Soil nutrients decline with slope, impacting farming and pollution levels.
The study looked at how soil nutrients change with different land uses and slopes in Yunnan, China. They found that soil nutrients are highest at the bottom of slopes and decrease towards the top. Woodland had the most total nitrogen and phosphorus, while farmland had the most alkaline hydrolysis nitrogen. Soil organic matter was highest in wasteland. Different land uses had varying impacts on soil nutrients, with total phosphorus, total nitrogen, and organic matter being the most affected. Overall, soil nutrients increase with slope position and decrease with soil depth.