Soil resource heterogeneity in the Mojave Desert

Titus, Jonathan H.; Nowak, Robert S.; Smith, Stanley D.

doi:10.1006/jare.2002.1010

Cited by 196 publications

(174 citation statements)

References 120 publications

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“…In agreement with some former research, the concentrations of nutrients in soils beneath the plants are significantly higher compared with the soils between shrubs (Titus et al 2002, Schade and Hobbie 2005, Zhang et al 2006, Zhang and Chen 2007, Antunes et al 2008Cao et al 2011). The root architecture, number and biomass of shrubs play a key role in affecting soil nutrients (Wezel et al 2000, Dong et al 2009).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

“…Cross and Schlesinger (1999) indicated that the vegetation may maintain a tight control over the cycling of biologically limiting nutrients, and abiotic factors appear to regulate the cycling of non-limiting elements, which are more or less equally distributed under canopies in comparison to the interspaces. The higher (Wezel et al 2000), lower (Titus et al 2002) and indistinctive (Wright and Honea 1986) values of pH under canopy relative to the interspaces were all reported for previous studies in arid areas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 53%

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The influence ofCaragana korshinskiishrub on soil and hydrological properties in a revegetation-stabilized desert ecosystem

Pan

Wang

et al. 2014

Hydrological Sciences Journal

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Shrub-induced spatial heterogeneity of soil and hydrological properties are common in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. To examine the influence of shrubs on spatial patterns of soil physical, chemical and hydrological properties, the typical sand-fixation species, Caragana korshinskii, was studied in the Shapotou area of the Tengger Desert, China. Miniature cylinder infiltrometers were used to quantify the spatial variations of infiltration rate in the soils, and were installed at 20-cm intervals around the shrubs. Meanwhile, soil samples were collected at 0-5 cm depth every 10 cm to analyse their physical and chemical properties and soil moisture content. The results indicate that the various measured parameters showed a gradational change from sub-canopy to open space. The establishment of shrubs formed obvious "fertile islands" where more soil nutrients collected. The total nitrogen (TN), soil organic matter (SOM), electrical conductivity (EC) and surface soil moisture content decreased gradually from around shrub stems to the interspace. The sand content around shrub stems was significantly higher (p < 0.05), and decreased gradually from the centre towards the outside microsites. The silt and clay contents showed opposite variability characteristics. The variation of soil bulk density was less within 140 cm distance from the stem, and no abrupt change was found at the shrub's drip line. No significant tendency was found for the soil pH values. The steady infiltration rates declined with increasing stem distance and then tended to be stable, and no abrupt change occurred at the position of the overhead canopy margin. The increase of infiltration rate was rapid nearer to the stem; the variability trend can be fitted by a loglog (power function) model. This study indicated the gradational change in soil and hydrological properties, which was not consistent with the binary division of shrubs into "canopy" and "interspace" zones.Key words shrubs; physical properties; chemical properties; hydrological properties; infiltration rate Influence de l'arbuste Caragana korshinskii sur les propriétés pédologiques et hydrologiques dans un écosystème désertique revégétalisé stabilisé Résumé L'hétérogénéité spatiale des propriétés pédologiques et hydrologiques induites par les arbustes est fréquente dans les écosystèmes arides et semi-arides. Afin d'examiner l'influence des arbustes sur la répartition spatiale des propriétés physiques, chimiques et hydrologiques des sols, Caragana korshinskii, une espèce caractéristique de fixation des sables, a été étudiée dans la zone de Shapotou du désert de Tengger, en Chine. Des infiltromètres cylindriques miniatures ont été utilisés pour quantifier les variations spatiales des taux d'infiltration dans les sols, et ont été installés à intervalles de 20 cm autour des arbustes. Parallèlement, des échantillons de sol ont été prélevés à 0-5 cm de profondeur tous les 10 cm pour analyser leurs propriétés physiques et chimiques et l'humidité du sol. Les résultats indiquent que les diffé...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 76%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 53%

The influence ofCaragana korshinskiishrub on soil and hydrological properties in a revegetation-stabilized desert ecosystem

Pan

Wang

et al. 2014

Hydrological Sciences Journal

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“…Soil respiration in the TE had a great variance with the CV of 57.8%, much larger than those of DE (29.5%) and FE (27.2%). Compared to DE and FE, the soil surface of TE may exhibit a more "patchy" structure feature [11] [43]. In this site, the predominant plantations of Tamarix spp.…”

