002 and 2003: traditional, improved traditional, organic and fallow. Each treatment was replicated twice. Samples were taken at depths of 0–10 and 10–20 cm and were subjected to a physical fractionation process by way of particle size. SOC was fractionated into fulvic acids, humic acids and humin. After two years of cultivation, the SOC content increased significantly with the organic management (2.2 mg g⁻¹ at 0–10 cm and 5.8 mg g⁻¹ at 10–20 cm). The C content of the soil fine particle fraction increased with the traditional and organic managements. The organic C and N contents of the silt + clay particle-size fraction were mainly concentrated as humin, indicating that this SOM should be stable and have a low risk of mineralization. The humin C content only decreased significantly under the traditional and fallow treatments. The N content of the humin fraction decreased significantly under the traditional management system (from 69% to 54%), indicating the low sustainability of this soil management. The C/N ratio of the soil increased significantly under all treatments, but mainly under the traditional and organic treatments (from 12.1 and 12.8 to 13.7 and 14.0, respectively). This indicates a decrease in humus quality. In addition, the C/N of the humin increased significantly (from 13.3 and 12.7 to 19.2 and 16.0, respectively).     

Evaluation of diffuse and preferential flow pathways of infiltrated precipitation and irrigation using oxygen and hydrogen isotopes

Subsurface-water flow pathways in three different land-use areas (non-irrigated grassland, poplar forest, and irrigated arable land) in the central North China Plain were investigated using oxygen (¹⁸O) and hydrogen (²H) isotopes in samples of precipitation, soils, and groundwater. Soil water in the top 10 cm was significantly affected by both evaporation and infiltration. Water at 10–40 cm depth in the grassland and arable land, and 10–60 cm in poplar forest, showed a relatively short residence time, as a substantial proportion of antecedent soil water was mixed with a 92-mm storm infiltration event, whereas below those depths (down to 150 cm), depleted δ¹⁸O spikes suggested that some storm water bypassed the shallow soil layers. Significant differences, in soil-water content and δ¹⁸O values, within a small area, suggested that the proportion of immobile soil water and water flowing in subsurface pathways varies depending on local vegetation cover, soil characteristics and irrigation applications. Soil-water δ¹⁸O values revealed that preferential flow and diffuse flow coexist. Preferential flow was active within the root zone, independent of antecedent soil-water content, in both poplar forest and arable land, whereas diffuse flow was observed in grassland. The depleted δ¹⁸O spikes at 20–50 cm depth in the arable land suggested the infiltration of irrigation water during the dry season. Temporal isotopic variations in precipitation were subdued in the shallow groundwater, suggesting more complete mixing of different input waters in the unsaturated zone before reaching the shallow groundwater.

     

Groundwater flow modeling of Quaternary aquifer Ras Sudr,Egypt

Recently, Ras Sudr (the delta of Wadi Sudr) area received a great amount of attention due to different development expansion activities directed towards this area. Although Quaternary aquifer is the most prospective aquifer in Ras Sudr area, it has not yet completely evaluated. The present work deals with the simulation of the Quaternary groundwater system using a three-dimensional groundwater flow model. MODFLOW code was applied for designing the model of the Ras Sudr area. This is to recognize the groundwater potential as well as exploitation plan of the most prospective aquifer in the area. The objectives were to determine the hydraulic parameters of the Quaternary aquifer, to estimate the recharge amount to the aquifer, and to determine the hydrochemistry of groundwater in the aquifer. During this work, available data has been collected and some field investigation has been carried out. Groundwater flow model has been simulated using pilot points’ method. SEAWAT has been also applied to simulate the variable-density flow and sea water intrusion from the west. It can be concluded that: (1) the direction of groundwater flow is from the east to the west, (2) the aquifer system attains a small range of log-transformed hydraulic conductivity. It ranges between 3.05 and 3.35 m/day, (3) groundwater would be exploited by about 6.4 × 10⁶ m³/year, (4) the estimated recharge accounts for 3 × 10⁶ m³/year, (5) an estimated subsurface flow from the east accounts for 2.7 × 10⁶ m³/year, (6) the increase of total dissolved solids (TDS) most likely due to dilution of salts along the movement way of groundwater from recharge area to discharge area in addition to a contribution of sea water intrusion from the west. Moreover, it is worth to note that a part of TDS increase might be through up coning from underlying more saline Miocene sediments. It is recommended that: (1) any plan for increasing groundwater abstraction is unaffordable, (2) reliable estimates of groundwater abstraction should be done and (3) automatic well control system should be made.     

