Excessive use of N fertilizers(driven by high-yield goals)and its consequent environmental problems are becoming increasingly acute in agricultural systems.A 2-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the ef...Excessive use of N fertilizers(driven by high-yield goals)and its consequent environmental problems are becoming increasingly acute in agricultural systems.A 2-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of three N application methods(application of solid granular urea once(OF)or twice(TF),application of solid granular urea mixed with controlled-release urea once(MF),and six N rates(0,60,120,180,240,and 300 kg N ha^(-1))on maize yield,economic benefits,N use efficiency,and soil N balance in the maize(Zea mays L.)film mulching system on the Loess Plateau,China.The grain yield and economic return of maize were significantly affected by the N rate and application method.Compared with the OF treatment,the MF treatment not only increased the maize yield(increased by 9.0-16.7%)but also improved the economic return(increased by 10.9-25.8%).The agronomic N use efficiency(NAE),N partial factor productivity(NPFP)and recovery N efficiency(NRE)were significantly improved by 19.3-66.7,9.0-16.7 and 40.2-71.5%,respectively,compared with the OF treatment.The economic optimal N rate(EONR)of the OF,TF,and MF was 145.6,147.2,and 144.9 kg ha^(-1) in 2019,and 206.4,186.4,and 146.0 kg ha^(-1) in 2020,respectively.The apparent soil N loss at EONR of the OF,TF,and MF were 97.1-100.5,78.5-79.3,and 50.5-68.1 kg ha^(-1),respectively.These results support MF as a one-time N application method for delivering high yields and economic benefits,with low N input requirements within film mulching spring maize system on the Loess Plateau.展开更多
Studying the spatiotemporal variations in ecosystem services and their interrelationships on the Loess Plateau against the background of the gully control and land consolidation(GCLC)project has significant implicatio...Studying the spatiotemporal variations in ecosystem services and their interrelationships on the Loess Plateau against the background of the gully control and land consolidation(GCLC)project has significant implications for ecological protection and quality development of the Yellow River Basin.Therefore,in this study,we took Yan'an City,Shaanxi Province of China,as the study area,selected four typical ecosystem services,including soil conservation service,water yield service,carbon storage service,and habitat quality service,and quantitatively evaluated the spatiotemporal variation characteristics and trade-offs and synergies of ecosystem services from 2010 to 2018 using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs(InVEST)model.We also analysed the relationship between the GCLC project and regional ecosystem service changes in various regions(including 1 city,2 districts,and 10 counties)of Yan'an City and proposed a coordinated development strategy between the GCLC project and the ecological environment.The results showed that,from 2010 to 2018,soil conservation service decreased by 7.76%,while the other three ecosystem services changed relatively little,with water yield service increasing by 0.56% and carbon storage service and habitat quality service decreasing by 0.16% and 0.14%,respectively.The ecological environment of Yan'an City developed in a balanced way between 2010 and 2018,and the four ecosystem services showed synergistic relationships,among which the synergistic relationships between soil conservation service and water yield service and between carbon storage service and habitat quality service were significant.The GCLC project had a negative impact on the ecosystem services of Yan'an City,and the impact on carbon storage service was more significant.This study provides a theoretical basis for the scientific evaluation of the ecological benefits of the GCLC project and the realization of a win-win situation between food security and ecological security.展开更多
The fully mulched ridge–furrow(FMRF) system has been widely used on the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China due to its high maize(Zea mays L.) productivity and rainfall use efficiency. However, high outputs under this s...The fully mulched ridge–furrow(FMRF) system has been widely used on the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China due to its high maize(Zea mays L.) productivity and rainfall use efficiency. However, high outputs under this system led to a depletion of soil moisture and soil nutrients, which reduces its sustainability in the long run. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the system for the sustainable development of agriculture. The development, yield-increasing mechanisms,negative impacts, optimization, and their relations in the FMRF system are reviewed in this paper. We suggest using grain and forage maize varieties instead of regular maize;mulching plastic film in autumn or leaving the mulch after maize harvesting until the next spring, and then removing the old film and mulching new film;combining reduced/notillage with straw return;utilizing crop rotation or intercropping with winter canola(Brassica campestris L.), millet(Setaria italica), or oilseed flax(Linum usitatissimum L.);reducing nitrogen fertilizer and partially replacing chemical fertilizer with organic fertilizer;using biodegradable or weather-resistant film;and implementing mechanized production. These integrations help to establish an environmentally friendly, high quality, and sustainable agricultural system, promote highquality development of dryland farming, and create new opportunities for agricultural development in the semi-arid Loess Plateau.展开更多
Large-scale land consolidation projects(LCPs)have been carried out on the Loess Plateau to increase the area of agriculture land.The newly created land is prone to soil erosion under the effects of water and gravity.T...Large-scale land consolidation projects(LCPs)have been carried out on the Loess Plateau to increase the area of agriculture land.The newly created land is prone to soil erosion under the effects of water and gravity.Taking a typical high-filling body(HFB)formed by LCPs in Yan’an,China as the subject,this study comprehensively investigated the types and causes of soil erosion with multiple methods of field investigation,on-site monitoring and laboratory tests.Results showed that the HFB presented a composite pattern of soil erosion with multiple types mainly including underground erosion,mixed water-gravity erosion,seepage erosion,and scouring erosion.The type of erosion varied spatially in different parts of the HFB depending on the dominant factors,mainly including the groundwater state,rainfall,runoff,gravity action,topography,and soil erodibility.The underground erosion mainly occurred at the positions with higher groundwater level and larger hydraulic gradient,while scouring erosion mainly occurred at the positions with extensive interactions of surface runoff,channel slope gradient and soil properties.And near the leading edge of the top of the slope,a band of mixed watergravity erosion occurred owing to the effects of water and gravity.In addition,nearly saturated soils at the toe of HFB displayed groundwater exfiltration and slope-face slumping.Based on our findings on the causes and variation of soil erosion for the HFB,we proposed the following erosion prevention and control measures to protect the LCPs on the Loess Plateau:to construct drainage ditches and blind ditches to form a complete drainage system,plant alfalfa on the top platform to increase rainfall interception and reduce surface runoff,set seepage ditches and plant deep-rooted plants at the toe of the slope to improve slope toe stability,monitor groundwater level and slope deformation to learn the erosion dynamics and slope stability,and optimize the geometry of HFB such as the slope gradient and slope steps to reduce soil erosion.展开更多
As vegetation are closely related to soil erosion,hydrodynamic parameter changes under various vegetation pattern conditions can be used as an important basis for the research of the soil erosion mechanism.Through ups...As vegetation are closely related to soil erosion,hydrodynamic parameter changes under various vegetation pattern conditions can be used as an important basis for the research of the soil erosion mechanism.Through upstream water inflow experiments conducted on a loess hillslope,how the vegetation pattern influences the hydrodynamic processes of sediment transport was analyzed.The results show that the placement of a grass strip on the lower upslope can effectively reduce runoff erosion by 69%,relying on the efficiency of regulated hydrodynamic process.The effective location of grass strip for hillslope alleviating erosion is on the lower part of the upslope,mainly due to the grass strip measure used to regulate the hydrodynamic system.As a result,the underlying surface runoff resistance is increased by 5 times,runoff shear stress is decreased by more than 90%,and runoff power decreased by over 92%.The measure greatly separates the scouring energy of surface runoff that acts on the slope soil.Therefore,the use of grass strips effectively decreases the energy of runoff flowing along the slope,eliminating soil erosion to a great extent and thereby achieving a better regulation of hydrodynamic processe.展开更多
