Vegetation characteristics and soil properties of artificially remediated grasslands:The case study of the Shimenhe mining area in Qilian Mountains,northwest China

The mining of limestone mines plays a crucial role in societal and economic advancement.However,mining activities have led to destructive variations in grassland ecology and soil,causing numerous environmental problems,and effective artificial restoration measures have been used to restore grasslands in the Shimenhe mining areas to different degrees.In this study,we investigated,examined and analyzed plant community structure and its correlation with soil properties across varying degrees of alpine grassland restoration in Qilian Mountains Shimenhe restoration mines using the sample method,and studied the changes in species diversity using five diversity indexes(Simpson index,Shannon index,Margalef index,Dominance index and Evenness index).This study showed that the plant community characteristics with high recovered degree(HRD)>middle recovered degree(MRD)>low recovered degree(LRD)>very low recovered degree(VLRD),11 plant genera comprising 11 species across 10 families were identified.Dominant families with robust ecological adaptability included Leguminosae,Rosaceae,Gramineae,Asteraceae,and Salicaceae.The highest Simpson,Shannon,Margalef and Evenness index of HRD grassland community species were 0.82,1.96,1.66 and 0.89,respectively.The highest Dominance index of VLRD grassland community species was 0.34,which required several restoration methods such as spraying and mulching.Soil pH and EC tended to decrease with increasing restoration,SOC,SMC,TP,AP,NH4-N,TN,AN and NO3-N tended to increase and the content of soil environmental factors contributed to vegetation growth across various restoration levels the mine grassland.In conclusion,our study indicated that the community structure gradually diversified and soil properties changed positively with the increase of restoration degrees in the Qilian Mountains Shimenhe mine,and the best results of HRD restoration were obtained.This study provides the theoretical basis for the restoration and conservation of grasslands in mining areas by demonstrating examined the correlation between plant characteristics and soil properties in restored grasslands in alpine mining areas.

Effect of salinization on soil properties and mechanisms beneficial to microorganisms in salinized soil remediation-a review

Salinized soil is an important reserved arable land resource in China.The management and utilization of salinized soil can safeguard the current size of arable land and a stable grain yield.Salt accumulation will lead to the deterioration of soil properties,destroy soil production potential and damage soil ecological functions,which in turn will threaten global water and soil resources and food security,and affect sustainable socio-economic development.Microorganisms are important components of salinized soil.Microbial remediation is an important research tool in improving salinized soil and is key to realizing sustainable development of agriculture and the ecosystem.Knowledge about the impact of salinization on soil properties and measures using microorganisms in remediation of salinized soil has grown over time.However,the mechanisms governing these impacts and the ecological principles for microbial remediation are scarce.Thus,it is imperative to summarize the effects of salinization on soil physical,chemical,and microbial properties,and then review the related mechanisms of halophilic and halotolerant microorganisms in salinized soil remediation via direct and indirect pathways.The stability,persistence,and safety of the microbial remediation effect is also highlighted in this review to further promote the application of microbial remediation in salinized soil.The objective of this review is to provide reference and theoretical support for the improvement and utilization of salinized soil.

Impacts of Micro- and Nano-Plastics on Soil Properties and Plant Production in Agroecosystems: A Mini-Review

Micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs) are tiny plastic particles resulting from plastic product degradation. Soil MNPs have been identified as potential influential factors affecting various soil properties and crop biomass productivity. This mini-review provides a synthesis of recent findings concerning their effects on soil physicochemical properties, microorganisms, organic carbon content, soil nutrients, greenhouse gas emissions, soil fauna, and their impacts on plant ecophysiology, growth, and production. The results indicate that MNPs may markedly impede soil aggregation ability, increase porosity, decrease soil bulk density, enhance water retention capacity, influence soil pH and electrical conductivity, and escalate soil water evaporation. Exposure to MNPs may predominantly induce changes in soil microbial composition, reducing the diversity and complexity of microbial communities and microbial activity while enhancing soil organic carbon stability, influencing soil nutrient dynamics, and stimulating organic carbon decomposition and denitrification processes, leading to elevated soil respiration and methane emissions, and potentially decreasing soil nitrous oxide emission. Additionally, MNPs may adversely affect soil fauna, diminish seed germination rates, promote plant root growth, yet impair plant photosynthetic efficacy and biomass productivity. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the impacts and mechanistic foundations of MNPs. Future research avenues are suggested to further explore the impacts and economic implications.

