Effects of vegetation restoration on soil nutrients, plant diversity, and its spatiotemporal heterogeneity in a desert–oasis ecotone

Abstract

Vegetation restoration has been proposed as an effective measure for rehabilitating degraded land and slowing desertification in arid regions. However, the spatial variation in soil quality and plant diversity following vegetation restoration remains unclear. This study was designed to explore soil nutrient dynamics and how soil nutrients affect plant diversity and spatial heterogeneity after shrub restoration. We assessed the effect of Haloxylon ammodendron (C.A.Mey.) Bunge (which has been planted over 30 years) on the soil nutrients and plant diversity in a desert–oasis ecotone in Minqin County, Gansu, China, using geostatistics, beta diversity and rarefaction analyses, and Hill number extrapolation. Soil nutrients, including soil organic matter, total nitrogen, and alkali nitrogen, increased significantly after H. ammodendron planting. Species richness gradually increased from 1–5 years to 10–20 years after H. ammodendron was planted but then decreased at 20–30 years. The largest differences in plant composition were observed at 15 and 20 years. Plant diversity increased in the whole 30 years after shrub planting, increasing in the first 25 years and then decreasing at 26–30 year stage. The maximum coefficient of determination for the spatial heterogeneity model fit was 0.84 (25 years). The spatial heterogeneity in vegetation decreased with increasing soil available K content at 1–10 years. Our results suggest that planting shrubs can improve soil conditions and plant species diversity in desert–oasis ecotones and soil nutrients have a strong influence on plant diversity patterns and spatial heterogeneity following vegetation restoration.

Inversion of soil moisture and its feedback on ecological restoration in arid and semi-arid areas of northwest China

“…In addition, different scholars evaluated the ecological restoration effect of CTSRB from the perspectives of groundwater level (Hao et al, 2017), vegetation coverage (Youhao et al, 2007), desertification (Sun et al, 2006), and vegetation diversity (Wu et al, 2021), and proved that CTSRB played a positive role in the restoration of the Minqin ecological environment. This study took a different approach and interpreted the ecological restoration effect of the CTSRB from the perspective of SM.…”

“…In our study, the SM of the 0.00-0.20 m soil layer showed a downward trend during pre-CTSRB, and the SM decline was greater in the 0.00-0.10 m layer than the 0.10-0.20 m layer. Studies have shown that the groundwater level (Hao et al, 2017) and vegetation (Wu et al, 2021) of the Minqin area during the CTSRB period was more recovered than the pre-CTSRB period. During CTSRB, compared with pre-CTSRB, SM of 0.00-0.10 m gradually decreased while the soil layer of 0.10-0.20 m gradually increased.…”

Effect of socioeconomic and institutional factors and sustainable land management practices on soil fertility in smallholder farms in the Mahottari District, Nepal

“…J. Wang et al, 2009), topography (X. S. Gao et al, 2019;Gou et al, 2015;H. J. Wang et al, 2009;Yang et al, 2013), vegetation or biotic condition (Erickson et al, 2005;Li et al, 2007;Wu et al, 2020), socioeconomic factors (Karna & Bauer, 2020;Sklenicka et al, 2020), and human behaviour (land-use type and land management activities) (Gou et al, 2015;H. J. Wang et al, 2009;Yang et al, 2013).…”

“…Soil fertility is influenced by the natural environment (X. S. Gao et al, 2019;Wu et al, 2020) and socioeconomic and institutional factors, such as extension visits, government support, and cooperative membership (Boardman et al, 2003;Karna & Bauer, 2020;Sklenicka et al, 2020). However, the socioeconomic and institutional factors are not well understood in the literature.…”

Effect of root‐glomalin on soil carbon storage in trees' rhizosphere and interspace of a tropical dry forest

“…International commitment also promotes afforestation through the Bonn Challenge, as 47 countries pledged to having 350 million hectares of degraded and deforested lands (hereafter degraded lands) under revegetation or reforestation by 2030 (Verdone & Seidl, 2017). Previous studies demonstrated that land transformation from degraded land to tree plantations has significantly improved aboveground vegetation cover, carbon sequestration, and soil properties (Wu et al, 2021). In this context, forest management practices play a decisive role in the successful establishment of trees on degraded land (Burnett et al, 2019; Filyushkina et al, 2018).…”