Methodological framework to select plant species for controlling rill and gully erosion: application to a Mediterranean ecosystem

Many studies attribute the effects of vegetation in reducing soil erosion rates to the effects of the above‐ground biomass. The effects of roots on topsoil resistance against concentrated flow erosion are much less studied. However, in a Mediterranean context, where the above‐ground biomass can temporarily disappear because of fire, drought or overgrazing, and when concentrated flow erosion occurs, roots can play an important role in controlling soil erosion rates. Unfortunately, information on Mediterranean plant characteristics, especially root characteristics, growing on semi‐natural lands, and knowledge of their suitability for gully erosion control is often lacking. A methodological framework to evaluate plant traits for this purpose is absent as well. This paper presents a methodology to assess the suitability of plants for rill and gully erosion control and its application to 25 plant species, representative for a semi‐arid Mediterranean landscape in southeast Spain. In this analysis determination of suitable plants for controlling concentrated flow erosion is based on a multi‐criteria analysis. First, four main criteria were determined, i.e. (1) the potential of plants to prevent incision by concentrated flow erosion, (2) the potential of plants to improve slope stability, (3) the resistance of plants to bending by water flow and (4) the ability of plants to trap sediments and organic debris. Then, an indicator or a combination of two indicators was used to assess the scores for the four criteria. In total, five indicators were selected, i.e. additional root cohesion, plant stiffness, stem density, the erosion‐reducing potential during concentrated flow and the sediment and organic debris obstruction potential. Both above‐ and below‐ground plant traits were taken into account and measured to assess the scores for the five indicators, i.e. stem density, sediment and organic debris obstruction potential, modulus of elasticity of the stems, moment of inertia of the stems, root density, root diameter distribution, root area ratio and root tensile strength. The scores for the indicators were represented on amoeba diagrams, indicating the beneficial and the weak plant traits, regarding to erosion control. The grasses Stipa tenacissima L. and Lygeum spartum L. and the shrub Salsola genistoides Juss. Ex Poir. amongst others, were selected as very suitable plant species for rill and gully erosion control. Stipa tenacissima can be used to re‐vegetate abandoned terraces as this species is adapted to drought and offers a good protection to concentrated flow erosion and shallow mass movements. Lygeum spartum can be used to vegetate concentrated flow zones or to obstruct sediment inflow to channels at gully outlets. Stipa tenacissima and Salsola genistoides can be used to stabilize steep south‐facing slopes. The methodology developed in this study can be applied to other plant species in areas suffering from rill and gully erosion. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

河道坡岸生态修复的土壤生物工程应用

土壤生物工程是一项利用存活植物构筑边坡,以实现河道坡岸稳定和生态修复等生态功能的集成工程技术本文给出了我国第一个大规模采用土壤生物工程修复河道坡岸的工程实例,工程选取本土植被,采用活枝扦插、活枝柴笼和灌丛垫三种主要的土壤生物工程技术构筑河道边坡.考察了工程实施前后河道坡岸植物新生根生物量、植物多样性、土壤剪切力、土壤紧实度和土壤湿度等生态参数,结果表明,工程实施10个月后,与裸露坡岸相比,施加土壤生物工程技术的河道坡岸稳定性大大提高,土壤抗侵蚀能力增强,物种增加,生物栖息环境和人居环境得到改善.该工程及研究为上海市浦东新区河道整治和坡岸生态修复提供了示范,也为我国各类边坡的侵蚀控制和生态修复提供了新的工程技术和方法.     

