Spatial vegetation structure and its effect on wind erosion of Alxa dryland ecosystem
In wind erosion models, previous parameters related to vegetation morphology and density are limited in describing the spatial distribution of vegetation that influences surface heterogeneity. Thus, it is not fully understood how spatial vegetation patterns affect wind erosion on a field-scale. Base...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/acc3b0 |
| _version_ | 1797747413716303872 |
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| author | Tian-liang Cheng Yan-xia Pan Yan Li Xin-ping Wang |
| author_facet | Tian-liang Cheng Yan-xia Pan Yan Li Xin-ping Wang |
| author_sort | Tian-liang Cheng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In wind erosion models, previous parameters related to vegetation morphology and density are limited in describing the spatial distribution of vegetation that influences surface heterogeneity. Thus, it is not fully understood how spatial vegetation patterns affect wind erosion on a field-scale. Based on an investigation of 36 plots of vegetation in Alxa Plateau, northwestern China, we established a multivariate linear model for temporally and spatially averaged aerodynamic roughness length ( Z _0 ) incorporating the height, roughness density, regularity of vegetation patches (curvature) and spacing between patches (connectivity). The curvature positively interacted with the connectivity in affecting the mean Z _0 , while it was the most important factor affecting the standard deviation of Z _0 . The connectivity modulated the roughness density in affecting the standard deviation of Z _0 . The spatial-related terms contributed 37% and 62% to the model variance of the mean and standard deviation of Z _0 , respectively. Our results validate the importance of spatial vegetation structure in the vegetation-airflow interactions, with a suggestion of estimating the heterogeneity of surface erodibility by intuitive spatial parameters. Based on that spatial vegetation patterns reflect the ecosystem states, a strengthened linkage between wind erosion and vegetation stability may be useful in erosion regulation in drylands. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:50:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bcc96e00f11d4c9f8412d63681f285d6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:50:11Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-bcc96e00f11d4c9f8412d63681f285d62023-08-09T15:14:37ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262023-01-0118404401710.1088/1748-9326/acc3b0Spatial vegetation structure and its effect on wind erosion of Alxa dryland ecosystemTian-liang Cheng0Yan-xia Pan1Yan Li2Xin-ping Wang3State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University , Hangzhou 311300, People’s Republic of China; Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Lanzhou 730000, People’s Republic of ChinaNorthwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Lanzhou 730000, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University , Hangzhou 311300, People’s Republic of ChinaState Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Zhejiang A&F University , Hangzhou 311300, People’s Republic of China; Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Lanzhou 730000, People’s Republic of ChinaIn wind erosion models, previous parameters related to vegetation morphology and density are limited in describing the spatial distribution of vegetation that influences surface heterogeneity. Thus, it is not fully understood how spatial vegetation patterns affect wind erosion on a field-scale. Based on an investigation of 36 plots of vegetation in Alxa Plateau, northwestern China, we established a multivariate linear model for temporally and spatially averaged aerodynamic roughness length ( Z _0 ) incorporating the height, roughness density, regularity of vegetation patches (curvature) and spacing between patches (connectivity). The curvature positively interacted with the connectivity in affecting the mean Z _0 , while it was the most important factor affecting the standard deviation of Z _0 . The connectivity modulated the roughness density in affecting the standard deviation of Z _0 . The spatial-related terms contributed 37% and 62% to the model variance of the mean and standard deviation of Z _0 , respectively. Our results validate the importance of spatial vegetation structure in the vegetation-airflow interactions, with a suggestion of estimating the heterogeneity of surface erodibility by intuitive spatial parameters. Based on that spatial vegetation patterns reflect the ecosystem states, a strengthened linkage between wind erosion and vegetation stability may be useful in erosion regulation in drylands.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/acc3b0wind erosionsurface roughnessaerodynamic roughness lengthroughness densityspatial vegetation structurepatch size distribution |
| spellingShingle | Tian-liang Cheng Yan-xia Pan Yan Li Xin-ping Wang Spatial vegetation structure and its effect on wind erosion of Alxa dryland ecosystem Environmental Research Letters wind erosion surface roughness aerodynamic roughness length roughness density spatial vegetation structure patch size distribution |
| title | Spatial vegetation structure and its effect on wind erosion of Alxa dryland ecosystem |
| title_full | Spatial vegetation structure and its effect on wind erosion of Alxa dryland ecosystem |
| title_fullStr | Spatial vegetation structure and its effect on wind erosion of Alxa dryland ecosystem |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatial vegetation structure and its effect on wind erosion of Alxa dryland ecosystem |
| title_short | Spatial vegetation structure and its effect on wind erosion of Alxa dryland ecosystem |
| title_sort | spatial vegetation structure and its effect on wind erosion of alxa dryland ecosystem |
| topic | wind erosion surface roughness aerodynamic roughness length roughness density spatial vegetation structure patch size distribution |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/acc3b0 |
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