GIS-based Effect Assessment of Soil Erosion Before and After Gully Land Consolidation: A Case Study of Wangjiagou Project Region, Loess Plateau

The Loess Plateau is one typical area of serious soil erosion in the world. China has implemented ′Grain for Green′(GFG) project to restore the eco-environment of the Loess Plateau since 1999. With the GFG project subsidy approaching the end, it is concerned that farmers of fewer subsidies may reclaim land again. Thus, ′Gully Land Consolidation Project′(GLCP) was initiated in 2010. The core of the GLCP was to create more land suitable for farming in gullies so as to reduce land reclamation on the slopes which are ecological vulnerable areas. This paper aims to assess the effect of the GLCP on soil erosion problems by studying Wangjiagou project region located in the central part of Anzi valley in the middle of the Loess Plateau, mainly using the revised universal soil loss equation(RUSLE) based on GIS. The findings show that the GLCP can help to reduce soil shipment by 9.87% and it creates more terraces and river-nearby land suitable for farming which account for 27.41% of the whole study area. Thus, it is feasible to implement the GLCP in places below gradient 15°, though the GLCP also intensifies soil erosion in certain places such as field ridge, village land, floodplain, natural grassland, and shrub land. In short, the GLCP develops new generation dam land and balances the short-term and long-term interests to ease the conflicts between economic development and environmental protection. Furthermore, the GLCP and the GFG could also be combined preferably. On the one hand, the GFG improves the ecological environment, which could offer certain safety to the GLCP, on the other hand, the GLCP creates more farmland favorable for farming in gullies instead of land reclamation on the slopes, which could indirectly protect the GFG project.

Compounding soils to improve cropland quality:A study based on field experiments and model simulations in the loess hilly-gully region,China

Increasing the quantity and improving the quality of cropland can alleviate the human-land contradiction and promote the sustainable development of agriculture especially in mountainous areas.With the support of the central government’s policies,Yan’an,Northern Shaanxi,China implemented a major land consolidation engineering project in the loess hilly-gully region from 2013 to 2018,achieving 33,333.3 ha of new cropland.However,the poor quality of some newly-constructed cropland at the initial stage hindered its efficient utilization.In order to overcome this problem,red clay and Malan loess were compounded in different volume ratios to explore the method to improve the cropland quality.The Root Zone Water Quality Model was used to simulate the effects of different soil treatments on soil water,nitrogen and maize growth.Experimental data were collected from 2018 to 2019 to calibrate and validate the model.The root mean square error(RMSE)of soil water content,nitrate nitrogen concentration,above-ground biomass,leaf area index were in the range of 11.72-14.06 mm,4.06-11.73 mg kg^(-1),835.21-1151.28 kg ha^(-1)and 0.24-0.47,respectively,while the agreement index(d)between measured and simulated values ranged from 0.70 to 0.96.It was showed that,compared with land constructed with Malan loess only(T1),the soil structure and hydraulic characteristics of land with a volume ratio of red clay and Malan loess of 2:1(T3)was better.Simulation indicated that,compared with T1,the soil water content and available water content of T3 increased by 14.4%and 19.0%,respectively,while N leaching decreased by 16.9%.The aboveground biomass and maize yield of T3 were 7.9%and 6.7%higher than that of T1,respectively.Furthermore,the water productivity and nitrogen use efficiency of T3 increased by 21.0%and 16.6%compared with that of T1.These results indicated that compounding red clay and Malan loess in an appropriate ratio was an effective method to improve soil quality.This study provides a technical idea and specific technical parameters for the construction or improvement of cropland in loess hilly-gully region,which may also provide reference for similar projects in other places.

Land consolidation engineering and modern agriculture: A case study from soil particles to agricultural systems

Land consolidation engineering is one of the very important ways to improve the quality of farmland and the level of agricultural productivity. Studies of land consolidation and crop cultivation still mainly focus on single land functional optimization or crop breeding and yields. However, whether the improved crop varieties were sown on healthy and fertile soils is still a question. This paper introduces new ideas and engineering measures for sandy land rehabilitation and modern agricultural development in the Mu Us Sandy Land, Shaanxi Province, Western China. The important roles of particles and aggregates in soil reconstruction were confirmed following three innovative microscopic theories, including micro-structure, micro-morphology and micro-mechanism. New soil was constructed based on the physical complementarity of sandy, clay and loess particles in the Yulin area, northern Shaanxi Province. Field experiments were carried out to study the appropriate mixture ratio of different soils and their suitability for different crops. The improved crop varieties were sown on healthy and fertile soils, which were chosen by coupling according to its soil ecological suitability and crop physiological adaptability. The fertility improvement practices in the new constructed soils with different crops integrated water and fertilizer management measures, which were also provided in the experiment. Overall, an integrated land optimization configuration with improved and optimized crop variety selection was suggested for engineering sandy land-oriented consolidation from the soil particles to the agricultural system.

China’s rural revitalization and development:Theory,technology and management

The urban-rural transformation from dichotomy to integration is a gradual process.Like rural areas in many countries,Chinese rural society is experiencing a decline in all spheres due to depopulation,aging,lack of economic opportunity,and so on.Aiming at solving the serious rural issues,China proposed the implementation of a rural revitalization strategy and the promotion of an integrated urban-rural development for the first time in 2017.This proposal marks the transformation of the urban-rural relationship,and the integrated urban-rural development reflects a significant conceptual change.Researches on issues of rural decline are urgently needed to determine the most effective method for rural revitalization and development from the perspective of the urban-rural dynamics.In this context,this paper focuses on studying the theory,technology and management of rural revitalization and development.We construct a theoretical framework for urban-rural integration based on population-land-industry-right between the urban and rural systems,regarding land engineering for land capacity building as the technical support and the rural land system reform and reconstruction as the policy support for management.This research will provide theoretical support for the implementation of China's rural revitalization strategy.