Root properties of vegetation communities and their impact on the erosion resistance of river dikes

Predicted climate change and the associated sea level rise poses an increased threat of flooding due to wave overtopping events at sea and river dikes. To safeguard the land from flooding it is important to keep the soil erosion resistance at the dikes high. As plant roots can be very effective in reducing soil erosion rates by concentrated flow, the main goal of this study is to explore the variability in root system characteristics of five dike vegetation communities along the Scheldt River (Belgium) and to assess their effectiveness in controlling soil erosion rates during concentrated flow. This study is the first one to investigate systematically the erosion‐reducing potential of the root properties of representative dike vegetation communities in a temperate humid climate. Results show that the presence of Urtica dioica resulted in large differences in root length density (RLD) among dike vegetation communities. Observed RLD values in the topsoil ranged from 129 to 235 km m^‐3 for dike vegetation communities without U. dioica, while smaller values ranging from 22 to 58 km m^?3 were found for vegetation communities with U. dioica. The erosion‐reducing effect of the dike vegetation communities was estimated based on a global Hill curve model, linking the RLD to the soil detachment ratio (SDR; i.e. the ratio of the soil detachment rate for root‐permeated topsoils to the soil detachment rate for root‐free topsoils). Concentrated flow erosion rates are likely to be reduced to 13–16% of the erosion rates for root‐free topsoils if U. dioica is absent compared to 22–30% for vegetation communities with U. dioica. Hence, to maintain a high resistance of the soil against concentrated flow erosion it is important to avoid the overgrowth of grassland by U. dioica through an effective vegetation management. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Topographic thresholds for plant colonization on semi‐arid eroded slopes

Soil erosion plays an important role in plant colonization of semi‐arid degraded areas. In this study, we aimed at deepening our knowledge of the mechanisms that control plant colonization on semi‐arid eroded slopes in east Spain by (i) determining topographic thresholds for plant colonization, (ii) identifying the soil properties limiting plant establishment and (iii) assessing whether colonizing species have specific plant traits to cope with these limitations. Slope angle and aspect were surrogates of erosion rate and water availability, respectively. Since soil erosion and water availability can limit plant establishment and both can interact in the landscape, we analysed variations in colonization success (vegetation cover and species number) with slope angle on 156 slopes, as a function of slope aspect. After determining slope angle thresholds for plant colonization, soil was sampled near the threshold values for soil analysis [nitrogen, phosphorous, calcium carbonate (CaCO₃), water holding capacity]. Plant traits expressing the plant colonizing capacity were analysed both in the pool of species colonizing the steep slopes just below the threshold and in the pool of species inhabiting gentler slopes and absent from the slopes just below the threshold. Results show that the slope angle threshold for plant colonization decreased from north to south. For the vegetation cover, threshold values were 63°, 50°, 46°, 41° for the north, east, west and south slope aspect classes, respectively, and 65°, 53°, 49° and 45° for the species richness and the same aspect classes. No differences existed in soil properties at slope angle threshold values among slope aspects and between slope positions (just below and above the threshold) within slope aspect classes. This suggests that variations between slope aspect classes in the slope angle threshold result from differences in the colonizing capacity of plants which is controlled by water availability. Long‐distance dispersal and mucilage production were preferably associated with the pool of colonizing species. These results are discussed in the perspective of a more efficient ecological restoration of degraded semi‐arid ecosystems where soil erosion acts as an ecological filter for plant establishment. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impact of root architecture on the erosion‐reducing potential of roots during concentrated flow

