Zhanguo Bai
Biographic Data
| ID | 6018359 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Zhanguo Bai |
| GIVEN NAMES | Zhanguo |
| FAMILY NAME | Bai |
| SIGNATURE | BAI Z |
| AFFILIATIONS | ISRIC - World Soil Information |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-3338-5766 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 7 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 5 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 7 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2008 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
How is Gaia doing? Trends in global land degradation and improvement
Land degradation is holding back attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals and exacerbating global heating. Land degradation and improvement since 1981 have been assessed by proxy using remotely sensed Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), translated into net primary productivity. The quantitative data show the extent and trends of changes over four decades and identify where further action is needed. During 1981–2021, 28.5% of lan…
Hidden in plain sight. Global heating, the small water cycle, and the social contract
Greenhouse gases do not generate heat. Bare ground is the furnace: vegetation and the water cycle provide the air-conditioning. Heat is emitted as infrared radiation; greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb some of this outgoing radiation which then heats the atmosphere or is reabsorbed by the land and, mainly, the oceans. So, control of greenhouse gas emissions is necessary and urgent – but it will not be enough to arrest global heating and do…
A candle in the wind
Soil is the biggest brake on global heating. It holds more carbon than the atmosphere and all standing vegetation together but farmers have been burning off soil organic matter for 12000 years: they are responsible for one-third of greenhouse gas emissions. The best thing they could do for the planet is to put it back again, and the best place to start is the best soil in the world – the Black Earth of the steppes, prairies and pampas. Half of it…
Achieving land degradation neutrality: The role of SLM knowledge in evidence-based decision-making
Soil quality – A critical review
Sampling and analysis or visual examination of soil to assess its status and use potential is widely practiced from plot to national scales. However, the choice of relevant soil attributes and interpretation of measurements are not straightforward, because of the complexity and site-specificity of soils, legacy effects of previous land use, and trade-offs between ecosystem services. Here we review soil quality and related concepts, in terms of de…
Recent Land Degradation and Improvement in China
Land degradation is a global development and environment issue that afflicts China more than most countries in terms of the extent, economic impact, and number of people affected. Up-to-date, quantitative information is needed to support policy and action for food and water security, economic development, and environmental integrity. Data for a defined, recent period enable us to distinguish the legacy of historical land degradation from what is …
Proxy global assessment of land degradation
Land degradation is always with us but its causes, extent and severity are contested. We define land degradation as a long‐term decline in ecosystem function and productivity, which may be assessed using long‐term, remotely sensed normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data. Deviation from the norm may serve as a proxy assessment of land degradation and improvement – if other factors that may be responsible are taken into account. These ot…
Achieving land degradation neutrality: The role of SLM knowledge in evidence-based decision-making
Recent Land Degradation and Improvement in China
Land degradation is a global development and environment issue that afflicts China more than most countries in terms of the extent, economic impact, and number of people affected. Up-to-date, quantitative information is needed to support policy and action for food and water security, economic development, and environmental integrity. Data for a defined, recent period enable us to distinguish the legacy of historical land degradation from what is …
Proxy global assessment of land degradation
Land degradation is always with us but its causes, extent and severity are contested. We define land degradation as a long‐term decline in ecosystem function and productivity, which may be assessed using long‐term, remotely sensed normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data. Deviation from the norm may serve as a proxy assessment of land degradation and improvement – if other factors that may be responsible are taken into account. These ot…
Recent Land Degradation and Improvement in China
Land degradation is a global development and environment issue that afflicts China more than most countries in terms of the extent, economic impact, and number of people affected. Up-to-date, quantitative information is needed to support policy and action for food and water security, economic development, and environmental integrity. Data for a defined, recent period enable us to distinguish the legacy of historical land degradation from what is …
Soil quality – A critical review
Sampling and analysis or visual examination of soil to assess its status and use potential is widely practiced from plot to national scales. However, the choice of relevant soil attributes and interpretation of measurements are not straightforward, because of the complexity and site-specificity of soils, legacy effects of previous land use, and trade-offs between ecosystem services. Here we review soil quality and related concepts, in terms of de…
Achieving land degradation neutrality: The role of SLM knowledge in evidence-based decision-making
A candle in the wind
Soil is the biggest brake on global heating. It holds more carbon than the atmosphere and all standing vegetation together but farmers have been burning off soil organic matter for 12000 years: they are responsible for one-third of greenhouse gas emissions. The best thing they could do for the planet is to put it back again, and the best place to start is the best soil in the world – the Black Earth of the steppes, prairies and pampas. Half of it…
Hidden in plain sight. Global heating, the small water cycle, and the social contract
Greenhouse gases do not generate heat. Bare ground is the furnace: vegetation and the water cycle provide the air-conditioning. Heat is emitted as infrared radiation; greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb some of this outgoing radiation which then heats the atmosphere or is reabsorbed by the land and, mainly, the oceans. So, control of greenhouse gas emissions is necessary and urgent – but it will not be enough to arrest global heating and do…
How is Gaia doing? Trends in global land degradation and improvement
Land degradation is holding back attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals and exacerbating global heating. Land degradation and improvement since 1981 have been assessed by proxy using remotely sensed Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), translated into net primary productivity. The quantitative data show the extent and trends of changes over four decades and identify where further action is needed. During 1981–2021, 28.5% of lan…
Environmental Science (7 works) · Ecology (6 works) · Ecology (4 works) · Geography (4 works) · Land degradation (4 works) · Land use (4 works) · Agriculture (3 works) · China (3 works) · Climate change (3 works) · Economics (3 works)