In the past few decades, the increase in grazing intensity has led to soil degradation and desertification in Inner Mongolia grassland, China, due to population growth and shift in the socio-economic system. Two sites...In the past few decades, the increase in grazing intensity has led to soil degradation and desertification in Inner Mongolia grassland, China, due to population growth and shift in the socio-economic system. Two sites with different grazing intensities, continuous grazing site (CG) with 1.2 sheep ha-1 year-1 and heavy grazing site (HG) with 2.0 sheep ha-1 year-1, were investigated at the Inner Mongolia Grassland Ecosystem Research Station (43° 37′ 50″ N, 116° 42′ 18″ E) situated in the northern China to i) characterize the temporal distribution of soil water content along soil profile; and ii) quantify the water fluxes as affected by grazing intensity. Soil water content was monitored by time domain refiectometry (TDR) probes. Soil water retention curves were determined by pressure membrane extractor, furthermore processed by RETC (RETention Curve) software. Soil matric potential, plant available water and water flux were calculated using these data. Both sites showed an identical seasonal soil water dynamics within four defined hydraulic periods: i) wetting transition coincided with a dramatic water increase due to snow and frozen soil thawing from March to April; 2) wet summer, rainfall in accordance with plant growth from May to September; 3) drying transition, a decrease of soil water from October to November due to rainfall limit; and 4) dry winter, freezing from December to next February. Heavy grazing largely reduced soil water content by 43%-48% and plant available water by 46%-61% as compared to the CG site. During growing season net water flux was nearly similar between HG (242 mm) and CG (223 mm) sites between 5 and 20 cm depths. However, between 20 and 40 cm depths, the upward flux was more pronounced at HG site than at CG site, indicating that water was depleted by root uptake at HG site but stored at CG site. In semi-arid grassland ecosystem, grazing intensity can affect soil water regime and flux, particularly in the growing season.展开更多
In order to utilize the wasted saline-sodic soils under shallow groundwater condition, a 3-year field study was carried in a field cropped with Lycium barbarum L. and irrigated by drip irrigation with saline groundwat...In order to utilize the wasted saline-sodic soils under shallow groundwater condition, a 3-year field study was carried in a field cropped with Lycium barbarum L. and irrigated by drip irrigation with saline groundwater under the water table depth of 30-40 cm in the northern Yinchuan Plain, China. Effects of cropping duration (one, two, and three years) on soil salinity, soil solution composition, and pH in three adjacent plots were investigated in 2008. Results showed that a high irrigation frequency maintained high soil water potential and subsequently facilitated infiltration and downward movement of water and salt in the crop root zone. Salt accumulated on the edges of the ridges, and soil saturated-paste electrical conductivity (ECe) was higher in the edge. Concentrations of Na^+, Ca^2+, Mg^2+, Cl^-, and SO24^- in the soil increased with the soil depth as did the ECe, while HCO3 and pH had a relative uniform distribution in soil profile. As planting year increased, the ECe and soil salts in the field had a decreasing tendency, while in the root zone they decreased immediately after irrigation and then remained relatively stable in the following growing seasons. HCO3 and pH had little change with the planting year. Results suggested that the application of drip irrigation with saline water could ameliorate saline-sodic soil and provide a relatively feasible soil environment for saline-sodic soils with shallow groundwater.展开更多
基金Supported by the German Research Foundation(DFG)(No.Forschergruppe 536)the Hundred Talents Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
文摘In the past few decades, the increase in grazing intensity has led to soil degradation and desertification in Inner Mongolia grassland, China, due to population growth and shift in the socio-economic system. Two sites with different grazing intensities, continuous grazing site (CG) with 1.2 sheep ha-1 year-1 and heavy grazing site (HG) with 2.0 sheep ha-1 year-1, were investigated at the Inner Mongolia Grassland Ecosystem Research Station (43° 37′ 50″ N, 116° 42′ 18″ E) situated in the northern China to i) characterize the temporal distribution of soil water content along soil profile; and ii) quantify the water fluxes as affected by grazing intensity. Soil water content was monitored by time domain refiectometry (TDR) probes. Soil water retention curves were determined by pressure membrane extractor, furthermore processed by RETC (RETention Curve) software. Soil matric potential, plant available water and water flux were calculated using these data. Both sites showed an identical seasonal soil water dynamics within four defined hydraulic periods: i) wetting transition coincided with a dramatic water increase due to snow and frozen soil thawing from March to April; 2) wet summer, rainfall in accordance with plant growth from May to September; 3) drying transition, a decrease of soil water from October to November due to rainfall limit; and 4) dry winter, freezing from December to next February. Heavy grazing largely reduced soil water content by 43%-48% and plant available water by 46%-61% as compared to the CG site. During growing season net water flux was nearly similar between HG (242 mm) and CG (223 mm) sites between 5 and 20 cm depths. However, between 20 and 40 cm depths, the upward flux was more pronounced at HG site than at CG site, indicating that water was depleted by root uptake at HG site but stored at CG site. In semi-arid grassland ecosystem, grazing intensity can affect soil water regime and flux, particularly in the growing season.
基金Supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences Action Plan for the Development of Western China (No. KZCX2-XB2-13)the Chinese Academy of Sciences Knowledge Innovation Program (No. KSCX2-YW-N-003)the 100 Talents Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences
文摘In order to utilize the wasted saline-sodic soils under shallow groundwater condition, a 3-year field study was carried in a field cropped with Lycium barbarum L. and irrigated by drip irrigation with saline groundwater under the water table depth of 30-40 cm in the northern Yinchuan Plain, China. Effects of cropping duration (one, two, and three years) on soil salinity, soil solution composition, and pH in three adjacent plots were investigated in 2008. Results showed that a high irrigation frequency maintained high soil water potential and subsequently facilitated infiltration and downward movement of water and salt in the crop root zone. Salt accumulated on the edges of the ridges, and soil saturated-paste electrical conductivity (ECe) was higher in the edge. Concentrations of Na^+, Ca^2+, Mg^2+, Cl^-, and SO24^- in the soil increased with the soil depth as did the ECe, while HCO3 and pH had a relative uniform distribution in soil profile. As planting year increased, the ECe and soil salts in the field had a decreasing tendency, while in the root zone they decreased immediately after irrigation and then remained relatively stable in the following growing seasons. HCO3 and pH had little change with the planting year. Results suggested that the application of drip irrigation with saline water could ameliorate saline-sodic soil and provide a relatively feasible soil environment for saline-sodic soils with shallow groundwater.