Erosion Control Research Articles

Trends and opportunities for greener and more efficient microbially induced calcite precipitation pathways: a strategic review

Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) is extensively used for soil stabilisation, sand erosion control, bioremediation and concrete repair. However, detailed bibliometric studies on MICP are scarce, particularly regarding industrial feedstocks, such as urea for ureolytic bacteria and calcium chloride, and the associated ammonia gas production, which poses challenges for large-scale applications. This study reviews 857 articles from the Scopus database (2000–2024), using the VOSviewer software to visualise data on publications, citations, authors, countries, journals, trending keywords and research topics. Significant global collaboration is evident, led by China and the USA. The most cited papers discuss ureolytic microorganisms enhancing soil properties, the basic MICP process, reducing concrete damage, improving soil and groundwater systems and the impacts of MICP on urea hydrolysis and ammonia production. Key terms such as ‘calcium carbonate’, ‘ammonia’ and ‘Sporosarcina pasteurii’ are central to MICP research. Co-occurrence analysis highlights thematic clusters such as microbial cementation and geological features, emphasising the multidisciplinary role of MICP in tackling environmental problems. This review highlights the need to mitigate environmental impacts, particularly those of ammonia production and energy use, in ureolytic MICP. Life-cycle assessments reveal that while ureolytic MICP reduces carbon dioxide emissions, it often consumes more energy, necessitating alternative nutrient sources and cost-effective practices for large-scale applications.

Root tensile strength and suction-characteristic as indicators for screening species for slope stabilization in extreme climates

Root water potentials, essential for understanding drought tolerance and transpiration, can also influence root tensile strength, which is valuable for selecting plants for slope stabilization and erosion control in extreme wet and dry climates. This study investigated the relationships between root suction, water content, diameter and tensile strength of Cnidoscolus aconitifolius and Bougainvillea glabra to explore their potential for slope stabilization. Both species showed an increase in root water content and a decrease in suction with larger root diameter, despite their inherent difference in the tensile strength and suction relationship. The tensile strength versus suction plots clearly showed that Bougainvillea glabra can sustain higher load as root suction increases and is likely to perform better in extremely dry condition than Cnidoscolus aconitifolius. Observation of field performance indicated that this is the case which warrants further study on root suction for selecting species in stabilization of slopes in extreme climates.

Scale-specific controls of monthly suspended sediment load in a typical inland river

Sediment transport is a multi-scale and non-linear process controlled by multiple variables. Given the intricate nature of sediment transport mechanisms and the overlap of different factors’ effects on it at various time scales, unraveling the relationship between sediment load and its influencing factors is challenging. This study aimed to elucidate the multi-timescale effects of factors on monthly suspended sediment load in a seasonal inland river. In this study, monthly sediment loads measured by the depth-integrating method were obtained from the Tabu River Basin in northern China from 2007 to 2021, alongside data on four controlling factors: runoff, precipitation, water surface evaporation, and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). The results showed that sediment load, runoff, and precipitation showed strong variability during 2007–2021, while water surface evaporation and NDVI exhibited moderate variability. Multivariate empirical mode decomposition (MEMD) decomposed the temporal patterns of sediment load and associated variables into five intrinsic mode functions (IMF) and a residue. IMF1 (4.7 months), IMF2 (9.0 months) and IMF3 (14.2 months) collectively explained 115.88 %, 91.73 %, 91.28 %, 107.69 %, and 106.09 % of the total variability in sediment load, runoff, precipitation, water surface evaporation, and NDVI, respectively. Subsequently, the time-dependent intrinsic correlation (TDIC) was utilized to illustrate the inherent relationships between sediment load and its controlling factors across various time scales. The associations between sediment load and the controlling factors changed significantly with the scale. Runoff was the dominant factor controlling sediment load at IMF1 (4.7 months), IMF2 (9.0 months), IMF3 (14.2 months), and IMF4 (25.1 months). Water surface evaporation controlled the sediment transport process at IMF5 (63.6 months). The prediction of sediment load on the measurement scale, using scale-specific controls analyzed with MEMD (R2 = 0.993), demonstrated superior performance compared to traditional multiple linear regression prediction (R2 = 0.748). This study will provide a theoretical basis for effective prevention and control of soil erosion and watershed management in inland river basins.