Influence of different soil properties on the failure behavior of deposit slope under earthquake after rainfall

In this study,the influence of soil properties on the failure behavior and mechanism of slope under earthquake after rainfall was studied with shaking table test in the laboratory,in which the failure process of slope and instant responses of water content and pore water pressure were tested.Based on the principle of similarity,a model test was designed.The experimental results showed that soil properties exhibit significant influence on failure mode and failure mechanism of slope.Local flowslide,local failure,and creep flowslide failure modes appear in the slope exposed to only rainfall.However,under earthquake after rainfall,the other three failure modes occur,i.e.,local slip failure,overall slip failure,and shallow scouring and creep flowslide failure.The spatial distribution of water content and pore water pressure are the two key factors leading to slope failure.Furthermore,due to the difference of permeability,the soil properties not only affect the spatial distribution of water content of the slope after rainfall,resulting in the peak pore water pressure which occurs mainly near the foot of the slope and near the bedrock interface in the middle and lower parts of the slope,but also affect the dissipation of excess pore water pressure in the process of earthquake.Finally,it is discovered that different types of soil lead to significant differences in the peak acceleration of slope failure.The critical acceleration of slope with coarse-grained soil is greater than that of slope with fine-grained soil.The critical acceleration of slope failure shows a close relationship with soil properties.

Re-Examining Field-Surveyed Variations in Elevation and Soil Properties with a 1-m Resolution LiDAR-Generated DEM

This article presents a 2017 LiDAR-DEM guided 1-m resolution examination of field-surveyed elevation and soil property variations (5 × 5 m spacings) conducted in 1977 across a hummocky New Brunswick field used for potato production. This examination revealed that the field incurred minor elevation differences likely due to upslope erosion as revealed through increasing Sand % and CF % with increasing elevation, and increasing Silt % along low-lying areas. Soil moisture, field capacity, permanent wilting and nitrate nitrogen (NO3-N) also increased at downslope locations. Directly as well as indirectly, soil pH, ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N), Caesium137 (Cs137) and Mehlich-3 extracted Ca, Mg, K, Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn were likewise affected by topographic location. Factor analyzing these variables led to: 1) a Soil Loss Factor that captured 24% of the textural variations;2) a Soil-Cropping Factor accounting for 16% of the N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn variations;3) a Soil Organic Matter (SOM) Factor relating 9% of the in-field variations for SOM, Fe, Zn, Cu to via organo-metal complexation and low NO3-N retention. Many of the topographic variations increased or decreased with the metric DEM-projected depth-to-water index (DTW) index. This index was set to 0 along DEM-derived flow channels with minimum upslope flow-accumulation areas of 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1 or 4 ha. Among these, the DTW > 4 ha threshold was useful for reproducing the textural variations, while the DTW > 0.25 ha threshold assisted in capturing trends pertaining to moisture retention and elemental concentrations.

Effects of Ploughing Astragalus sinicus at Maturity Stage on Rice Yield and Soil Properties of Paddy Field

[Objective] The effects of ploughing Astragalus sinicus at maturity stage as green manure on paddy soil properties were studied to provide references for ad- vancing the green manure production and field sustainable development. [Methods] A three-year field positioning experiment was carried out. In the first year, five differ- ent levels （0, 2.81, 5.61, 8.42, 11.23 t/hm~） of Astragalus sinicus ploughed at matu- rity stage were designed. And in the next two years, the amounts of ploughed As- tragalus sinicus at maturity stage were based on the natural growth amounts of As- tragalus sinicus at maturity stage of the former year in each plot field. The yields of Astragalus sinicus at maturity stage were estimated and ploughed directly before rice transplanting. Rice yield, soil nutrients, biological properties and water-stable aggre- gates of paddy fields were measured as well. [Results] The effective panicles and rice yields increased significantly after ploughing Astragalus sinicus at maturity stage. Meanwhile, the organic acid content in paddy field increased and the activities of soil phosphatases, invertase and catalase were higher. The soil dissolved organic carbon also increased with the increasing application of green manure. However, excess amount of green manure inhibited the soil microbial biomass carbon content. The macro aggregates and micro aggregates gathered to middle aggregates. [Conclusion] As green manure, the use of Astragalus sinicus at maturity stage could improve soil physiochemical and biological properties, improve soil fertility and increase rice yield significantly. But the ploughing amount of Astragalus sinicus at maturity stage before rice transplanting should be less than 8.42 t/hm2 （dry weight.

