Effect of pruning intensity on soil moisture and water use efficiency in jujube(Ziziphus jujube Mill.) plantations in the hilly Loess Plateau Region, China

Jujube(Ziziphus jujube Mill.)is a traditional economic forest crop and is widely cultivated in hilly areas of the Loess Plateau,China.However,soil desiccation was discovered in jujube plantations.Pruning is recognized as a water-saving method that can reduces soil water consumption.In this study,we monitored the jujube plots with control(CK),light(C1),medium(C2)and high(C3)pruning intensities during the jujube growing period of 2012-2015 to explore the effect of pruning intensity on soil moisture and water use efficiency(WUE)of jujube plantations in the hilly Loess Plateau Region.The results showed that pruning is an effective method for soil water conservation in jujube plantations.Soil moisture increased with increasing pruning intensity during the jujube growing period of 2012-2015.C1,C2 and C3 pruning intensities increased soil water storage by 6.1-18.3,14.4-40.0 and 24.3-63.3 mm,respectively,compared to CK pruning intensity.Pruning promoted soil moisture infiltration to deeper soil layer.Soil moisture infiltrated to soil depths of 240,280 and>300 cm under C3 pruning intensity,220,260 and 260 cm under C2 pruning intensity,200,240 and 220 cm under C1 pruning intensity,and 180,200 and 160 cm under CK pruning intensity in 2013,2014 and 2015,respectively.Soil water deficit was alleviated by higher pruning intensity.In 2013-2015,soil water change was positive under C2(6.4 mm)and C3(26.8 mm)pruning intensities but negative under C1(-20.5 mm)and CK(-40.6 mm)pruning intensities.Moreover,pruning significantly improved fresh fruit yield and WUE of jujube plants.Fresh fruit yields were highest under C1 pruning intensity with the values of 6897.1-13,059.3 kg/hm^2,which were 2758.4-4712.8,385.7-1432.1 and 802.8-2331.5 kg/hm2 higher than those under CK,C2,and C3 pruning intensities during the jujube growing period of 2012-2015,respectively.However,C3 pruning intensity had the highest WUE values of 2.92-3.13 kg/m3,which were 1.6-2.0,1.1-1.2 and 1.0-1.1 times greater than those under CK,C1 and C2 pruning intensities,respectively.Therefore,C3 pruning intensity is recommended to jujube plantations for its economic and ecological benefits.These results provide an alternative strategy to mitigate soil desiccation in jujube plantations in the hilly Loess Plateau Region,which is critical for sustainable cultivation of economic forest trees in this region.

Variability of Soil Moisture and Its Relationship with Surface Albedo and Soil Thermal Parameters over the Loess Plateau

Data from July 2006 to June 2008 observed at SACOL （Semi-Arid Climate and Environment Observatory of Lanzhou University, 35.946°N, 104.137°E, elev. 1961 m）, a semi-arid site in Northwest China, are used to study seasonal variability of soil moisture, along with surface albedo and other soil thermal parameters, such as heat capacity, thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity, and their relationships to soil moisture content. The results indicate that surface albedo decreases with increases in soil moisture content, showing a typical exponential relation between the surface albedo and the soil moisture. The heat capacity, the soil thermal diffusivity, and soil thermal conductivity show large variations between Julian day 90-212 and 450-578. The soil thermal conductivity is found to increase as a power function of soil moisture. Soil heat capacity and soil thermal diffusivity increase with increases in soil moisture. The SACOL observed soil moisture are also used to validate the AMSR-E/AQUA retrieved soil moisture and there is good agreement between them. The analysis of the relationship between satellite retrieved soil moisture and precipitation suggests that the variability of soil moisture depends on the variation of precipitation over the Loess Plateau.

