Impacts of carbonate rock weathering on subtropical agricultural sustainability and ecosystem stability and their zonal regulation

Key Points

• To quantify the dual effects of carbonate rock weathering on agricultural sustainability and ecosystem stability in subtropical karst regions.
• Analyzed remote sensing and ground observation data from 2000 to 2020.
• Utilized a thermodynamic erosion model to assess weathering rates.
• Conducted threshold analysis to identify critical values for sustainability and stability.
• Applied spatial correlation methods to examine the spatial variability of weathering effects.
• Average weathering rate increased significantly by 0.38 mm ka−1 over the study period.
• Identified critical thresholds of 33.1 mm ka−1 for agricultural sustainability and 29.55 mm ka−1 for ecosystem stability.
• Below threshold values, weathering positively impacts nutrient supply and habitat improvement.
• Above threshold values, negative effects include soil loss and desertification.
• 89.6% of the region showed a positive correlation between weathering and agricultural sustainability.