Many studies focus on the effects of vegetation cover on water erosion rates, whereas little attention has been paid to the effects of the below ground biomass. Recent research indicates that roots can reduce concentrated flow erosion rates significantly. In order to predict this root effect more accurately, this experimental study aims at gaining more insight into the importance of root architecture, soil and flow characteristics to the erosion‐reducing potential of roots during concentrated flow. Treatments were (1) bare, (2) grass (representing a fine‐branched root system), (3) carrots (representing a tap root system) and (4) carrots and fine‐branched weeds (representing both tap and fine‐branched roots). The soil types tested were a sandy loam and a silt loam. For each treatment, root density, root length density and mean root diameter (D) were assessed. Relative soil detachment rates and mean bottom flow shear stress were calculated. The results indicate that tap roots reduce the erosion rates to a lesser extent compared with fine‐branched roots. Different relationships linking relative soil detachment rate with root density could be established for different root diameter classes. Carrots with very fine roots (D < 5 mm) show a similar negative exponential relationship between root density and relative soil detachment rate to grass roots. With increasing root diameter (5 < D < 15 mm) the erosion‐reducing effect of carrot type roots becomes less pronounced. Additionally, an equation estimating the erosion‐reducing potential of root systems containing both tap roots and fine‐branched roots could be established. Moreover, the erosion‐reducing potential of grass roots is less pronounced for a sandy loam soil compared with a silt loam soil and a larger erosion‐reducing potential for both grass and carrot roots was found for initially wet soils. For carrots grown on a sandy loam soil, the erosion‐reducing effect of roots decreases with increasing flow shear stress. For grasses, grown on both soil types, no significant differences could be found according to flow shear stress. The erosion‐reducing effect of roots during concentrated flow is much more pronounced than suggested in previous studies dealing with interrill and rill erosion. Root density and root diameter explain the observed erosion rates during concentrated flow well for the different soil types tested. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of Vegetation Restoration on Soil Physical Properties in the Wind–Water Erosion Region of the Northern Loess Plateau of China

In the northern Loess Plateau that has been severely affected by wind–water erosion, shifts from arable land to forest or grasslands have been promoted since 1998, using both native and introduced vegetation. However, there is little knowledge of the ecological consequences and effectiveness of the vegetation restoration in the region. Therefore, relationships between watershed‐scale soil physical properties and plant recovery processes were analyzed. The results show that soil physical properties such as bulk density, hydraulic conductivity, mean weight diameter, and the stability of >1 mm macro‐aggregates have been significantly ameliorated in the 0–20 cm soil layer under secondary natural grasslands. In contrast, re‐vegetation with introduced species such as Caragana korshinskii or Medicago sativa had adversely affected the soil physical properties, probably due to the deterioration of soil water conditions and lower organic matter inputs resulting from severe erosion. Reductions in bulk density and increases in saturated hydraulic conductivity could be used as indicators of soil structure amelioration since they are closely related to most other measured properties. Practical considerations for future re‐vegetation projects are suggested, particularly that native species with lower water consumption rates than the introduced species should be used to avoid further soil degradation.     

Impacts of different vegetation restoration options on gully head soil resistance and soil erosion in loess tablelands

Vegetation restoration is identified as an effective approach to control soil erosion and affects soil detachment and resistance to concentrated flow on the Loess Plateau. However, the effects of vegetation restoration at gully heads in loess-tableland remains unclear. This study was performed to investigate the effects of nine vegetation restoration types at gully heads on soil detachment rate (Dr) and soil resistance to concentrated flow (i.e. soil erodibility, K_r and critical shear stress, τ_c). Undisturbed soil samples were collected from nine vegetation-restored lands and one slope cropland (as the control) and were subjected to a hydraulic flume to obtain Dr values of gully heads under six inflow discharges (0.5–3.5 L s^-1). The results showed that the Dr values of nine revegetated gully heads were 77.11% to 95.81% less than that of slope cropland, and the grassland dominated by Cleistogenes caespitosa and the shrubland dominated by Hippophae rhamnoides had a relatively greater decrease in Dr than those of other seven restoration types. The Dr value of nine revegetated gully heads could be better simulated by stream power than by flow velocity and shear stress and was also significantly affected by soil disintegration rate (positively), soil bulk density, saturated hydraulic conductivity, organic matter content, and water-stable aggregate stability (negatively). Additionally, roots with diameters of 0 to 0.5 mm showed a greater effect on Dr than those with larger diameters. Compared to cropland, the nine restored types reduced K_r by 76.26% to 94.26% and improved τ_c by 1.51 to 4.68 times. The decrease in K_r and the increase in τ_c were significantly affected by organic matter content, water-stable aggregate, mean weight diameter of aggregate and root mass density. The combination of grass species (Cleistogenes caespitosa) and shrub (Hippophae rhamnoides) could be considered the best vegetation restoration types for improving soil resistance of gully heads to concentrated flow. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

