{"title":"Using network analysis to determine the soil quality indexes for land degradation","authors":"Ming Gao, Wei Hu, Xingyi Zhang, Meng Li","doi":"10.1007/s11104-024-06896-0","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Background and aims</h3><p>Land degradation poses a serious threat to soil quality health. Our study aimed to assess soil quality more effectively by establishing a valid and accurate soil quality index (SQI) for four land degraded levels in northeast China.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Methods</h3><p>The minimum data set (MDS) and different scoring techniques (linear and nonlinear scoring) were selected through network analysis (NA) and principal component analysis (PCA). As potential SQI indicators, 11 physical, 12 chemical and 6 biological indicators were measured at 0 – 20 cm depth.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Results</h3><p>Our results showed that the soil properties were degraded and SQI decreased significantly with increasing land degradation. In addition, maize yield was positively related to SQI. The number of MDS generated by NA was much lower than that generated by PCA but increased the contributions of the indicators. For validating the accuracy and sensitivity of SQI, we found SQI-NA had greater correlations with maize yields and higher sensitivity indexes than SQI-PCA, implying that NA performs better in terms of accuracy and sensitivity to variation in soil quality under land degradation. So NA not only screens fewer metrics but also is more efficient in differentiating among SQIs. In addition, the SQIs calculated using the nonlinear integral through NA (NA-NL) had larger sensitivity index and F values than the other SQIs and were thus better able to discriminate under land degradation.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Conclusion</h3><p>We conclude that NA-NL was recommended as a sensitive and effective approach for assessing SQIs at different land degradation levels.</p>","PeriodicalId":20223,"journal":{"name":"Plant and Soil","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.9000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Plant and Soil","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-024-06896-0","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"AGRONOMY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background and aims
Land degradation poses a serious threat to soil quality health. Our study aimed to assess soil quality more effectively by establishing a valid and accurate soil quality index (SQI) for four land degraded levels in northeast China.
Methods
The minimum data set (MDS) and different scoring techniques (linear and nonlinear scoring) were selected through network analysis (NA) and principal component analysis (PCA). As potential SQI indicators, 11 physical, 12 chemical and 6 biological indicators were measured at 0 – 20 cm depth.
Results
Our results showed that the soil properties were degraded and SQI decreased significantly with increasing land degradation. In addition, maize yield was positively related to SQI. The number of MDS generated by NA was much lower than that generated by PCA but increased the contributions of the indicators. For validating the accuracy and sensitivity of SQI, we found SQI-NA had greater correlations with maize yields and higher sensitivity indexes than SQI-PCA, implying that NA performs better in terms of accuracy and sensitivity to variation in soil quality under land degradation. So NA not only screens fewer metrics but also is more efficient in differentiating among SQIs. In addition, the SQIs calculated using the nonlinear integral through NA (NA-NL) had larger sensitivity index and F values than the other SQIs and were thus better able to discriminate under land degradation.
Conclusion
We conclude that NA-NL was recommended as a sensitive and effective approach for assessing SQIs at different land degradation levels.
期刊介绍:
Plant and Soil publishes original papers and review articles exploring the interface of plant biology and soil sciences, and that enhance our mechanistic understanding of plant-soil interactions. We focus on the interface of plant biology and soil sciences, and seek those manuscripts with a strong mechanistic component which develop and test hypotheses aimed at understanding underlying mechanisms of plant-soil interactions. Manuscripts can include both fundamental and applied aspects of mineral nutrition, plant water relations, symbiotic and pathogenic plant-microbe interactions, root anatomy and morphology, soil biology, ecology, agrochemistry and agrophysics, as long as they are hypothesis-driven and enhance our mechanistic understanding. Articles including a major molecular or modelling component also fall within the scope of the journal. All contributions appear in the English language, with consistent spelling, using either American or British English.