Neural Network Ensemble Residual Kriging Application for Spatial Variability of Soil Properties

High quality, agricultural nutrient distribution maps are necessary for precision management, but depend on initial soil sample analyses and interpolation techniques. To examine the methodologies for and explore the capability of interpolating soil properties based on neural network ensemble residual kriging, a silage field at Hayes, Northern Ireland, UK, was selected for this study with all samples being split into independent training and validation data sets. The training data set, comprised of five soil properties: soil pH, soil available P, soil available K, soil available Mg and soil available S,was modeled for spatial variability using 1) neural network ensemble residual kriging, 2) neural network ensemble and 3) kriging with their accuracies being estimated by means of the validation data sets. Ordinary kriging of the residuals provided accurate local estimates, while final estimates were produced as a sum of the artificial neural network (ANN)ensemble estimates and the ordinary kriging estimates of the residuals. Compared to kriging and neural network ensemble,the neural network ensemble residual kriging achieved better or similar accuracy for predicting and estimating contour maps. Thus, the results demonstrated that ANN ensemble residual kriging was an efficient alternative to the conventional geo-statistical models that were usually used for interpolation of a data set in the soil science area.

Effect of Mixed Forests of Chinese Fir and Tsoong's Tree on Soil Properties

An investigation and on 13 year old (1984～1996) Chinese fir and Tsoong's tree mixed forests in Jianou City, Fujian Province, China was carried out to compare the influences of different interplanting types of individual tree tree, row row, row strip (three rows) and pure Chinese fir stands on soil properties. Compared with the pure stands of Chinese fir, the mixed stands exerted a positive effect on soil fertility, with increases in soil organic matter, total N, available P and available K. Moreover, improvements were also observed in soil enzymatic activities, aggregate structure, structure stability, status of soil porosity, soil aeration and penetrability in mixed stands. The row row interplanted stands had the best effect on tree growth and soil properties among these mixed forests. In the southern subtropical region, the spreading of the row row mixing model of the two tree species would be helpful to preventing the soil from fertility deterioration caused by successive plantation of Chinese fir.

Effect of Reclamation Time and Land Use on Soil Properties in Changjiang River Estuary,China

The objective of this study is to analyze soil physical and chemical properties,soil comprehensive functions and impact factors after different years of reclamation.Based on the survey data taken from 216 soil sampling points in the Fengxian Reclamation Area of the Changjiang (Yangtze) River Estuary,China in April 2009 and remotely sensed TM data in 2006,while by virtue of multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA),geo-statistical analysis (GA),prin-cipal component analysis (PCA) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA),it was concluded that:1) With the in-crease in reclamation time,soil moisture,soil salinity,soil electric conductivity and soil particle size tended to decline,yet soil organic matter tended to increase.Soil available phosphorous tended to increase in the early reclamation period,yet it tended to decline after about 49 years of reclamation.Soil nitrate nitrogen,soil ammonia nitrogen and pH changed slightly in different reclamation years.Soil physical and chemical properties reached a steady state after about 30 years of reclamation.2) According to the results of PCA analysis,the weighted value (0.97 in total) that represents soil nutrient factors (soil nitrate nitrogen,soil organic matter,soil available phosphorous,soil ammonia nitrogen,pH and soil particle size) were higher than the weighted value (0.48 in total) of soil limiting factors (soil salinity,soil elec-tric conductivity and soil moisture).The higher the F value is,the better the soil quality is.3) Different land use types play different roles in the soil function maturity process,with farmlands providing the best contribution.4) Soil physi-cal and chemical properties in the reclamation area were mainly influenced by reclamation time,and then by land use types.The correlation (0.1905) of the composite index of soil function (F) with reclamation time was greater than that with land use types (-0.1161).