江湖阻隔背景下东部平原湖泊鱼类功能特征及多样性变化

东部平原湖泊区是我国淡水湖泊最集中的地区,分布着我国的五大淡水湖等诸多湖泊.然而,江湖阻隔对该区域湖泊的生物多样性造成严重威胁.本文选取东部平原的9个湖泊,对江湖阻隔前后鱼类功能性状（3组分类性状和6个连续性状）和功能多样性指数的变化规律开展了研究.结果表明,9个湖泊的鱼类总物种数由江湖阻隔前的140种减少为江湖阻隔后的100种,平均物种数由79.6种减少到52.1种（减少34.4%）.江湖阻隔后鱼类群落的功能性状和功能多样性指数发生了显著变化,洄游性鱼类（包括河海洄游和江湖洄游）物种占比（由39.7%降至32.6%）和鱼食性物种占比（由31.1%降至25.2%）显著下降,而非洄游性物种占比（由60.3%升至67.5%）和浮游生物食性物种占比（由13.5%升至15.5%）显著上升.连续型性状中,平均营养级（由3.14降至3.10）显著下降、平均生长速率（由0.57 a^-1升至0.65 a^-1）显著上升.阻隔后的物种数（SR）、功能丰富度指数、功能离散度指数和功能分散指数显著低于阻隔前.本研究表明江湖阻隔后鱼类群落不仅物种丰富度下降,且功能性状趋向同质化（或单一化）发展,致使功能多样性下降.研究结果可为东部平原湖泊的渔业资源管理及湖区生态修复和保护提供重要的理论依据.     

The importance of plant root characteristics in controlling concentrated flow erosion rates

While it has been demonstrated in numerous studies that the aboveground characteristics of the vegetation are of particular importance with respect to soil erosion control, this study argues the importance of separating the influence of vegetation on soil erosion rates into two parts: the impact of leaves and stems (aboveground biomass) and the influence of roots (belowground biomass). Although both plant parameters form inseparable constituents of the total plant organism, most studies attribute the impact of vegetation on soil erosion rates mainly to the characteristics of the aboveground biomass. This triggers the question whether the belowground biomass is of no or negligible importance with respect to soil erosion by concentrated flow. This study tried to answer this question by comparing cross‐sectional areas of concentrated flow channels (rills and ephemeral gullies) in the Belgian Loess Belt for different cereal and grass plant densities. The results of these measurements highlighted the fact that both an increase in shoot density as well as an increase in root density resulted in an exponential decrease of concentrated flow erosion rates. Since protection of the soil surface in the early plant growth stages is crucial with respect to the reduction of water erosion rates, increasing the plant root density in the topsoil could be a viable erosion control strategy. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

沉水植物苦草根系功能性状对基质类型和种植密度的响应及其与个体表现关系

根系功能性状体现了植物细根的生长状况及其对外部环境的适应性,然而根系功能性状响应环境变化的时间稳定性如何仍不清楚。苦草(Vallisneria natans)是水体沉水植被修复的先锋种类,细根在其种群重建初期起着重要作用。该研究设计了草垫、草垫+沙子、草垫+黄泥及草垫+底泥4种生长基质和100株/m²以及200株/m²两种种植密度并将其两两组合,以模拟自然生境不同的基质和密度情况,并在不同时期对苦草功能性状指标进行取样测定,通过重复测量二元方差分析研究基质和密度对根系功能指标的影响,并通过线性拟合模型探讨个体水平的生长表现(生物量分配、营养吸收、个体定植)与具体的根系功能性状之间的关系对环境变化的响应。结果表明:所有测量指标均受到基质条件的显著影响,部分根系功能性状指标如根冠比(RSR)、根干重、比根长(SRL)、根比表面积(SRA)、根组织密度(RTD)、根系锚定力和根体积受密度的影响显著。苦草生物量的分配主要受基质条件的影响,对营养的吸收、运输及根系固着能力受基质和密度的共同影响。线性拟合模型表明SRA、RTD、根直径、根表面积以及根体积在个体水平上能一定程度地预测RSR对环境变化的响应,且RTD的预测效果最好;根冠比、SRA、生根数、总根长、根表面积以及根体积在个体水平上能一定程度地预测SRL对环境变化的响应,其中生根数的预测效果最好;SRA、根直径、根表面积以及根体积在个体水平上能一定程度地预测根系锚定力对环境变化的响应,并且SRA的预测效果最好。但是基质和密度在不同时期对苦草根系功能性状的影响方向会发生改变,当用根系功能性状预测植物个体表现时,需要考虑种群重建所处的时期。     