We examined how afforestation patterns impact carbon(C),nitrogen(N),and phosphorus(P)stoichiometry in the plant-litter-soil system.Plant leaf,branch,stem,and root,litter,and soil samples were collected from mixedspeci...We examined how afforestation patterns impact carbon(C),nitrogen(N),and phosphorus(P)stoichiometry in the plant-litter-soil system.Plant leaf,branch,stem,and root,litter,and soil samples were collected from mixedspecies plantations of Robinia pseudoacacia with Amygdalus davidiana(RPAD),R.pseudoacacia with Armeniaca sibirica(RPAS),and monocultures of R.pseudoacacia(RP),A.davidiana(AD),and A.sibirica(AS)in the Loess Hilly Region.The results showed that in mixed-species plantations,R.pseudoacacia had lower leaf N and P concentrations than in monocultures,while both A.davidiana and A.sibirica had higher leaf N and P concentrations.Soil P limited tree growth in both afforestation models.Mixing R.pseudoacacia with A.davidiana or A.sibirica reduced N-limitation during litter decomposition.Average soil total N and P concentrations were higher in RPAS than in RPAD,and both were higher than the corresponding monocultures.The average soil C:N ratio was the smallest in RPAS,while the average soil C:P ratio was larger in RPAS than in RP.A positive correlation between N and P concentrations,and between C:N and C:P ratios,was found in litter and all plant organs of mono-and mixedstands.Alternatively,for N concentration and C:N ratio,the correlations between plant(i.e.,leaf,branch,root)and litter and between plant and soil were inverse between plantation types.RPAD has an increased litter decomposition rate to release N and P,while RPAS has a faster rate of soil N mineralization.RPAD was the best plantation(mixed)to improve biogeochemical cycling,as soil nutrient restrictions,particularly for P-limitation,on trees growth were alleviated.This study thus provides insights into suitable tree selection and management by revealing C:N:P stoichiometry in the plant-litter-soil system under different afforestation patterns.展开更多
Material exchange frequently occurs in gullies,and thus the relationship between a gullynetwork structure and sediment transport potential has attracted considerable interest.However,previous researches ignored the di...Material exchange frequently occurs in gullies,and thus the relationship between a gullynetwork structure and sediment transport potential has attracted considerable interest.However,previous researches ignored the difficulty of material transport from sources to sinks,and did not quantify the connectivity of a network structure.In this study,we used a graph model structure to model gully networks of six typical sample areas in the Loess Plateau of China and quantified gully network connectivity using four indexes:average node strength,accessibility from sources to sinks,potential flow,and network structural connectivity index.Results show that:(1)Reflected by different quantitative indexes,the trends of gully network connectivity in different regions are similar.From north to south,the connectivity of a sample area first increases and then decreases.(2)The more mature gullies have stronger network connectivity.Small resistance is conducive to material transport in the gullies.(3)The node connectivity index of the gully network shows a significant aggregation distribution in space,and node connectivity on the main channel is often stronger than that on the branch trench.These results not only deepen the understanding of the process and mechanism of loess gully geomorphic development and evolution but also provide a reference for geomorphic studies.展开更多
Additional stress formed by postconstruction buildings in loess-filling areas affects water infiltration in soil and causes soil deformation.To investigate this effect,under constant water head,vertical infiltration t...Additional stress formed by postconstruction buildings in loess-filling areas affects water infiltration in soil and causes soil deformation.To investigate this effect,under constant water head,vertical infiltration tests on compacted loess with two initial dry densities for different applied vertical stresses were developed using vertical stresscontrollable one-dimensional soil columns.The timehistory curves of vertical deformation,wetting front depth,cumulative infiltration depth,volumetric water content(VWC)and suction were measured,and the soil-water characteristic curves(SWCCs)were determined.The results showed that:(1)the infiltration ability of the soil column weakens with increasing applied vertical stress and initial dry density;(2)vertical deformation increases rapidly at first and then tends to be stable slowly at the consolidation and wetting-induced deformation stage,and is positively correlated with applied vertical stress and is negatively correlated with initial dry density.The stability time of wetting-induced deformation and the corresponding wetting front depth increase with the increase of applied vertical stress,while they decrease obviously when initial dry density increases;(3)the influence of applied vertical stress on soilwater characteristics in soil columns with various initial dry densities is related to the deformation depth of soil column.The VG(Van Genuchten)model is suitable for fitting the SWCCs at different monitoring positions.A normalized SWCC model introducing the applied vertical stress was proposed for each initial dry density using the mathematical relationship between the fitting parameters and the applied vertical stress.展开更多
Homeostasis is the adaptability of a species to a changing environment.However,the ecological stoichiometric homeostasis of Robinia pseudoacacia L.in diff erent climatic regions is poorly understood but could provide ...Homeostasis is the adaptability of a species to a changing environment.However,the ecological stoichiometric homeostasis of Robinia pseudoacacia L.in diff erent climatic regions is poorly understood but could provide insights into its adaptability in the loess hilly region.This study sampled 20 year-old R.pseudoacacia plantations at 10 sites along a north–south transect on the Loess Plateau.Variations in the ecological stoichiometric characteristics of leaf and soil carbon,nitrogen,and phosphorus were analysed and homeostatic characteristics of leaf ecological stoichiometric parameters in diff erent climates were identifi ed.Factors aff ecting leaf stoichiometry were assessed.The results show that R.pseudoacacia leaves were rich in nitrogen and defi cient in phosphorous during tree growth and development.Nitrogen and phosphorous levels in the soils of the loess region were lower than the average in soils in the rest of China.All ecological stoichiometric parameters of R.pseudoacacia leaves in two diff erent climates were considered“strictly homeostasis”.Precipitation,available phosphorus,and soil C:P were the main factors aff ecting the variation of C:N:P stoichiometry of R.pseudoacacia leaves.R.pseudoacacia in the loess hilly region has strong ecologically homeostatic characteristics and suggests that it is well-adapted to the area.展开更多
Grass recovery is often implemented in the loess area of China to control erosion.However,the effect mechanisms of grass cover on runoff erosion dynamics on steep loess hillslopes is still not clear.Taking the typical...Grass recovery is often implemented in the loess area of China to control erosion.However,the effect mechanisms of grass cover on runoff erosion dynamics on steep loess hillslopes is still not clear.Taking the typical forage species(Coreopsis)in semiarid areas as subject,this study quantified the effects of canopies and roots on controlling slope runoff and erosion.A series of field experiments were conducted in a loess hilly region of China.Field plots(5 m length,2 m width,25°slope gradient)constructed with three ground covers(bare soil;Coreopsis with intact grass;only roots of Coreopsis),were applied with simultaneous simulated rainfall(60mm h^(-1))and upslope inflow(10,30,50,70,90L min^(-1)).The results showed that compared with bare soil,intact grass significantly reduced runoff and soil loss rates by 16.6% and 62.4% on average,and decreased soil erodibility parameter by 66.3%.As inflow rate increased,the reductions in runoff and soil loss rates increased from 2.93 to 14.00 L min^(-1)and 35.11 to 121.96 g m^(-2)min^(-1),respectively.Canopies relatively contributed 66.7% to lowering flow velocity,turbulence,weakening erosive force and increasing hydraulic resistance.Roots played a predominant role in reducing soil loss and enhancing soil antierodibility,with relative contributions of 78.8% and 73.8%.Furthermore,the maximum erosion depth reduced by Coreopsis was at the upper slope section which was previously eroded the most.These results demonstrated the efficiency of Coreopsis cover in controlling runoff and erosion on steep loess slopes,especially under large inflow rates and at upper slope sections.We suggest protecting Coreopsis with intact grass at upper slope sections,while the aboveground grass biomass can be used for grazing or harvesting at middle and lower slope sections,with roots reserved.展开更多