The high contents of lead in soils of northern Kosovo

A soil-based geochemical survey was carried out in an area of about 350 km² in northern Kosovo around the Zve?an Pb-Zn smelter. The concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sb, Tl, Th, U, Zn were determined in 452 topsoil and 82 subsoil samples. High contents of Pb, Cd, As, Sb, Zn and Cu were found in topsoil over a vast area including the Ibar and Sitnica river valleys. The highest concentrations were usually measured close to the Zve?an smelter. In some zones, the lead contents in surface soils exceeded 5000 mg/kg. Arsenic and antimony levels were usually more than 200 and 50 mg/kg, respectively, while cadmium contents were in the range 5-20 mg/kg. South of the Zve?an area, lead, antimony and cadmium pollution was strong in the densely populated urban area of Kosovska Mitrovica and along the agricultural alluvial plain of the Sitnica River. Depending on the chemical element, the pollution extended 15-22 km north and south of the Zve?an smelter. There was a progressive decrease of heavy element concentrations with increasing distance from the smelting plant. The contents of Pb, Zn, Cu, As, Cd, Sb significantly decreased with soil depth; in fact, the pollution only affected the upper 50 cm of soil. Crops were affected by soil pollution and many food-stuffs exceeded the EU standards. Suggestions for soil remediation are given.     

Conditional simulation of USLE/RUSLE soil erodibility factor by geostatistics in a Mediterranean Catchment,Turkey

Soil erosion is a major environmental problem that threatens the sustainability and productivity of agricultural areas. Assessment and mapping of soil erosion are extremely important in the management and conservation of natural resources. The universal soil loss equation (USLE/RUSLE) is an erosion model that predicts soil loss as a function of soil erodibility (K-factor), as well as topographic, rainfall, cover, and management factors. The traditional approach assumes that one soil erodibility value represents the entire area of each soil series. Therefore, that approach does not account for spatial variability of soil series. This study was carried out to evaluate the use of the sequential Gaussian simulation (SGS) for mapping soil erodibility factor of the USLE/RUSLE methodology. Five hundred and forty-four surface soil samples (0–20 cm) were collected from the study area to determine the soil erodibility. A simulation procedure was carried out on 300 realizations, and histogram and semivariogram of the simulation were compared to the observed values. The results showed that the summary statistics, histogram, and semivariogram of the simulation results were close to the observed values. In contrary to the traditional approach and kriging, 95% confidence interval of the simulated realizations was formed in order to determine uncertainty standard deviation map, and the uncertainty was explained numerically. The SGS produced a more reliable soil erodibility map and it can be more successfully used for monitoring and improving effective strategies to prevent erosion hazards especially to improve site specific management plans.     

Direct dating of folding events by 40Ar/39Ar analysis of synkinematic muscovite from flexural-slip planes

Timing of folding is usually dated indirectly, with limited isotopic dating studies reported in the literature. The present study investigated the timing of intracontinental, multi-stage folding in Upper Proterozoic sandstone, limestone, and marble near Beijing, North China, and adjacent regions. Detailed field investigations with microstructural, backscattered electron (BSE) images and electron microprobe analyses indicate that authigenic muscovite and sericite crystallized parallel to stretching lineations/striations or along thin flexural-slip surfaces, both developed during the complex deformation history of the study area, involving repeated compressional, extensional and strike-slip episodes. Muscovite/sericite separates from interlayer-slip surfaces along the limbs and from dilatant sites in the hinges of folded sandstones yield muscovite ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateau ages of ∼158–159 Ma, whereas those from folded marble and limestone samples yield ages of 156 ± 1 Ma. Muscovite from thin flexural-slip planes on fold limbs and hinges yields ages within analytical error of ∼155–165 Ma. Further muscovite samples collected from extensionally folded limestone and strike-slip drag folds yield younger ages of 128–125 Ma with well-defined plateaus. To assess the potential influence of the detrital mica component of the host rock on the age data, two additional muscovite samples were investigated, one from a folded upper Proterozoic–Cambrian sandstone outside the Western Hills of Beijing and one from a folded sandstone sampled 20 cm from folding-related slip planes. Muscovite separates from these samples yield significantly older ages of 575 ± 2 Ma and 587 ± 2 Ma, suggesting that the timing of folding can be directly determined using the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar method. This approach enables the identification and dating of distinct deformation events that occur during multi-stage regional folding. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating can be used to constrain the timing of muscovite and sericite growth at moderate to low temperatures (<400 °C) during folding, yielding well-defined plateau ages and thereby the age of deformation in the upper crust.     

