Chenyi et al. (2026) Landscape Structural Patterns and Soil–Water Loss in the Karst Critical Zone in Southwest China: Coupling Mechanisms, Regional Specificity, and Research Challenges

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Identification

• Journal: Land
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-06-04
• Authors: Zhu Chenyi, Xiaoxi Lyu, Dongnan Wang, Jinglin Mo, Yunyu Huang, Mingyue Ma
• DOI: 10.3390/land15060986

Research Groups

Not specified in the provided text.

Short Summary

This semi-systematic review synthesizes the coupling between landscape structural patterns and soil-water loss in the karst critical zones of Southwest China, identifying how geomorphic settings and epikarst development regulate sediment and water transport.

Objective

• To synthesize evidence from multiple disciplines (hydrology, soil erosion, landscape structure) to understand how landscape structural patterns influence soil-water loss and the feedback mechanisms involved in karst rocky desertification.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Regional (Southwest China).
• Temporal Scale: Not specified (Literature synthesis).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: N/A (Semi-systematic critical review).
• Data sources: Synthesis of existing scientific literature regarding karst hydrology, soil erosion, karst rocky desertification, landscape structure, and critical zone studies.

Main Results

• Soil-water loss is jointly regulated by geomorphic setting, land use vegetation structure, bare-rock exposure, and epikarst development.
• Pathway Differentiation: Peak-cluster depressions primarily facilitate internal sediment storage and vertical leakage, whereas valley and canyon systems enhance surface runoff connectivity and channelized sediment export.
• Variable Influence: The dominance of transport pathways is dependent on rainfall intensity, soil moisture, soil thickness, land use, the degree of karst rocky desertification, and fracture-conduit connectivity.
• Feedback Loop: Long-term soil-water loss creates a feedback loop that reshapes the landscape through soil thinning, vegetation degradation, and increased bedrock exposure.

Contributions

• Provides a comprehensive synthesis of the interaction between landscape structure and soil-water loss in karst regions.
• Identifies critical research gaps, specifically the lack of quantification for subsurface soil loss and the need for better integration between landscape metrics and coupled surface-subsurface hydrological models.

Funding

Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Chenyi2026Landscape,
  author = {Chenyi, Zhu and Lyu, Xiaoxi and Wang, Dongnan and Mo, Jinglin and Huang, Yunyu and Ma, Mingyue},
  title = {Landscape Structural Patterns and Soil–Water Loss in the Karst Critical Zone in Southwest China: Coupling Mechanisms, Regional Specificity, and Research Challenges},
  journal = {Land},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.3390/land15060986},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/land15060986}
}