Evapotranspiration and Soil Moisture Balance for Vegetative Restoration in a Gully Catchment on the Loess Plateau, China

Evapotranspiration, soil moisture balance and the dynamics in a gully catchment of the Loess Plateau in China were determined with 6 land use treatments including natural grassland, shrubs (Caragana microphylla), two woodlands (Prunus armeniaca var. ansu and Pmus tabulaeformis), cultivated fallow, and farmland (Triticum aestivum L.) in order to obtain a better understanding of soil moisture balance principles and to improve vegetation restoration efficiency for ecological rebuilding on the plateau. Average runoff from cultivated fallow was very high, reaching 10.3% of the seasonal rainfall. Evapotranspiration under T. aestivum was not significantly different from natural grasslands. Compared with natural grass, evapotranspiration was significantly greater (P < 0.05) in 2002 and there was an increase in soil moisture depleted in the 1-3 m soil under P. armeniaca, P. tabulaeformis and C. microphylla. During the two years of the study the average soil moisture (0-100 cm soil profile) of T. aestivum was generally the highest, with P. armeniaca, P. tabulaeformis and C. microphylla usually the lowest. Thus, according to the soil moisture balance principle for this area the planned reforestation project was not ecologically reasonable. Reducing human disturbance and restoration with grass could be more effective.

Responses of soil moisture to vegetation restoration type and slope length on the loess hillslope

Soil moisture, a critical variable in the hydrologic cycle, is highly influenced by vegetation restoration type. However, the relationship between spatial variation of soil moisture, vegetation restoration type and slope length is controversial. Therefore, soil moisture across soil layers(0-400 cm depth) was measured before and after the rainy season in severe drought(2015) and normal hydrological year(2016) in three vegetation restoration areas(artificial forestland, natural forestland and grassland), on the hillslopes of the Caijiachuan Catchment in the Loess area, China. The results showed that artificial forestland had the lowest soil moisture and most severe water deficit in 100-200 cm soil layers. Water depletion was higher in artificial and natural forestlands than in natural grassland. Moreover, soil moisture in the shallow soil layers(0-100 cm) under the three vegetation restoration types did not significantly vary with slope length, but a significant increase with slope length was observed in deep soil layers(below 100 cm). In2015, a severe drought hydrological year, higher water depletion was observed at lower slope positions under three vegetation restoration types due to higher transpiration and evapotranspiration and unlikely recharge from upslope runoff. However, in 2016, a normal hydrological year, there was lower water depletion, even infiltration recharge at lower slope positions, indicating receiving a large amount of water from upslope. Vegetation restoration type, precipitation, slope length and soil depth during a rainy season, in descending order of influence, had significant effects on soil moisture. Generally, natural grassland is more beneficial for vegetation restoration than natural and artificial forestlands, and the results can provide useful information for understanding hydrological processes and improving vegetation restoration practices on the Loess

Revegetation with artificial plants improves topsoil hydrological properties but intensifies deep-soil drying in northern Loess Plateau,China

Knowledge about the effects of vegetation types on soil properties and on water dynamics in the soil profile is critical for revegetation strategies in water-scarce regions, especially the choice of vegetation type and human management measures. We focused on the analysis of the effects of vegetation type on soil hydrological properties and soil moisture variation in the 0–400 cm soil layer based on a long-term（2004―2016） experimental data in the northern Loess Plateau region, China. Soil bulk density（BD）, saturated soil hydraulic conductivity（Ks）, field capacity（FC） and soil organic carbon（SOC） in 2016, as well as the volumetric soil moisture content during 2004–2016, were measured in four vegetation types, i.e., shrubland（korshinsk peashrub）, artificial grassland（alfalfa）, fallow land and cropland（millet or potato）. Compared with cropland, revegetation with peashrub and alfalfa significantly decreased BD and increased Ks, FC, and SOC in the 0–40 cm soil layer, and fallow land significantly increased FC and SOC in the 0–10 cm soil layer. Soil water storage（SWS） significantly declined in shrubland and grassland in the 40–400 cm soil layer, causing severe soil drought in the deep soil layers. The study suggested that converting cropland to grassland（alfalfa） and shrubland（peashrub） improved soil-hydrological properties, but worsened water conditions in the deep soil profile. However, natural restoration did not intensify deep-soil drying. The results imply that natural restoration could be better than revegetation with peashrub and alfalfa in terms of good soil hydrological processes in the semi-arid Loess Plateau region.