Mangrove development and its response to environmental change in Yingluo Bay (SW China) during the last 150 years: Stable carbon isotopes and mangrove pollen

Located at the interface of terrestrial and marine ecosystems, mangroves are particularly sensitive to environmental change. They provide a sedimentary sink for organic carbon, whereby cores can provide detailed records of mangrove species. We aimed to trace the history of mangrove development over the past 150 years in Yingluo Bay, SW China. Sedimentation rates (avg. 0.32 and 0.37 cm/year) were calculated on the basis of ln(²¹⁰Pb_ex) vs. mass depth, and offset the rate of relative sea level rise (0.22–0.24 cm/year), leading to a seaward expansion of new mangrove habitats. Chemical tracers (δ¹³C_org and C:N) and an isotope mixing model were utilized to trace the contribution of mangrove-derived organic matter (MOM). Changes in the relative abundance of pollen from mangrove plants was used to compensate for diagenetic alteration of the stable isotope values and potential overlaps in isotope values for different sources of organic matter. The result of Pearson correlation analysis showed that the MOM was moderately positive correlated with total mangrove pollen, indicating that stable carbon isotopes and mangrove pollen provide similar information for tracing mangrove ecosystems. Based on results from this study, compositional changes in mangrove communities could be divided into two main stages: a degradation period (1870–1930 AD) and a flourishing period (1930–2011 AD), corresponding to colder temperature and warmer temperature, respectively. Owing to the location being far away from any industrial area and human activity, temperature may be a key factor for mangrove development.     

Guano core evidence of palaeoenvironmental change and Woodland Indian inhabitance in Fern Cave,Alabama, USA,from the mid‐Holocene to present

Bat guano cores have been used as a source of palaeoenvironmental information to aid in the reconstruction of past climates and vegetation. We collected a 104‐cm‐long (43 cm compacted) guano core from Fern Cave, Alabama, USA, that provided a c. 6000‐year record of guano accumulation. Pollen, nutrients (C, N, P) and stable isotopes (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N) were measured on the guano core with the objective of reconstructing the environmental history of the area from the mid‐Holocene to present. Our data indicate that bats have utilized Fern Cave for at least 6000 years and that Woodland Indians also utilized the cave for a short period. A 3‐cm charcoal layer was dated to 2720±30 cal. a BP and inferred to be Woodland Indian in origin from microscopic inspection and thickness. Pollen and geochemical data showed that bat diets changed in the late Holocene possibly linked to food supply and climate changes. These results demonstrate that guano cores are a useful tool of palaeoenvironmental reconstruction when other forms of palaeorecords do not exist and can add to local archaeological information.     

Mapping of accumulated nitrogen in the sediment pore water of a eutrophic lake in Iowa, USA

A large pool of nitrogen in the sediment pore fluid of a eutrophic lake in Iowa, USA, was mapped in this study. Previously, the lake had supported fishing and boating, but today it no longer supports its designated uses as a recreational water body. In the top 5 cm of the lake bottom, the pore water nitrogen ranges between 3.1 and 1,250 μg/cm³ of sediments, with an average of 160.3 μg/cm³. Vertically, nitrate concentrations were measured as 153 μg/cm³ at 0–10 cm, 162 μg/cm³ at 10–20 cm, and 32 μg/cm³ at 20–30 cm. Nitrate mass distribution was quantified as 3.67 × 10³ kg (65%) in the bottom sediments, 172 kg (3%) in suspended particulates, and 1.83 × 10³ kg (32%) in the dissolved phase. Soil runoff nutrients arrive at the lake from the heavily fertilized lands in the watershed. Upon sedimentation, a large mass of nitrogen desorbs from mineral particles to the relatively immobile pore fluid. Under favorable conditions, this nitrogen diffuses back into the water column, thereby dramatically limiting the lake’s capability to process incoming nutrients from farmlands. Consequently, a condition of oxygen deficiency disrupts the post-season biological activities in the lake.     