Vegetation Traits and Soil Properties in Response to Utilization Patterns of Grassland in Hulun Buir City, Inner Mongolia, China

Numerous studies have focused on vegetation traits and soil properties in grassland, few of which concerned about effects of human utilization patterns on grassland yet. Thus, this study hypothesized that human disturbance(e.g., grazing, mowing and fencing) triggered significant variation of biomass partitioning and carbon reallocation. Besides, there existed some differences of species diversity and soil fertility. To address these hypotheses of grassland with diverse utilization patterns in Hulun Buir City, Inner Mongolia, China, we sampled in situ about aboveground biomass(AGB) and belowground biomass(BGB) to evaluate their biomass allocation. Species diversity and soil properties were also investigated. Subsequently, we discussed the relationship of species diversity with environmental conditions, using data collected from 23 sites during the ecological project period of Returning Grazing Lands to Grasslands(RGLG) program. The results were as follows: 1) both AGB and BGB were lower on grazing regime than those on fencing and mowing, but the ratio of root-to-shoot(R/S) was higher on grazing regime than the other two utilization patterns; 2) neither of evenness and Simpson Index was different significantly among all grassland utilization patterns in desert, typical, and meadow grassland at 0.05. In meadow grassland, species richness of fencing pattern was significantly higher than that of grazing pattern(p < 0.05); 3) both of soil organic carbon content and soil available phosphorous content were increased significantly on fencing pattern than grazing pattern(p < 0.05) in desert grassland, and mowing patterns increased the soil nutrients(soil organic carbon, soil total phosphorous, soil available phosphorous, and soil total nitrogen) significantly compared with grazing patterns(p < 0.05) in typical grassland. However, there were no significant differences among utilization patterns in meadow grassland. In conclusion, both of AGB and BGB were increased significantly by fencing. Moreover, species diversity and soil nutrients can be promoted via mowing and fencing. This study suggested that implementation of Ecological Project played a positive role in sustainable grassland utilization of Hulun Buir City and a strong positive influence on the entire temperate grassland.

Changes in soil properties and erodibility of gully heads induced by vegetation restoration on the Loess Plateau, China

Soil erosion on the Loess Plateau of China is effectively controlled due to the implementation of several ecological restoration projects that improve soil properties and reduce soil erodibility. However, few studies have examined the effects of vegetation restoration on soil properties and erodibility of gully head in the gully regions of the Loess Plateau. The objectives of this study were to quantify the effects of vegetation restoration on soil properties and erodibility in this region. Specifically, a control site in a slope cropland and 9 sites in 3 restored land-use types （5 sites in grassland, 3 in woodland and 1 in shrubland） in the Nanxiaohegou watershed of a typical gully region on the Loess Plateau were selected, and soil and root samples were collected to assess soil properties and root characteristics. Soil erodibility factor was calculated by the Erosion Productivity Impact Calculator method. Our results revealed that vegetation restoration increased soil sand content, soil saturated hydraulic conductivity, organic matter content and mean weight diameter of water-stable aggregate but decreased soil silt and clay contents and soil disintegration rate. A significant difference in soil erodibility was observed among different vegetation restoration patterns or land-use types. Compared with cropland, soil erodibility decreased in the restored lands by 3.99% to 21.43%. The restoration patterns of Cleistogenes caespitosa K. and Artemisia sacrorum L. in the grassland showed the lowest soil erodibility and can be considered as the optimal vegetation restoration pattern for improving soil anti-erodibility of the gully heads. Additionally, the negative linear change in soil erodibility for grassland with restoration time was faster than those of woodland and shrubland. Soil erodibility was significantly correlated with soil particle size distribution, soil disintegration rate, soil saturated hydraulic conductivity, water-stable aggregate stability, organic matter content and root characteristics （including root average diameter, root length density, root surface density and root biomass density）, but it showed no association with soil bulk density and soil total porosity. These findings indicate that although vegetation destruction is a short-term process, returning the soil erodibility of cropland to the level of grassland, woodland and shrubland is a long-term process （8-50 years）.

