Xin et al. (2026) A multi-scale assessment of the effects of runoff/sediment discharge in karst catchments as shown by vegetation-related remote sensing indicators

Identification

• Journal: Remote Sensing of Environment
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-02-19
• Authors: Haoyang Xin, Ruijie Ma, Xiaoqin Xu, Zhenwei Li, Fengjiao Pan, Liangxia Duan
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rse.2026.115324

Research Groups

• College of Resources, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China
• Guangxi Key Laboratory of Karst Ecological Processes and Services, Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystem, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China

Short Summary

This study assessed the effectiveness of five satellite-derived vegetation indicators in capturing runoff and sediment discharge variability across 15 karst catchments globally from 2003–2020, identifying Solar-Induced chlorophyll Fluorescence (SIF) as the most effective explanatory variable.

Objective

• To identify which satellite-derived vegetation-related indicator can best capture the variability in runoff and sediment discharge at multiple time scales in ecologically fragile karst regions.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Six karst catchments in Southwest China, and nine karst catchments in France and Central United States (total 15 catchments).
• Temporal Scale: 2003–2020.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Mann–Kendall trend test, Continuous Wavelet Transform, Cross Wavelet Transform, Wavelet Coherence, Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS).
• Data sources: Satellite-derived vegetation-related indicators (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Kernel Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (kNDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Leaf Area Index (LAI), Solar-Induced chlorophyll Fluorescence (SIF)), and runoff and sediment discharge data.

Main Results

• Vegetation showed a significant increasing trend, while sediment discharge generally exhibited a decreasing trend.
• Runoff displayed significant cyclic oscillations (9-13 months), and vegetation-related indicators showed oscillations (8-16 months), but sediment discharge lacked persistent periodicity.
• The proportion of areas showing significant coherence between vegetation and runoff ranged from 4% to 33%.
• The proportion of areas showing significant coherence between vegetation and sediment ranged from 6% to 29%.
• Solar-Induced chlorophyll Fluorescence (SIF) was identified as the most effective explanatory variable for both river runoff and sediment in global karst areas.

Contributions

• Addresses a gap in literature by investigating which vegetation-related indicator best captures runoff and sediment discharge variability at multiple time scales in karst regions.
• Provides new insights into the complex relationships between vegetation and hydrological processes in karst catchments.
• Offers valuable guidance for improving water and soil resource management strategies in karst ecosystems.
• Validates findings across a diverse set of global karst areas (China, France, Central United States).

Funding

• Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Xin2026multiscale,
  author = {Xin, Haoyang and Ma, Ruijie and Xu, Xiaoqin and Li, Zhenwei and Pan, Fengjiao and Duan, Liangxia},
  title = {A multi-scale assessment of the effects of runoff/sediment discharge in karst catchments as shown by vegetation-related remote sensing indicators},
  journal = {Remote Sensing of Environment},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.rse.2026.115324},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2026.115324}
}