The soil seed bank is an important source of restoration and resilience of disturbed ecosystems. This study evaluates the regeneration potential through the soil seed bank of the shrub savannas of Nguela and Mbe in or...The soil seed bank is an important source of restoration and resilience of disturbed ecosystems. This study evaluates the regeneration potential through the soil seed bank of the shrub savannas of Nguela and Mbe in order to predict the eventual dynamics. Three plots of 0.25 ha subdivided into four sub-plots of 0.015 ha have been installed in each savannah. In total, 48 samples of each savannah, i.e. 96 samples of both savannas, have been taken from the soil layers, 0 - 5 cm, 5 - 10 cm, 10 - 15 cm and 15 - 20 cm. Species diversity and abundance of the soil seed bank have been assessed after germination. The results reveal 167 seedlings belonging to 23 species in the Mbe savannah and 144 seedlings belonging to 14 species in the Nguela savannah. The total densities of the germinated seeds were respectively 463.63 seeds/m<sup>2</sup> and 400 seeds/m<sup>2</sup>. Nevertheless, the 20 cm deep layers have illustrated themselves compared to the superficial layers with densities of 16.29 seeds/m<sup>2</sup> and 21.66 seeds/m<sup>2</sup>, respectively, in the savannas of Mbe and Nguela. Herbaceous species largely dominated, with percentages of 91% and 100%, respectively, in the savannas of Mbe and Nguela. Alone, the Trema orientalis (L.) Blume species has been identified as woody species in the Mbe savannah. The greatest specific richness has been obtained in the first five centimeters of soil, with 21.73% and 28.57% of exclusive species, respectively, in the savannas of Mbe and Nguela. The results reveal that restoration through the soil seed bank would be limited to a single woody species found (T. orientalis). Consequently, the study suggests silvicultural interventions based on planting or enrichment techniques for sustainably managed savannas exposed to anthropogenic disturbances.展开更多
Water is the most critical factor for controlling die vegetation pattern in arid and semiarid regions.Using a dye-tracing experiment,we analyzed the infiltration pattern beneath shrub canopy and interspace grass patch...Water is the most critical factor for controlling die vegetation pattern in arid and semiarid regions.Using a dye-tracing experiment,we analyzed the infiltration pattern beneath shrub canopy and interspace grass patches in typical steppe ecosystems.The dye coverage,uniform infiltration depth,maximum infiltration depth,total stained area and heterogeneous infiltration stained area were measured by two indices,the maximum infiltration depth index(MIDI)and heterogeneous infiltration index(HII),which were calculated by processing dye-stained photos.The MIDI and HII of soil under shrubs were 1.41±0.14 and 0.29±0.068,respectively,and larger than those of grass soil,1.26±0.14 and0.20±0.076.Using the MIDI,HII,field soil moisture and rainfall data,the infiltration depth and heterogeneous infiltration amount for 26 nature rainfall events were calculated.The results imply that water can infiltrate to a deeper layer beneath shrub canopy than beneath grass patches and that more water infiltration occurs beneath shrub canopy than beneath grass patches.These results are of prime importance for arid and semiarid ecosystems with a limited water supply due to high evaporation and low precipitation.展开更多
The seasonal dynamics of soil respiration in steppe (S. bungeana), desert shrub (A. ordosica), and shrubperennial (A. ordosica +C. komarovii) communities were investigated during the growth season (May to Octo...The seasonal dynamics of soil respiration in steppe (S. bungeana), desert shrub (A. ordosica), and shrubperennial (A. ordosica +C. komarovii) communities were investigated during the growth season (May to October) in 2006; their environmental driving factors were also analyzed. In the three communities, soil respiration showed similar characteristics in their growth seasons, with peak respiration values in July and August owing to suitable temperature and soil moisture conditions during this period. Meanwhile, changes in soil respiration were greatly influenced by temperatures and surface soil moistures. Soil water content at a depth of 0 to 10 cm was identified as the key environmental factor affecting the variation in soil respiration in the steppe. In contrast, in desert shrub and shrub-perennial communities, the dynamics of soil respiration was significantly influenced by air temperature. Similarly, the various responses of soil respiration to environmental factors may be attributed to the different soil textures and distribution patterns of plant roots. In desert ecosystems, precipitation results in soil respiration pulses. Soil carbon dioxide (CO2) effluxes greatly increased after rainfall rewetting in all of the ecosystems under study. However, the precipitation pulse effect differed across the ecosystem. We propose that this may be a result of a reverse effect from the soil texture.展开更多
