Effects of Fractal Dimension and Soil Erodibility on Soil Quality in an Erodible Region: A Case Study from Karst Mountainous Areas

Soil aggregate stability and soil erodibility (k) are crucial indicators of soil quality that exhibit high sensitivity to changes in soil function. Therefore, it is of great significance to explore the quantitative relationship between these indicators and soil quality for effective ecosystem monitoring and assessment. In this study, soil samples were collected from eight altitude gradients in a karst mountainous area; we analyzed 11 soil physical, chemical, and biological properties, and assessed soil quality using the minimum data set (MDS) method. The results revealed that soil aggregate stability, bulk density (BD), pH, and fungal community diversity exhibited a unimodal altitudinal pattern, whereas the soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and C:N ratio showed an increasing trend. Among the factors considered, SOC, BD, soil pH, mechanical composition, and fungal community diversity were found to explain the most variation in soil aggregate stability and soil erodibility (k). Principal component analysis (PCA) identified soil fungal community diversity, C:N ratio, coarse sand, and macro-aggregate (MA) content as highly weighted indicators for MDS. The integrated soil quality index (SQI) values, ranging from 0.30 to 0.62 across the eight altitude gradients, also exhibited a unimodal altitudinal pattern. The analysis indicated a significant linear relationship between the fractal dimension (D) and soil erodibility of the EPIC model (K-epic) with SQI, suggesting that D and K-epic can serve as alternative indicators for soil quality. These findings further enhance our understanding of the response of soil properties to altitude changes, and provide a novel method for assessing and monitoring soil quality in karst mountainous areas.

Automated summary

Soil aggregate stability and soil erodibility are important indicators of soil quality, and exploring their quantitative relationship is crucial for ecosystem monitoring and assessment. This study collected soil samples from different altitude gradients in a karst mountainous area and analyzed various soil properties. The results showed that soil aggregate stability, bulk density, pH, and fungal community diversity exhibited a pattern with altitude, while soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and C:N ratio increased. Soil organic carbon, bulk density, soil pH, mechanical composition, and fungal community diversity were found to explain the most variation in soil aggregate stability and soil erodibility. The study also proposed alternative indicators, such as fractal dimension and EPIC model soil erodibility, for assessing soil quality.