Section: Spatial Variations Of Soil Respiration In Three Ecosystemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Understanding on spatial variation of soil respiration is crucial to estimate representative soil respiration within an ecosystem [9], including those in arid areas, where the distribution of ecological factors and organisms is markedly patchy [10] [11]. As pointed out by [11], spatial variations of soil characteristics are largely controlled by the spatial organization of perennial plants in desert ecosystems, noted as "islands of fertility". In addition to the effects of the patchy distribution of vegetation, heterogeneity of soil properties, such as soil temperature, soil moisture, soil salinity/alkalinity and soil microbial organic carbon, may further complicate the spatial variation of soil respiration [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Spatial Variations of Soil Respiration in Arid Ecosystems

Liu¹,

Sonobe²,

Wang³

2016

OJE

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Soil respiration releases a major carbon flux back to atmosphere and thus plays an important role in global carbon cycling. Soil respiration is well known for its significant spatial variation in terrestrial ecosystems, especially in fragile ecosystems of arid land, where vegetation is distributed sparsely and the climate changes dramatically. In this study, soil respiration in three typical arid ecosystems: desert ecosystem (DE), desert-farmland transition ecosystem (TE) and farmland ecosystem (FE) in an arid area of northwestern China were studied for their spatial variations in 2012 and 2013. Along with soil respiration (SR), soil surface temperature (ST), soil moisture (SM) and soil electrical conductivity (ECb) were also recorded to investigate the spatial variations and the correlations among them. The results revealed that averaged soil respiration rate was much lower in DE than those in TE and FE. No single factor could adequately explain the variation of soil respiration, except a negative relationship between soil temperature and soil respiration in FE (P < 0.05). Geostatistical analysis showed that the spatial heterogeneity of soil respiration in DE was insignificant but notably in both TE and FE, especially in FE, which was mainly attributed to the different vegetation or soil moisture characteristics in the three ecosystems. The results obtained in this study will help to provide a better understanding on spatial variations of soil respiration and soil properties in arid ecosystems and also on macroscale carbon cycling evaluations.

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Nocturnal soil CO₂ uptake and its relationship to subsurface soil and ecosystem carbon fluxes in a Chihuahuan Desert shrubland

et al. 2013

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Despite their prevalence, little attention has been given to quantifying arid land soil and ecosystem carbon fluxes over prolonged, annually occurring dry periods. We measured soil [CO2] profiles and fluxes (Fs) along with volumetric soil moisture and temperature in bare interplant canopy soils and in soils under plant canopies over a three‐month hot and dry period in a Chihuahuan Desert shrubland. Nocturnal Fs was frequently negative (from the atmosphere into the soil), a form of inorganic carbon exchange infrequently observed in other deserts. Negative Fs depended on air‐soil temperature gradients and were more frequent and stronger in intercanopy soils. Daily integrated ecosystem‐level Fs was always positive despite lower daily Fs in intercanopy soils due to nocturnal uptake and more limited positive response to isolated rains. Subsurface [CO2] profiles associated with negative Fs indicated that sustained carbonate dissolution lowered shallow‐soil [CO2] below atmospheric levels. In the morning, positive surface Fs started earlier and increased faster than shallow‐soil Fs, which was bidirectional, with upward flux toward the surface and downward flux into deeper soils. These dynamics are consistent with carbonate precipitation in conjunction with convection‐assisted CO2 outgassing from warming air and soil temperatures and produced a pronounced diurnal Fs temperature hysteresis. We concluded that abiotic nocturnal soil CO2 uptake, through a small carbon sink, modulates dry season ecosystem‐level carbon dynamics. Moreover, these abiotic carbon dynamics may be affected by future higher atmospheric carbon dioxide levels and predictions of more prolonged and regular hot and dry periods.

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Soil resource heterogeneity in the Mojave Desert

Cited by 196 publications

References 120 publications

The influence ofCaragana korshinskiishrub on soil and hydrological properties in a revegetation-stabilized desert ecosystem

The influence ofCaragana korshinskiishrub on soil and hydrological properties in a revegetation-stabilized desert ecosystem

Spatial Variations of Soil Respiration in Arid Ecosystems

Nocturnal soil CO₂ uptake and its relationship to subsurface soil and ecosystem carbon fluxes in a Chihuahuan Desert shrubland

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Soil resource heterogeneity in the Mojave Desert

Cited by 196 publications

References 120 publications

The influence ofCaragana korshinskiishrub on soil and hydrological properties in a revegetation-stabilized desert ecosystem

The influence ofCaragana korshinskiishrub on soil and hydrological properties in a revegetation-stabilized desert ecosystem

Spatial Variations of Soil Respiration in Arid Ecosystems

Nocturnal soil CO2 uptake and its relationship to subsurface soil and ecosystem carbon fluxes in a Chihuahuan Desert shrubland

Contact Info

Product

Resources

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Nocturnal soil CO₂ uptake and its relationship to subsurface soil and ecosystem carbon fluxes in a Chihuahuan Desert shrubland