Effect of fire severity on physical and biochemical soil properties in Zagros oak(Quercus brantii Lindl.)forests in Iran

Fire affects the physical and chemical properties and soil biological activity of natural ecosystems. This study was conducted in the Miyan Tang region, Ilam Province in western Iran. The study site was 110 hectares, where we sampled soils in areas that were classified by fire severity： low （LS）, high （HS） and medium severity （MS）, and unburned （UB）, which served as the control. In each severity class, 25 transect points were randomly selected for measurement. Around each transect plot center, 3 soil samples were selected randomly and soils collected from the 0 to 20 cm depth were combined into a composite sample that was used in laboratory analysis to represent conditions at that point. Plots in the UB and LS fire classes had similar soil conditions and had higher values of factors such as saturated moisture, organic carbon, carbon dioxide, and silt and clay content. In contrast, plots in the HS and MS fire severity classes were clustered in the positive direction along the first axis that represented gradients in soil acidity, electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, accessible phosphorus, accessible potassium, bulk density, and sand. Soil attributes were similar in areas of HS and MS fire severity classes, whereas soil conditions in the LS class and UB controls were most similar. Fire in the LS areas either did not significantly alter the physicalchemical soil properties and microbial basal respiration, or soils were able to recover quickly after being burned.

Soil Properties and Characteristics of Soil Aggregate in Marginal Farmlands of Oasis in the Middle of Hexi Corridor Region, Northwest China

The composition and stability of soil aggregate are closely related to soil quality, soil erosion, and agricultural sustainability. In this study, 49 soil samples at the 0-10 cm surface layer were collected from four soil types （i.e., Ari-Sandic Primosols, Calci-Orthic Aridosols, Siltigi-Otrthic Anthrosols, and Ustic Cambosols） in the marginal farmland in the oasis of the middle Hexi Corridor region and was used to determine the characteristics of soil aggregates. The composition of dry- and wet- sieved aggregates and the physical and chemical properties （including soil particle distribution, soil organic carbon （SOC）, calcium carbonate （CaCO3）, and oxides of Fe^3＋ and Al^3＋） of the selected soils were analyzed. The results show that soil particle size distribution is dominated by fine sand fraction in most of soils except Ustic Cambosols. Soil organic carbon concentration is 5.88 ± 2.52 g kg^-1 on average, ranging from 4.75 g kg^-1 in Ari-Sandic Primosols to 10.51 g kg^-1 in Ustic Cambosols. The soils have high calcium carbonate （CaCO3） concentration, ranging from 84.7 to 164.8 g kg^-1, which is increased with soil fine particle and organic carbon content. The percentage of 〉0.25 mm dry aggregates ranges from 65.2% in Ari-Sandic Primosols to 94.6% in Ustic Cambosols, and large dry blocky aggregates （〉5 mm） is dominant in all soils. The mean weight diameter of dry aggregates （DMWD） ranges from 3.2 mm to 5.5 mm. The percentage of 〉0.25 mm water-stable aggregate is from 23.8% to 45.4%. The percentage of aggregate destruction （PAD） is from 52.4% to 66.8%, which shows a weak aggregate stability. Ari-Sandic Primosols has the highest PAD. The distribution and characteristics of soil aggregates are in favor of controlling soil wind erosion. However, the stability of aggregate of all soils is weak and soils are prone to disperse and harden after irrigation. The mass of macro-aggregates and DMWD are positively significantly correlated with the contents of soil clay and silt, soil organic carbon （SOC）, CaCO3, and oxides of Fe^3＋ and Al^3＋. Soil fine silt and clay, SOC and CaCO3 are important agents of aggregation in this region, and the effect of SOC and CaCO3 on aggregate stability is more significant than that of soil silt and clay. Converting cropland to alfalfa forage land can increase SOC concentration, and in turn, enhance the formation of aggregates and stability. For the marginal farmlands in this fragile ecological area, converting cropland to alfalfa grassland or performing crop-grass rotation is an effective and basic strategy to improve soil structure and quality, to mitigate soil wind erosion, and to enhance oasis agricultural sustainability.

Changes in Soil Properties Under the Influences of Cropping and Drip Irrigation During the Reclamation of Severe Salt-Affected Soils

Reclamation of salt-affected land plays an important role in mitigating the pressure of agricultural land due to competition with industry and construction in China. Drip irrigation was found to be an effective method to reclaim salt-affected land. In order to improve the effect of reclamation and sustainability of salt-affected land production, a field experiment （with reclaimed 1-3 yr fields） was carried out to investigate changes in soil physical, chemical, and biological properties during the process of reclamation with cropping maize and drip irrigation. Results showed that soil bulk density in 0-20 cm soil layer decreased from 1.71 g·cm-3 in unreclaimed land to 1.44 g ·cm^-3 in reclaimed 3 yr fields, and saturated soil water content of 0-10 cm layer increased correspondingly from 20.3 to 30.2%. Both soil salinity and pH value in 0-40 cm soil layer dropped markedly after reclaiming 3 yr. Soil organic matter content reduced, while total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total potassium all tended to increase after cropping and drip irrigation. The quantities of bacteria, actinomycete, and fungi in 0-40 cm soil layer all greatly increased with increase of reclaimed years, and they tended to distribute homogeneously in 0-40 cm soil profile. The urease activity and alkaline phosphatase activity in 0-40 cm soil layers were also enhanced, but the sucrase activity was not greatly changed. These results indicated that after crop cultivation and drip irrigation, soil physical environment and nutrients status were both improved. This was benefit for microorganism＇s activity and plant＇s growth.

