Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Heterogeneous Driving Mechanisms of Soil Wind Erosion in the Forest-Grassland Ecotone: Responses to Climate Change and Vegetation Dynamics Across Aridity types

Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Heterogeneous Driving Mechanisms of Soil Wind Erosion in the Forest-Grassland Ecotone: Responses to Climate Change and Vegetation Dynamics Across Aridity types | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 29 July 2025 V1 Latest version Share on Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Heterogeneous Driving Mechanisms of Soil Wind Erosion in the Forest-Grassland Ecotone: Responses to Climate Change and Vegetation Dynamics Across Aridity types Author : Qiankun Yang Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175379257.77891234/v1 Published Journal of Environmental Management Version of record Peer review timeline 200 views 76 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Under the combined impacts of climate change and human activities, soil wind erosion in ecologically fragile forest-grassland ecotones of arid and semi-arid regions poses a growing challenge. However, the complex feedback mechanisms among climate, vegetation, and soil along aridity gradients, and their integrated effects on the erosion process, remain poorly understood, thereby constraining the effectiveness of regional restoration measures. Focusing on the Greater Khingan Range-Hulunbuir Grassland ecotone, this study employed the Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ) model with remote sensing and climate data from 1984-2023, in conjunction with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), to quantitatively analyze the differential spatiotemporal dynamics of soil wind erosion and its driving mechanisms across aridity gradients. The results indicate that: 1) Over the past four decades, soil wind erosion intensity in the study area exhibited a trend of initial increase (1984-2000) followed by a decrease (2001-2023), with a turning point around the year 2000. Areas of severe erosion were primarily concentrated in the western arid and drier semi-arid zones. 2) Between 1984 and 2000, vegetation degradation and rising temperatures were the primary drivers of intensified erosion, collectively contributing to nearly 80% of the increase. After 2000, vegetation recovery became the key factor in suppressing erosion, with a contribution rate exceeding 50%, effectively mitigating the deteriorating trend. 3) The driving mechanisms exhibit significant heterogeneity across aridity gradients. The sensitivity of soil wind erosion to climatic fluctuations and vegetation changes increased markedly with aridity. Notably, in the arid zone, the overconsumption of soil moisture by large-scale vegetation restoration may undermine its long-term benefits for soil stabilization, whereas in the sub-humid zone, rising temperatures had a positive effect on vegetation growth. This study reveals the differential response mechanisms of soil erosion to environmental changes under varying aridity contexts, underscoring the importance of formulating site-specific ecological restoration strategies. It provides a scientific basis for the co-management of regional soil and water resources and for sustainable development. Supplementary Material File (manuscript.docx) Download 19.05 MB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 29 July 2025 Peer review timeline Published Journal of Environmental Management Version of Record 1 Dec 2025 Published Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Keywords aridity types climate change ecological transition zone soil winderosion vegetation restoration Authors Affiliations Qiankun Yang View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 200 views 76 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Qiankun Yang. Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Heterogeneous Driving Mechanisms of Soil Wind Erosion in the Forest-Grassland Ecotone: Responses to Climate Change and Vegetation Dynamics Across Aridity types. Authorea . 29 July 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.175379257.77891234/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . 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