Investigation of the Potential of Potassium-Containing Additives Based on Mineral Raw Materials and Industrial Waste on the Quality and Yield of Potatoes

The soils of the Komi Republic are characterized as sod-podzolic. It is known that agricultural cultivation of such soils requires the introduction of various mineral and organic fertilizers, liming, deepening of the arable layer, and erosion control. The soils of the region are depleted of potassium, part of which is carried out by agricultural crops, therefore potash fertilizers, where potassium is in an affordable form, are among the most in demand in agriculture. This paper presents the results of a study of the material composition and textural characteristics of analcime-containing siltstones, potassium alkaline syenites and bark ash and their possible use as potash additives to improve potato productivity.

Comparison Between Vetiver and Brachiaria Grass in Erosion Control in Tropical Climate

Comparison Between Vetiver and Brachiaria Grass in Erosion Control in Tropical Climate

Integrating policy, data and technology in pursuing effective management of ecosystem services

With the growing concerns about the protection of ecosystem functions and services, governments have developed public policies and organizations have produced an awesome volume of digital data freely available through their websites. On the other hand, advances in data acquisition through remote sensed sources and processing through geographic information systems (GIS) and statistical tools, allowed an unprecedent capacity to manage ecosystems efficiently. However, the real-world scenario in that regard remains paradoxically challenging. The reasons can be many and diverse, but a strong candidate relates with the limited engagement among the interest parties that hampers bringing all these assets into action. The aim of the study is to demonstrate that management of ecosystem services can be significantly improved by integrating existing environmental policies with environmental big data and low-cost GIS and data processing tools. Using the Upper Rio das Velhas hydrographic basin located in the state of Minas Gerais (Brazil) as example, the study demonstrated how Principal Components Analysis based on a diversity of environmental variables assembled sub-basins into urban, agriculture, mining and heterogeneous profiles, directing management of ecosystem services to the most appropriate officially established conservation plans. The use of GIS tools, on the other hand, allowed narrowing the implementation of each plan to specific sub-basins. This optimized allocation of preferential management plans to priority areas was discussed for a number of conservation plans. A paradigmatic example was the so-called Conservation Use Potential (CUP) devoted to the protection of aquifer recharge (provision service) and control of water erosion (regulation service), as well as to the allocation of uses as function of soil capability (support service). In all cases, the efficiency gains in readiness for plans’ implementation and economy of resources were prognosed as noteworthy.

The improved cyclic resistance of bio-treated sands with various gradations for liquefaction mitigation: Density increase and/or cementation?

MICP (microbial induced calcium carbonate precipitation) method shows a huge potential in solving geological and geo-environmental engineering problems, such as liquefaction mitigation, soil remediation, erosion control, slope stabilization and dust control., due to its low-carbon, sustainable and undisturbing character. For the liquefaction mitigation, previous studies showed the remarkable enhancement in cyclic behavior of bio-cemented soils. Little attention has been paid to how soil gradation affects the effectiveness of MICP method in enhancing soil properties, which is one of the key factors of soil mechanical behavior. MICP method has been mainly used in fine sands (mostly <1 mm) with narrow gradation and a certain number of particles smaller than 75 μm. As a result, few papers discussed the application of bio-cementation to soils with larger grains. In addition, the respective contributions of density increase and cementation on cyclic resistance enhancement is still not clear. In this study, a fine sand (0.1–1 mm), a coarser sand (1–5 mm), and a mixture of both, were used, featuring a larger mean size (d50 mm) and uniformity coefficient (Cu) than in most previous studies. In this study, cyclic undrained triaxial tests were performed to analyze the liquefaction potential of loose and dense untreated specimens, and initially loose treated specimens. Results show that sand gradation has a great influence on the cyclic behavior and MICP effectiveness. For all the sands, the MICP treatment gives rise to a significant increase in cyclic resistance and mitigates liquefaction. This enhancement is due to the formation of cementitious precipitates in the pores or on the surface of particles, which creates (1) bridges between particles and/or change in grain characteristics (i.e., size, roughness, angularity), and (2) an increase in density. For sands with various gradations, these two effects differ in magnitude: in the coarsest sand, the effect of density increase appears to be predominant whereas, in the finest and medium sands, the formation of bonds seems to play the major part. These results are important to evaluate the possibility of using this method to improve cyclic resistance in various sands, and to compare the treatment effect with other techniques.