Check-dam construction is an effective and widely used method for sediment trapping in the Yellow River Basin and other places over the world that are prone to severe soil erosion.Quantitative estimations of the dynam...Check-dam construction is an effective and widely used method for sediment trapping in the Yellow River Basin and other places over the world that are prone to severe soil erosion.Quantitative estimations of the dynamic sediment trapped by check dams are necessary for evaluating the effects of check dams and planning the construction of new ones.In this study,we propose a new framework,named soil and water assessment tool(SWAT)–dynamic check dam(DCDam),for modeling the sediment trapped by check dams dynamically,by integrating the widely utilized SWAT model and a newly developed module called DCDam.We then applied this framework to a typical loess watershed,the Yan River Basin,to assess the time-varying effects of check-dam networks over the past 60 years(1957–2016).The DCDam module generated a specific check-dam network to conceptualize the complex connections at each time step(monthly).In addition,the streamflow and sediment load simulated by using the SWAT model were employed to force the sediment routing in the check-dam network.The evaluation results revealed that the SWAT-DCDam framework performed satisfactorily,with an overestimation of 11.50%,in simulating sediment trapped by check dams,when compared with a field survey of the accumulated sediment deposition.For the Yan River Basin,our results indicated that the designed structural parameters of check dams have evolved over the past 60 years,with higher dams(37.14%and 9.22%increase for large dams and medium dams,respectively)but smaller controlled areas(46.03%and 10.56%decrease for large dams and medium dams,respectively)in recent years.Sediment retained by check dams contributed to approximately 15.00%of the total sediment load reduction in the Yan River during 1970–2016.Thus,our developed framework can be a promising tool for evaluating check-dam effects,and this study can provide valuable information and support to decision-making for soil and water conservation and check-dam planning and management.展开更多
Root pullout performance of plants is an important mechanical basis for soil reinforcement by plant roots in the semi-arid areas.Studies have shown that it is affected by plant factors(species,ages,root geometry,etc.)...Root pullout performance of plants is an important mechanical basis for soil reinforcement by plant roots in the semi-arid areas.Studies have shown that it is affected by plant factors(species,ages,root geometry,etc.)and soil factors(soil types,soil moisture,soil bulk densities,etc.).However,the effects of loading rates on root pullout performance are not well studied.To explore the mechanical interactions under different loading rates,we conducted pullout tests on Medicago sativa L.and Hippophae rhamnoides L.roots under five loading rates,i.e.,5,50,100,150,and 200 mm/min.In addition,tensile tests were conducted on the roots in diameters of 0.5-2.0 mm to compare the relationship between root tensile properties and root pullout properties.Results showed that two root failure modes,slippage and breakage,were observed during root pullout tests.All M.sativa roots were pulled out,while 72.2%of H.rhamnoides roots were broken.The maximum fracture diameter and fracture root length of H.rhamnoides were 1.22 mm and 7.44 cm under 100 mm/min loading rate,respectively.Root displacement values were 4.63%(±0.43%)and 8.91%(±0.52%)of the total root length for M.sativa and H.rhamnoides,respectively.The values of maximum pullout force were 14.6(±0.7)and 17.7(±1.8)N under 100 mm/min for M.sativa and H.rhamnoides,respectively.Values of the maximum pullout strength for M.sativa and H.rhamnoides were 38.38(±5.48)MPa under 150 mm/min and 12.47(±1.43)MPa under 100 mm/min,respectively.Root-soil friction coefficient under 100 mm/min was significantly larger than those under other loading rates for both the two species.Values of the maximum root pullout energy for M.sativa and H.rhamnoides were 87.83(±21.55)mm•N under 100 mm/min and 173.53(±38.53)mm•N under 200 mm/min,respectively.Root pullout force was significantly related to root diameter(P<0.01).Peak root pullout force was significantly affected by loading rates when the effect of root diameter was included(P<0.01),and vice versa.Except for the failure mode and peak pullout force,other pullout parameters,including root pullout strength,root displacement,root-soil friction coefficient,and root pullout energy were not significantly affected by loading rates(P>0.05).Root pullout strength was greater than root tensile strength for the two species.The results suggested that there was no need to deliberately control loading rate in root pullout tests in the semi-arid soil,and root pullout force and pullout strength could be better parameters for root reinforcement model compared with root tensile strength as root pullout force and pullout strength could more realistically reflect the working state of roots in the semi-arid soil.展开更多
Check dams are widely used on the Loess Plateau in China to control soil and water losses,develop agricultural land,and improve watershed ecology.Detailed information on the number and spatial distribution of check da...Check dams are widely used on the Loess Plateau in China to control soil and water losses,develop agricultural land,and improve watershed ecology.Detailed information on the number and spatial distribution of check dams is critical for quantitatively evaluating hydrological and ecological effects and planning the construction of new dams.Thus,this study developed a check dam detection framework for broad areas from high-resolution remote sensing images using an ensemble approach of deep learning and geospatial analysis.First,we made a sample dataset of check dams using GaoFen-2(GF-2)and Google Earth images.Next,we evaluated five popular deep-learning-based object detectors,including Faster R-CNN,You Only Look Once(version 3)(YOLOv3),Cascade R-CNN,YOLOX,and VarifocalNet(VFNet),to identify the best one for check dam detection.Finally,we analyzed the location characteristics of the check dams and used geographical constraints to optimize the detection results.Precision,recall,average precision at intersection over union(IoU)threshold of 0.50(AP_(50)),IoU threshold of 0.75(AP_(75)),and average value for 10 IoU thresholds ranging from 0.50-0.95 with a 0.05 step(AP_(50-95)),and inference time were used to evaluate model performance.All the five deep learning networks could identify check dams quickly and accurately,with AP_(50-95),AP_(50),and AP_(75)values higher than 60.0%,90.0%,and 70.0%,respectively,except for YOLOv3.The VFNet had the best performance,followed by YOLOX.The proposed framework was tested in the Yanhe River Basin and yielded promising results,with a recall rate of 87.0%for 521 check dams.Furthermore,the geographic analysis deleted about 50%of the false detection boxes,increasing the identification accuracy of check dams from 78.6%to 87.6%.Simultaneously,this framework recognized 568 recently constructed check dams and small check dams not recorded in the known check dam survey datasets.The extraction results will support efficient watershed management and guide future studies on soil erosion in the Loess Plateau.展开更多
Shear strength is an essential geotechnical parameter for assessing the landslide potential of loess slopes under rainfall infiltration and farm irrigation conditions on the loess plateau.However,the hydraulic path de...Shear strength is an essential geotechnical parameter for assessing the landslide potential of loess slopes under rainfall infiltration and farm irrigation conditions on the loess plateau.However,the hydraulic path dependence of shear strength for compacted loess under varying rainfall infiltration conditions has not been thoroughly investigated yet.To this end,a series of direct shear tests and nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)measurements are carried out on compacted loess.The shear strength tests were continuously implemented on loess specimens under scanning wetting paths besides initial drying paths.The experimental data quantitatively verify the significant effect of hydraulic paths applied to specimens on shear strength of compacted loess.The unique failure envelope of shear strength of loess is identified under the effective stress framework based on intergranular stress,which verifies that the effective stress framework can consider the effect of hydraulic paths on shear strength.Based on the effective stress,a shear strength formula is proposed to characterize shear strengths under varying hydraulic paths,in which the parameters from the soil-water retention curve and shear strength at saturated state are simply required.The proposed shear strength formula can properly predict the measured shear strength data of compacted loess experiencing three hydraulic paths.Furthermore,the distribution curves of transverse relaxation time for pore water in soil under varying hydraulic paths are simultaneously measured using the NMR method.The physical mechanism for the difference in shear strength of loess subjected to different hydraulic paths can be uncovered based on soil-water evolutions in pores in microscale.展开更多
Black locust(Robinia pseudoacacia L.)plantations have contributed significantly to soil and water conservation and ecological reconstruction on China’s Loess Plateau.Understanding the impact of stand and environment ...Black locust(Robinia pseudoacacia L.)plantations have contributed significantly to soil and water conservation and ecological reconstruction on China’s Loess Plateau.Understanding the impact of stand and environment on species composition of understory woody plants will improve the stability of existing black locust plantations.Ten stands were selected in second-generation black locust plantations in tableland and gully areas of the Loess Plateau.The number of understory tree species in the tablelands was significantly lower than in the gully stands.Regenerated black locust(19.76%)and Rubus corchorifolius L.f.(64.85%)were the most abundant understory tree and shrub species,respectively,in the tableland stands;Broussonetia papyrifera(L.)L’Hér.ex Vent.(6.77%)and Acanthopanax senticosus(Rupr.Maxim.)Harms.(37.22%)were most abundant in the gully stands.Species richness(S),Shannon diversity(H),and evenness index(J)of the understory plants were significantly lower in the tableland stands than in the gully stands.More diverse understory species and community structures occurred in the gully stands.Differences in species diversity among landform positions may be attributed to differences in soil moisture.In addition,77.57%of the variation in understory species composition was explained,among which shrub and herb coverage,stand age,leaf area index,slope and total soil phosphorus in the 10-20 cm layer were the main factors.Soil organic carbon and total potassium significantly impacted S,H and J.Considering the environmental conditions and the biological characteristics of the plants investigated,R.corchorifolius should be given priority in the development of tableland stands,while B.papyrifera and Celtis sinensis Pers.should form mixed forests with black locust in gully stands.This management could promote biodiversity and stability of the existing black locust plantations but also optimize regional landscape patterns.展开更多