The effects of land use and its patterns on soil properties in a small catchment of the Loess Plateau

Due to relatively strong human activities in the hilly area of Loess Plateau, the natural vegetation has been destroyed, and landscape pattern based on agricultural land matrix was land use mosaic composing of shrub land, grassland, woodland and orchard. This pattern has an important effect on soil moisture and soil nutrients. The Danangou catchment, a typical small catchment, was selected to study the effects of land use and its patterns on soil moisture and nutrients in this paper. The results are as follows: The comparisons of soil moisture among seven land uses for wet year and dry year were performed: (1) the average of soil moisture content for whole catchment was 12.11% in wet year, while it was 9.37% in dry year; (2) soil moisture among seven land uses was significantly different in dry year, but not in wet year; (3) from wet year to dry year, the profile type of soil moisture changed from decreasing type to fluctuation-type and from fluctuant type to increasing type; (4) the increasing trend in soil moisture from the top to foot of hillslope occurred in simple land use along slope, while complicated distribution of soil moisture was observed in multiple land uses along slope. The relationships between soil nutrients and land uses and landscape positions were analysed: (1) five nutrient contents of soil organic matter (SOM), total N (TN), available N (AN), total P (TP) and available P (AP) in hilly area were lower than that in other areas. SOM content was less than 1%, TN content less than 0.07%, and TP content between 0.05% and 0.06%; (2) SOM and TN contents in woodland, shrub land and grassland were significantly higher than that in fallow land and cropland, and higher level in soil fertility was found in crop-fruit intercropping land among croplands; (3) soil nutrient distribution and responses to landscape positions were variable depending on slope and the location of land use types.

Seasonal Variations of the Surface Fluxes and Surface Parameters over the Loess Plateau in China

Turbulent fluxes were measured by an eddy covariance system at three levels over an intricate land surface on the southern part of the Loess Plateau, consisting of heterogeneous flat terrain and a large valley 500 maway from the observation site to the southeast. The surface roughness length, the seasonal variation of bulk transfer coefficient for sensible heat (CH), and the seasonal variation of surface moisture availability (β) were also analyzed based on the observation. The flux footprint was carefully considered in this study. A relatively dry period of the experimental area existed from June to the first week of July 2004 when the land surface offered turbulent energy to the atmospheric surface layer mainly by sensible heat flux with a maximum value of around 230 Wm-2. A wet duration lasted from the second week of July to the end of September 2004 with very frequent rainfall events in conditions when the winds were mainly from the southeast;latent heat flux was dominant during the wet season and reached a peak value of around 280 Wm-2. The surface parameters of CH and β were calculated when the mean winds coming from the flat terrain, i.e., from the northwest direction. The values of CH ranged between 0.004 and 0.006 during the observational year of June 2004 to June 2005. The surface moisture availability β changed with seasons as anticipated with high values during June and July 2004 and lowest values around0.03 inFebruary 2005. Its peak value of 0.91 occurred in July;the mean value of β during the wet season was 0.29. Furthermore, the relationship between the surface soil water content and β indicated that changes in soil water content contributed much to variations of surface moisture availability β.

Afforestation using micro-catchment water harvesting system with microphytic crust treatment on semi-arid Loess Plateau： A preliminary result

Water harvesting is one of main measures to solve water shortage resulting from less precipitation and erratically seasonal dis- tribution in arid and semi-arid areas. Different types of anti-infiltration treatments including mechanical and chemical to micro-catchment and their runoff efficiencies had been reported. This paper, through 5 years experiment from 1992 to 1996, is aimed at studying the im- pacts of microcatchment water-harvesting system (MCWHS) with microphytic crust treatment on afforestation on semi-arid Loess Plateau. The results showed that after 3 years of crust inoculation, crust had covered majority of MCWHS and the function of water harvesting had also been demonstrated partially, there were significant difference in soil moisture of shallow soil layer in three typical spring stages be- tween crust cover and control treatments (0.05 level), and about 0.9%-6.04% increase of monthly mean soil moisture within 1m soil layer in spring of late 3 years. The impact of severe spring drought can be alleviated effectively. In the meanwhile, as crust developed on the treated surface, there are significant differences (0.05 level) for tree height (H), diameter at breast height (DBH) and diameter at ground level (DGL) at the end of the study period (1996) with the increases by 22.38%, 17.34%, and 20.49% respectively compared with the con- trol treatment. Microphytic crust, as one of biological infiltration-proof materials, may become the optimized option for revegetation in Chinese Great West Development Strategy due to its self-propagation, non-pollution to water qualities, long use duration and relatively cost effective. Further work should be focused on the selection of endemic crust species and their batch-culture in arid environment.