Spatial analysis and assessment of soil erosion in the southern Western Ghats region in India.

Soil erosion is expected to worsen in the future as a result of climate change, growing population demands, improper land use, and excessive exploitation of natural resources in India. Due to the growing population and changes in land use, it has become increasingly crucial to map and quantitatively assess soil for the purpose of sustainable agricultural usage and planning conservation efforts. The problem of soil erosion is mainly on steeper slopes with intense rainfall in parts of Western Ghats. The 20.17% of geographical area have been converted into wasteland due to soil erosion. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) is a highly prevalent and effective technique utilized for estimating soil loss in order to facilitate the planning of erosion control measures. Despite the fact that RUSLE is accurately estimate sediment yields from gully erosion, it is an effective tool in estimating sheet and rill erosions losses from diverse land uses like agricultural to construction sites. The current study is mainly about combining the RUSLE model with GIS (Geographic Information System) to find out how much soil is being lost, particularly in Noyyal and Sanganur watersheds which is located in Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu, India. This analysis is based on the soil order, with a significant proportion of alfisols and inceptisols being considered. The obtained outcome is contrasted with the established soil loss tolerance threshold, leading to the identification of the areas with the highest susceptibility to erosion. Within the narrower and more inclined section of the watershed, yearly soil loss scales from 0 to 5455 tonnes/ha/year, with an average annual loss of soil of 2.44 tonnes/ha. The severe soil erosion of 100 to 5455 tonnes/ha/year is found along the steep and greater slope length. The generated soil map was classified into six categories: very slight, slight, moderate, high, severe, and very severe. These classifications, respectively, occupied 6.23%, 14.88%, 10.56%, 15.70%, 7.73%, and 6.63% of the basin area. Based on the results of cross-validation, the estimated result of the present study was found to be very high compared to past studies conducted 0 to 368.12 tonnes/ha/year especially in very severe erosion zones. But very slight to severe erosion zones nearly matched with same level of soil loss. To protect the soil in the study area from erosion, more specific actions should be taken. These include micro-catchment, broad bed furrows, up-and-down farming, soil amendment with coconut coir pith composition, streambank stabilization with vegetation, and micro-water harvesting with abandoned well recharge. These actions should be carried out over time to make sure to work.

Enhancing Soil Conditions and Maize Yield Efficiency through Rational Conservation Tillage in Aeolian Semi-Arid Regions: A TOPSIS Analysis

Conservation tillage technology possesses substantial potential to enhance agricultural production efficiency and tackle issues such as wind erosion and land degradation in semi-arid regions. The integration of no-tillage and straw mulching technologies in the conventional aeolian semi-arid agricultural zones of western Liaoning, China, has led to notable improvements in crop yield and soil quality. However, a comprehensive assessment of the mechanisms and kinetics involved in soil nutrient variations is yet to be conducted. During a two-year study period, we assessed four tillage systems in the aeolian semi-arid regions of Northern China: no-tillage with full straw mulching (NTFS), no-tillage with half straw mulching (NTHS), no-tillage without straw mulching (NT), and conventional tillage (CT). The investigation focused on examining nutrient conditions, enhancing photosynthetic activity, and increasing maize yield while improving water use efficiency (WUE). Our findings emphasize the beneficial impact of combining no-tillage and straw mulching on enhancing soil water retention, resulting in a notable rise in soil moisture levels during the crucial growth phases of maize. This approach also positively influenced soil nutrient levels, particularly in the 0–20 cm layer, fostering an environment conducive to maize cultivation. In terms of ecological benefits, no-tillage with straw mulching curtailed soil sediment transport and wind erosion, notably at 30–40 cm heights, aiding in the ecological protection of the region. The yield and WUE were substantially higher under NTFS and NTHS than under CT, with NTHS demonstrating the most significant gains in yield (14.5% to 16.6%) and WUE (18.3% to 21.7%) throughout the study period. A TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) analysis confirmed NTHS as the optimal treatment, achieving the highest scores for soil water, nutrient availability, wind erosion control, maize photosynthesis, yield, and WUE, thus emerging as the most effective conservation tillage strategy for sustainable agriculture in aeolian semi-arid regions.