Loess landslides are one of the geological hazards prevalent in mountainous areas of Loess Plateau,seriously threatening people's lives and property safety.Accurate identification of landslides is a prerequisite f...Loess landslides are one of the geological hazards prevalent in mountainous areas of Loess Plateau,seriously threatening people's lives and property safety.Accurate identification of landslides is a prerequisite for reducing the risk of landslide hazards.Traditional landslide interpretation methods often have the disadvantage of being laborious and difficult to use on a large scale compared with the recently developed deep learning-based landslide detection methods.In this study,we propose an improved deep learning model,landslide detectionyou only look once(LD-YOLO),based on the existing you only look once(YOLO)model for the intelligent identification of old and new landslides in loess areas.Specifically,remote sensing images of landslides in Baoji City,Shaanxi Province,China are acquired from the Google Earth Engine platform.The landslide images of Baoji City(excluding Qianyang County)are used to establish a loess landslide dataset for training the model.The landslide data of Qianyang County is used to verify the detection performance of the model.The focal and efficient IoU(Focal-EIoU)loss function and efficient channel attention(ECA)mechanism are incorporated into the 7th version of YOLO(YOLOv7)model to construct the LD-YOLO model,which makes it more suitable for the landslide detection task.The experiments yielded an improved LD-YOLO model with average precision of 92.05%,precision of 92.31%,recall of 90.28%,and F1-score of 91.28%for loess landslide detection.The landslides in Qianyang County were divided into two test sets,new landslides and old landslides,which were used to test the detection performance of LD-YOLO for both types of landslides.The results show that LD-YOLO detects old landslides with a detection precision of 82.75%and a recall of 80%.When detecting new landslides,the detection precision is 94.29%and the recall is 91.67%.It indicates that our proposed LD-YOLO model has strong detection performance for both new and old landslides in loess areas.Through a proposed solution that can realize the accurate detection of landslides in loess areas,this paper provides a valuable reference for the application of deep learning methods in landslide identification.展开更多
Soil erosion is a major issue in Loess Plateau,China,and quantitative analyses of sediment sources are crucial for soil erosion control.In this study,a combination of flood couplet analysis and composite fingerprint i...Soil erosion is a major issue in Loess Plateau,China,and quantitative analyses of sediment sources are crucial for soil erosion control.In this study,a combination of flood couplet analysis and composite fingerprint identification was used for historical reconstructions of soil erosion in sediment source areas in Loess Plateau.Each flood couplet was constructed based on sediment 137Cs activity,and past soil erosion was calculated using soil bulk density and storage capacity curves.The contribution rates of the sediment sources were calculated using the fingerprinting method,and the amount of erosion in the sediment source areas was estimated.The best fingerprint combination(Cr,Ni,V,and TOC)enabled a 97.2%recognition of sediment sources from 29 flood events(1956–1990)in the Loess Plateau.The contribution rates of gullies,farmland,grassland,and shrubland were 44.89%,26.38%,10.49%,and 18.24%,respectively.These four land use types contributed 1,227,751,512,and 279 tons of sediments,respectively.Re-vegetation decreased soil erosion(1966–1983),whereas deforestation increased soil erosion(1956–1965 and 1984–1990).Rational soil and water conservation measures on slopes and check dam construction in gullies are therefore suggested to mitigate erosion.展开更多
The gravity recovery and climate experiment(GRACE)has emerged as a crucial source of land water storage information in hydrological analysis and research.Numerous factors contribute to regional terrestrial water stora...The gravity recovery and climate experiment(GRACE)has emerged as a crucial source of land water storage information in hydrological analysis and research.Numerous factors contribute to regional terrestrial water storage(TWS),resulting in a complex mechanism.In the Loess Plateau region,the continuous alteration of natural conditions and profound impact of human activities have posed a serious threat to the natural ecosystem,leading to an escalating trend of TWS reduction.Addressing the specific analysis of how natural conditions and human activities affect TWS represents a pressing issue.This study employed the residual analysis method to discern the contribution rates of natural conditions and human activities,elucidated the spatial and temporal changes associated with each factor,and ascertained their individual influence.The findings indicated that TWS on the Loess Plateau exhibited a downward trend of-4.89 mm·a^(-1)from 2003 to 2017.The combined effects of climate change and human activities accounted for alterations in water resource reserves across most areas of the Loess Plateau,with human activities predominantly driving these changes.Precipitation emerged as the primary natural factor influencing TWS variations,and NDVI demonstrated a positive feedback effect on TWS at approximately 30%.Substantial spatial disparities in TWS existed within the Loess Plateau,with human activities identified as the primary cause for the decreasing trend.Vegetation restoration plays a positive role in saving water resources in the Loess Plateau to some extent,and vegetation growth exceeding the regional load will lead to water shortage.展开更多
Fiber-reinforced soils have been of great interest to experimenters for building foundations’strength performance,time,and economy.This paper investigates the effects of water content and polypropylene fiber dosage a...Fiber-reinforced soils have been of great interest to experimenters for building foundations’strength performance,time,and economy.This paper investigates the effects of water content and polypropylene fiber dosage and length on loess’s unconfined compressive strength(UCS)according to the central composite response surface design test procedure.The water content is 11%–25%,the mass ratio of fiber to soil is 0.1%–0.9%,and the fiber length ranges from 6–18 mm.The response surface method(RSM)developed full quadratic models of different variables with response values.After analysis of variance(ANOVA),the mathematical model developed in this study was statistically significant(p≤0.05)and applicable to the optimization process.The optimization results showed that the optimal water content values,fiber amount,and fiber length were 16.41%,0.579%,and 14.90 mm,respectively.The unconfined compressive strength of the optimized specimens was increased by 288.017 kPa.The research results can reference the design and construction of fiber-reinforced soil in practical projects such as road base engineering and foundation engineering.展开更多
基金financially supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (2022YFD1900702 and 2021YFD1900700)the Key Research and Development Program of Shaanxi, China (2023-ZDLNY-52)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42077102)
文摘Excessive use of N fertilizers(driven by high-yield goals)and its consequent environmental problems are becoming increasingly acute in agricultural systems.A 2-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of three N application methods(application of solid granular urea once(OF)or twice(TF),application of solid granular urea mixed with controlled-release urea once(MF),and six N rates(0,60,120,180,240,and 300 kg N ha^(-1))on maize yield,economic benefits,N use efficiency,and soil N balance in the maize(Zea mays L.)film mulching system on the Loess Plateau,China.The grain yield and economic return of maize were significantly affected by the N rate and application method.Compared with the OF treatment,the MF treatment not only increased the maize yield(increased by 9.0-16.7%)but also improved the economic return(increased by 10.9-25.8%).The agronomic N use efficiency(NAE),N partial factor productivity(NPFP)and recovery N efficiency(NRE)were significantly improved by 19.3-66.7,9.0-16.7 and 40.2-71.5%,respectively,compared with the OF treatment.The economic optimal N rate(EONR)of the OF,TF,and MF was 145.6,147.2,and 144.9 kg ha^(-1) in 2019,and 206.4,186.4,and 146.0 kg ha^(-1) in 2020,respectively.The apparent soil N loss at EONR of the OF,TF,and MF were 97.1-100.5,78.5-79.3,and 50.5-68.1 kg ha^(-1),respectively.These results support MF as a one-time N application method for delivering high yields and economic benefits,with low N input requirements within film mulching spring maize system on the Loess Plateau.
