Assessment of the Ecosystem Service Function of Sandy Lands at Different Times Following Aerial Seeding of an Endemic Species

Abstract

Desertification is a global and pressing environmental problem in the course of environmental changes, and considerable efforts have been made to restore these degraded ecosystems. Aerial seeding has been widely used to accelerate ecological restoration around the world. However, few efforts have been made to assess the ecosystem service function after aerial seeding has occurred. In this study, we analyzed variations in the ecosystem service function after varying periods of elapsed time after aerial seeding of Hedysarum laeve Maxim. (14a, 30a and 38a) in the Mu Us Sandy Land, China. We also assessed the carbon sequestration ability, biodiversity, soil properties, windbreak and sand-fixation ability on a typical windward slope. We found that the overall assessment value of ecosystem services had generally increased with the elapsed time after aerial seeding. Additionally, the assessment values increased as the slope position moved downwards. Moreover, we observed a gradual replacement of H. laeve by Artemisia ordosica Krasch and grass species with the increase in elapsed years after aerial seeding, indicating a positive succession towards locally native vegetation. Compared with the local natural vegetation, our results suggest that the practice of aerial seeding stimulated vegetation restoration without the need for follow-up field interventions, and the practice of aerial seeding might fit more ecosystems with similar vegetation degradation problems.

Ecosystem restoration through aerial seeding: Interacting plant–soil microbiome effects on soil multifunctionality

“…To restore the ecological environment, a number of major ecological restoration policies have been implemented since 1978 in northern China (Zhang et al, 2020), including the Three‐North Shelter Forest Program (TNSFP), Combating of Desertification Program (CDP), Natural Forest Protection Project (NFPP), and Grain for Green Program (GGP) (Jia et al, 2014; Li et al, 2012; Wu et al, 2013), and different ecological restoration policies have specific implementation measures. For mobile dunes – a degraded ecosystem in the Mu Us Desert – that can be slow or unable to recover naturally without manual intervention (Zhang et al, 2018), a regularly used plantation technique to promote artificial recovery is aerial seeding. This technique involves sowing seeds by broadcasting onto the ground through aerial devices, including drones, planes, or helicopters.…”

White Oak (Quercus Fabri Hance) Regenerated Stump Sprouts Show Few Symptom of Senescence During 40 Years’growth in the Natural Forest

“…The results in this study indicate 40 years sprouts are very healthy, they unlikely to senesce in several years. 3experimental forest in present study locate in a relatively comfortable environment, this forest face less abiotic and biotic stress than forests such as windbreak forest and commercial plantations, stress resistance in regenerated sprouts lack estimating; climate, interspeci c competition, and nutrient limitation may accelerate the aging of sprouts, especially clonal trees have the same genetype (Sloan and Sayer 2015;Zhang et al 2018).…”

White oak (Quercus fabri Hance) regenerated stump sprouts show few senescence symptoms during 40 years’ growth in a natural forest

“…The experimental forest in the present study is located in a relatively comfortable environment and faces less abiotic and biotic stresses than other forests, such as windbreak forests and commercial plantations. The effects of stress resistance on regenerated sprouts have not been estimated; therefore, climate, interspeci c competition and nutrient limitations may accelerate the aging of sprouts, especially clonal trees of the same genotype (Sloan and Sayer 2015;Zhang et al 2018).…”