由深路堑土石方开挖而形成的高陡光滑岩质边坡往往具有很大安全隐患和环境影响,需要采用有效的绿化防护技术以增强其稳定性和发挥生态功能。结合某高速公路扩建工程施工,从土工材料与植物生态条的结合、植物品种的选择与组合、以及土基...由深路堑土石方开挖而形成的高陡光滑岩质边坡往往具有很大安全隐患和环境影响,需要采用有效的绿化防护技术以增强其稳定性和发挥生态功能。结合某高速公路扩建工程施工,从土工材料与植物生态条的结合、植物品种的选择与组合、以及土基加固等方面,探讨了适用于陡峭且光滑岩质边坡的绿化防护关键技术,包括TBS(turf base seeding)植草(灌)防护和喷播养护策略,增加客土厚度和采用双层TBS镀锌网片加固等。实践表明,上述措施能显著提升植被的绿化成活率和边坡的稳定性。研究结果可为类似地质环境下的绿化防护工程的设计与施工提供有价值的参考。展开更多
Fire is a natural disturbance occurring every few years in many grasslands ecosystems. However, since European colonization, fire has been highly reduced or even suppressed in Argentinean grasslands, fostering ignitab...Fire is a natural disturbance occurring every few years in many grasslands ecosystems. However, since European colonization, fire has been highly reduced or even suppressed in Argentinean grasslands, fostering ignitable material accumulation. This has led to occasional catastrophic controldemanding fire events, extended for larger areas. The aims of this work are to study vegetation recovery and change after a non-natural fire event in mountain grasslands. The study area is located in the Ventania mountain system, mid-eastern Argentina. We studied vegetation recovery after fire(January 2014) in two different communities: grass-steppes(grasslands) and shrub-steppes(open low shrublands). We measured vegetation cover, species richness and bare ground percentage in burned and unburned areas 1, 4, 8, 11 and 23 months after fire. Vegetation surveys were also performed at the end of the growing season(December) 11 and 23 months after fire. Data were analyzed using regression analysis, ANOVA and multivariate analysis(NMS, PERMANOVA). Both communities increased their vegetation cover at the same rate, without differences between burned and unburned areas after two years. Species richness was higher in shrublands and their recovery was alsofaster than in grasslands. Considering functional composition, besides transient changes during the first year after fire, there were no differences in abundance of different functional vegetation groups two years after fire. At the same time, shrublands showed no differences in species composition, while grasslands had a different species composition in burned and unburned plots. Also, burned grassland showed a higher species richness than unburned grassland. Data shown mountain vegetation in Pampas grassland is adapted to fire, recovering cover and richness rapidly after fire and thus reducing soil erosion risks. Vegetation in mountain Pampas seems to be well adapted to fire, but in grasslands species composition has changed due to fire. Nonetheless, these changes seem to be not permanent since prefire species are still present in the area.展开更多
文摘The soil seed bank is an important source of restoration and resilience of disturbed ecosystems. This study evaluates the regeneration potential through the soil seed bank of the shrub savannas of Nguela and Mbe in order to predict the eventual dynamics. Three plots of 0.25 ha subdivided into four sub-plots of 0.015 ha have been installed in each savannah. In total, 48 samples of each savannah, i.e. 96 samples of both savannas, have been taken from the soil layers, 0 - 5 cm, 5 - 10 cm, 10 - 15 cm and 15 - 20 cm. Species diversity and abundance of the soil seed bank have been assessed after germination. The results reveal 167 seedlings belonging to 23 species in the Mbe savannah and 144 seedlings belonging to 14 species in the Nguela savannah. The total densities of the germinated seeds were respectively 463.63 seeds/m<sup>2</sup> and 400 seeds/m<sup>2</sup>. Nevertheless, the 20 cm deep layers have illustrated themselves compared to the superficial layers with densities of 16.29 seeds/m<sup>2</sup> and 21.66 seeds/m<sup>2</sup>, respectively, in the savannas of Mbe and Nguela. Herbaceous species largely dominated, with percentages of 91% and 100%, respectively, in the savannas of Mbe and Nguela. Alone, the Trema orientalis (L.) Blume species has been identified as woody species in the Mbe savannah. The greatest specific richness has been obtained in the first five centimeters of soil, with 21.73% and 28.57% of exclusive species, respectively, in the savannas of Mbe and Nguela. The results reveal that restoration through the soil seed bank would be limited to a single woody species found (T. orientalis). Consequently, the study suggests silvicultural interventions based on planting or enrichment techniques for sustainably managed savannas exposed to anthropogenic disturbances.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China (41025001, 41130640 )We would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable and constructive comments. The authors also wish to thank the Shuai Guan-yuan and Sun Xiu-min for assistance in the field work.