Soil temperature and moisture sensitivities of soil CO_2 efflux before and after tillage in a wheat field of Loess Plateau,China

As a conventional farming practice, tillage has lasted for thousands of years in Loess Plateau, China. Although recent studies show that tillage is a prominent culprit to soil carbon loss in croplands, few studies have investigated the influences of tillage on the responses of soil CO2 efflux （SCE） to soil temperature and moisture. Using a multi-channel automated CO2 efflux chamber system, we measured SCE in situ continuously before and after the conventional tillage in a rain fed wheat field of Loess Plateau, China. The changes in soil temperature and moisture sensitivities of SCE, denoted by the Q10 value and linear regression slope respectively, were compared in the same range of soil temperature and moisture before and after the tillage. The results showed that, after the tillage, SCE increased by 1.2-2.2 times; the soil temperature sensitivity increased by 36.1%-37.5%; and the soil moisture sensitivity increased by 140%-166%. Thus, the tillage-induced increase in SCE might partially be attributed to the increases in temperature and moisture sensitivity of SCE.

Review on Soil Moisture of Plantation Land in the Loess Plateau

Water is a crucial factor influencing eco-environment conservation in the Loess Area in China. Soilmoisture is also an indispensable factor to plant growth because of limited water supply. In this paper,previous studies of soil moisture are summarized from methods and contents. Meanwhile, some problems inthe relevant researches are pointed out and discussed. Some solutions are brought forward.

Soil water depletion depth by planted vegetation on the Loess Plateau

Evapotranspiration of much planted vegetation exceeds precipitation, and this can deplete soil water and cause a deep dry layer in the soil profile, which is a serious obstacle to sustainable land use on the Loess Plateau, China. This study aimed to determine water depletion depth of planted grassland, shrub, and forest in a semiarid area on the Loess Plateau. Soil moisture of five vegetation types was measured to >20 m in depth. The vegetation types were crop, natural grasse, seven-year-old planted alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), 23-year-old planted caragana (Caragana microphylla Lam.) shrub, and 23-year-old planted pine (Pinus tabulaeformis L) forest land. Through comparing moisture of planted alfalfa grass, caragana shrub, and pine forest to crop and natural grassland, the depth and amount of soil water consumed by grassland, caragana brush and pine forest was determined. The depth of soil water depleted by alfalfa, caragana brush, and pine forest reached 15.5, 22.4 and 21.5 m, respectively.

A mathematical model of soil moisture spatial distribution on the hill slopes of the Loess Plateau

Based on important factors that affect soil moisture spatialdistribution, such as the slope gradients, land use, vegetation cover, and surface water diffusion characteristics together with field measurements of soil moisture data obtained from the surface soil under different land use struc-tures, a soil moisture spatial distribution model was established. The diffusion degree coefficient of surface water for different vegetations was estimated from soil moisture values obtained from field measurements. The model can be solved using the finite unit method. The soil moisture spatial distribution on the hill slopes in the Loess Plateau were simulated by the model. A comparison of the simulated values with measurement data shows that the model is a good fit.

