Understanding the comprehensive impacts of environmental factors on soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil inorganic carbon (SIC) in different land use types is of great significance for sustainable soil management. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and structural equation modelling were applied to reveal the driving mechanism of SOC, SIC and the ratio between SOC to SIC (SOC/SIC) in three major land use types (forest, grassland and farmland) in a forest-grassland ecotone (FGE) of Inner Mongolia, Northeast China. Mean annual temperature (MAT), mean annual temperature (MAP) and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) were selected by LASSO as the three most important environmental factors affecting SOC, SIC and SOC/SIC in all land use types.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInvasive tree species are a significant threat to native flora. They modify the environment with their allelopathic substances and inhibit the growth of native species by shading, thus reducing diversity. The most effective way to control invasive plants is to prevent their spread which requires identifying the environmental parameters promoting it.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe most widespread nature-based solution for mitigating climate change is tree planting. When realized as forest restoration in historically forested biomes, it can efficiently contribute to the sequestration of atmospheric carbon and can also entail significant biodiversity and ecosystem service benefits. Conversely, tree planting in naturally open biomes can have adverse effects, of which water shortage due to increased evapotranspiration is among the most alarming ones.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInvasive species are a major threat to biodiversity worldwide. Controlling their rapid spread can only be effective if we consider the geographical factors that influence their occurrence. For instance, roads, railway networks, green and blue infrastructure, and elements of ecological networks (e.
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