Assessing Spatial‐temporal Evolution Processes of Karst Rocky Desertification Land: Indications for Restoration Strategies

Abstract

Karst rocky desertification (KRD) has become one of the most important eco‐environmental problems in China. In order to put forward valid restoration strategies, the spatial‐temporal KRD evolution processes were analyzed mathematically using 1:100 000 scale digital KRD distribution maps of Guizhou Province obtained from interpreting Landsat images from 1986, 1995, and 2000. The results showed that: (1) no obvious change took place in the total area of KRD land, but the mutual transformation of different types of KRD land was remarkable. (2) The change patterns of KRD land were classified into three types: simple mode, continuous mode, and reverted mode. (3) The total change rate of KRD land was 398·31 km2 per year. (4) The higher the rank of KRD land is, the lower the change rate of KRD land will be. (5) Moderate KRD land had the fastest change frequency and was feasible to change to another type. On the whole, these indicated that the expansion of KRD had been brought under control because of the successful execution many ecological construction programmes. However, new KRD land appeared meanwhile owing to ‘backward’ eco‐social development, and this should be clearly recognized. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Vegetation in karst terrain of southwestern China allocates more biomass to roots

“…The dissolutional landforms, caves, and aquifers on soluble rocks create the most beautiful landscapes and tourist resorts. However, they also result in many environmental disasters, such as water pollution, drought, and land degradation of rocky desertification, thereby creating many severe social problems (Zhang et al, 2006;Huang et al, 2008;Bai et al, 2013;Yan and Cai, 2015). Such problems are also common in many other karst regions worldwide, such as the Mediterranean region (Cerdà, 1998) and other European countries (Parise et al, 2009), southern America (Rivera and Aide, 1998), Indian Himalayas (Raizada and Juyal, 2012), and New Zealand (Ulrich, 2002).…”

Characterization and interaction of driving factors in karst rocky desertification: a case study from Changshun, China

“…The continuously distributed karst region, which is mostly located in eight provinces of southwestern China (Guizhou, Yunnan, Guangxi, Chongqing, Sichuan, Hunan, Hubei, and Guangdong) is one of the world's most extensive and welldeveloped karst landscapes (Wang et al, 2004b;Xu et al, 2013). Karst rocky desertification (KRD) has been identified as the most severe ecological issue threatening and constraining southwestern China (Bai et al, 2013;Wang et al, 2004b). The KRD is a process of land degradation involving serious soil erosion, extensive exposure of basement rocks, drastic decrease in soil productivity, and the appearance of a desertlike landscape (Wang et al, 2004b).…”

“…The mutual transformation (improvement or deterioration) of different types of KRD land has been remarkable (Bai et al, 2013), perhaps because KRD occurs as a result of multiple factors including the inherent natural background and intensive human activities in the complex karst environment (Jiang et al, 2014;Liu et al, 2008b;Wang et al, 2004b;Yang et al, 2011). The lack of insight into the joint impacts of driving factors on KRD evolution can affect restoration efforts.…”

Zero net livelihood degradation – the quest for a multidimensional protocol to combat desertification

“…Cerdà and Lavee, 1999;Cerdà, 2002;Xie et al, 2015;Vieira et al, 2015) and monitoring of desertification processes (e.g. Wang et al, 2013;Bai et al, 2013;Xu and Zhang, 2014) date back to recent decades. However, socio-economic issues still have scant links with the core of biophysical science Torres et al, 2015).…”