Modelling rainfall interception losses of three plantations in the Loess Plateau

The forest canopy affects the water entering the forest ecosystem by intercepting rainfall. This is especially pertinent in forests that depend on rainfall for their ecological water needs, quantifying and simulating interception losses provide critical insights into their ecological hydrological processes. In the semi-arid areas of the Loess Plateau, afforestation has become an effective ecological restoration measure. However, the rainfall interception process of these plantations is still unclear. To quantify and model the canopy interception of these plantations, we conducted a two-year rainfall redistribution measurement experiment in three typical plantations, including a deciduous broadleaf plantation (Robinia pseudoacacia) and two evergreen coniferous plantations (Platycladus orientalis and Pinus tabuliformis). Based on this, the revised Gash model was used to simulate their interception losses, and the model applicability across varying rainfall types was further compared and verified. The experiment clarified the rainfall redistribution in the three plantations, and the proportions of throughfall to gross rainfall in Robinia pseudoacacia, Platycladus orientalis, and Pinus tabuliformis were 84.8%, 70.4%, and 75.6%; corresponding, the stemflow proportions were 2.0%, 2.2%, and 1.8%; the interception losses were 13.2%, 27.4%, and 22.6%, respectively. The dominant rainfall pattern during the experiment was characterized by low-amounts, moderate-intensity, and short-duration, during which the highest interception proportions across the three plantations were observed. We used the Penman-Monteith equation and the regression method, respectively, to estimate the canopy average evaporation rate of the revised Gash model, finding that the latter provides a closer match to the measured cumulative interception (NSE >0.7). When simulating interception under the three rainfall patterns, the model with the regression method better simulated the cumulative interception and event-scale interception for Platycladus orientalis and Pinus tabuliformis plantations under the dominant rainfall pattern. The results contribute valuable information to assess the impact of forest rainfall interception on regional hydrologic processes.     

金沙江观音岩水库消落带绝对优势植物的表型可塑性与适应策略

金沙江是长江上游梯级大库富集之地,在金沙江地区选择典型水库开展植物表型可塑性和适应策略研究对该区一众水库生态治理具有重要的参考价值。本文以金沙江观音岩水库消落带为研究区,定量比较了经多年周期性水淹干扰后,绝对优势植物根茎叶性状的表型可塑性,分析了绝对优势植物应对主导因子的关键性状及其协同响应特征和权衡策略。结果表明:1)调查共记录了植物种类11科21属21种,优势度大于0.1的仅有狗牙根和苍耳,为绝对优势种。2)淹水对狗牙根和苍耳功能性状具有极显著影响,是二者功能性状变异的主导因子。3)狗牙根的株高、主茎长、分茎数量、主茎宽、叶片数量和叶面积,以及苍耳的分茎数量、叶片数量、根冠比和比叶面积的表型可塑性指数均超过0.6,是应对淹水的敏感性状。但是,狗牙根的叶片数量、叶面积以及苍耳的比叶面积对淹水的可塑性响应表现出短期时效性,为非适应性可塑性。4)淹水深度调控狗牙根在“逃避”策略和“静默”策略之间的权衡选择,并通过不同的性状组合以及地上和地下部分资源分配以协同响应。5)淹水导致狗牙根和苍耳的生态对策趋同,均采取S/SR策略。此外,相比于狗牙根为水库消落带的普遍推荐种,苍耳因其存在水质污染风险而褒贬不一,但苍耳具有重要的药用价值,能否在每次淹水来临前进行刈割值得进一步探讨。     

