Human-altered soil loss dominates nearly half of water erosion in China but surges in agriculture-intensive areas
Authors: Keke Li, Jingy Yang, Jingyu Wang, Zhen Wang, Yi Zeng, Pasquale Borrelli, Klaus Hubacek, Yuanchao Hu, Baodong Xu, Nufang Fang, Chen Zeng, Zhanhang Zhou, and Zhihua Shi.
Journal: One Earth.
Abstract
Soil erosion is a major land degradation process, threatening global agricultural sustainability and carbon cycling. Although geomorphic evidence confirms that human activities have significantly accelerated soil erosion, to what extent humans have altered soil erosion and how to attribute it to different land use changes and economic activities remains uncertain at the national scale. Here, by developing an integrated modeling framework to assess human-altered soil erosion (HASE) by water and its drivers, we estimate that nearly half of the total water erosion in China is dominated by HASE, rising to over 90% in agriculture-intensive areas. Household consumption emerges as a major hidden factor driving HASE. Conversely, human efforts, such as soil conservation practices like terraces, have effectively mitigated soil erosion. Our findings provide a starting point to evaluate the magnitude of human intervention in soil erosion at the regional or global scale, highlighting the importance of controlling accelerated soil erosion from a coupled social-ecological perspective.
Last modified: | 28 October 2024 09.19 a.m. |
More news
-
30 September 2025
Lieutenant General Elanor Boekholt-O’Sullivan awarded the Aletta Jacobs Prize 2026
The University of Groningen (UG) has awarded the Aletta Jacobs Prize 2026 to Elanor Boekholt-O’Sullivan, the first female lieutenant general in the Dutch armed forces. The prize will be presented on Friday 6 March 2026 by the Rector Magnificus of...
-
15 September 2025
Successful visit to the UG by Rector of Institut Teknologi Bandung
The Rector of Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB), Prof Tatacipta Dirgantara, paid a 3-day visit to the UG.
-
04 July 2025
University of Groningen awards various prizes during Ceremony of Merits
The UG awarded different prizes to excellent researchers and students during the Ceremony of Merits on 4 July 2025.