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Spatial Distribution of Stony Desertification and Key Influencing Factors on Different Sampling Scales in Small Karst Watersheds

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  • Zhenming Zhang

    (Forest Resource and Environment Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
    College of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China)

  • Yunchao Zhou

    (Forest Resource and Environment Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
    College of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
    Puding Karst Ecosystem Research Station of Guizhou Province, Puding 562100, China)

  • Shijie Wang

    (Puding Karst Ecosystem Research Station of Guizhou Province, Puding 562100, China
    State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Science, Guiyang 550002, China)

  • Xianfei Huang

    (Forest Resource and Environment Research Center of Guizhou Province, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
    College of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China)

Abstract

Karst areas are typical ecologically fragile areas, and stony desertification has become the most serious ecological and economic problems in these areas worldwide as well as a source of disasters and poverty. A reasonable sampling scale is of great importance for research on soil science in karst areas. In this paper, the spatial distribution of stony desertification characteristics and its influencing factors in karst areas are studied at different sampling scales using a grid sampling method based on geographic information system (GIS) technology and geo-statistics. The rock exposure obtained through sampling over a 150 m × 150 m grid in the Houzhai River Basin was utilized as the original data, and five grid scales (300 m × 300 m, 450 m × 450 m, 600 m × 600 m, 750 m × 750 m, and 900 m × 900 m) were used as the subsample sets. The results show that the rock exposure does not vary substantially from one sampling scale to another, while the average values of the five subsamples all fluctuate around the average value of the entire set. As the sampling scale increases, the maximum value and the average value of the rock exposure gradually decrease, and there is a gradual increase in the coefficient of variability. At the scale of 150 m × 150 m, the areas of minor stony desertification, medium stony desertification, and major stony desertification in the Houzhai River Basin are 7.81 km 2 , 4.50 km 2 , and 1.87 km 2 , respectively. The spatial variability of stony desertification at small scales is influenced by many factors, and the variability at medium scales is jointly influenced by gradient, rock content, and rock exposure. At large scales, the spatial variability of stony desertification is mainly influenced by soil thickness and rock content.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhenming Zhang & Yunchao Zhou & Shijie Wang & Xianfei Huang, 2018. "Spatial Distribution of Stony Desertification and Key Influencing Factors on Different Sampling Scales in Small Karst Watersheds," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-13, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:4:p:743-:d:140893
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Shengzi Chen & Zhongfa Zhou & Lihui Yan & Bo Li, 2016. "Quantitative Evaluation of Ecosystem Health in a Karst Area of South China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-14, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kaifang Shi & Qingyuan Yang & Yuanqing Li, 2019. "Are Karst Rocky Desertification Areas Affected by Increasing Human Activity in Southern China? An Empirical Analysis from Nighttime Light Data," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-12, October.
    2. Zhenming Zhang & Xianfei Huang & Yunchao Zhou & Jiachun Zhang & Xubo Zhang, 2019. "Discrepancies in Karst Soil Organic Carbon in Southwest China for Different Land Use Patterns: A Case Study of Guizhou Province," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-14, October.
    3. Cheng Zeng & Gaoning Zhang & Tianyang Li & Binghui He & Dengyu Zhang, 2024. "Spatial-Temporal Heterogeneity of Ecosystem Service Value Driven by Nature-Human Activity-Policy in a Representative Fragile Karst Trough Valley, SW China," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-18, February.
    4. Zhilei Yu & Tianling Qin & Dengming Yan & Meijian Yang & Hexin Yu & Wanli Shi, 2018. "The Impact on the Ecosystem Services Value of the Ecological Shelter Zone Reconstruction in the Upper Reaches Basin of the Yangtze River in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-19, October.

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