基金supported by the Innovation Capability Support Program of Shaanxi Province,China(2023-CX-RKX-102)the Key Research and Development Program of Shaanxi Province,China(2022FP-34)+1 种基金the Open Foundation of the Key Laboratory of Natural Resource Coupling Process and Effects(2023KFKTB008)the Open Fund of Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Land Consolidation,China(300102352502).
文摘Studying the spatiotemporal variations in ecosystem services and their interrelationships on the Loess Plateau against the background of the gully control and land consolidation(GCLC)project has significant implications for ecological protection and quality development of the Yellow River Basin.Therefore,in this study,we took Yan'an City,Shaanxi Province of China,as the study area,selected four typical ecosystem services,including soil conservation service,water yield service,carbon storage service,and habitat quality service,and quantitatively evaluated the spatiotemporal variation characteristics and trade-offs and synergies of ecosystem services from 2010 to 2018 using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs(InVEST)model.We also analysed the relationship between the GCLC project and regional ecosystem service changes in various regions(including 1 city,2 districts,and 10 counties)of Yan'an City and proposed a coordinated development strategy between the GCLC project and the ecological environment.The results showed that,from 2010 to 2018,soil conservation service decreased by 7.76%,while the other three ecosystem services changed relatively little,with water yield service increasing by 0.56% and carbon storage service and habitat quality service decreasing by 0.16% and 0.14%,respectively.The ecological environment of Yan'an City developed in a balanced way between 2010 and 2018,and the four ecosystem services showed synergistic relationships,among which the synergistic relationships between soil conservation service and water yield service and between carbon storage service and habitat quality service were significant.The GCLC project had a negative impact on the ecosystem services of Yan'an City,and the impact on carbon storage service was more significant.This study provides a theoretical basis for the scientific evaluation of the ecological benefits of the GCLC project and the realization of a win-win situation between food security and ecological security.
基金supported by the Major Special Research projects in Gansu Province, China (22ZD6NA009)the National Key R&D Program of China (2022YFD1900300)+4 种基金the State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, China (GSCS-2022-Z02)the Fostering Foundation for the Excellent Ph.D. Dissertation of Gansu Agricultural University, China (YB2020002)the Innovation Star Project for Excellent Graduate Student of Department of Education of Gansu Province, China (2021CXZX-369)the Young Instructor Fund Project of Gansu Agricultural University, China (GAU-QDFC-2020-03)the Science and Technology Project of Gansu Province, China (20JR5RA033)。
文摘The fully mulched ridge–furrow(FMRF) system has been widely used on the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China due to its high maize(Zea mays L.) productivity and rainfall use efficiency. However, high outputs under this system led to a depletion of soil moisture and soil nutrients, which reduces its sustainability in the long run. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the system for the sustainable development of agriculture. The development, yield-increasing mechanisms,negative impacts, optimization, and their relations in the FMRF system are reviewed in this paper. We suggest using grain and forage maize varieties instead of regular maize;mulching plastic film in autumn or leaving the mulch after maize harvesting until the next spring, and then removing the old film and mulching new film;combining reduced/notillage with straw return;utilizing crop rotation or intercropping with winter canola(Brassica campestris L.), millet(Setaria italica), or oilseed flax(Linum usitatissimum L.);reducing nitrogen fertilizer and partially replacing chemical fertilizer with organic fertilizer;using biodegradable or weather-resistant film;and implementing mechanized production. These integrations help to establish an environmentally friendly, high quality, and sustainable agricultural system, promote highquality development of dryland farming, and create new opportunities for agricultural development in the semi-arid Loess Plateau.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41790443,41927806,and 32071586)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Grant Nos.300102212213)Young Talent Fund of Association for Science and Technology in Shaanxi,China(Grant No.20220707)。
文摘Large-scale land consolidation projects(LCPs)have been carried out on the Loess Plateau to increase the area of agriculture land.The newly created land is prone to soil erosion under the effects of water and gravity.Taking a typical high-filling body(HFB)formed by LCPs in Yan’an,China as the subject,this study comprehensively investigated the types and causes of soil erosion with multiple methods of field investigation,on-site monitoring and laboratory tests.Results showed that the HFB presented a composite pattern of soil erosion with multiple types mainly including underground erosion,mixed water-gravity erosion,seepage erosion,and scouring erosion.The type of erosion varied spatially in different parts of the HFB depending on the dominant factors,mainly including the groundwater state,rainfall,runoff,gravity action,topography,and soil erodibility.The underground erosion mainly occurred at the positions with higher groundwater level and larger hydraulic gradient,while scouring erosion mainly occurred at the positions with extensive interactions of surface runoff,channel slope gradient and soil properties.And near the leading edge of the top of the slope,a band of mixed watergravity erosion occurred owing to the effects of water and gravity.In addition,nearly saturated soils at the toe of HFB displayed groundwater exfiltration and slope-face slumping.Based on our findings on the causes and variation of soil erosion for the HFB,we proposed the following erosion prevention and control measures to protect the LCPs on the Loess Plateau:to construct drainage ditches and blind ditches to form a complete drainage system,plant alfalfa on the top platform to increase rainfall interception and reduce surface runoff,set seepage ditches and plant deep-rooted plants at the toe of the slope to improve slope toe stability,monitor groundwater level and slope deformation to learn the erosion dynamics and slope stability,and optimize the geometry of HFB such as the slope gradient and slope steps to reduce soil erosion.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No:42177346,52009103,U2243240)Innovation Capability Support Program of Shaanxi(2019TD-040)Observation and Research Station of Groundwater and Ecology in Yulin,Shaanxi,Ministry of Natural Resources。
文摘As vegetation are closely related to soil erosion,hydrodynamic parameter changes under various vegetation pattern conditions can be used as an important basis for the research of the soil erosion mechanism.Through upstream water inflow experiments conducted on a loess hillslope,how the vegetation pattern influences the hydrodynamic processes of sediment transport was analyzed.The results show that the placement of a grass strip on the lower upslope can effectively reduce runoff erosion by 69%,relying on the efficiency of regulated hydrodynamic process.The effective location of grass strip for hillslope alleviating erosion is on the lower part of the upslope,mainly due to the grass strip measure used to regulate the hydrodynamic system.As a result,the underlying surface runoff resistance is increased by 5 times,runoff shear stress is decreased by more than 90%,and runoff power decreased by over 92%.The measure greatly separates the scouring energy of surface runoff that acts on the slope soil.Therefore,the use of grass strips effectively decreases the energy of runoff flowing along the slope,eliminating soil erosion to a great extent and thereby achieving a better regulation of hydrodynamic processe.
