Exploring some relationships between biological soil crusts, soil aggregation and wind erosion

A portable wind tunnel was used to test the contribution of biological and physical elements to overall soil aggregation on a soil dominated by biological soil crusts in south-eastern Australia. After moderate disturbance and simulated wind erosion, 90% of surface aggregates on the loamy soil and 76% on the sandy soil were dominated by biological elements (cryptogams). Lower levels of biological bonding were observed on the severely disturbed treatment. Linear regression indicated a significant positive relationship (r²=0·72) between biological soil crust cover and dry aggregation levels greater than 0·85mm. To maintain sediment transport below an erosion control target of 5gm⁻¹s⁻¹ for a 65kmh⁻¹ wind at 10m height, a crust cover of approximately 20% is required. When a multiple regression model which sequentially fitted biological crust cover and dry aggregation greater than 0·85mm was applied to the data, dry aggregation accounted for more of the variation in sediment transport rate than biological crust cover. These data were used to develop a conceptual model which integrates crust cover and dry aggregation, and provides a useful framework within which to predict the likely impacts of changes in soil crust cover and aggregation.     

Are small rodents key promoters of ecosystem restoration in harsh environments? A case study of abandoned croplands on Mongolian grasslands

We focused on the potential contribution of fossorial rodents to recovery of degraded abandoned Mongolian croplands. From field observations and the literature, we determined that plant litter and soil crusting were the main factors preventing establishment or growth of the perennial grass Elymus chinensis (Poaceae) on these croplands. We hypothesized that small fossorial rodents such as Mongolian gerbils promote grass establishment and growth by clearing litter and destroying crusts. We designed a path model linking number of burrows to patch size and plant volume of E. chinensis. As we hypothesized, small rodents increased the patch size of E. chinensis through reduction of litter cover. However, unexpectedly, we could not find significant effects on E. chinensis via crust thickness. Our results suggest that litter removal by the rodents gave E. chinensis suitable space that was free of competitors; this allowed expansion of the E. chinensis patches. Any effect of soil crusting on plant volume could not be explained simply by the variables we used, probably because some other mechanism, such as temporal variation in the crust, was involved. We demonstrate that small rodents are key agents in the recovery of degraded grasslands.     

Wind erosion in the central Ebro Basin under changing land use management. Field experiments with a portable wind tunnel

The agricultural landscape in the semi-arid central Ebro Basin is changing from dry farming towards land abandonment. This study aims to describe quantitatively the influence of this land use change onto wind erosion susceptibility in this region. Additionally, the effects of tillage operations on wind erosion rates were evaluated. A portable wind tunnel was used to assess the relative sediment loss rates at three test sites near Zaragoza. Three different land use systems varying in crust disturbance level were investigated – (1) fallow land with undisturbed physical soil crusts, (2) simulated sheep trampling and (3) conventional tillage (dry farming).The results show that simulations on undisturbed crusted soils produce little soil loss. Consequently, wind erosion can be considered as negligible on these surfaces. Simulated sheep trampling during wind tunnel test runs produce 10 times higher sediment losses than simulations on undisturbed crusted soils. Highest sediment losses (50 times) were observed from rolled surfaces. Because of the ongoing extensification process, the distributions of physical soil crusts will most probably further increase. According to the results, this would lead to a reduction of wind erosion susceptibility in the central Ebro Basin depending on intensity and time of sheep pasturing and tillage.     

