Quantifying the Spatial Distribution Pattern of Soil Diversity in Southern Xinjiang and Its Influencing Factors

Junteng Luo, Yanmin Fan (), Hongqi Wu, Junhui Cheng, Rui Yang and Kai Zheng
Additional contact information
Junteng Luo: College of Resources and Environment, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
Yanmin Fan: College of Resources and Environment, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
Hongqi Wu: College of Resources and Environment, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
Junhui Cheng: College of Resources and Environment, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
Rui Yang: College of Resources and Environment, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China
Kai Zheng: College of Resources and Environment, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 6, 1-15

Abstract: Soil diversity plays an important role in maintaining ecological balance and ensuring the sustainability of the land. Xinjiang is a typical arid and semi-arid region of China, and the study of Xinjiang soils is significant for understanding soil properties in all such environments. This study applied the moving window technique and the species–area curve model from ecology to establish optimal analysis windows, calculate landscape pattern indices, and reveal soil distribution characteristics in Southern Xinjiang. Additionally, we used geographic detectors to identify the primary influencing factors in different geomorphic regions. The results indicate a positive correlation between soil richness and area in the Southern Xinjiang region. The Tarim Basin, despite being the largest area, shows the lowest diversity and evenness indices. Overall, mountainous areas have higher soil evenness when compared to basins. In terms of natural factors, temperature, precipitation, and topography play a crucial role in the variation of soil diversity in mountainous areas, while parent material has a greater influence in the basin regions. The characteristics of soil diversity vary by region and are influenced by the interactive effects of various natural factors. However, the impact of human activities also requires consideration. The low evenness poses a greater challenge for soil restoration in the basin regions. Soil conservation efforts in arid regions are of paramount importance. The research findings can provide valuable insights for the development of sustainable agriculture, soil conservation, and for addressing climate change challenges in arid regions.

Keywords: soil diversity; Xinjiang; landscape pattern indices; geographic detector; ecological balance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/6/2561/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/6/2561/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:6:p:2561-:d:1360682

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().