渭北黄土高原核桃林地的土壤水分特征

水分是制约黄土高原地区生态环境恢复和经济发展的主要限制因子。研究黄土高原土壤水分变化规律,有着极其重要的科学和实际意义。采用随机设计,实地试验的方法,对渭北黄土高原核桃林下土壤水分状况及其变化规律进行了研究。结果表明:黄土高原核桃林地土壤蒸发量与月均温呈正相关关系。土壤含水量随时间的变化,主要受降水量和土壤蒸发与植被蒸腾耗水的影响。黄土高原核桃生长期的土壤水分季节变化,分为3个阶段:春末夏初土壤水分强烈消耗期(5—6月)、雨季土壤水分补充期(7—10月)和冬春土壤水分缓慢积累期(11月至翌年4月)。土壤含水量的季节性变化,与降水量的季节性变化密切相关。核桃林下的土壤贮水量,以8月份最大,6月份最小;耗水量在7月份最大,4月最小。4—7月处于水分亏损状态,而8—10月随降雨量增加,土壤水分便得到补充。水分调控不仅能不同程度地提高土壤贮水量,而且对水分亏损有一定缓解。各灌水处理下的土壤耗水量均有一定程度增大,而覆膜、覆草和修剪下的土壤耗水量,则有一定程度的降低。综合起来可以看出,覆膜、覆草、中等以上程度修剪、4月和6月分别灌水225kg和225kg等5种处理效果较佳,尤其是覆膜效果最好,不仅显著提高了土壤含水量和降低了土壤耗水量,促进了果实的生长发育,而且成本低廉,易于?

黄土塬区果园-农田交界带土壤水分分布及农田对果园的供水特征

[目的]为探明黄土高原南部塬区果园-农田镶嵌格局下土壤水分空间分布与协同利用特征。[方法]选取长武塬区10龄、21龄和25龄苹果园(AO10、AO21和AO25)及其邻近农田,通过测定2021年雨季后果园-农田交界带有关位点的土壤含水量,定量计算农田土壤储水对果园耗水的贡献。[结果]2021年降水量756 mm,为典型的丰水年份,农田和AO21、AO25果园降雨入渗深度在11月底分别达8.4,7.0,5.0 m。AO10果园-农田交界带以4 m深度为界,其下部土壤含水量较上部大,4-10 m土层平均含水量为25.5%;AO21果园0-7 m土层平均含水量为22.1%,7-10 m为15.0%;AO25果园0-5 m土层平均含水量为20.9%,5-10 m土层平均含水量为13.6%,AO21和AO25果园分别在7.0,5.0 m以下仍存在土壤干层。水平方向上,AO21、AO25果园利用邻近农田土壤水分的距离分别达到5,8 m,农果交界面上农田向果园的供水量,当以干层上界划分土壤剖面,其上为表观供水量,2个果园分别为0.08,0.25 m^(3)/m^(2);其下为实际供水量,分别为0.45,0.81 m^(3)/m^(2)。[结论]黄土塬区果园和农田镶嵌布局是一种较为合理的利用结构,在其规划管理中应考虑果树年限及其相邻农田宽度等因素,研究结果有助于推进区域土壤水资源的可持续利用及其空间优化。

大佛寺煤矿开采区土壤水分变化遥感反演研究

土壤水分是驱动矿区生态环境变化的关键要素。为研究黄土高原煤矿区开采沉陷对土壤水分变化的扰动影响,以彬长矿区大佛寺煤矿为例,采用主动微波和光学遥感影像反演开采沉陷区土壤水分的空间变化,用水云模型消除植被对主动微波影像的后向散射系数影响,通过实地采样数据构建支持向量机回归模型,获取矿区地表土壤水分的分布特征,分析黄土沟壑区地形因子和开采沉陷变形对矿区土壤水分变化的影响。结果表明:SVM构建的回归分析模型可以有效反演黄土高原煤矿开采区土壤水分的空间分布,地形特征对土壤水分的影响最大,沟壑区域土壤含水量更高;在未受开采影响的区域,土壤水分变化受地形坡度影响最大,坡向次之,高程影响最小;在40201工作面开采沉陷变形区域,土壤水分分布的变异系数显著增大,尤其在采动裂缝发育区更为明显。研究结果为揭示黄土高原煤矿开采区土壤水分变化的时空特征及机理提供了技术支持。