文摘Water is the most critical factor for controlling die vegetation pattern in arid and semiarid regions.Using a dye-tracing experiment,we analyzed the infiltration pattern beneath shrub canopy and interspace grass patches in typical steppe ecosystems.The dye coverage,uniform infiltration depth,maximum infiltration depth,total stained area and heterogeneous infiltration stained area were measured by two indices,the maximum infiltration depth index(MIDI)and heterogeneous infiltration index(HII),which were calculated by processing dye-stained photos.The MIDI and HII of soil under shrubs were 1.41±0.14 and 0.29±0.068,respectively,and larger than those of grass soil,1.26±0.14 and0.20±0.076.Using the MIDI,HII,field soil moisture and rainfall data,the infiltration depth and heterogeneous infiltration amount for 26 nature rainfall events were calculated.The results imply that water can infiltrate to a deeper layer beneath shrub canopy than beneath grass patches and that more water infiltration occurs beneath shrub canopy than beneath grass patches.These results are of prime importance for arid and semiarid ecosystems with a limited water supply due to high evaporation and low precipitation.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos. 40730105, 40501072, and 40673067)the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (Grant Nos.2007BAC03A11 and 2002CB412503)+1 种基金The Knowledge Innovation Program of the Institute of Geographical SciencesNatural Resources Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (The effect of human activities on re-gional environmental quality, health risk, and environmen-tal remediation)
文摘The seasonal dynamics of soil respiration in steppe (S. bungeana), desert shrub (A. ordosica), and shrubperennial (A. ordosica +C. komarovii) communities were investigated during the growth season (May to October) in 2006; their environmental driving factors were also analyzed. In the three communities, soil respiration showed similar characteristics in their growth seasons, with peak respiration values in July and August owing to suitable temperature and soil moisture conditions during this period. Meanwhile, changes in soil respiration were greatly influenced by temperatures and surface soil moistures. Soil water content at a depth of 0 to 10 cm was identified as the key environmental factor affecting the variation in soil respiration in the steppe. In contrast, in desert shrub and shrub-perennial communities, the dynamics of soil respiration was significantly influenced by air temperature. Similarly, the various responses of soil respiration to environmental factors may be attributed to the different soil textures and distribution patterns of plant roots. In desert ecosystems, precipitation results in soil respiration pulses. Soil carbon dioxide (CO2) effluxes greatly increased after rainfall rewetting in all of the ecosystems under study. However, the precipitation pulse effect differed across the ecosystem. We propose that this may be a result of a reverse effect from the soil texture.
文摘由深路堑土石方开挖而形成的高陡光滑岩质边坡往往具有很大安全隐患和环境影响,需要采用有效的绿化防护技术以增强其稳定性和发挥生态功能。结合某高速公路扩建工程施工,从土工材料与植物生态条的结合、植物品种的选择与组合、以及土基加固等方面,探讨了适用于陡峭且光滑岩质边坡的绿化防护关键技术,包括TBS(turf base seeding)植草(灌)防护和喷播养护策略,增加客土厚度和采用双层TBS镀锌网片加固等。实践表明,上述措施能显著提升植被的绿化成活率和边坡的稳定性。研究结果可为类似地质环境下的绿化防护工程的设计与施工提供有价值的参考。
基金supported by the ANPCyT under grant PICT 2014-0865CONICET and Universidad Nacional del Sur from Argentina
文摘Fire is a natural disturbance occurring every few years in many grasslands ecosystems. However, since European colonization, fire has been highly reduced or even suppressed in Argentinean grasslands, fostering ignitable material accumulation. This has led to occasional catastrophic controldemanding fire events, extended for larger areas. The aims of this work are to study vegetation recovery and change after a non-natural fire event in mountain grasslands. The study area is located in the Ventania mountain system, mid-eastern Argentina. We studied vegetation recovery after fire(January 2014) in two different communities: grass-steppes(grasslands) and shrub-steppes(open low shrublands). We measured vegetation cover, species richness and bare ground percentage in burned and unburned areas 1, 4, 8, 11 and 23 months after fire. Vegetation surveys were also performed at the end of the growing season(December) 11 and 23 months after fire. Data were analyzed using regression analysis, ANOVA and multivariate analysis(NMS, PERMANOVA). Both communities increased their vegetation cover at the same rate, without differences between burned and unburned areas after two years. Species richness was higher in shrublands and their recovery was alsofaster than in grasslands. Considering functional composition, besides transient changes during the first year after fire, there were no differences in abundance of different functional vegetation groups two years after fire. At the same time, shrublands showed no differences in species composition, while grasslands had a different species composition in burned and unburned plots. Also, burned grassland showed a higher species richness than unburned grassland. Data shown mountain vegetation in Pampas grassland is adapted to fire, recovering cover and richness rapidly after fire and thus reducing soil erosion risks. Vegetation in mountain Pampas seems to be well adapted to fire, but in grasslands species composition has changed due to fire. Nonetheless, these changes seem to be not permanent since prefire species are still present in the area.