Exploring the factors affecting urban ecological risk: A case from an Indian mega metropolitan region

Assessment of ecological risk (ER) is a key approach to adapting and mitigating ecological deterioration in cities of developing countries. In developing countries, the ecological landscapes such as vegetation cover, water bodies, and wetlands are highly vulnerable due to rapid urban expansion. Therefore, urban ER (UER) assessment and its drivers are crucial to guide ecological protection as well as restoration. This study aims to explore the spatiotemporal pattern of UER and the impact of urban spatial form on UER in the Kolkata Megacity Region (KMR), India. This study developed a UER index and used spatial regression models across the urban centres. The ER has been assessed at city scale as well as grid-scale (2 km × 2 km and 5 km × 5 km) from 2000 to 2020. The results showed that ER has substantially increased over the last 20 years. The urban centres with very high and high ER substantially increased, i.e. from 21.95% in 2000 to 31.70% in 2020. Kolkata and its surrounding urban centres were mostly characterized by very high and high ER. ER was influenced by spatial variables (such as land use and landscapes pattern). However, remote sensing parameters were weakly related to ER. The spatial lag model (SLM) (R² = 0.8686) was found to be better fit model than spatial error model (SEM) (R² = 0.8661) and ordinary linear regression model (OLS) (R² = 0.8641). Thus, the findings of the study can improve research and a comprehensive framework for urban ecological resources and provide a scientific basis for urban ecosystem planning and restoration. In addition to this, it will guarantee the sustainable utilization of urban ecosystems.     

Relationships between rocky desertification and spatial pattern of land use in typical karst area,Southwest China

Karst rocky desertification is a typical type of land degradation in the Southwest China. An attempt was made to study quantitatively the relationships between rocky desertification and spatial pattern of land use through applying spatial analysis of Geographical Information System in Nandong underground river system, a typical karst area, Southwest China. The spatial distribution of rocky desertification and spatial pattern of land use were obtained from interpreting Landsat Images in Nandong area in 2007 by supervised classifications, and verified and rectified through field survey. The results indicate that: (1) the total land deserted area covers 378.3 km², or 23.4% of the total area, of which intense, moderate and slight rocky desertification covers 269.46, 54.2, and 54.63 km², respectively, in Nandong area. (2) There is an obvious effect of spatial pattern of land use on rocky desertification. With the increase of elevation and slope, there is a higher occurrence ratio of rocky desertification in the cultivated land and grass land. Also, more than half of total rocky desertification was dominated within the areas of 4 km from the construction land, and 97% of total rocky desertification was dominated within the areas of 10 km from the construction land in Nandong area. And what can be known from the data is that the primary effect distance of human on rocky desertification from the construction land is 4 km, and the farthest effect distance of human on rocky desertification from the construction land is 10 km in Nandong area.     

Chronostratigraphy and spatial distribution of magnetic sediments in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas since the last deglaciation

Palaeomagnetic investigation of three sediment cores from the Chukchi and Beaufort Sea margins was performed to better constrain the regional chronostratigraphy and to gain insights into sediment magnetic properties at the North American Arctic margin during the Holocene and the preceding deglaciation. Palaeomagnetic analyses reveal that the sediments under study are characterized by low‐coercivity ferrimagnetic minerals (magnetite), mostly in the pseudo‐single domain grain‐size range, and by a strong, stable, well‐defined remanent magnetization (MAD <5°). Age models for these sediment cores were constrained by comparing their palaeomagnetic secular variations (inclination, declination and relative palaeointensity) with previously published and independently dated sedimentary marine records from the study area. The magnetostratigraphical age models were verified by AMS radiocarbon dating tie points, tephrochronology and ²¹⁰Pb‐based sedimentation rate estimate. The analysed cores 01JPC, 03PC and 02PC span c. 6000, 10 500 and 13 500 cal. a BP, respectively. The estimated sedimentation rates were stable and relatively high since the deglaciation in cores 01JPC (60 cm ka⁻¹) and 03PC (40–70 cm ka⁻¹). Core 02PC shows much lower Holocene sedimentation rates with a strong decrease after the deglaciation from ~60 to 10–20 cm ka⁻¹. Overall, this study illustrates the usefulness of palaeomagnetism to improve the dating of late Quaternary sedimentary records in the Arctic Ocean.