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Journal of Desert Research ›› 2026, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (3): 330-340.DOI: 10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2025.00237

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Fractal dimension characteristics of soil particle size distribution and wind erosion resistance in the middle-lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River wide valley

Xuelin Wang(), Jiangbo Chen, Hao Liu, Hang Gong, Hanzhuo Wang, Guodong Ding(), Yuanyuan Zhao   

  1. School of Soil and Water Conservation / Ningxia Yanchi Maowusu Ecosystem National Positioning Observation Research Station / Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration on Soil and Water Conservation / MOE Engineering Research Center of Forestry Ecological Engineering,Beijing Forestry University,Beijing 100083,China
  • Received:2025-07-22 Revised:2025-09-22 Online:2026-05-20 Published:2026-06-11
  • Contact: Guodong Ding

Abstract:

Extensive aeolian depositional landforms with distinct regional characteristics are developed in the mid-lower Yarlung Zangbo River valley. To investigate the potential dust emission capacity of different underlying surfaces in this valley region, soil samples from six land cover types (forest, grassland, cropland, riparian land, fixed sandland, and mobile sandland) were collected in the Milin section. Particle Size Distribution (PSD) analysis and the Anti-Erosion Rating Index (AERI) were applied to assess dust dynamics and inform ecological restoration strategies. The main results are as follows: (1) Valley soils exhibit extremely low clay content (<1%), dominated by fine sand (39.9%), and classified as sandy loam, loamy sand, or sand. Soil texture coarsens with depth.(2) Monofractal dimension values ranked: forest (2.315)>cropland (2.289)>riparian land (2.261)>grassland (2.171)>fixed sandland (2.165)>mobile sandland (2.084), significantly lower than typical values for analogous soils. Monofractal dimension showed strong positive correlations with organic matter (SOM) (P<0.001), total phosphorus (TP), available phosphorus (AP), and total nitrogen (TN) (P<0.01), indicating nutrient enrichment via physicochemical interactions with fine particles (clay/silt).(3) Significant spatial heterogeneity in AERI (P<0.05) was observed: forest (1.086)>cropland (1.012)>grassland (0.955)>fixed sandland (0.856)>riparian land (0.711)>mobile sandland (0.675). Vegetation and agriculture improved soil properties (D, SOM), while sandy exposed surfaces (Sand%>85%) showed minimal erosion resistance.This study demonstrates that fractal theory effectively characterizes soil quality evolution across heterogeneous surfaces, providing critical data for dust emission research and soil texture improvement in the Yarlung Zangbo River valley.

Key words: Yarlung Zangbo River, particle-size distribution, fractal theory, nutrient characteristics, aeolian erosion resistance

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