Effects of artificially cultivated biological soil crusts on soil nutrients and biological activities in the Loess Plateau

Biological soil crusts （BSCs） play an important role in the early succession of vegetation restoration in the Loess Plateau, China. To evaluate the effects of artificially cultivated BSCs on the soil surface micro-envir- onment, we obtained natural moss crusts and moss-lichen crusts from the Loess Plateau of Shaanxi province, and subsequently inoculated and cultivated on horizontal and sloping surfaces of loess soil in a greenhouse. The chemical and biological properties of the subsoil under cultivated BSCs were determined after 10 weeks of cul- tivation. The results indicated that BSCs coverage was more than 65% after 10 weeks of cultivation. Moss crust coverage reached 40% after 5 weeks of cultivation. Compared with the control, soil organic matter and available nitrogen contents in moss crust with the horizontal treatments increased by 100.87% and 48.23%, respectively; increased by 67.56% and 52.17% with the sloping treatments, respectively; they also increased in moss-lichen crust with horizontal and sloping treatments, but there was no significant difference. Available phosphorus in cultivated BSCs was reduced, soil pH was lower and cationic exchange capacity was higher in cultivated BSCs than in the control. Alkaline phosphatase, urease and invertase activities were increased in artificially cultivated BSCs, and alkaline phosphatase activity in all cultivated BSCs was obviously higher than that in the control. Numbers of soil bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes were increased in the formation process of cultivated BSCs. These results indicate that BSCs could be formed rapidly in short-term cultivation and improve the mi- cro-environment of soil surface, which provides a scientific reference for vegetation restoration and ecological reconstruction in the Loess Plateau. China.     

贵州喀斯特石漠化地区苔藓结皮对土壤酶活性及碳氮磷含量的影响

   探索在喀斯特石漠化退化生态系统下苔藓结皮及覆被土壤的养分的变化特征,以期为喀斯特石漠化生态环境修复提供新的理论参考。   以我国贵州典型喀斯特石漠化生态系统－花江石漠化综合治理示范区的苔藓结皮覆被土壤、移除结皮（一年后）以及裸土为研究对象,采用双因素分析方法探讨不同石漠化（无、轻、中、重度）生境下有无结皮覆被及不同土层深度（结皮层、0 ~ 5 cm、5 ~ 10 cm）对土壤酶活性、土壤碳氮磷含量及计量特征的影响。   ①苔藓结皮层土壤脲酶和β-葡萄糖苷酶活性均随着石漠化的等级的升高而升高,而蔗糖酶和碱性磷酸酶则无显著变化;无石漠化区的土壤有机碳含量和碳/氮、碳/磷、氮/磷比值显著高于轻、中、重度石漠化区。②土壤碳氮磷含量及计量特征、酶活性在结皮层与结皮下土层间存在显著差异,结皮层显著高于结皮下0 ~ 5 cm和5 ~ 10 cm土壤。③与苔藓结皮相比,除脲酶活性外,移除结皮一年后的土壤蔗糖酶、碱性磷酸酶、β-葡萄糖苷酶活性、碳氮磷含量及计量特征均有所减少,而与裸土相比则无明显变化。   苔藓结皮的存在提高了其覆被土壤的酶活性及碳氮磷含量,突出了苔藓结皮在退化喀斯特石漠化生境中生态功能的重要性。     

Tillage – impact on infiltration of the Loess Plateau of China

In arid and semiarid regions, water infiltration is often affected by the soil surface conditions, such as the soil crusts and soil roughness. The objective of this laboratory study was to assess the effects of soil crusts and tillage treatments on soil infiltration in the Loess Plateau of China. A simulated rainfall storm at 80 mm h^?1 rate was applied to soil boxes set to slopes of 5°, 10°, 15° and 20° with two soil surface conditions (crusted and uncrusted) and three tillage treatments (contour tillage [CT], artificial digging [AD] and straight slope [SS]) to investigate the infiltration rates. The results show that the infiltration rate was always lower under the SS treatment than under the CT and AD treatments. The time interval to the steady state was shorter under the SS (10 min) than under the CT and AD treatments (15–20 min). The final infiltration rate was nearly the same under the CT treatment and AD treatment; whereas, the SS treatment resulted in the lowest final infiltration rate. The infiltration rates were always greater in soils without crusts than in soils with crusts. The slopes, soil crusts and tillage treatments had significant (p < 0.001) effects on the cumulative infiltration rates. The combined effects of the slopes and tillage treatments on the cumulative infiltration rates were much more significant (p < 0.01) than the other combined effects (p < 0.05).     

黄土丘陵区退耕地生物结皮影响下的土壤腐殖质分异特征

本文对黄土丘陵区退耕地生物结皮影响下的土壤腐殖质分异特征进行了研究。结果表明,①该区生物结皮影响下的土壤腐殖质组分HA、FA和HM含量均有明显的分层特征,土层间均表现出:结皮层0～2cm土层2～5cm土层;不同年限生物结皮土壤腐殖质含量总体表现出:16年8年32年12年,表明退耕地生物结皮影响下的土壤腐殖质含量随时间变化呈非线性变化趋势;HA/FA平均值变化范围为0.34～0.70,低于1,该区生物结皮影响下的土壤腐殖质胡敏酸含量不高,腐殖酸以富啡酸为主;②结皮层土壤腐殖酸E4/E6值随时间变化总体上呈\"抛物线\"型变化趋势;而0～2cm和2～5cm土层土壤腐殖酸E4/E6值呈缓慢增长的趋势;③腐殖质组分与土壤养分因子的全N、NO3--N、NH4+-N和有效Zn之间存在极显著的线性相关关系(p0.01);④土壤腐殖质组分含量的变化与全N、NO3--N、NH4+-N和有效Zn含量间存在满足二项式的函数回归关系(p0.01),表明生物结皮对土壤C素与N素和有效Zn的影响密切相关。     

Differential hydrological response of biological topsoil crusts along a rainfall gradient in a sandy arid area: Northern Negev desert,Israel

Drylands are regarded as highly sensitive to climatic change. The putative positive relationship between average annual rainfall and runoff, assumed for areas between 100 and 300 mm ignores the fact that climatic change in drylands is not limited to climatic factors alone, but is often accompanied by a parallel change in surface properties. Data on rainfall, runoff and soil moisture regime were collected at five monitoring sites in a sandy area, along a rainfall gradient from 86 to 160 mm. Despite the uniform sandy substratum the frequency and magnitude of runoff declined with increasing annual rainfall. Under wetter conditions a thick topsoil biological crust develops. This crust is able to absorb and retain large rain amounts, limiting the depth to which water can penetrate, and therefore water availability for the perennial vegetation. In the drier area, the thin crust can absorb only limited rain amounts, resulting in surface runoff and deeper water infiltration at run-on areas. Our findings demonstrate the important role played by different types of biological soil crusts along the rainfall gradient considered, and question the generally held belief that higher rainfall necessarily leads to deeper water infiltration in sandy arid areas; and higher water availability for the perennial vegetation.