黄土高原表层土壤湿度与降水关系的分析

使用黄土高原气象台站的土壤湿度和降水观测资料以及GLDAS和CMFD再分析资料,分析黄土高原地区土壤湿度与降水量的时空分布及变化特征,通过回归分析、格兰杰因果检验和奇异值分解(Singular value decomposition,SVD),研究土壤湿度与降水之间的关系,分析初始土壤湿度影响随后降水的时间尺度与空间范围。结果显示:黄土高原的土壤湿度与随后1~2个月降水回归分析的解释方差相对较高,较大值在夏秋季节(7-10月),黄土高原不同区域(Ⅰ区、Ⅱ区和Ⅲ区)的土壤湿度与随后21天降水相关的时间较全区域的多,时间较集中,说明黄土高原土壤湿度分布不均匀,不同区域差别较大,较大的滞后降水时间尺度适用于较大空间范围的分析。格兰杰因果检验表明黄土高原全区域秋季(10月、11月)的初始土壤湿度对随后1个月或2个月的降水有显著影响,在Ⅲ区8月土壤湿度对10月的降水也有显著影响,这与回归分析的结果一致。再分析资料的SVD分解的结果显示,1979-2014年7月黄土高原中部、北部和东部土壤较湿润时,8月西部和北部边缘的降水偏多;9月东部的土壤偏湿润,则10月黄土高原西部以及南北部的一些地区降水偏多。土壤湿度与降水的显著相关区域重叠部分较少,说明黄土高原土壤湿度对降水的影响存在一定程度的时空不对称性。

豫西黄土高原果园生草对土壤线虫群落及结构的影响

土壤线虫是土壤生物中最丰富的后生动物,从线虫群落结构角度评价果园不同覆盖作物的土壤质量可为果园管理提供依据。2022年在黄土高原东部果园开展实验,供试品种为‘富士’苹果(Malus domestica cv. Fuji),处理包括:农田、单播毛苕子(Vicia sativa L.)、单播黑麦草(Lolium perenne L.)。与农田对照相比,覆盖毛苕子线虫总丰度及食细菌线虫相对丰度分别显著提高了302.33%和38.41%,植物寄生线虫与杂食和捕食线虫的相对丰度分别降低了62.18%和86.12%。覆盖黑麦草较对照处理导致杂食和捕食线虫的相对丰度降低了55.59%。土壤微生物碳含量、变形菌门相对丰度、土壤pH值、豆科生物量比例是影响线虫群落结构的主要因子。果园行间覆盖毛苕子可优化线虫群落结构,有利于果树根系的生长,建议豫西黄土高原果园生草选择豆科物种毛苕子为益。

Crop Yield Response to Water and Fertilizer in Loess Tableland of China：A Field Research

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植被作用下的土壤干化及其发生机制探讨

通过分析黄土高原不同类型植被下的土壤水分状况,探讨了植被作用下土壤干化的特征和机制,以正确认识其实质,并提供可调控的依据。结果表明,植被作用下的土壤干化具有相对稳定性,其数量指标可采用田间稳定湿度值衡量。在黄土高原气候及地质条件下,土壤干化是植被作用下易于发生的现象,但它并不是植被建造的必然结果。人为营造大片耗水性强的植被类型,高密度以及追求高生产量,是其发生的关键因素。通过了解人工林草物种特点的二重性、合理配置群落结构的必要性以及人工与天然起源的植被在植物竞争效应方面的差异,可对其实施有效管理。植被下土壤干化的普遍发生,不应当妨碍黄土高原进一步开展林草植被建设。

黄土高原半干旱区天然锦鸡儿灌丛对土壤水分的影响

本文选择黄土高原半干旱区定西地区的一种地带性植被,天然甘蒙锦鸡儿灌丛,将其0～9.9m深的土壤水分含量与人工柠条锦鸡儿灌丛、人工杏树林、天然草地、放牧荒坡和农地的土壤水分含量进行了比较.结果发现,天然锦鸡儿灌丛在1m以下土壤各层的水分含量均高于人工柠条灌丛和人工杏树林,而与放牧荒坡和农地的土壤湿度接近,略低于农地.天然锦鸡儿灌丛4m以上土层的土壤湿度还明显高于天然草地;天然锦鸡儿灌丛形成的难效无效水层深度在2m土层以上,而人工柠条灌丛形成的难效无效水层则深达5.6m,人工杏树林4.2m,天然草地、放牧荒坡分别为3.6m和3.3m,农地1m.