基金funded by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (No.41771556)funded by the Spanish Government Grants PID2020-115770RB-I00 and TED2021-132627B–I00+2 种基金funded by the Spanish MCIN,AEI/10.13039/501100011033the European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR,the Catalan government grant SGR2021-1333the Fundaci on Ram on Areces grant CIVP20A6621
文摘We examined how afforestation patterns impact carbon(C),nitrogen(N),and phosphorus(P)stoichiometry in the plant-litter-soil system.Plant leaf,branch,stem,and root,litter,and soil samples were collected from mixedspecies plantations of Robinia pseudoacacia with Amygdalus davidiana(RPAD),R.pseudoacacia with Armeniaca sibirica(RPAS),and monocultures of R.pseudoacacia(RP),A.davidiana(AD),and A.sibirica(AS)in the Loess Hilly Region.The results showed that in mixed-species plantations,R.pseudoacacia had lower leaf N and P concentrations than in monocultures,while both A.davidiana and A.sibirica had higher leaf N and P concentrations.Soil P limited tree growth in both afforestation models.Mixing R.pseudoacacia with A.davidiana or A.sibirica reduced N-limitation during litter decomposition.Average soil total N and P concentrations were higher in RPAS than in RPAD,and both were higher than the corresponding monocultures.The average soil C:N ratio was the smallest in RPAS,while the average soil C:P ratio was larger in RPAS than in RP.A positive correlation between N and P concentrations,and between C:N and C:P ratios,was found in litter and all plant organs of mono-and mixedstands.Alternatively,for N concentration and C:N ratio,the correlations between plant(i.e.,leaf,branch,root)and litter and between plant and soil were inverse between plantation types.RPAD has an increased litter decomposition rate to release N and P,while RPAS has a faster rate of soil N mineralization.RPAD was the best plantation(mixed)to improve biogeochemical cycling,as soil nutrient restrictions,particularly for P-limitation,on trees growth were alleviated.This study thus provides insights into suitable tree selection and management by revealing C:N:P stoichiometry in the plant-litter-soil system under different afforestation patterns.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.42271421 and 41930102)。
文摘Material exchange frequently occurs in gullies,and thus the relationship between a gullynetwork structure and sediment transport potential has attracted considerable interest.However,previous researches ignored the difficulty of material transport from sources to sinks,and did not quantify the connectivity of a network structure.In this study,we used a graph model structure to model gully networks of six typical sample areas in the Loess Plateau of China and quantified gully network connectivity using four indexes:average node strength,accessibility from sources to sinks,potential flow,and network structural connectivity index.Results show that:(1)Reflected by different quantitative indexes,the trends of gully network connectivity in different regions are similar.From north to south,the connectivity of a sample area first increases and then decreases.(2)The more mature gullies have stronger network connectivity.Small resistance is conducive to material transport in the gullies.(3)The node connectivity index of the gully network shows a significant aggregation distribution in space,and node connectivity on the main channel is often stronger than that on the branch trench.These results not only deepen the understanding of the process and mechanism of loess gully geomorphic development and evolution but also provide a reference for geomorphic studies.
基金funded by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central UniversitiesCHD(Grant No.300102262503)+2 种基金the Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi(Grants No.2022JM-167)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41790442,41772278,41877242,42072311)the Yan’an Science and Technology Plan Project(Grant No.2022SLSFGG-004)。
文摘Additional stress formed by postconstruction buildings in loess-filling areas affects water infiltration in soil and causes soil deformation.To investigate this effect,under constant water head,vertical infiltration tests on compacted loess with two initial dry densities for different applied vertical stresses were developed using vertical stresscontrollable one-dimensional soil columns.The timehistory curves of vertical deformation,wetting front depth,cumulative infiltration depth,volumetric water content(VWC)and suction were measured,and the soil-water characteristic curves(SWCCs)were determined.The results showed that:(1)the infiltration ability of the soil column weakens with increasing applied vertical stress and initial dry density;(2)vertical deformation increases rapidly at first and then tends to be stable slowly at the consolidation and wetting-induced deformation stage,and is positively correlated with applied vertical stress and is negatively correlated with initial dry density.The stability time of wetting-induced deformation and the corresponding wetting front depth increase with the increase of applied vertical stress,while they decrease obviously when initial dry density increases;(3)the influence of applied vertical stress on soilwater characteristics in soil columns with various initial dry densities is related to the deformation depth of soil column.The VG(Van Genuchten)model is suitable for fitting the SWCCs at different monitoring positions.A normalized SWCC model introducing the applied vertical stress was proposed for each initial dry density using the mathematical relationship between the fitting parameters and the applied vertical stress.
基金supported by the Science and Technology Innovation Program of the Shaanxi Academy of Forestry(SXLK2022-02-03)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(42077452).
文摘Homeostasis is the adaptability of a species to a changing environment.However,the ecological stoichiometric homeostasis of Robinia pseudoacacia L.in diff erent climatic regions is poorly understood but could provide insights into its adaptability in the loess hilly region.This study sampled 20 year-old R.pseudoacacia plantations at 10 sites along a north–south transect on the Loess Plateau.Variations in the ecological stoichiometric characteristics of leaf and soil carbon,nitrogen,and phosphorus were analysed and homeostatic characteristics of leaf ecological stoichiometric parameters in diff erent climates were identifi ed.Factors aff ecting leaf stoichiometry were assessed.The results show that R.pseudoacacia leaves were rich in nitrogen and defi cient in phosphorous during tree growth and development.Nitrogen and phosphorous levels in the soils of the loess region were lower than the average in soils in the rest of China.All ecological stoichiometric parameters of R.pseudoacacia leaves in two diff erent climates were considered“strictly homeostasis”.Precipitation,available phosphorus,and soil C:P were the main factors aff ecting the variation of C:N:P stoichiometry of R.pseudoacacia leaves.R.pseudoacacia in the loess hilly region has strong ecologically homeostatic characteristics and suggests that it is well-adapted to the area.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(41907061)the Natural Science Foundation of Hubei province,China(2021CFB550)the joint fund for regional innovation and development of NSFC(U21A2039)。
文摘Grass recovery is often implemented in the loess area of China to control erosion.However,the effect mechanisms of grass cover on runoff erosion dynamics on steep loess hillslopes is still not clear.Taking the typical forage species(Coreopsis)in semiarid areas as subject,this study quantified the effects of canopies and roots on controlling slope runoff and erosion.A series of field experiments were conducted in a loess hilly region of China.Field plots(5 m length,2 m width,25°slope gradient)constructed with three ground covers(bare soil;Coreopsis with intact grass;only roots of Coreopsis),were applied with simultaneous simulated rainfall(60mm h^(-1))and upslope inflow(10,30,50,70,90L min^(-1)).The results showed that compared with bare soil,intact grass significantly reduced runoff and soil loss rates by 16.6% and 62.4% on average,and decreased soil erodibility parameter by 66.3%.As inflow rate increased,the reductions in runoff and soil loss rates increased from 2.93 to 14.00 L min^(-1)and 35.11 to 121.96 g m^(-2)min^(-1),respectively.Canopies relatively contributed 66.7% to lowering flow velocity,turbulence,weakening erosive force and increasing hydraulic resistance.Roots played a predominant role in reducing soil loss and enhancing soil antierodibility,with relative contributions of 78.8% and 73.8%.Furthermore,the maximum erosion depth reduced by Coreopsis was at the upper slope section which was previously eroded the most.These results demonstrated the efficiency of Coreopsis cover in controlling runoff and erosion on steep loess slopes,especially under large inflow rates and at upper slope sections.We suggest protecting Coreopsis with intact grass at upper slope sections,while the aboveground grass biomass can be used for grazing or harvesting at middle and lower slope sections,with roots reserved.
