The urbanization process is complex and lengthy, typically resulting in dual changes in the socioeconomic structure and ecological environment. However, in the context of arid environments and initial urbanization, emerging towns undergo evolutionary processes different from those of traditional cities. This study focuses on a typical town, analyzing its growth under the combined effects of arid conditions and incipient urbanization. The results reveal a unique urbanization trajectory in the hinterland of southern Xinjiang: transitioning from refined agricultural planting to shrubland and bare land dominated by natural factors and then to impervious surfaces. While the pattern was complex, the direction of transition was clear. Using the town’s establishment in 2014 as a critical node for urbanization initiation, shrubland emerged as the most sensitive land type, with a proportional increase by a factor of 2.6 from 2010 to 2015. This was driven by the abandonment of cultivated land, which decreased by 11.3% during the study period, with 78% of the newly added shrubland area converted from cropland. By applying the Markov model together with the InVEST model, the study predicted urban land-use transition patterns over the next 5 years and revealed that urbanization primarily exacerbates the instability of water yield in the surrounding region. This study uniquely addresses the gap in understanding the impacts of the urbanization process of emerging towns in arid regions and its associated ecological processes. A detailed investigation of such urbanization is crucial to mitigating issues like disorderly land use and promoting the sustainable development of small and medium-sized towns.

Understanding spatial drivers of soil organic carbon in arid oasis ecosystems is essential for guiding precision soil management and enhancing land sustainability. This study integrates 644 surface samples and 9 soil profiles with multisource environmental data in the hyperarid eastern Tarim...

Soil nutrient levels play a crucial role in determining crop yield. A comprehensive understanding of the spatial distribution patterns and evaluation grades of soil nutrients is of significant practical importance for informed fertilization practices, enhancing crop production, and optimizing agricultural land utilization. This study focuses on the urban area of Kashi Prefecture in Xinjiang as a case study. Utilizing soil sample data, GIS spatial interpolation analysis was conducted, incorporating plot boundary information to propose a comprehensive evaluation method for assessing soil nutrient levels at the plot level. Experimental findings revealed the following: (1) The average values of soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (AN), total potassium (AK), and total phosphorus (AP) in the study area were determined to be 13.3 g/kg, 0.74 g/kg, 0.33 g/kg, and 0.03 g/kg, respectively. Among these, AN and SOM were classified as the fourth grade, indicating relatively deficient levels, while AK and AP were classified as the first and second grade, indicating relatively abundant levels. (2) The comprehensive evaluation of soil nutrient grades in the study area primarily fell within the third, fourth, and second grades, representing areas of 29.08 km², 25 km², and 4.05 km², accounting for 50.03%, 43%, and 6.97% of the total area, respectively. (3) The evaluation results of soil nutrient levels at the plot level emphasized the boundary characteristics and provided a more refined assessment grade. This evaluation method is better suited to meet the practical production requirements of farmers and is considered feasible. The outcomes of this study can serve as a reference for precision agriculture management.

Soil environmental quality in arid oases is crucial for regional ecological security but faces multi-source heavy metal (HM) contamination risks. This study aimed to (1) characterize the spatial distribution of soil HMs (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, and Zn) in the Ka Shi gar oasis, Xinjiang, (2) quantify the driving effect of irrigation water, and (3) elucidate interactions between HMs, soil properties, and land use types. Using 591 soil and 12 irrigation water samples, spatial patterns were mapped via inverse distance weighting interpolation, with drivers and interactions analyzed through correlation and land use comparisons. Results revealed significant spatial heterogeneity in HMs with no consistent regional trend: As peaked in arable land (5.27–40.20 μg/g) influenced by parent material and agriculture, Cd posed high ecological risk in gardens (max 0.29 μg/g), and Zn reached exceptional levels (412.00 μg/g) in gardens linked to industry/fertilizers. Irrigation water impacts were HM-specific: water contributed to soil As enrichment, whereas high water Cr did not elevate soil Cr (indicating industrial dominance), and Cd/Cu showed no significant link. Interactions with soil properties were regulated by land use: in arable land, As correlated positively with EC/TN and negatively with pH; in gardens, HMs generally decreased with pH, enhancing mobility risk; in forests, SOM adsorption immobilized HMs; in construction land, Hg correlated with SOM/TP, suggesting industrial-organic synergy. This study advances understanding by demonstrating that HM enrichment arises from natural and anthropogenic factors, with the spatial heterogeneity of irrigation water’s driving effect critically regulated by land use type, providing a spatially explicit basis for targeted pollution control and sustainable oasis management.

The urbanization process is complex and lengthy, typically bringing dual changes in the socioeconomic structure and ecological environment. However, facing the arid environment and the initial urbanization, emerging towns will undergo an evolutionary process vastly different from traditional cities. This paper takes the example of a typical town, exploring the growth process under the overlapping background of arid conditions and early urbanization. The results show that the initial urbanization of towns in the hinterland of southern Xinjiang has the following characteristics: from refined agricultural planting to shrubs and bare land dominated by natural factors, and then to impervious surfaces. The pattern was complex but the transition direction was clear. Using the town establishment in 2014 as a key node, shrubland emerged as the most sensitive land type of urbanization, with a proportional increase of 142.8% from 2010 to 2015. During this period, 78% of shrubland was transferred from cropland. When analyzing the annual water yield of the town and its surrounding area, it was found that urbanization primarily manifested as increased instability in the water yield of the surrounding region. A detailed study of emerging urbanization in arid areas is crucial to prevent potential urban issues in the future and promote the healthy development of small and medium-sized towns.