Changes in Soil Properties of Paddy Fields Across a Cultivation Chronosequence in Subtropical China

Rice production plays a crucial role in the food supply of China and a better understanding of the changes in paddy soil fertility and the management effects is of practical importance for increasing rice productivity. In this study, field sampling in a typical red soil region of subtropical China, Jiangxi Province, was used to observe changes in the soil physical, chemical, and biological properties in a cultivation chronosequence of paddy fields. After cultivation, clay (< 0.002 mm) content in the soil…

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN FRACTIONATIONS OF Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn AND Ni AND SOIL PROPERTIES IN URBAN SOILS OF CHANGCHUN, CHINA

An extensive soil investigation was conducted in different domains of Changchun to disclose the fractionations of Pb, Cu, Cd, Zn and Ni in urban soils. Meanwhile correlation analysis and multiple stepwise regressions were used to define relationships between soil properties and metal fractions and the chief factors influencing the fractionation of heavy metals in the soils. The results showed that Pb, Ni and Cu were mainly associated with the residual and organic forms; most of Cd was concentrated in the residual and exchangeable fractions. Zn in residual and carbonate fraction was the highest. The activities of the heavy metals probably declined in the following order: Cd, Zn, Pb, Cu and Ni. The chemical fractions of heavy metals in different domains in Changchun City were of significantly spatial heterogeneity. Soil properties had different influences on the chemical fractions of heavy metals to some extent and the main factors influencing Cd, Zn, Pb, Cu and Ni fractionation and transformation were apparently different.

The impact of land use on soil properties in a karst agricultural region of Southwest China: a case study of Xiaojiang watershed, Yunnan

Supported by RS and GIS, the land use change from 1982 to 2003 were analyzed and the impacts of land use changes on pH value, organic matter, total N, total P, total K, available N, available P, and available K in soil of Xiaojiang watershed, a typical karst agricultural region of Yunnan Province, Southwest China were assessed. The following aspects are concluded. （1） The total land use converted during the past 20 years in Xiaojiang watershed covers an area of 610.12 km^2, of which 134.29 km^2 of forestland was converted into cultivated land, and 210 km^2 of.unused land was converted into cultivated land. （2） The rapid growth of population and the economic development were the main driving forces of land use change. （3） With the change in land use, the soil properties have been changed significantly. The pH, organic matter, total N, total P, total K, available N, available P and available K in soil in 1982 were 6.3, 38.02 g·kg^-1, 1.86 g·kg^-1, 1.63 g·kg^-1, 10.94 g·kg^-1, 114.42 g·kg^-1, 11.65 mg·kg^-1 and 64.69 mg·kg^-1g, respectively; and those in 2003 were 6.73, 25.26 g·kg^-1, 1.41 g·kg^-1, 0.99 g·kg^-1, 12.6 g·kg^-1, 113.43 mg·kg^-1, 11.11 mg·kg^-1 and 151.59 mg·kg^-1, respectively. Pared samples t-test of the tested indices of soil properties indicate that those indices have changed significantly during the last 20 years. But the soil properties changed differently, due to the differences in land use change. （4） Also, with the change in land use and management measures of soil, the modifications in soil properties which developed from carbonate rocks were more sensitive than those in the soil developed from sandstone.