Modelling increased soil cohesion due to roots with EUROSEM

As organic root exudates cause soil particles to adhere firmly to root surfaces, roots significantly increase soil strength and therefore also increase the resistance of the topsoil to erosion by concentrated flow. This paper aims at contributing to a better prediction of the root effects on soil erosion rates in the EUROSEM model, as the input values accounting for roots, presented in the user manual, do not account for differences in root density or root architecture. Recent research indicates that small changes in root density or differences in root architecture considerably influence soil erosion rates during concentrated flow. The approach for incorporating the root effects into this model is based on a comparison of measured soil detachment rates for bare and for root‐permeated topsoil samples with predicted erosion rates under the same flow conditions using the erosion equation of EUROSEM. Through backwards calculation, transport capacity efficiencies and corresponding soil cohesion values can be assessed for bare and root‐permeated topsoils respectively. The results are promising and present soil cohesion values that are in accordance with reported values in the literature for the same soil type (silt loam). The results show that grass roots provide a larger increase in soil cohesion as compared with tap‐rooted species and that the increase in soil cohesion is not significantly different under wet and dry soil conditions, either for fibrous root systems or for tap root systems. Power and exponential relationships are established between measured root density values and the corresponding calculated soil cohesion values, reflecting the effects of roots on the resistance of the topsoil to concentrated flow incision. These relationships enable one to incorporate the root effect into the soil erosion model EUROSEM, through adapting the soil cohesion input value. A scenario analysis shows that the contribution of roots to soil cohesion is very important for preventing soil loss and reducing runoff volume. The increase in soil shear strength due to the binding effect of roots on soil particles is two orders of magnitude lower as compared with soil reinforcement achieved when roots mobilize their tensile strength during soil shearing and root breakage. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Vegetation succession prevents dry lake beds from becoming dust sources in the semi‐arid steppe region of China

East Asian dust storms have become increasingly intense over the last two decades, and the arid inland regions of northern China have been recognized as the main dust source areas. Numerous lakes in this region have recently become desiccated, leaving large areas of bare ground prone to becoming potential dust sources. Vegetation cover characteristics and vegetation succession following lake desiccation remain unclear. Here we chose eight inland dry lakes, one outflow lake and one river on the southeast edge of the Inner Mongolian Plateau to investigate vegetation patterns along transects from lake bed to lake shore, and determine the relationships between vegetation patterns and environmental factors. The results show that dry lake bed soils do indeed have high contents of fine particles. Also, soil salt content is the most critical control on vegetation succession on desiccated lake beds, and vegetation is unlikely to colonize areas with soil salt content ≥5%. Soil texture additionally influenced vegetation patterns by affecting soil salt content. The likely vegetation succession on dry like beds is Nitraria tangutorum community > Suaeda corniculata and Suaeda glauca communities > Achnatherum splendens and Elymus sibiricus communities, and finally Carex duriuscula community as the probable climax. When vegetation is at the later stages of succession, for example with Achnatherum splendens communities, Elymus sibiricus communities and Carex duriuscula communities, soil may be protected from wind erosion because of their high vegetation cover and high proportion of perennials. We suggest grazing should be avoided around lake shores, especially in Achnatherum splendens communities, because high vegetation cover and biomass not only protect soil from erosion, but also promote the deposition of fine particles blown from upwind regions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基质类型和物种丰度对沉水植物模块化生长及根系发育的影响