Influence of erosion control afforestation on some soil parameters in two watersheds in Southwest Bulgaria

Soil is limited resource with vital role in maintenance of variety ecosystems. One of the greatest treat for soils is soil erosion. This natural hazard is widely spread in the terrestrial world, and the territory of Bulgaria is also affected.&amp;nbsp; Important role for soil protection has a forest vegetation and afforestation is widely used for erosion control activity. The main benefits of afforestation are reduction of water runoff, erosion and sedimentation year-round, which is important for the areas located around the reservoirs and their basins. They also decrease the migration of vital substances for soils and sedimentation yield.&amp;nbsp; The main goal of the study is to establish the influence of erosion control afforestation to the main soil characteristics in the territory of two watershed situated in Southwest Bulgaria. Soil samples and dead leaf cover were analyzed as well as some characteristics of afforestation and topographic charac-teristics. It was established high water resistance of the soil aggregates under the planted forests and low resistance in the controls. The amounts of content of org. carbon and total nitrogen varying with slope and exposure. The differences between parameters of soils under afforestation and in control samples is established which shows an important influence of forest to the soil characteristics.

Quantifying marginal utilities of ecosystem services for sustainable management

Understanding the marginal characteristics of ecosystem services (ESs) is crucial for sustainable management. However, there is limited research on quantifying thresholds for ESs, making it challenging for policymakers to plan effectively. This study established a framework to assess the influencing factors and marginal characteristics of cultural and regulatory ecosystem services (RES) in the Taihu Lake Basin of China and its wetland parks. The framework uses a Structural Equation Model to analyze the impact of visitors' attributes on the perception of different types of cultural ecosystem services (CES). It also employed the InVEST model to quantify the spatial patterns of RES in the basin. Multiple regression analysis and marginal utility theory were used to examine the influencing factors and marginal utilities for different types of cultural and regulatory services. The findings reveal that 1) Education level, income, gender, and age significantly influence the perception of five types of CES provision, with different factors affecting each type. 2) Most park characteristics influence the CES provision score, with their maximum and marginal utility peaks. For instance, as patch density (PD) increases, the score for recreational services initially decreases, then increases, and finally decreases again, reaching a peak of 0.50 at a PD of 325.60. The marginal utility of PD follows a similar pattern, initially increasing and then decreasing, with an increase in utility observed in the range of 0 < PD < 187.80. When PD reaches 187.80, it attains its maximum utility, indicating the point of highest efficiency for PD's impact on recreational services. 3) Heterogeneity exists in the spatial distribution of RES within the basin, with different landscape features providing varying marginal benefits for services like water supply, water purification, carbon storage, and soil erosion prevention. Carbon storage demonstrates an 'increase-then-decrease’ pattern in response to rising FP (Percentage of forest area), reaching a maximum value of 13129.3 t/km2 at FP of 66.4. The marginal utility of FP also exhibits a 'rise-then-fall’ trend, increasing up to FP of 30.4, where it peaks at 230.5. This peak represents the point of maximum efficiency in FP's influence on carbon storage services. 4) The effects of park and landscape characteristics on cultural and regulatory services exhibit marginal utilities that can be used to determine the optimal scale and location of these features to maximize ecological benefits. This research aims to expand the scope of ESs assessment and provide insights from wetland parks for broader environmental planning and optimization.

