Abstract
When the grassland ecosystem is under investigation, soil quality indexes (SQIs) are constructed to evaluate soil quality substantially, especially in desert grasslands and other ecologically fragile areas. This research used the total dataset (TDS), minimum dataset (MDS), approaches dealing with selecting better indexes, and scoring methods utilizing linear and nonlinear expressions to assess the typical desert grasslands in Yanchi County, Ningxia, China. The utilization of four different lands such as forestland (FL), shrubland (SL), natural restoration grassland (GL), and abandoned farmland (AL) in the study area were researched. Physical, chemical, and biological indicators, a total number of twenty, were measured. Principal component analysis and norm values were used to select indicators based on the MDS. The results suggested that nine soil indicators, namely, soil water content (WC), total soil porosity (TP), percentage of soil sand (sand), percentage of soil clay (clay); soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), available nitrogen (AN), urease activity (UA), and catalase activity (CA) were selected for the MDS. The distribution of the SQI in the types of land use was similar concerning the two evaluation methods. The nonlinear scoring method utilizing the MDS was found the most proper to compute the SQI since the maximum F statistics, coefficient of variation (CV), and correlation results are obtained. The SQI outcomes that were ranked concerning the types of land use were found to be shrubland (SL) > natural restoration grassland (GL) > abandoned farmland (AL) > forestland (FL). In the four types of soil, shrub afforestation can be used as a beneficial ecological measure to restore the soil quality of typical desert grasslands in the research area.
Highlights
A vital resource of the ecosystem, soil, is assessed as the significant and nonrenewable pillar and plays a key role to regulate nutrient absorption, utilizing water and increasing productivity. e decrease in soil quality has been a global environmental crisis [1, 2]. e desert grassland in Yanchi County of Ningxia is an ecologically fragile area with severe soil erosion, desertification, salinization, and uneven spatial distribution
A few studies that have dealt with the assessment of soil quality in different types of land use have been of great significance to maintaining soil productivity, protecting the soil environment, and promoting the development of desert grassland in this area
Evaluation indicators of soil quality are complex and contain physical, chemical, and biological features of the soil. eir processes are further determined by soil functions that meet the key management objectives [3, 4]. ese indicators are sensitive to dynamic alterations occurring in the conditions of soil causing the computed indicators more sensitive
Summary
A vital resource of the ecosystem, soil, is assessed as the significant and nonrenewable pillar and plays a key role to regulate nutrient absorption, utilizing water and increasing productivity. e decrease in soil quality has been a global environmental crisis [1, 2]. e desert grassland in Yanchi County of Ningxia is an ecologically fragile area with severe soil erosion, desertification, salinization, and uneven spatial distribution. A few studies that have dealt with the assessment of soil quality in different types of land use have been of great significance to maintaining soil productivity, protecting the soil environment, and promoting the development of desert grassland in this area. Soil quality indexes (SQIs) are an efficient instrument to evaluate soil quality [6] It helps reduce the Journal of Advanced Transportation dimensionality problem when the dataset composes of several variables. When all three types of indicators are combined to construct the evaluation of SQIs, the soil quality could be measured as accurately as possible [8, 9]. Erefore, the physical, chemical, and biological properties must be considered concurrently when selecting indicators to accurately analyze soil quality When all three types of indicators are combined to construct the evaluation of SQIs, the soil quality could be measured as accurately as possible [8, 9]. erefore, the physical, chemical, and biological properties must be considered concurrently when selecting indicators to accurately analyze soil quality
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