Rubber Plantation Expansion Leads to Increase in Soil Erosion in the Middle Lancang-Mekong River Basin During the Period 2003–2022
The booming nature rubber industry has contributed to the extensive expansion of rubber plantations in the Lancang-Mekong River Basin over recent decades. To date, limited research has focused on the assessment of soil erosion caused by this expansion, resulting in a knowledge gap in the systematic...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| author | Hongfeng Xu Tien Dat Pham Qingquan Wu Peng Chai Dengsheng Lu Dengqiu Li Yaoliang Chen |
| author_facet | Hongfeng Xu Tien Dat Pham Qingquan Wu Peng Chai Dengsheng Lu Dengqiu Li Yaoliang Chen |
| author_sort | Hongfeng Xu |
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| description | The booming nature rubber industry has contributed to the extensive expansion of rubber plantations in the Lancang-Mekong River Basin over recent decades. To date, limited research has focused on the assessment of soil erosion caused by this expansion, resulting in a knowledge gap in the systematic and quantitative understanding of its ecological and hydrological impacts. This study evaluates soil erosion within rubber plantations and changes associated with their expansion by modifying the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model in the middle section of the Lancang-Mekong River Basin from 2003 to 2022. The results show that: (1) rubber plantations have expanded rapidly, reaching a total area of 70.391 × 10<sup>4</sup> ha; (2) over the 20-year period, soil erosion trends within rubber plantations show both slight aggravation (affecting 45.377% of the area) and slight mitigation (affecting 35.859% of the area); (3) soil erosion in rubber plantations shows a pattern of decreasing, then increasing, and then decreasing again with stand age, with the lowest erosion (0.693 t·ha<sup>−1</sup>·yr<sup>−1</sup>) observed in plantations aged 10–15 years and the highest (1.017 t·ha<sup>−1</sup>·yr<sup>−1</sup>) in those aged 15–20 years; (4) rubber plantation expansion led to a fivefold increase in soil erosion with an average soil loss of 0.148 t·ha<sup>−1</sup>·yr<sup>−1</sup> in the non-expansion areas and 0.902 t·ha<sup>−1</sup>·yr<sup>−1</sup> in expansion areas; and (5) slope had the most significant impact on soil erosion. Interactions between slope and other factors —especially slope and soil type (Q > 0.777)—consistently demonstrated strong explanatory power. This research provides valuable insights for the assessment and management of soil erosion in rubber plantations. |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
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| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj-art-c7e3efc2a9234532af2b54993c3ae6e42025-08-20T03:50:21ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922025-06-011713222010.3390/rs17132220Rubber Plantation Expansion Leads to Increase in Soil Erosion in the Middle Lancang-Mekong River Basin During the Period 2003–2022Hongfeng Xu0Tien Dat Pham1Qingquan Wu2Peng Chai3Dengsheng Lu4Dengqiu Li5Yaoliang Chen6School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, ChinaHawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2751, AustraliaFujian Soil and Water Conservation Experimental Station, Fuzhou 350003, ChinaFujian Soil and Water Conservation Experimental Station, Fuzhou 350003, ChinaSchool of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, ChinaSchool of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, ChinaSchool of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, ChinaThe booming nature rubber industry has contributed to the extensive expansion of rubber plantations in the Lancang-Mekong River Basin over recent decades. To date, limited research has focused on the assessment of soil erosion caused by this expansion, resulting in a knowledge gap in the systematic and quantitative understanding of its ecological and hydrological impacts. This study evaluates soil erosion within rubber plantations and changes associated with their expansion by modifying the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model in the middle section of the Lancang-Mekong River Basin from 2003 to 2022. The results show that: (1) rubber plantations have expanded rapidly, reaching a total area of 70.391 × 10<sup>4</sup> ha; (2) over the 20-year period, soil erosion trends within rubber plantations show both slight aggravation (affecting 45.377% of the area) and slight mitigation (affecting 35.859% of the area); (3) soil erosion in rubber plantations shows a pattern of decreasing, then increasing, and then decreasing again with stand age, with the lowest erosion (0.693 t·ha<sup>−1</sup>·yr<sup>−1</sup>) observed in plantations aged 10–15 years and the highest (1.017 t·ha<sup>−1</sup>·yr<sup>−1</sup>) in those aged 15–20 years; (4) rubber plantation expansion led to a fivefold increase in soil erosion with an average soil loss of 0.148 t·ha<sup>−1</sup>·yr<sup>−1</sup> in the non-expansion areas and 0.902 t·ha<sup>−1</sup>·yr<sup>−1</sup> in expansion areas; and (5) slope had the most significant impact on soil erosion. Interactions between slope and other factors —especially slope and soil type (Q > 0.777)—consistently demonstrated strong explanatory power. This research provides valuable insights for the assessment and management of soil erosion in rubber plantations.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/13/2220Lancang-Mekong River Basinrubber plantationsLandsatRUSLE modelsoil erosion |
| spellingShingle | Hongfeng Xu Tien Dat Pham Qingquan Wu Peng Chai Dengsheng Lu Dengqiu Li Yaoliang Chen Rubber Plantation Expansion Leads to Increase in Soil Erosion in the Middle Lancang-Mekong River Basin During the Period 2003–2022 Remote Sensing Lancang-Mekong River Basin rubber plantations Landsat RUSLE model soil erosion |
| title | Rubber Plantation Expansion Leads to Increase in Soil Erosion in the Middle Lancang-Mekong River Basin During the Period 2003–2022 |
| title_full | Rubber Plantation Expansion Leads to Increase in Soil Erosion in the Middle Lancang-Mekong River Basin During the Period 2003–2022 |
| title_fullStr | Rubber Plantation Expansion Leads to Increase in Soil Erosion in the Middle Lancang-Mekong River Basin During the Period 2003–2022 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rubber Plantation Expansion Leads to Increase in Soil Erosion in the Middle Lancang-Mekong River Basin During the Period 2003–2022 |
| title_short | Rubber Plantation Expansion Leads to Increase in Soil Erosion in the Middle Lancang-Mekong River Basin During the Period 2003–2022 |
| title_sort | rubber plantation expansion leads to increase in soil erosion in the middle lancang mekong river basin during the period 2003 2022 |
| topic | Lancang-Mekong River Basin rubber plantations Landsat RUSLE model soil erosion |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/17/13/2220 |
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