Quantifying impacts of livestock production on ecosystem services: Insights into grazing management under vegetation restoration

Recent decades, vegetation restoration initiatives and land institutional reforms have profoundly altered practices of livestock husbandry in China. However, the understanding of how livestock production affects restoration effectiveness remains limited, impeding the advancement of sustainable grazing management. Taking the Loess Plateau as a case area, this study aims to examine the impacts of livestock production on key ecosystem services (ESs) under the Grain-to-Green Program (GTGP). Based on an improved estimation of available biomass for livestock, grazing intensity across the study area in 2015 was quantified. Then, by linking grazing intensity with associated livestock economies, a comprehensive framework reflecting livestock production was constructed to analyze its overall impacts on three ESs (water yield, erosion control, and forage provision). Finally, spatial effects of each component within livestock production on the ESs were discussed to inform grazing managements under the GTGP. The results indicated that the three ESs still suffered widespread negative impacts from grazing intensity, with 9.82% of the region experiencing high-level grazing in 2015. Although grazing had potential to mitigate water consumption due to vegetation growth, livestock density of most areas has exceeded its threshold (0.52 sheep or goat per ha, or 0.30 cattle per ha) for maintaining available water resource. Livestock economies demonstrated positive effects on the ESs to varying degrees. Nevertheless, as the positive externalities from ecological compensation are on the wane, challenges in livestock management have surfaced in both poverty-stricken and large livestock-intensive regions. This study offers insights into assessing regional grazing intensity, and enriches understanding of impacts of livestock production under vegetation restoration.

Impact of Land use dynamics on the water yields in the Gorgan river basin

This research investigates the future dynamics of water yield services in the Gorgan River Basin in the North of Iran by analyzing land cover changes from 1990 to 2020, using Landsat images and predicting up to 2040 with the Land Change Modeler and InVEST model under three scenarios: continuation, conservation, and mitigation. The results indicate significant shifts in agricultural land impacted water yields, which fluctuated from 324.7 million cubic meters (MCM) in 1990 to 279.7 MCM in 2010, before rising to 320.1 MCM by 2020. The study uniquely assesses the effects of land use changes on water yields, projecting a 13.6 % increase in water yield by 2040 under the continuation scenario, a 3.9 % increase under conservation, and a 1.6 % decrease under mitigation, which limits changes on steep slopes to prevent soil erosion and floods. This underscores the interplay between land use, vegetation cover, and water yield, emphasizing strategic land management for water resource preservation and effective watershed management in the GRB.

Spatiotemporal analysis of sand and dust emission point sources detected from satellite imagery in Syria, Jordan, and Iraq

This study utilized MODIS true color satellite imagery to analyse blowing sand and dust events dynamics in the Middle East from 2010 to 2021, focusing on Syria, Iraq, and Jordan. A total of 4923 dust point sources were detected, with a significant concentration (~90 %) located within the Tigris-Euphrates Basin (Nearest Neighbor Ratio = 0.41, р < 0.001). Land cover analysis revealed that bare land, comprising most of the study area, was the predominant source of dust emissions. Wetlands, though only constituting about 1 % of the area, showed the highest frequency of dust sources per unit area, highlighting their role as critical dust emission hotspots. The study emphasizes the impact of drought and anthropogenic factors, such as poor land management, on blowing dust intensity. It suggests the necessity of strategic land management practices, including re-vegetation of arid areas, reducing soil exposure, and implementing wind erosion control measures. To effectively address the transboundary nature of dust emissions, the findings underscore the importance of fostering regional cooperation through mechanisms such as shared environmental monitoring and data exchange platforms, joint management of cross-border natural resources, and collaborative policy making.

Tectonic and erosional controls of sediment residence time in small catchments draining an active mountain range: Evidence from uranium comminution age