基金funded by the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDB40020205)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U2243210,42041006,42207401,42271025,and 31961143011)+8 种基金Key Laboratory of Degraded and Unused Land Consolidation Engineering of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the People’s Republic of China(SXDJ2019-5)the Key Research and Development Program of Shaanxi Province(2022ZDLSF06-04)the Innovation Team of Shaanxi Province(2021TD-52)the Technology Innovation Center for Land Engineering and Human Settlements,Shaanxi Land Engineering Construction Group Co.,Ltd.and Xi’an Jiaotong University(201912131-B2)the Foundation of Development on Science and Technology by Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research(HKF202205)the Scientific Research Foundation of Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research(HKY-JBYW-2022-09)the"Light of the West"talent program of the Chinese Academy of Science,the Key Research and Development Project in Shaanxi Province(S2020-YF-GHZD-0061)the National Thousand Youth Talent Program of Chinathe Shaanxi Hundred Talent Program。
文摘Check-dam construction is an effective and widely used method for sediment trapping in the Yellow River Basin and other places over the world that are prone to severe soil erosion.Quantitative estimations of the dynamic sediment trapped by check dams are necessary for evaluating the effects of check dams and planning the construction of new ones.In this study,we propose a new framework,named soil and water assessment tool(SWAT)–dynamic check dam(DCDam),for modeling the sediment trapped by check dams dynamically,by integrating the widely utilized SWAT model and a newly developed module called DCDam.We then applied this framework to a typical loess watershed,the Yan River Basin,to assess the time-varying effects of check-dam networks over the past 60 years(1957–2016).The DCDam module generated a specific check-dam network to conceptualize the complex connections at each time step(monthly).In addition,the streamflow and sediment load simulated by using the SWAT model were employed to force the sediment routing in the check-dam network.The evaluation results revealed that the SWAT-DCDam framework performed satisfactorily,with an overestimation of 11.50%,in simulating sediment trapped by check dams,when compared with a field survey of the accumulated sediment deposition.For the Yan River Basin,our results indicated that the designed structural parameters of check dams have evolved over the past 60 years,with higher dams(37.14%and 9.22%increase for large dams and medium dams,respectively)but smaller controlled areas(46.03%and 10.56%decrease for large dams and medium dams,respectively)in recent years.Sediment retained by check dams contributed to approximately 15.00%of the total sediment load reduction in the Yan River during 1970–2016.Thus,our developed framework can be a promising tool for evaluating check-dam effects,and this study can provide valuable information and support to decision-making for soil and water conservation and check-dam planning and management.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Shanxi Province of China(20210302123105)the Shanxi Scholarship Council of China(2020-054)the Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute(CRSRI)Open Research Program(CKWV20221006/KY).
文摘Root pullout performance of plants is an important mechanical basis for soil reinforcement by plant roots in the semi-arid areas.Studies have shown that it is affected by plant factors(species,ages,root geometry,etc.)and soil factors(soil types,soil moisture,soil bulk densities,etc.).However,the effects of loading rates on root pullout performance are not well studied.To explore the mechanical interactions under different loading rates,we conducted pullout tests on Medicago sativa L.and Hippophae rhamnoides L.roots under five loading rates,i.e.,5,50,100,150,and 200 mm/min.In addition,tensile tests were conducted on the roots in diameters of 0.5-2.0 mm to compare the relationship between root tensile properties and root pullout properties.Results showed that two root failure modes,slippage and breakage,were observed during root pullout tests.All M.sativa roots were pulled out,while 72.2%of H.rhamnoides roots were broken.The maximum fracture diameter and fracture root length of H.rhamnoides were 1.22 mm and 7.44 cm under 100 mm/min loading rate,respectively.Root displacement values were 4.63%(±0.43%)and 8.91%(±0.52%)of the total root length for M.sativa and H.rhamnoides,respectively.The values of maximum pullout force were 14.6(±0.7)and 17.7(±1.8)N under 100 mm/min for M.sativa and H.rhamnoides,respectively.Values of the maximum pullout strength for M.sativa and H.rhamnoides were 38.38(±5.48)MPa under 150 mm/min and 12.47(±1.43)MPa under 100 mm/min,respectively.Root-soil friction coefficient under 100 mm/min was significantly larger than those under other loading rates for both the two species.Values of the maximum root pullout energy for M.sativa and H.rhamnoides were 87.83(±21.55)mm•N under 100 mm/min and 173.53(±38.53)mm•N under 200 mm/min,respectively.Root pullout force was significantly related to root diameter(P<0.01).Peak root pullout force was significantly affected by loading rates when the effect of root diameter was included(P<0.01),and vice versa.Except for the failure mode and peak pullout force,other pullout parameters,including root pullout strength,root displacement,root-soil friction coefficient,and root pullout energy were not significantly affected by loading rates(P>0.05).Root pullout strength was greater than root tensile strength for the two species.The results suggested that there was no need to deliberately control loading rate in root pullout tests in the semi-arid soil,and root pullout force and pullout strength could be better parameters for root reinforcement model compared with root tensile strength as root pullout force and pullout strength could more realistically reflect the working state of roots in the semi-arid soil.
基金This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(41977064)the National Key R&D Program of China(2021YFD1900700).
文摘Check dams are widely used on the Loess Plateau in China to control soil and water losses,develop agricultural land,and improve watershed ecology.Detailed information on the number and spatial distribution of check dams is critical for quantitatively evaluating hydrological and ecological effects and planning the construction of new dams.Thus,this study developed a check dam detection framework for broad areas from high-resolution remote sensing images using an ensemble approach of deep learning and geospatial analysis.First,we made a sample dataset of check dams using GaoFen-2(GF-2)and Google Earth images.Next,we evaluated five popular deep-learning-based object detectors,including Faster R-CNN,You Only Look Once(version 3)(YOLOv3),Cascade R-CNN,YOLOX,and VarifocalNet(VFNet),to identify the best one for check dam detection.Finally,we analyzed the location characteristics of the check dams and used geographical constraints to optimize the detection results.Precision,recall,average precision at intersection over union(IoU)threshold of 0.50(AP_(50)),IoU threshold of 0.75(AP_(75)),and average value for 10 IoU thresholds ranging from 0.50-0.95 with a 0.05 step(AP_(50-95)),and inference time were used to evaluate model performance.All the five deep learning networks could identify check dams quickly and accurately,with AP_(50-95),AP_(50),and AP_(75)values higher than 60.0%,90.0%,and 70.0%,respectively,except for YOLOv3.The VFNet had the best performance,followed by YOLOX.The proposed framework was tested in the Yanhe River Basin and yielded promising results,with a recall rate of 87.0%for 521 check dams.Furthermore,the geographic analysis deleted about 50%of the false detection boxes,increasing the identification accuracy of check dams from 78.6%to 87.6%.Simultaneously,this framework recognized 568 recently constructed check dams and small check dams not recorded in the known check dam survey datasets.The extraction results will support efficient watershed management and guide future studies on soil erosion in the Loess Plateau.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41877269,12002243,41907046).