生物结皮恢复过程中土壤生态因子分异特征

对新疆古尔班通古特沙漠生物结皮恢复过程中土壤因子的动态变化进行关联性测度、方差分析、相关性分析相结合的定量研究,着重分析结皮恢复年限对土壤微生物数量、养分、盐分、土壤酶的影响,有机质与土壤盐分、pH值、土壤酶的线性关系及土壤生态因子间的相关性。结果表明：相对于土层深度,有机养分、土壤酶等生态因子与生物结皮恢复年限的联系更加紧密。结皮恢复年限对全P、全K、有机质、脲酶、真菌的影响极显著（P<0.01）;对速效P、速效K、全N、总盐、中性碱性磷酸酶、蛋白酶的影响显著(P<0.05)。随结皮恢复年限的增加,结皮层和结皮以下土层中有机养分、土壤酶均有不同程度的增加,逐步具备较高的生物学活性,沙土性状变化较快,渐渐形成抗风蚀、抗干扰能力较强的地衣苔藓结皮。结皮恢复过程中pH值与有机质呈显著线性负相关（R2＝0.701,P<0.05）,土壤盐分与有机质存在线性正相关（R2＝0.653）,但显著性不强（P>0.05）。电导率、脲酶、碱性磷酸酶、中性磷酸酶、蛋白酶与有机质存在极为显著的线性正相关（R2分别为0.888、0.993、0.958、0.948、0.911,P<0.01）,土壤生态因子的协调发展和紧密配合促进了生物结皮的恢复。     

沙埋干扰去除后生物土壤结皮光合生理恢复机制

通过对沙埋干扰解除后腾格里沙漠人工植被区4种典型生物土壤结皮光合作用、暗呼吸作用与叶绿素荧光参数的跟踪测定,研究了沙埋干扰解除后生物土壤结皮光合生理恢复机制。结果表明,沙埋干扰解除后4种生物土壤结皮净光合速率增加,暗呼吸速率先降低后增加。沙埋干扰去除后净光合速率、暗呼吸速率受沙埋深度和沙埋时施水量的影响,分别与沙埋深度和施水量呈反比和正比关系。沙埋干扰解除后4种生物土壤结皮PSⅡ光化学效率随时间逐渐增加,证实了生物土壤结皮沙埋干扰解除后积极自行修复的内在生理机制。     

生物土壤结皮对荒漠区土壤微生物数量和活性的影响

生物土壤结皮对荒漠生态系统的维持与改良发挥着重要作用。土壤微生物可敏感地指示土壤质量,是衡量荒漠区生态健康程度的重要生物学特征,而对荒漠区生物土壤结皮与土壤微生物关系知之甚少。本研究设计了两组对比试验。一组以腾格里沙漠东南缘的1956、1964、1981、1991年的植被固沙区结皮下的沙丘土壤为对象,以流沙区和天然植被区为对照。另一组以植被固沙区人为干扰生物土壤结皮下的沙丘土壤为研究对象,以未干扰结皮下的沙丘土壤为对照。结果表明：腾格里沙漠东南缘植被固沙区的藻-地衣和藓类结皮均可显著提高土壤可培养微生物的数量和基础呼吸（P<0.05）;适度人为干扰生物土壤结皮不会显著影响土壤可培养微生物的数量和基础呼吸,而严重人为干扰结皮可显著降低土壤可培养微生物的数量和基础呼吸,指示严重人为干扰结皮可导致荒漠区土壤质量下降;土壤可培养微生物的数量和基础呼吸也因结皮演替阶段的不同而有所不同,演替晚期的藓类结皮下土壤微生物数量和基础呼吸显著高于演替早期的藻-地衣结皮（P<0.05）;土壤可培养微生物的数量和土壤基础呼吸与固沙年限均存在显著的正相关关系,随着沙丘固沙年限的增加,结皮层增厚,结皮下土壤微生物数量及基础呼吸显著增加（P<0.05）;生物土壤结皮下土壤可培养微生物数量和基础呼吸呈现显著的季节变化,表现为夏季>秋季和春季>冬季。因此,腾格里沙漠东南缘植被固沙区的生物土壤结皮提高了土壤微生物数量和活性,表明生物土壤结皮有利于荒漠区土壤及荒漠生态系统的恢复。     