Sediment residence time (SRT) is a key parameter of the Earth’s surface system, bridging the realms of sediment transport, biogeochemical cycles, sedimentary archives, and watershed management. SRT in mountainous catchments includes the time particles have spent in the subsurface weathering zone, which has been challenging to measure thus limiting our understanding of the magnitude and controlling factors of SRT in steep terrains. In this study, we apply the 234U/238U activity ratio, (234U/238U), which reveals particle comminution age, to estimate SRTs in 32 catchments (drainage area of 6.79–143.67 km2) draining an active mountain range at the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. The uranium comminution age allows us to account for the time that particles have spent in the weathering zone. The sampled catchments span a range of erosional, topographic, climatic and lithologic conditions, providing a unique opportunity to explore the controlling factors on SRTs. We measured the (234U/238U) of the 20–25 µm size fraction of the collected riverbed sediment samples and used the results to calculate particle comminution ages, which are used to approximate SRTs of fine sediment in the catchment. We then investigated the relationships between estimated SRTs and denudation rates, topography, climate, and lithology to assess controls on SRTs. The estimated SRTs range from 5.0 to 149.2 ka, and exhibit strong negative correlations with the 10Be-derived denudation rates and metrics for landscape steepness (relief, gradient, and channel steepness), with weak-to-moderate correlations with climatic and lithologic conditions. By combining the SRTs and denudation rates and assuming a steady-state weathering zone, we estimate a catchment-average comminution depth of 1.98 to 28.7 m, comparable to the depth of weathering zone estimated from modeling studies. Considering a topographic steady-state where denudation rates are in equilibrium with uplift rates, our results suggest that tectonic uplift exerts a primary control on the SRT in active mountain ranges, such that faster uplift rates shorten SRTs. Our findings suggest that tectonic uplift could regulate the temporal duration of chemical weathering by limiting the SRTs of fresh minerals in mountainous regions, sustaining a ‘kinetically-limited’ weathering scenario.

Effects of Frozen Layer on Composite Erosion of Snowmelt and Rainfall in the Typical Black Soil of Northeast China

Composite erosion caused by snowmelt and rainfall causes considerable soil loss during spring thawing. However, research on the impact of frozen soil layers (FSL) on composite erosion is lacking. Therefore, indoor simulation experiments were conducted on soil conditions of 0 cm (unfrozen soil, FSLUN) and 3 cm thawing depths to explore the influence of FSL on composite erosion in the black soil region of Northeast China. Three snowmelt runoff (SR) discharges (0.34 L min−1, 0.5 L min−1, and 0.67 L min−1), three rainfall (RF) intensities (80 mm h−1, 120 mm h−1, and 160 mm h−1), and three snowmelt–rainfall interactions (SRI; 0.34 L min−1–80 mm h−1, 0.5 L min−1–120 mm h−1, and 0.67 L min−1–160 mm h−1) were used in this study. The results indicate that FSL advanced the initial erosion times of SR, RF, and SRI by 42.06%, 43.33%, and 45.83%, respectively. FSL increased the soil erosion rate (SER) of SRI by 1.2 (1.0–1.6) times that of unfrozen soil, which was smaller than that of SR (16.3, 5.6–25.0) and RF (1.7, 1.6–1.9), indicating that the interaction had an inhibitory effect on the increase in water erosion in the frozen layer. Under FSL and FSLUN conditions, RF erosion was 1.5–4.1 times and 14.5–24.3 times greater than SR erosion. The SRI erosion was not a simple linear superposition of multiple types of single-phase erosion; it had a significant nonlinear superposition amplification effect (SAE), with SAE of ~100% and ~300% under frozen and unfrozen soil conditions. Flow velocity (0.11 &lt; R2 &lt; 0.68), stream power (0.28 &lt; R2 &lt; 0.88), and energy consumption (0.21 &lt; R2 &lt; 0.87) exhibited significant (p &lt; 0.05) linear relationships with SER in both FSL and FSLUN. The research results deepen our understanding of the composite erosion process during the spring thawing period in the black soil region of Northeast China and provide a basis for the prevention and control of soil erosion in the region.

ASSERT: A Platform Technology for Rapid Electrochemical Sensing of Soil Ammonium.

The world is facing a food shortage predicament largely fueled by inefficient, outdated farming conventions that are passed down from generation to generation. Overfertilization is one of the major byproducts of inadequate farming techniques. This leads to an imbalance in the soil ecosystem, affecting carbon sequestration, plant-available nutrients, and microorganisms. Sustainable agriculture, on the other hand, efficiently uses the soil with minimal fertilizer and crop rotation to prevent soil erosion. This method requires real-time information on the soil's health. An electrochemical ion-selective electrode (ISE) is presented to measure soil ammonium in situ. The sensor utilized electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for direct, continuous soil ammonium measurement without any soil pretreatment. The ISE is applied by drop-casting onto the working electrode. The sensor response was calibrated against the three main different soil textures (clay, sandy loam, and loamy clay) to cover the entirety of the soil texture triangle. The linear regression models showed an ammonium-dependent response with Pearson r > 0.991 for the various soil textures in the range of 2-32 ppm. The sensor response was validated against the gold standard spectrophotometric method after KCl extraction showed a less than 20% error rate between the measured ammonium and reference ammonium. A 16 day in situ soil study showed the capability of the sensor to measure soil ammonium in a temporally dynamic manner with a coefficient of variance of 11%, showing robust stability for in situ monitoring.