沉水植物恢复是富营养化湖泊生态恢复的关键,基质类型和物种丰度对沉水植物生长和群落稳定具有重要作用,本研究旨在探索不同基质类型和物种丰度对沉水植物生长及根系发育的影响,为富营养化湖泊沉水植物恢复技术研究提供基质筛选和物种配置的技术参数。研究选取苦草(Vallisneria natans(Lour.) Hara)、微齿眼子菜(Potamogeton maackianus A.Bennett)、穗状狐尾藻(Myriophyllum spicatum L.)、伊乐藻(Elodea nuttallii(Planch.)H.St.John)4种沉水植物,根据物种丰度(1、2、3、4个物种)配置了11个物种组合,且选配了4种基质类型:无疏松层(a1、a2)和有疏松层(b1、b2),总计处理数为44(n=11×4)。测定了地上生物量、地下生物量、总生物量、株高、最大根长、总根长、总根表面积、总根体积、根平均直径、总根尖数、根分枝数、根交叉数、根冠比、根比表面积等14个生长及根系功能性状指标。结果表明:(1)随着沉水植物丰度的增加,地下生物量、总生物量、株高、最大根长、总根长、总根表面积、总根体积、总根...     

Soil erodibility as impacted by vegetation restoration strategies on the Loess Plateau of China

Near soil surface characteristics change significantly with vegetation restoration, and thus, restoration strategies likely affect soil erodibility. However, few studies have been conducted to quantify the effects of vegetation restoration strategies on soil erodibility in regions experiencing rapid vegetation restoration. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of vegetation restoration strategies on soil erodibility, reflected by soil cohesion (Coh), penetration resistance (PR), saturated conductivity (K_s), number of drop impacts (NDI), mean weight diameter of soil aggregates (MWD), and soil erodibility K factor on the Loess Plateau. One slope farmland and five 25-year-restored lands covered by old world bluestem, korshinsk peashrub, shrub sophora, sea-buckthorn, and black locust were selected as test sites. The old world bluestem was restored via natural succession, while the other four lands were restored by artificial planting. A comprehensive soil erodibility index (CSEI) was produced by a weighted summation method to quantify the effects of vegetation restoration strategies on soil erodibility completely. The results showed that Coh, K_s, NDI, and MWD of the five restored lands were greater than those of the slope farmland. However, the PR and K of the five restored lands were less than those of the slope farmland. CSEI varied greatly under different restoration strategies, from 1 to 0.214. Compared with the control, these indices decreased on average by 68.2%, 78.6%, 72.7%, 75.8%, and 62.8% for old world bluestem, korshinsk peashrub, shrub sophora, sea-buckthorn, and black locust, respectively. The variation in soil erodibility was significantly influenced by biological crust thickness, bulk density, organic matter content, plant litter density, and root mass density. Shrub-lands via artificial planting, especially korshinsk peashrub, were considered the most effective restoration strategies to reduce soil erodibility on the Loess Plateau. The results are helpful for selecting vegetation restoration strategies and asking their benefits in controlling soil erosion. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial variation in soil resistance to flowing water erosion along a regional transect in the Loess Plateau

The factors influencing soil erosion may vary with scale. It remains unclear whether the spatial variation in soil erosion resistance is controlled by regional variables (e.g. precipitation, temperature, and vegetation zone) or by local specific variables (e.g. soil properties, root traits, land use, and farming operations) when the study area enlarges from a hillslope or catchment to the regional scale. This study was performed to quantify the spatial variations in soil erosion resistance to flowing water under three typical land uses along a regional transect on the Loess Plateau and to identify whether regional or local specific variables are responsible for these changes. The results indicated that the measured soil detachment capacities (D_c) of cropland exhibited an irregular trend along the regional transect. The D_c of grassland increased with mean annual precipitation, except for two sites (Yijun and Erdos). The measured D_c of woodland displayed an inverted ‘U’ shape. The changes in rill erodibility (K_r) of three land uses were similar to D_c, whereas no distinguishable trend was found for critical shear stress (τ_c). No significant correlation was detected between D_c, K_r and τ_c, and the regional variables. The spatial variation in soil erosion resistance could be explained reasonably by changes in soil properties, root traits, land use, and farming operations, rather than regional variables. The adjustment coefficient of K_r for grassland and woodland could be well simulated by soil cohesion and root mass density (R² = 0.70, P < 0.01), and the adjustment coefficient of critical shear stress could be estimated with aggregate stability (R² = 0.57, P < 0.01). The results are helpful for quantifying the spatial variation in soil detachment processes by overland flow and to develop process‐based erosion model at a regional scale. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characteristics of concentrated flow hydraulics for rangeland ecosystems: implications for hydrologic modeling