毛乌素沙地南缘人工植被区生物结皮发育特征

防沙治沙和生态修复工程实施之后,有植物定植的沙丘表面广泛发育了生物结皮。揭示不同类型人工植被与生物结皮发育特征之间的关系对受损荒漠系统的生态修复具有重要的参考价值。采用野外调查的方法,对毛乌素沙地南缘沙区不同类型人工植被区(羊柴Hedysarum mongdicum、小叶杨Populus simonii、沙柳Salix psammophila+羊柴、紫穗槐Amorpha fruticosa和沙地柏Sabina vulgaris)生物结皮厚度、抗剪强度、总盖度及分盖度进行了测定。结果表明:不同类型人工植被区生物结皮发育特征表现出较大差异,小叶杨样地生物结皮厚度、抗剪强度和总盖度均显著高于其他类型人工植被区(P<0.05),羊柴、沙柳+羊柴样地生物结皮的盖度较低。分盖度的调查结果表明,小叶杨样地生物结皮以藓类结皮为主,其余样地则以藻类结皮为主。生物结皮盖度随植被盖度的增加而减少,随表层(0~5cm)土壤含水量的增加而增加。小叶杨的建植有利于生物结皮的扩殖,沙柳行带间栽植羊柴则不利于生物结皮的发育。     

A field investigation into the effects of progressive rainfall-induced soil seal and crust development on runoff and erosion rates: The impact of surface cover

Surface crusts and seals can form from a variety of processes, both physical and biological, and have the potential to alter runoff and erosion, especially in regions with low vegetation covers. Despite the obvious links between seals and crusts these features have rarely been considered together. This study uses rainfall simulation experiments to investigate interrill soil crust and seal development in response to structural (or raindrop-impact-induced) and depositional (or runoff-induced) processes on a semiarid piedmont in southern New Mexico, USA, which has undergone substantive vegetation change (replacement of grasses by shrubs) over the last 100 years. The study design incorporates six double-paired runoff plots divided into four subplots, each of which was exposed to three rainfall simulation events. Crust development on these plots was assessed using penetration-resistance measurements while seal development was assessed using runoff coefficients. The penetration-resistance data indicate that subplots directly exposed to raindrop impacts (uncovered plots) have crusts that are  40% stronger than those positioned beneath a mesh cover (covered plots) that intercepts the kinetic energy of the rainfall. The crusts exposed to raindrop-impacts increased in strength following each simulation, whereas the crusts on the covered surfaces reached a plateau after two events.Runoff data indicate that seal development does not directly mirror crust formation. Runoff coefficients increased after each rainfall simulation event but were not significantly different between the covered and uncovered plots. Rather, the presence of stone lags or litter on the soil surface influenced the relation between runoff and seal development. Sediment yields from uncovered surfaces exceeded those from covered surfaces, indicating that raindrop impacts contribute to the delivery of sediment into flows. The results of this study indicate that the loss of vegetation cover on the piedmont has increased the extent of surface crust and seal development but that those crusts may be playing an important role in mitigating erosion.     

腾格里沙漠东南缘生物土壤结皮对土壤理化性质的影响

生物土壤结皮是荒漠生态系统地表景观的重要组成部分,在沙化土地恢复和流沙固定中起着重要作用。研究了腾格里沙漠东南缘固沙植被区不同类型生物土壤结皮理化性质及结皮发育对下层土壤性质的影响。结果表明：结皮层厚度、孔隙度、黏粉粒和田间持水量以及有机碳、无机碳、全氮、碱解氮、速效磷、速效钾含量和电导率均表现为藓类结皮 > 混生结皮 > 地衣结皮 > 藻类结皮;砂粒含量和容重表现为藻类结皮 > 地衣结皮> 混生结皮 > 藓类结皮。结皮下0~2 cm和2~5 cm土层理化性质表现出与结皮层相同的变化规律。总体上,生物土壤结皮对下层土壤理化性质的影响表现为藓类结皮和混生结皮大于地衣结皮和藻类结皮;而结皮对下层土壤理化性质的影响随土壤深度的增加而减小。生物土壤结皮的拓殖和发育是荒漠生态系统成土过程和土壤质量的关键影响因素。     

Changes in soil nutrients, vegetation structure and herbaceous biomass in response to grazing in a semi-arid savanna of Ethiopia

