Effects of vegetation restoration types on soil erosion reduction of a shallow karst fissure soil system in the degraded karst areas of Southwestern China

Abstract

Shallow karst fissures are the main hydrological paths, underground loss channels, and one of the most critical root habitats in fragile karst rocky desertification areas. Revegetation may alter the type of vegetation cover in fissures, resulting in changes to soil properties and erosion reduction. In this study, we evaluate the influence of revegetation on the soil erosion reduction of fissure‐soil–plant systems (FSPS) for three vegetation types (herbs, shrubs, and trees) in FSPS and use bare FSPS without vegetation as a control in a karst rocky desertification area. The results show that the soil physicochemical properties of FSFS degraded first and then improved after abandonment, resulting in the order of soil erosion reduction of FSPS with vegetation succession being: shrub < herb < bare < tree. Vegetation restoration can significantly improve the soil erosion resistance of the 10–20 cm soil layer in the fissure zone, making it stronger than that in the non‐fissure zone, thus reducing the risk of underground leakage on the slope. The results obtained in this study deepen our knowledge of the impact of vegetation restoration type on soil erosion reduction and has significant implications for guiding vegetation restoration and preventing underground leakage in karst areas.

Hydrological effects of vegetation restoration in karst areas research: Progress and challenges

“…Vegetation restoration can change the type of vegetation in the fissure, which can change the soil properties and reduce erosion. Yan et al (2023) showed that vegetation restoration can change the characteristics of fissure-soil-plant systems (FSPS), which can degrade and then improve the physical and chemical properties of soil and increase the capacity of soil conservation; at the same time, vegetation restoration can significantly improve the physical and chemical properties of soil in the fissure zone, and increase the capacity of soil conservation. Furthermore, vegetation restoration can significantly improve the erosion resistance of the 10–20 cm soil layer in the fissure zone, which is stronger than that in the non-fissure zone, thus reducing the risk of underground seepage on slopes.…”

“…The results of the study are still controversial, and there are two views as follows. The first view is that vegetation restoration can reduce runoff (Ding et al, 2018; Hu et al, 2015; Lian et al, 2020; Tokumoto et al, 2014; Yang et al, 2016, 2020; Zhou et al, 2020; ), and the second view is that vegetation restoration can increase runoff (Ding et al, 2018; Lian et al, 2020; Hou and Gao, 2019; Huang, 1993; Koirala et al, 2017; Yan et al, 2023; Yang et al, 2020; Zhou et al, 2020). The reason for this controversy, besides the characteristics of karst ecosystem itself, is also related to the fact that the current study did not fully consider the hydrological effects of the various stages of vegetation restoration and succession and their synergistic evolutionary mechanisms.…”

“…This part analyzes the effects of vegetation restoration on individual elements of the hydrological cycle and the overall hydrological cycle in the karst region. Specifically, current studies on the hydrological effects of karst vegetation restoration have focused on the response of soil moisture, evapotranspiration, runoff (surface-subsurface runoff), water use efficiency, flow production and catchment processes to them (Deng et al, 2020;Li et al, 2022c;Liu et al, 2022;Luo et al, 2023;Peng et al, 2022;Wang et al, 2004Wang et al, , 2023Xiao et al, 2023;Yan et al, 2023;Zhou et al, 2022). Studies have explored the role of vegetation restoration in regulating river flow in karst areas, put forward the significance of karst vegetation restoration on water conservation and storage, and revealed the differences in hydrological effects of vegetation restoration in karst areas (Cheng et al, 2013;Hoek van Dijke et al, 2022;Hou and Gao, 2019;Sterling et al,2013).…”

“…In addition, during the drought period (2009)(2010), soil moisture was more important than precipitation, runoff, and groundwater in forests, grasslands, and croplands with 48.67%, 57%, and 41%, respectively, indicating that soil moisture was the most important water resource for vegetation to cope with the drought. Yan et al (2023) showed that vegetation restoration could significantly increase the water resistance of the 10-20 cm soil layer in the fissured zone, making it more resistant to erosion than the non-fissured zone, thus maintaining soil moisture. On the other hand, the shallow soil layer in karst landscapes has a low water-holding capacity (Butscher and Huggenberger, 2009).…”

Lithology‐mediated soil erodibility characteristics after vegetation restoration in the karst region of Southwest China

“…BD was measured using the ring knife method (Zhong et al, 2022), and OMC was determined using the potassium dichromate method (Yan et al, 2023). CP was determined using the bottom water absorption method (Zhang et al, 2021).…”