The effects of pipeline construction disturbance on soil properties and restoration cycle

Shi, Peng; Xiao, Jun; Wang, Ya-Feng; Chen, Liding

doi:10.1007/s10661-013-3496-5

Cited by 22 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…This suggests that the pipeline construction had a limited effect on soil, as indicated in previous studies (Kowaljow and Rostagno 2008;Shi et al 2014). The main reason for the difference in soil quality with respect to the three pipelines is the difference in restoration duration.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 57%

“…However, the soil quality of WEGP I was a little lower than that of WCOP, despite its longer restoration period. This slow recovery around WEGP I was probably related to project factors, such as more stones from a deeper soil layer left on the topsoil in the WA of WEGP I (Shi et al 2014). Under these conditions, it was hard for herbage and shrubs to recover (the VI in WEGP I was lower than that in WCOP), which ultimately retarded the recovery of the soil.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…SQI was used to describe the physical and chemical properties of soil and provide a comprehensive, quantitative assessment of soil quality Shi et al 2014), including pH, SOM, TN, TP, and K. VI was used to indicate the distribution and growth condition of vegetation, including vegetation coverage, E, D, and SC. These important indices are used to describe various aspects of the whole plant community (Magurran 1988).…”

Section: Sqi and VImentioning

confidence: 99%

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Potential effects of large linear pipeline construction on soil and vegetation in ecologically fragile regions

Xiao

Wang

Shi

et al. 2014

Environ Monit Assess

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Long-distance pipeline construction results in marked human disturbance of the regional ecosystem and brings into question the safety of pipeline construction with respect to the environment. Thus, the direct environmental impact and proper handling of such large projects have received much attention. The potential environmental effects, however, have not been fully addressed, particularly for large linear pipeline projects, and the threshold of such effects is unclear. In this study, two typical eco-fragile areas in western China, where large linear construction projects have been conducted, were chosen as the case study areas. Soil quality indices (SQI) and vegetation indices (VI), representing the most important potential effects, were used to analyze the scope of the effect of large pipeline construction on the surrounding environment. These two indices in different buffer zones along the pipeline were compared against the background values. The analysis resulted in three main findings. First, pipeline construction continues to influence the nearby eco-environment even after a 4-year recovery period. During this period, the effect on vegetation due to pipeline construction reaches 300 m beyond the working area, and is much larger in distance than the effect on soil, which is mainly confined to within 30 m either side of the pipeline, indicating that vegetation is more sensitive than soil to this type of human disturbance. However, the effect may not reach beyond 500 m from the pipeline. Second, the scope of the effect in terms of distance on vegetation may also be determined by the frequency of disturbance and the intensity of the pipeline construction. The greater the number of pipelines in an area, the higher the construction intensity and the more frequent the disturbance. Frequent disturbance may expand the effect on vegetation on both sides of the pipeline, but not on soil quality. Third, the construction may eliminate the stable, resident plant community. During the recovery period, the plant community in the work area of the pipeline is replaced by some species that are rare or uncommon in the resident plant community because of human disturbance, thereby increasing the plant diversity in the work area. In terms of plant succession, the duration of the recovery period has a direct effect on the composition and structure of the plant community. The findings provide a theoretical basis and scientific foundation for improving the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of oil and gas pipeline construction as it pertains to the desert steppe ecosystem, and provide a reference point for recovery and management of the eco-environment during the pipeline construction period.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 57%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Sqi and VImentioning

confidence: 99%

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Potential effects of large linear pipeline construction on soil and vegetation in ecologically fragile regions

Xiao

Wang

Shi

et al. 2014

Environ Monit Assess

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“…Even the IIVs of Cluster 1 were slightly lower in the working area than the first 50 m outside in S1. Vegetation patterns also were affected between the pipelines, but the disturbance was less than that in the pipeline area 30 . The main area of the plant communities affected by pipeline construction was from the pipeline area to the 100-m belt transect, whereas vegetation patterns recovered or maintained their original condition beyond the 100-m belt transect.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

A framework for quantifying the extent of impact to plants from linear construction

Xiao

Shi

Wang

et al. 2017

Sci Rep

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We present a novel framework that accurately evaluates the extent of a linear project’s effect from the variability of the structure of the plant community while avoiding interference caused by pioneer species and invasive species. This framework was based on the change of dominant species in the plant community affected by construction. TWINSPAN classification and variation of the integrated importance value (IIV) of each plant species group were used to characterize the process of change in the structure of the plant community. Indicator species group and its inflection point were defined and used to judge the extent of the effects of pipelines. Our findings revealed that dominant species in the working area of the pipeline construction were different from the original plant communities. With the disturbance decreased, the composition and structure of the plant communities gradually changed. We considered the outer limit of the area affected by the construction to be the first area in which the plant community reached a steady state and was similar to the original community. The framework could be used in the post eco-environment impact assessment of linear construction to estimate the intensity of disturbance and recovery condition.

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“…The construction of these pipelines involved a variety of disturbances that influenced soil, vegetation, and landscapes. During the pipeline installation, the ground excavation directly degraded soil quality and changed the physical and chemical soil properties (Shi et al 2014). The linear clearance of vegetation and topsoil for pipeline installation reduced land stability and increased soil erosion (Yu et al 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

How does pipeline construction affect land desertification? A case study in northwest China

et al. 2015

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The expansion of large pipelines can strongly affect fragile ecosystems in arid regions. However, the issue of oasis desertification due to pipeline construction has rarely been addressed. In this study, three parallel pipelines routed through the Zhangye Oasis located in the middle Heihe River Basin in northwest China were chosen as a case study, and the intensity and extent of the pipeline construction disturbances on oasis desertification were evaluated using satellite images. The results indicated that land desertification increased from 20,427 ha before the pipeline disturbance to 26,312 ha after the construction in the 5000-m buffer zone. The relative rate of land desertification was used to identify the cumulative impact of pipeline disturbance. The threshold distance of the first pipeline's disturbance was 2000-3000 m. However, after the second and third pipeline installations, the threshold extended to 3000-4000 m, which may result from the cumulative impact of the incremental projects. The disappearance of soil and vegetation, and rivers across was the direct impacts of the pipelines' construction on oasis desertification. Cutting and grazing along the ancillary road made for increasing reclamation led to indirect impacts of the pipelines' construction on oasis degradation. To reduce the effects of pipeline disturbance on oasis desertification, the implementation of mitigation measures such as backfilling the removed soil, recovery of the local vegetation, retirement of the degraded cropland, limitation of ancillary roads, and cross-river cofferdam diversions are recommended for the environmental management of pipeline projects.

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The effects of pipeline construction disturbance on soil properties and restoration cycle

Cited by 22 publications

References 25 publications

Potential effects of large linear pipeline construction on soil and vegetation in ecologically fragile regions

Potential effects of large linear pipeline construction on soil and vegetation in ecologically fragile regions

A framework for quantifying the extent of impact to plants from linear construction

How does pipeline construction affect land desertification? A case study in northwest China

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