The effect of grazing was studied on vegetation structure, herbaceous biomass, basal and bare ground covers, together with soil nutrient concentrations in two locations in an Ethiopian semi-arid savanna. The lightly grazed sites had significantly higher herbaceous diversity, total abundance, basal cover and aboveground biomass, and a lower percentage of bare ground compared with the heavy grazed sites. Grazing pressure had no effect on the density and number of woody species as well as on the proportion of encroaching woody species. The light grazing sites had higher organic carbon, phosphorus and exchangeable bases, and therefore a higher pH and higher electrical conductance, indicating an improved soil nutrient status compared with heavy grazing sites, mainly attributed to the higher basal cover and standing biomass at light grazed sites, and the export of nutrients through grazing and dung collection from the heavily grazed sites. There were significantly higher soil nutrients, species diversity, aboveground biomass and basal cover in the light grazing sites compared with heavy grazing sites. We concluded that changes in herbaceous vegetation, standing biomass and soil compositions are caused by interactions between grazing, soil and vegetation, and these interactions determine the transitions of semi-arid savannas.     

干旱区生物土壤结皮对种子植物多样性的影响

通过调查古尔班通古特沙漠筑路形成的严重干扰样方与自然状态下轻微干扰样方种子植物多样性的差异,结合人为干扰生物土壤结皮样方的结果,综合生物土壤结皮土壤种子库、结皮上种子萌发、生长以及土壤养分与水分的特征,研究生物土壤结皮对种子植物多样性的影响。结果表明：完整结皮与适度干扰后结皮样方内植物多样性指数D分别为0.3296和0.5291,多样性指数H分别为0.8400和1.2957,差异均达到显著水平;严重干扰样方的多样性指数D和多样性指数H均显著低于轻度干扰样方的对应指标。说明对生物土壤结皮 “适度”干扰使其保持在早期发育阶段有利于增加种子植物多样性,而“严重”干扰使结皮变为流沙阶段会降低种子植物多样性。结皮影响种子植物多样性的机理主要在于发育后期的生物土壤结皮会降低土壤种子库,也会抑制多数种类种子萌发,夏秋季结皮深层土壤水分的减少也不利于深根植物的生存,但结皮土壤拥有相对较高的养分条件却能保证一年生短命植物生长和生存。相对于流沙,生物土壤结皮的存在有益于保持相对较高的植物多样性,这可能归功于生物土壤结皮有利于地表稳定性、以及其在防风蚀和土壤形成等方面重要的生态功能,因而,在采取 “适度”干扰措施以提高植物多样性之前需要慎重考虑可能带来的不利影响。     

Soil restoration research advances of artificial sand-binding vegetation ecosystem in the Tengger Desert,Northern China

Soil plays an important role in desert ecosystem, and is vital in constructing a steady desert ecosystem. The management and restoration of desertified land have been the focus of much discussion. The soil in Shapotou desert region has developed remarkably since artificial sand-binding vegetation established in 1946. The longer the period of dune stabilization, the greater the thickness of microbiotic crusts and subsoil. Meanwhile, proportion of silt and clay increased significantly, and soil bulk density declinced. The content of soil organic matter, N, P, and K similarly increased. Therefore, soil has developed from aeolian sand soil to Calcic-Orthic aridisols. This paper discusses the effects brought about by dust, microbiotic soil crust and soil microbes on soil-forming process. Then, we analyzed the relation between soil formation and sand-binding vegetation evolution, in order to provide a baseline for both research on desert ecosystem recovery and ecological environment governance in arid and semi-arid areas.     

