As a natural ecological fragile region, the vast desert steppe in the Inner Mongolia has a developed animal husbandry, and thus posed great impacts on soil quality. In order to accurately evaluate the current situation of soil quality in the desert steppe, it is therefore imperative to adopt a suitable method to effectively assess the soil quality in the region. In this study, the minimum data set (MDS) was established with the help of principal component analysis, Norm value calculation, and correlation analysis, and four indicators, including organic matter, sand grains, soil erosion degree, and pH, were established to evaluate the soil quality of the desert steppe in the Siziwang Banner, a county in the Inner Mongolia. The results from the minimum data set (MDS) method were validated based on the total data set (TDS) method, and the validation indicated that the MDS method can be representative of the soil quality of the study area. The results indicated: 1) the soil quality index (SQI) of 0–30 cm in more than 90% of the study area falls in the range of 0.4 and 0.6 (medium level), while the better level (SQI ≥0.6) only accounted less than 10% of the study area; 2) For the MDS indexes, soil organic matter content at all depths decreased in the southern mountains, central hills, and northern plateau, which is consistent with the changing trends of SQI; 3) The sand grain was the dominant particle in the study region, which was in accordance with the intense wind erosion; 4) The negative correlation was found between the soil pH value and SQI (the high value in pH corresponded to the low value in SQI), which reflected that soil pH has a more stressful effect on the local vegetation. Overall, the MDS indexes in this study can objectively and practically reflect the soil quality in the study area, which can provide a cost effective method for SQI assessment in the desert steppe, which is important for the further grassland ecological construction and grassland management to improve the soil quality in the desert steppes.

Soil nutrient distribution in desert grasslands is predominantly influenced by climatic factors, particularly precipitation and temperature. Siziwang Banner, situated within the desert grassland belt of Inner Mongolia, represents a typical arid zone where soil nutrient dynamics are shaped by the interplay of precipitation, temperature, and topography. This study aims to investigate the spatial distribution of soil nutrients and assess the dominant role of climatic factors in this region, using geostatistical analyses and GIS techniques. The results reveal that soil nutrients exhibit higher concentrations in surface layers, gradually decreasing with depth. Horizontally, a pronounced gradient can be observed, with nutrient levels being higher in the southern regions and lower in the northern regions. Precipitation and temperature emerge as decisive factors driving these patterns; increased precipitation enhances the accumulation of soil organic matter and nitrogen, whereas elevated temperatures accelerate decomposition of organic matter, leading to nutrient losses. These findings underscore the critical role of climatic factors in governing soil nutrient distribution, offering valuable insights for soil management and ecological restoration efforts in arid ecosystems.

This study addresses the critical ecological challenges of soil wind and water erosion in the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China, both of which significantly contribute to soil degradation. Understanding the relative contributions of these erosion types is essential for developing effective control measures. Using the¹³⁶Cs tracer method, we quantified the ratio of soil wind erosion to water erosion under varying topographic and geomorphic conditions. The results revealed that cropland has experienced the most severe erosion in recent decades. Specifically, on gentle slopes (6°–8°), the rate of water erosion exceeded wind erosion by approximately eightfold. On steeper slopes (10°–15°), this trend was even more pronounced, with water erosion surpassing wind erosion by a factor of approximately 27. These findings were corroborated by measured data from a previous study area. Overall, water erosion is the dominant process in the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China, with wind erosion playing a secondary role. Future erosion prevention strategies should prioritize hydraulic erosion control measures, particularly on sloping cropland. Furthermore, advancing research on the compound mechanisms of wind and water erosion is imperative for developing integrated mitigation strategies, ultimately supporting the sustainable development of the region’s ecological environment.

Soil wind erosion is one of the critical drivers of land degradation in the black soil region of northeastern China. In this study, 137Cs background value and soil wind erosion rate was studied by using 137Cs nuclide tracing technique in the black soil region of northeastern China, and wind erosion characteristics such as background value and soil erosion rate over the years were clarified, which has guiding significance for soil and water conservation and agricultural sustainable development in the black soil region of northeast China. The mean area activity of the Hilltop area was 1541 Bq·m-2, which was lower than the background value of 1879.7 Bq·m-2 in the study area. At the top of the hill, soil erosion occurred to some extent. The 137Cs profile has distributional characteristics that can be divided into three categories. Most of the 137Cs area activity in Hilltop area is evenly distributed in 0-15 cm, and the 137Cs area activity below 15 cm decreased gradually until it disappeared. The spatial difference of wind erosion rate is significant in the study area, mainly between 7.17-10.13 t·hm-2a-1. The average wind erosion rate of hilltops with different tillage quality depths has little difference. The average wind erosion rate is 8.60 t·hm-2a-1, which belongs to mild erosion. However, its erosion rate is higher than the tolerable soil loss of 2 t·hm-2a-1 in the black soil region of northeast China. As a result, soil erosion control in the black soil region of northeast China still requires attention.