Understanding the mechanism of gully erosion in the alpine region through an interpretable machine learning approach

In the alpine region, climate warming has led to the retreat of glaciers, snow cover, and permafrost. This has intensified water cycling, soil erosion, and increased the occurrence of natural disasters in the alpine region. This study investigated the Lhasa River Basin in the southern Tibetan Plateau, serving as a representative case study of a typical alpine basin, with a specific focus on gully erosion. Based on field investigations and interpretation using high-resolution satellite remote sensing images, the Random Forest (RF) algorithm was applied to evaluate gully erosion susceptibility on watershed level. The Shapley Additive Interpretation method was then used to interpret the RF model and gain deeper insights into the influencing variables of gully erosion. The results showed that the RF model achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC) accuracy of 0.99 and 0.98 for the training and testing datasets, respectively, indicating an outstanding performance of the model. The resulting susceptibility map based on the RF model shows that areas with moderate and higher levels of gully erosion susceptibility are covering 50 % of the basin. The model interpretation results indicated that elevation, slope, permafrost, rainstorm, silt loam topsoil, human activity, stream power, and vegetation were the explaining variables with the highest importance for gully erosion occurrence. Different variables are characterized by specific thresholds promoting gully erosion such as: i) elevations higher than 4950 m, ii) slopes steeper than 13.5°, iii) extreme rainstorms longer than 11 days per year, iv) silt loam topsoil, v) presence of permafrost, vi) stream power index higher than 1.2, and vii) normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) lower than 0.25. Our findings provide the scientific basis to improve soil erosion control in such highly vulnerable alpine area.

A Biomechanical Study of Potential Plants for Erosion Control and Slope Stabilization of Highland in Thailand

A Biomechanical Study of Potential Plants for Erosion Control and Slope Stabilization of Highland in Thailand

Research on the economic loss prediction and vulnerability risk zoning of coastal erosion disaster: a case study from Liaoning, China

IntroductionCoastal erosion is widely distributed globally, with sandy coasts being particularly prominent, causing significant economic losses to coastal areas. This study focuses on the coastal areas of Liaoning Province, China, which represent typical sandy beach erosion.MethodsBased on the assessment of coastal erosion disaster losses, a multivariate variable-weight combination prediction model is utilized to predict the losses caused by coastal erosion disasters, providing an effective mathematical modeling approach for predicting such losses. Furthermore, the cluster analysis method is employed to delineate vulnerability risk zones for coastal erosion along the Liaoning Province coast.Results and discussionThe research findings indicate the following: (1) From 2023 to 2025, the losses due to coastal erosion disasters in Liaoning Province are projected to decrease significantly from a scale of 36 million RMB yuan to 5 million RMB yuan; (2) Based on the magnitude of disaster vulnerability risk, the coastal areas of Liaoning Province are categorized into four risk zones: high-risk zones (Jinzhou District), moderately high-risk zones (Zhuanghe City, Wafangdian City, Ganjingzi District), medium-risk zones (Lvshunkou District, Bayuquan), and low-risk zones (Gaizhou City, Suizhong County, Xingcheng City). Recommendations are proposed accordingly: (1) Effective measures should be implemented to mitigate the losses incurred by coastal erosion on land, buildings, infrastructure, agricultural output; (2) In the selection of disaster prevention and control measures,economic factors should be carefully considered in line with the specific circumstances of the losses. Specifically, the economic efficiency of disaster prevention and mitigation measures should be taken into account; (3) Precise efforts should be made to implement coastal erosion disaster prevention and control measures in different regions.