古尔班通古特沙漠表层土壤凝结水水汽来源特征分析

水分条件是决定干旱沙漠区生态环境的关键因素,凝结水是干旱区植物和低等生物的重要水分来源。利用自制蒸渗计在春、夏、秋3个季节对古尔班通古特沙漠苔藓、地衣、藻类及流沙4种地表类型表层原状土壤凝结水形成进行了观测研究。结果表明,在2 cm、5 cm、10 cm、20 cm 4种高度原状土中,用纱网封底土壤表层2 cm和5 cm土壤的凝结水测定结果能够真实的代表古尔班通古特沙漠不同类型地表土壤凝结水形成特征;凝结水主要集中产生在土壤表层2 cm范围内;凝结水的水汽来源于空气和土壤且以空气来源为主,春季由于表层土壤含水率较高,来自于土壤的水汽所占的比重较高,地衣0~2 cm表层凝结水来源于土壤水汽补充的比例春季为35.5%,夏季和秋季分别降到15.5%和11.3%;秋季55 d的观测结果表明,凝结水形成总量随流沙、藻类、地衣和苔藓依次增加,分别为3.46 mm、4.07 mm、4.89 mm和5.15 mm,说明在干旱的沙漠地带,凝结水是除降水以外补充表层土壤水分最重要的水分来源。     

Wind tunnel simulation of aeolian sandy soil erodibility under human disturbance

Inappropriate anthropogenic activities such as overcultivation and overgrazing of steppe and excessive collection of fuelwood are largely responsible for current desertification in China. However, quantitative information concerning the impacts of human disturbance on soil erosion remains sparse. This study investigated aeolian sandy soil erodibility under human disturbance by wind tunnel simulation. The fixed aeolian sandy soils were taken from an artificial vegetation protective system on mobile dunes at the southeastern edge of the Tengger Desert. The results indicate that: (1) human disturbance such as cultivation can accelerate the erodibility of the fixed aeolian sandy soil. The ratio between total soil loss from the undisturbed soil and the cultivated soil is about 0.004; (2) surface vegetation and microbiotic crust are the main factors responsible for the natural wind erodibility of the fixed sandy soil. Wind erosion rate increases with decreasing percent of the vegetation and crust cover; (3) the grain size distribution shows a higher percentage of particles in the range >1.0 mm and a lower percentage in the range <0.05 mm for the cultivated sandy soil than for the undisturbed fixed sandy soil.     

Effects of fire and environmental variables on plant structure and composition in grazed salt desert shrublands of the Great Basin (USA)

Fire in shrub-dominated portions of the Great Basin, largely fueled by non-native annuals such as Bromus tectorum, has become an important structuring force altering vegetation composition and soil characteristics. The extent to which fire affects native species in drier portions of the Great Basin, termed salt desert, is poorly documented. We conducted a survey of grazed salt desert habitat in northwestern Nevada 5 years after wildfires burned 650,000 ha, with the goal of investigating community response to fire and factors correlating with post-fire recovery. We found that recruitment of a dominant shrub, Artemisia spinescens, is severely restricted following fire: it occurred in only 2 of the 24 burned sites. The co-dominant shrub, Atriplex confertifolia, occurred in most burned sites although on average its percent cover was one-third lower than adjacent unburned sites. Biotic soil crust cover was four times lower, and non-native species cover 5 times higher, in burned sites compared to unburned. Ordination analyses confirmed differences among plant communities in burned versus unburned sites, with environmental variables soil conductivity, plant litter, soil potassium (K⁺) and pH explaining 38% of the variance in community composition. However, we found no environmental predictors of recovery for native species in burned sites. Future recruitment is likely to be further limited, as fire frequency in the salt desert is expected to increase with invasion by non-native annual grasses and with global climate change.     

腾格里沙漠人工固沙植被区浅层土壤水分对降水和生物结皮的响应

选择腾格里沙漠东南缘人工植被区3种典型的地表覆被类型（藓类结皮、藻类结皮和流沙）土壤为对象,选取发生在7月和9月的两次降水事件,研究浅层土壤（3、5、10 cm）水分入渗与再分布过程。结果表明：浅表层3 cm深度土壤水分在降雨初期均表现为跳跃式增加,而在降雨中后期由于土壤剖面不同深度水势梯度减小,降水入渗速率降低,土壤水分仅呈现小幅波动。在两次降水事件中,藓类结皮和藻类结皮对降水入渗的阻碍作用比较显著,入渗速率表现为沙土 > 藻类结皮 > 藓类结皮;从水分再分布看,生物土壤结皮的存在致使水分再分配过程表现出明显的浅层化;降水过程结束后,结皮促进水分的蒸发损失,从而减少植被可利用水分含量。人工固沙植被区广泛发育的生物土壤结皮对降水入渗与再分布过程以及土壤水量平衡具有重要影响。     

