CARAGANAFABR. PROMOTES REVEGETATION AND SOIL REHABILITATION IN SALINE-ALKALI WASTELAND

Abstract

To determine how plantations of Caragana microphylla shrubs affect saline-alkali soil amelioration and revegetation, we investigated the vegetation and sampled soils from saline-alkali wasteland (SAW), perennial Caragana forestland (PCF), Caragana forest after fire disturbance (CFF). Results showed that with the development of Caragana Fabr., highly dominant species of Poaceae family, including Elymus dahuricus, Thermopsis lanceolata, Stipa tianschanica, died out in PCF. Moreover, Papilionaceaefamily, including Lespedeza indica, Oxytropis psammocharis, and Astragalus scaberrimus, was established both in PCF and CFF. Phytoremediation of saline-alkali wasteland (SAW) was achieved by plantation, resulting in the reduced soil pH, sodium adsorption ratio, exchangeable sodium percentage, salinity, and Na+ concentration around Caragana shrubs. Greater amounts of soil organic, total nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium were observed in PCF topsoil than in SAW topsoil The concentration of mineralized N in PCF soil was significantly lower than that in SAW soil at all sampled depths, indicating that Caragana shrubs were just using N and therefore less measured in soils. Fire disturbance resulted in decreased soil pH and salinity, but increased organic content, total nitrogen, and ammonium nitrogen. The improved soil parameters and self-recovery of shrubs indicated that Caragana shrubs were well established after burning event.

The complete chloroplast genome and phylogenetic analysis of Astragalus scaberrimus Bunge 1833

“…Among the many studies that have been conducted on the phytochemistry and pharmacology of Astragalus plants, only a few studies have been conducted on A. scaberrimus , including a number and karyotype analysis (Yang and Sheng 2002 ), new taxa identification (Jiang and Yin 1992 ) and a study on phytoremediation of saline-alkali wastelands (Zhang et al. 2013 ). So far, this plant is used mainly as a forage grass and is considered a soil-and-water-conservation plant.…”