文摘Shear strength is an essential geotechnical parameter for assessing the landslide potential of loess slopes under rainfall infiltration and farm irrigation conditions on the loess plateau.However,the hydraulic path dependence of shear strength for compacted loess under varying rainfall infiltration conditions has not been thoroughly investigated yet.To this end,a series of direct shear tests and nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)measurements are carried out on compacted loess.The shear strength tests were continuously implemented on loess specimens under scanning wetting paths besides initial drying paths.The experimental data quantitatively verify the significant effect of hydraulic paths applied to specimens on shear strength of compacted loess.The unique failure envelope of shear strength of loess is identified under the effective stress framework based on intergranular stress,which verifies that the effective stress framework can consider the effect of hydraulic paths on shear strength.Based on the effective stress,a shear strength formula is proposed to characterize shear strengths under varying hydraulic paths,in which the parameters from the soil-water retention curve and shear strength at saturated state are simply required.The proposed shear strength formula can properly predict the measured shear strength data of compacted loess experiencing three hydraulic paths.Furthermore,the distribution curves of transverse relaxation time for pore water in soil under varying hydraulic paths are simultaneously measured using the NMR method.The physical mechanism for the difference in shear strength of loess subjected to different hydraulic paths can be uncovered based on soil-water evolutions in pores in microscale.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China[32101511]the Chinese Universities Scientific Fund[2452020137]and[2452021073]the Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaanxi[2021JQ-155]。
文摘Black locust(Robinia pseudoacacia L.)plantations have contributed significantly to soil and water conservation and ecological reconstruction on China’s Loess Plateau.Understanding the impact of stand and environment on species composition of understory woody plants will improve the stability of existing black locust plantations.Ten stands were selected in second-generation black locust plantations in tableland and gully areas of the Loess Plateau.The number of understory tree species in the tablelands was significantly lower than in the gully stands.Regenerated black locust(19.76%)and Rubus corchorifolius L.f.(64.85%)were the most abundant understory tree and shrub species,respectively,in the tableland stands;Broussonetia papyrifera(L.)L’Hér.ex Vent.(6.77%)and Acanthopanax senticosus(Rupr.Maxim.)Harms.(37.22%)were most abundant in the gully stands.Species richness(S),Shannon diversity(H),and evenness index(J)of the understory plants were significantly lower in the tableland stands than in the gully stands.More diverse understory species and community structures occurred in the gully stands.Differences in species diversity among landform positions may be attributed to differences in soil moisture.In addition,77.57%of the variation in understory species composition was explained,among which shrub and herb coverage,stand age,leaf area index,slope and total soil phosphorus in the 10-20 cm layer were the main factors.Soil organic carbon and total potassium significantly impacted S,H and J.Considering the environmental conditions and the biological characteristics of the plants investigated,R.corchorifolius should be given priority in the development of tableland stands,while B.papyrifera and Celtis sinensis Pers.should form mixed forests with black locust in gully stands.This management could promote biodiversity and stability of the existing black locust plantations but also optimize regional landscape patterns.
基金the Huainan Normal University Natural Science Research(Grants No.2022XJYB034)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,CHD(Grants No.300102352506)the Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Colleges(Grants No.KJ2020A0313)。
文摘Loess landslides are one of the geological hazards prevalent in mountainous areas of Loess Plateau,seriously threatening people's lives and property safety.Accurate identification of landslides is a prerequisite for reducing the risk of landslide hazards.Traditional landslide interpretation methods often have the disadvantage of being laborious and difficult to use on a large scale compared with the recently developed deep learning-based landslide detection methods.In this study,we propose an improved deep learning model,landslide detectionyou only look once(LD-YOLO),based on the existing you only look once(YOLO)model for the intelligent identification of old and new landslides in loess areas.Specifically,remote sensing images of landslides in Baoji City,Shaanxi Province,China are acquired from the Google Earth Engine platform.The landslide images of Baoji City(excluding Qianyang County)are used to establish a loess landslide dataset for training the model.The landslide data of Qianyang County is used to verify the detection performance of the model.The focal and efficient IoU(Focal-EIoU)loss function and efficient channel attention(ECA)mechanism are incorporated into the 7th version of YOLO(YOLOv7)model to construct the LD-YOLO model,which makes it more suitable for the landslide detection task.The experiments yielded an improved LD-YOLO model with average precision of 92.05%,precision of 92.31%,recall of 90.28%,and F1-score of 91.28%for loess landslide detection.The landslides in Qianyang County were divided into two test sets,new landslides and old landslides,which were used to test the detection performance of LD-YOLO for both types of landslides.The results show that LD-YOLO detects old landslides with a detection precision of 82.75%and a recall of 80%.When detecting new landslides,the detection precision is 94.29%and the recall is 91.67%.It indicates that our proposed LD-YOLO model has strong detection performance for both new and old landslides in loess areas.Through a proposed solution that can realize the accurate detection of landslides in loess areas,this paper provides a valuable reference for the application of deep learning methods in landslide identification.
基金supported by the Project of Creating Ordos National Sustainable Development Agenda Innovation Demonstration Zone(Grant 2022EEDSKJXM005)Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant 42077073)+3 种基金Natural Science Basic Research Plan in Shaanxi Province of China(2022KJXX-62)the Project of Shaanxi Coal and Chemical Industry Group Co.,Ltd(2022SMHKJ-A-J07-02,2022SMHKJ-B-J-54)the Project of AnHui Water Resources Development Co.,Ltd(KY-2021-13)。
文摘Soil erosion is a major issue in Loess Plateau,China,and quantitative analyses of sediment sources are crucial for soil erosion control.In this study,a combination of flood couplet analysis and composite fingerprint identification was used for historical reconstructions of soil erosion in sediment source areas in Loess Plateau.Each flood couplet was constructed based on sediment 137Cs activity,and past soil erosion was calculated using soil bulk density and storage capacity curves.The contribution rates of the sediment sources were calculated using the fingerprinting method,and the amount of erosion in the sediment source areas was estimated.The best fingerprint combination(Cr,Ni,V,and TOC)enabled a 97.2%recognition of sediment sources from 29 flood events(1956–1990)in the Loess Plateau.The contribution rates of gullies,farmland,grassland,and shrubland were 44.89%,26.38%,10.49%,and 18.24%,respectively.These four land use types contributed 1,227,751,512,and 279 tons of sediments,respectively.Re-vegetation decreased soil erosion(1966–1983),whereas deforestation increased soil erosion(1956–1965 and 1984–1990).Rational soil and water conservation measures on slopes and check dam construction in gullies are therefore suggested to mitigate erosion.
基金financial support from the Natural Science Basic Research Plan of Shaanxi Province(2023-JC-YB-275)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(42071144,41971218)+1 种基金the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,Shaanxi Normal University(2021CBWY003)the Special Scientific Research Project of Shaanxi Normal University(22YDYLZ002)。
文摘The gravity recovery and climate experiment(GRACE)has emerged as a crucial source of land water storage information in hydrological analysis and research.Numerous factors contribute to regional terrestrial water storage(TWS),resulting in a complex mechanism.In the Loess Plateau region,the continuous alteration of natural conditions and profound impact of human activities have posed a serious threat to the natural ecosystem,leading to an escalating trend of TWS reduction.Addressing the specific analysis of how natural conditions and human activities affect TWS represents a pressing issue.This study employed the residual analysis method to discern the contribution rates of natural conditions and human activities,elucidated the spatial and temporal changes associated with each factor,and ascertained their individual influence.The findings indicated that TWS on the Loess Plateau exhibited a downward trend of-4.89 mm·a^(-1)from 2003 to 2017.The combined effects of climate change and human activities accounted for alterations in water resource reserves across most areas of the Loess Plateau,with human activities predominantly driving these changes.Precipitation emerged as the primary natural factor influencing TWS variations,and NDVI demonstrated a positive feedback effect on TWS at approximately 30%.Substantial spatial disparities in TWS existed within the Loess Plateau,with human activities identified as the primary cause for the decreasing trend.Vegetation restoration plays a positive role in saving water resources in the Loess Plateau to some extent,and vegetation growth exceeding the regional load will lead to water shortage.
文摘Fiber-reinforced soils have been of great interest to experimenters for building foundations’strength performance,time,and economy.This paper investigates the effects of water content and polypropylene fiber dosage and length on loess’s unconfined compressive strength(UCS)according to the central composite response surface design test procedure.The water content is 11%–25%,the mass ratio of fiber to soil is 0.1%–0.9%,and the fiber length ranges from 6–18 mm.The response surface method(RSM)developed full quadratic models of different variables with response values.After analysis of variance(ANOVA),the mathematical model developed in this study was statistically significant(p≤0.05)and applicable to the optimization process.The optimization results showed that the optimal water content values,fiber amount,and fiber length were 16.41%,0.579%,and 14.90 mm,respectively.The unconfined compressive strength of the optimized specimens was increased by 288.017 kPa.The research results can reference the design and construction of fiber-reinforced soil in practical projects such as road base engineering and foundation engineering.
