Spatial differentiation and influencing factors of soil nutrients along the west-to-east gas transmission route on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains^*

The construction of the West-East Gas Pipeline destroyed the fragile local soil environment, leading to soil structure damage and nutrient loss. This study selected the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang as the study area. Based on field sampling data, the spatial differentiation of soil nutrients along the West-East Gas Pipeline was explored, the range and degree of disturbance to the soil along the line were determined, and the influencing factors and their interactions of soil nutrient content (organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total potassium) were analyzed using robust geographic detectors. The results are as follows: ①There is an obvious spatial differentiation of soil nutrients along the West-East Gas Pipeline. Except for total potassium, the content of other soil nutrients shows a trend of first decreasing and then increasing within the range of 0-30m from the pipeline, indicating that the impact range of the West-East Gas Pipeline construction is about 10m; ②The contents of the four soil nutrients are extremely or significantly affected by factors such as land cover type, slope and average annual temperature, indicating that high vegetation coverage and strong soil and water conservation capacity are conducive to the recovery of soil nutrients, and climate conditions are one of the key factors restricting soil nutrients. ③The soil nutrient content is affected by the interaction of environmental factors. For example, the interaction between land cover type and distance to the river has the greatest impact on the spatial differentiation of soil organic matter content, indicating that after construction, attention should be paid to vegetation protection and restoration projects, while improving the soil and water conservation capacity of the soil near the pipeline. In summary, the research results reveal the spatial differentiation and influencing factors of soil nutrients along the West-East Gas Pipeline, providing data support for ecological restoration along the West-East Gas Pipeline.