Concentrated flow is often the dominant source of water erosion following disturbance on rangelands. Because of the lack of studies that explain the hydraulics of concentrated flow on rangelands, cropland‐based equations have typically been used for rangeland hydrology and erosion modeling, leading to less accurate predictions due to different soil and vegetation cover characteristics. This study investigates the hydraulics of concentrated flow using unconfined field experimental data over diverse rangeland landscapes within the Great Basin Region, United States. The results imply that the overall hydraulics of concentrated flow on rangelands differ significantly from those of cropland rills. Concentrated flow hydraulics on rangelands are largely controlled by the amount of cover or bare soil and hillslope angle. New predictive equations for concentrated flow velocity (R² = 0·47), hydraulic friction (R² = 0·52), and width (R² = 0·4) representing a diverse set of rangeland environments were developed. The resulting equations are applicable across a wide span of ecological sites, soils, slopes, and vegetation and ground cover conditions and can be used by physically‐based rangeland hydrology and erosion models to estimate rangeland concentrated flow hydraulic parameters. Published in 2011. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.     

Effects of the roots of Cynodon dactylon and Schefflera heptaphylla on water infiltration rate and soil hydraulic conductivity

Water infiltration rate and hydraulic conductivity in vegetated soil are two vital hydrological parameters for agriculturists to determine availability of soil moisture for assessing crop growths and yields, and also for engineers to carry out stability calculations of vegetated slopes. However, any effects of roots on these two parameters are not well‐understood. This study aims to quantify the effects of a grass species, Cynodon dactylon, and a tree species, Schefflera heptaphylla, on infiltration rate and hydraulic conductivity in relation to their root characteristics and suction responses. The two selected species are commonly used for ecological restoration and rehabilitation in many parts of the world and South China, respectively. A series of in‐situ double‐ring infiltration tests was conducted during a wet summer, while the responses of soil suction were monitored by tensiometers. When compared to bare soil, the vegetated soil has lower infiltration rate and hydraulic conductivity. This results in at least 50% higher suction retained in the vegetated soil. It is revealed that the effects of root‐water uptake by the selected species on suction were insignificant because of the small evapotranspiration (<0.2 mm) when the tests were conducted under the wet climate. There appears to have no significant difference (less than 10%) of infiltration rates, hydraulic conductivity and suction retained between the grass‐covered and the tree‐covered soil. However, the grass and tree species having deeper root depth and greater Root Area Index (RAI) retained higher suction. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Amending Soils with Hydrogels Increases the Biomass of Nine Tree Species under Non‐water Stress Conditions

The classical aim of the application of super absorbent polyacrylate (SAPs) hydrogels is the prolonging of plant survival under water stress. Their effect on plant growth during non‐water stress conditions is not known. This study examined the root and shoot biomass of seedlings of nine tree species; Eucalyptus grandis, Eucalyptus citriodora, Pinus caribaea, Araucaria cunninghamii, Melia volkensii, Grevillea robusta, Azadirachta indica, Maesopsis eminii and Terminalia superba. The seedlings were potted in five soil types; sand, sandy loam, loam, silt loam and clay. These were amended at two hydrogel levels: 0.2 and 0.4% w/w and grown under controlled conditions in a green house. Root and shoot growth responses of the seedlings were determined by measuring the dry weight of the roots, stems, leaves and twigs. The addition of either 0.2 or 0.4% hydrogel to the five soil types resulted in a significant increase of the root dry weight (p < 0.001) in eight tree species compared to the controls after 8 wk of routine watering. Also, the dry weight of stems and leaves and twigs were significantly (p < 0.001) higher in the nine tree species potted in hydrogel amended soil types than in the hydrogel free controls. These results suggested that hydrogel amendment enhances the efficiency of water uptake and utilization of photosynthates of plants grown in soils which have water contents close to field capacity.