干旱、半干旱地区微生物结皮土壤水文学的研究进展

微生物结皮与土壤水文过程的关系一直是微生物结皮研究中最具争议性的热点问题。文章对国内外这一领域的研究进展进行了综述, 系统地介绍了微生物结皮在降雨入渗、水分保持和土面蒸发等土壤水文过程中的功能, 总结了微生物结皮土壤水文学研究中的各种观点, 针对不同观点之间产生的争议, 作者认为微生物结皮的时空特殊性、复杂性以及研究手段和方法的多样性是产生争议的主要原因。最后, 从试验方法和研究目标上对该研究领域进行了展望。     

生物土壤结皮对库布齐沙漠北缘土壤粒度特征的影响

对库布齐沙漠北缘不同发育阶段的生物土壤结皮及其下层土壤粒度特征进行分析。结果表明：流动沙地和藻类结皮表层均以细砂和中砂成分为主,藓类结皮表层以细砂和极细砂为主。生物土壤结皮表层的中粉砂至黏土、粗粉砂和极细砂含量均高于其下层土壤。两种结皮样地均属于分选性较差等级,但结皮下层土壤分选性中等,3类曲线均不对称,属于正偏-极正偏等级,藓类结皮和藻类结皮表层的峰形均属于中等尖锐水平,而流动沙地的曲线尖窄。生物土壤结皮的成土作用随着结皮的发育阶段和土层深度的增加而表现出差异性和复杂性。     

Effects of land cover and soil properties on denitrification potential in soils of two semi-arid grasslands in Inner Mongolia,China

High N₂O emissions have been observed in semi-arid grasslands, especially during freeze/thaw periods, when denitrification might be the main process of N₂O production. However, there have been few denitrification studies in semi-arid grassland. This study was designed to determine the denitrification potential of four representative land cover types (typical steppe, meadow steppe, marshland, arid steppe) in two grasslands in Inner Mongolia, China. We found that soils from different land cover types exhibited significantly different denitrification potentials, with highest rates in marshland and lowest rates in arid steppe. Denitrification potentials were maximal in the upper layer and generally decreased with depth for all soils. Soil water content, soil carbon and nitrogen availability, and C/N ratio were found to be significantly correlated with denitrification potentials in all soils. Addition of glucose or/and nitrate significantly increased denitrification activities throughout the profile for all soils, suggesting that both bioavailable carbon and nitrogen were limiting factors of denitrification in these grasslands soils. However, further field studies are needed to translate the denitrification potentials determined in laboratory measurements to denitrification rates under field conditions.     

荒漠人工固沙植被区土壤结皮斥水性发展特征

土壤结皮深刻影响绿洲边缘固沙植被区的土壤水文过程。土壤结皮斥水性是量化上述影响的潜在指标。采用滴水穿透时间（WDPT）法,研究了河西走廊荒漠边缘不同建植年限梭梭植被区固定沙丘土壤结皮斥水性的时间演变规律及影响因素。结果表明：建植20 a后,丘顶与丘间地土壤结皮出现显著斥水性（WDPT>5 s）,而丘坡土壤结皮无斥水性（WDPT<5 s）。丘顶土壤结皮斥水性与总有机碳、微生物量碳、有机碳C-H组分以及电导率显著相关（P<0.01）;而丘间地土壤结皮斥水性与黏、粉粒含量显著相关（P<0.01）。植被形成的“碳岛”及“盐岛”效应是丘顶土壤结皮斥水性形成的主要原因,而黏、粉粒在土壤表层的积聚是丘间地土壤结皮斥水性形成的主要原因。