Post-anthropogenic landscape evolution: Terrain reshaping and geomorphic response in the Loess Plateau

作者：Liang Xue, Xie Hu, Qiuhong Tang, Shengwen Qi, R. Moucha · 发表于：Geomorphology · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1016/j.geomorph.2025.109976 · 被引用次数：3 · 研究领域：Soil erosion and sediment transport、Tree Root and Stability Studies、Aeolian processes and effects

Humans are altering Earth's surface at unprecedented scales due to rapid urban expansion. Here we investigate the long-term geomorphic consequences of large-scale anthropogenic landscape modification, focusing on a recent mountain excavation and city construction project in the Loess Plateau region of China. In this project, tens of square kilometers of urban region were newly constructed by mountain top removal and valley filling, significantly altering the region's topography. We applied a LEM to simulate future natural landscape dynamics, including the erosional stability, soil thickness, and landslide potential in the upcoming one hundred years following this landscape alteration. Moreover, we evaluate the short-term impacts on the stage water height and infiltration, which are related to potential flooding risk during heavy rainfall events. Our results reveal that the altered landscape exhibits significant susceptibility to soil erosion, redistribution of soil thickness, and increased landslide potential, particularly along the margins of the newly constructed zones and at the outlet of the Yanhe River tributary. Perturbations in infiltration rates and runoff behavior are also observed during the rainy season. This study underscores the scientific potential of Landscape Evolution Models (LEMs) as predictive tools for understanding the long-term behavior of engineered loess terrains—environments that are highly sensitive to anthropogenic modification and hydrological vari...