Effects of crust and shrub patches on runoff, sedimentation, and related nutrient (C, N) redistribution in the desertified steppe zone of the Tengger Desert, Northern China

Li, X.J.; Li, X.R.; Song, Weixin; Gao, Yongping; Zheng, Jiyong; Jia, Rong

doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2007.08.006

Cited by 102 publications

(81 citation statements)

References 38 publications

(82 reference statements)

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“…The sandier texture of materials surrounding the shrub provides one reason for the enhanced infiltration rates measured there. The lower interspace rates are in accordance with the observation of runoff from these surfaces at the study site during simulated rainfall experiments (Li et al 2008). Ninety four percent of rainfall intensity was less than 5 mm h -1 for the study area (Wang et al 2005), and the frequency of thunderstorm rainfall exceeding the infiltration rates was very low.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

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: 84%

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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“…More than 75% of the sediments, 63% of the soil carbon, 74% of the nitrogen and 60% of the dissolved nutrients in the runoff from the BSC patches were delivered to shrub patches. During smaller precipitation events (with a rainfall intensity of 2.8 mm h −1 ), in the BSC patches, 32.9% of the water became runoff, which delivered 37.1% of the total sediments, 30.3% of the total soil carbon, 48.3% of the total nitrogen and 30% of the dissolved nutrients to the shrub patches, compared to bigger precipitation events (with a rainfall intensity of 5.7 mm h −1 ) where 18.9% of the water became runoff, which delivered 31.1% of the total sediments, 9.84% of the total soil carbon, 19.0% of the total nitrogen and 10% of the dissolved nutrients to the shrub patches [112].…”

Section: Relationship Between Vegetation Pattern and Hydrological Promentioning

confidence: 97%

Review of the ecohydrological processes and feedback mechanisms controlling sand-binding vegetation systems in sandy desert regions of China

et al. 2013

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Soil water is the key abiotic limiting factor in desert areas and hydrological processes determine the vegetation composition, patterns and processes in desert regions. The hydrological processes can be altered by vegetation succession. In this paper, we review the major advances in ecohydrological research and their potential impact on plant-water relations in revegetated desert communities. The major advances in ecohydrological research over the past 50 years in desert areas were analyzed using a case study that investigated the long-term ecosystem effects of sand-binding vegetation in the Tengger Desert. Key challenges and opportunities for ecohydrology research in the future are also discussed in the context of the major scientific issues affecting sand binding vegetation.

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“…Exported OC is often trapped by vegetated patches located downstream of crusted areas, providing an important nutrient supply essential to maintain primary productivity and biological activity in systems that are strongly limited by water and soil nutrient availability (Kidron, 2014;Whitford, 2002). Li et al (2008) reported that over 75% of sediments, 63% of soil carbon, 74% of nitrogen and 45∼73% of dissolved nutrients from crust patches released by runoff were delivered to shrub patches. However, biocrusts may sometimes be directly connected to stream networks, and others the magnitude of the runoff event overwhelms the capacity of vegetated patches for trapping OC in runoff and sediments (Rodríguez-Caballero et al, 2014), leading to important loss of OC.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Erosion rates increase over 70-fold under very intense rainfall immediately following removal of developed biocrusts (Chamizo et al, 2012a), and C and N losses in sediments can be over 4 times higher from disturbed than intact plots (Barger et al, 2006). Moreover, Li et al (2008) showed how disturbance of biocrust patches led to uniform distribution of water over the whole slope and reduction in flow of vital resources from crust patches to shrub patches, which is crucial for the maintenance of plant productivity and vegetation cover.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamics of organic carbon losses by water erosion after biocrust removal

Cantón

Román

Chamizo

et al. 2014

Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics

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Abstract:In arid and semiarid ecosystems, plant interspaces are frequently covered by communities of cyanobacteria, algae, lichens and mosses, known as biocrusts. These crusts often act as runoff sources and are involved in soil stabilization and fertility, as they prevent erosion by water and wind, fix atmospheric C and N and contribute large amounts of C to soil. Their contribution to the C balance as photosynthetically active surfaces in arid and semiarid regions is receiving growing attention. However, very few studies have explicitly evaluated their contribution to organic carbon (OC) lost from runoff and erosion, which is necessary to ascertain the role of biocrusts in the ecosystem C balance. Furthermore, biocrusts are not resilient to physical disturbances, which generally cause the loss of the biocrust and thus, an increase in runoff and erosion, dust emissions, and sediment and nutrient losses. The aim of this study was to find out the influence of biocrusts and their removal on dissolved and sediment organic carbon losses. One-hour extreme rainfall simulations (50 mm h -1 ) were performed on small plots set up on physical soil crusts and three types of biocrusts, representing a development gradient, and also on plots where these crusts were removed from. Runoff and erosion rates, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and organic carbon bonded to sediments (S d OC) were measured during the simulated rain. Our results showed different S d OC and DOC for the different biocrusts and also that the presence of biocrusts substantially decreased total organic carbon (TOC) (average 1.80±1.86 g m -2 ) compared to physical soil crusts (7.83±3.27 g m -2 ). Within biocrusts, TOC losses decreased as biocrusts developed, and erosion rates were lower. Thus, erosion drove TOC losses while no significant direct relationships were found between TOC losses and runoff. In both physical crusts and biocrusts, DOC and S d OC concentrations were higher during the first minutes after runoff began and decreased over time as nutrient-enriched fine particles were washed away by runoff water. Crust removal caused a strong increase in water erosion and TOC losses. The strongest impacts on TOC losses after crust removal occurred on the lichen plots, due to the increased erosion when they were removed. DOC concentration was higher in biocrust-removed soils than in intact biocrusts, probably because OC is more strongly retained by BSC structures, but easily blown away in soils devoid of them. However, S d OC concentration was higher in intact than removed biocrusts associated with greater OC content in the top crust than in the soil once the crust is scraped off. Consequently, the loss of biocrusts leads to OC impoverishment of nutrient-limited interplant spaces in arid and semiarid areas and the reduction of soil OC heterogeneity, essential for vegetation productivity and functioning of this type of ecosystems.

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Effects of crust and shrub patches on runoff, sedimentation, and related nutrient (C, N) redistribution in the desertified steppe zone of the Tengger Desert, Northern China

Cited by 102 publications

References 38 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

Review of the ecohydrological processes and feedback mechanisms controlling sand-binding vegetation systems in sandy desert regions of China

Dynamics of organic carbon losses by water erosion after biocrust removal

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