Spatial Variability of Soil Properties and Rice Yield Along Two Catenas in Southeast China

In the light of an increasing demand for staple food, especially rice, in southeast China, investigations on the specific site potential expressed as the relationship between soil and crop yield parameters gain increasing importance. Soil texture and several soil chemical parameters as well as plant properties such as crop height, biomass and grain yield were investigated along two terraced catenas with contrasting soil textures cropped with wet rice. We were aiming at identifying correlative relationships between soil and crop properties. Data were analyzed both statistically and geostatistically on the basis of semivariograms. Statistical analysis indicated a significant influence of the relief position on the spatial distribution of soil texture, total carbon and total nitrogen contents. Significant correlations were found for the catena located in a sandstone area (Catena A) between rice yield and silt as well as total nitrogen content. Corresponding relationships were not detectable for paddy fields that developed from Quaternary clays (Catena B). As suggested by the nugget to sill ratio, spatial variability of soil texture, total carbon and nitrogen was mainly controlled by intrinsic factors, which might be attributed to the erosional transport of fine soil constituents, indicating the importance of the relief position and slope in soil development even in landscapes that are terraced. The crop parameters exhibited short ranges of influence and about one third of their variability was unexplained. Comparable ranges of selected crop and soil parameters, found only for Catena A, are indicative of close spatial interactions between rice yield and soil features. Our findings show that especially in sandstone-dominated areas, a site-specific management can contribute to an environmentally safe rice production increase.

Soil properties and herbaceous characteristics in an age sequence of Haloxylon ammodendron plantations in an oasis-desert ecotone of northwestern China

Haloxylon ammodendron, a typical desert shrub with C4 pathway of photosynthesis, possessing a strong ability to adapt to an extreme drought environment, has a rapid growth rate in sandy lands and is widely used in sand-fixing shelter-forest systems in oasis-desert ecotones. To assess the effects of H. ammodendron plantation on the soil, we measured soil properties and herbaceous characteristics along a nearly 40-year chronosequence after H. ammodendron was planted in shifting sand dunes in an oasis-desert ecotone. Results showed that silt and clay fractions increased significantly in the topsoil. The accumulation rates of soil organic carbon （SOC）, total nitrogen （TN） and total phosphorus （TP） were faster in the early stages （0-9 years） and slower in the late stages （9-39 years）. The soil pH and electrical conductivity （EC） were higher than those in the non-vegetation dunes. Moreover, the soil properties in the topsoil （0-5 cm） showed larger variation scope than those in the deeper soil layers （5-20 cm）. The significant relationships of the soil silt＋clay content with the chemical properties mainly appeared in the topsoil. The wind erosion susceptibility of the soil, evaluated by erodible fraction （EF）, decreased significantly with increasing H. ammodendron plantation age. Additionally, the annual pioneer herb, Agriophyllum squarrosum, was gradually substituted by the annual salt-tolerant herb, Bassia dasyphylla, with increasing plantation age. These results showed beneficial effects of H. ammodendron plantation on improving soil conditions. However, the dynamics of the herbaceous species also reminded us that the long- term effects of H. ammodendron plantation, especially on changes in vegetation composition, still need further evaluation.

The Response of Vegetation Biomass to Soil Properties along Degradation Gradients of Alpine Meadow at Zoige Plateau

Alpine grassland of the Tibetan Plateau has undergone severe degradation, even desertification. However, several questions remain to be answered, especially the response mechanisms of vegetation biomass to soil properties. In this study, an experiment on degradation gradients was conducted in an alpine meadow at the Zoige Plateau in 2017. Both vegetation characteristics and soil properties were observed during the peak season of plant growth. The classification and regression tree model(CART) and structural equation modelling(SEM) were applied to screen the main factors that govern the vegetation dynamics and explore the interaction of these screened factors. Both aboveground biomass(AGB) and belowground biomass(BGB) experienced a remarkable decrease along the degradation gradients. All soil properties experienced significant variations along the degradation gradients at the 0.05 significance level. Soil physical and chemical properties explained 54.78% of the variation in vegetation biomass along the degradation gradients. AGB was mainly influenced by soil water content(SWC), soil bulk density(SBD), soil organic carbon(SOC), soil total nitrogen(STN), and pH. Soil available nitrogen(SAN), SOC and p H, had significant influence on BGB. Most soil properties had positive effects on AGB and BGB, while SBD and p H had a slightly negative effect on AGB and BGB. The correlations of SWC with AGB and BGB were relatively less significant than those of other soil properties. Our results highlighted that the soil properties played important roles in regulating vegetation dynamics along the degradation gradients and that SWC is not the main factor limiting plant growth in the humid Zoige region. Our results can provide guidance for the restoration and improvement of degraded alpine grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau.