Soil quality assessment in low human activity disturbance zones: a study on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Environ Geochem Health
; 46(5): 147, 2024 Apr 05.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38578456
ABSTRACT
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, located at the Third Pole and known as the "Asian water tower," serves as a crucial ecological barrier for China. Grasping the soil quality on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau holds paramount importance for the rational and scientific exploitation of soil resources within the region and is essential for vegetation restoration and ecological reconstruction. This study, conducted in Maqin County, Qinghai Province, collected 1647 soil samples (0-20 cm) within a study area of 6300 km2. Sixteen soil indicators were selected that were split into beneficial (N, P, S, and B), harmful (Cr, Hg, As, Pb, Ni, and Cd), and essential (Cu, Zn, Se, Ga, K, and Ca) elements. The Soil Quality Index (SQI) was computed to assess soil quality across diverse geological contexts, land cover classifications, and soil profiles. The results indicate that the overall SQI in the study area was comparatively high, with most regions having an SQI between 0.4 and 0.6, categorized as moderately to highly satisfactory. Among the different geological backgrounds, the highest SQI was found in the Quaternary alluvium (0.555) and the lowest in the Precambrian Jinshuikou Formation (0.481). Regarding different land-use types, the highest SQI was observed in glacier- and snow-covered areas (0.582) and the lowest in other types of grassland (0.461). The highest SQI was recorded in typical alpine meadow soil (0.521) and the lowest in leached brown soil (0.460). The evaluation results have significant reference value for the sustainable utilization and management of soil in Maqin County, Qinghai Province, China.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Suelo
/
Mercurio
Límite:
Humans
País/Región como asunto:
Asia
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Environ Geochem Health
Asunto de la revista:
QUIMICA
/
SAUDE AMBIENTAL
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
China