Performance of Vegetation in Reclaimed Slopes Affected by Soil Erosion

Soil erosion in reclaimed mines may affect plant colonization and performance, and may compromise restoration success; however, the magnitude of this effect has seldom been quantified. We monitored the dynamics of vegetation (seed bank density, seedling emergence, plant mortality, and seed production) during a growing season (2003–2004) in three constructed slopes with differing past erosion rates. The slopes are located in the Utrillas coalfield in Spain, which experiences a Mediterranean‐continental climate. In the most eroded slope, soil water availability was lower—especially in the interrill areas—and seedling emergence rate, plant survival, and seed production were also significantly lower than on the less eroded slopes. We found that vegetation recovery is dramatically constrained when rill erosion rate is 17 t ha^?1 yr^?1 and plant cover is 30%, but this effect disappears when plant cover is higher than 60%. Soil erosion in constructed slopes appears to inhibit natural plant colonization processes by increasing runoff water loss over the long‐term. Thus, when rill erosion networks develop, human intervention would be needed to minimize the loss of water and facilitate vegetation colonization.     

Early Dynamics of Plant Communities on Revegetated Motorway Slopes from Southern Spain: Is Hydroseeding Always Needed?

The increasing global rate of road construction is leading to a parallel increase of areas of degraded soil conditions and steep slopes that need revegetation. Hydroseeding with commercial seeds of fast‐growing grasses and legumes is a common practice in revegetation of motorway slopes. We carried out 3 years of monitoring of vegetation dynamics on hydroseeded and nonhydroseeded motorway slopes (48 slopes) in a maritime Mediterranean zone in Málaga (southern Spain). Our main objectives were to test whether hydroseeding significantly increases species richness and plant cover and whether hydroseeded species act as starters, facilitating the establishment of the vegetation and quickly disappearing once the communities are established. A hydroseeding success index (HSI, ranging from 0 to 1) was used to assess the relative abundance over time of the 14 species from the hydroseeding mixture. Species richness and cover was significantly higher on embankments (50–70 species per embankment, 80–90% cover) than on roadcuts (6–10 species per roadcut, 18–30% cover). Performance of hydroseeded species was poor from the very beginning (HSI, 0.2–0.3). On embankments, either presence or abundance of hydroseeded species did not significantly vary throughout the study. Both hydroseeded and nonhydroseeded communities exhibited a significant decrease in species richness, a significant increase in plant cover, and a highly dynamic species composition over time, with Sorensen index of 0.3–0.5 between years. There were no significant differences in plant cover, species richness, and aboveground biomass between hydroseeded and nonhydroseeded plots on embankments throughout the study. Our results demonstrate that there are situations in which the use of hydroseeding for revegetation is not needed. Further research should focus on understanding the establishment of autochthonous species and identifying environmental conditions under which the addition of commercial seeds may not be needed, or indeed situations where it may be harmful in suppressing autochthonous species.     

不同植被类型对土壤水蚀的影响

不同植被类型对土壤水蚀的影响因子是计算土壤水蚀速率以及选择适当土地利用方式的基本参数.本文以土壤侵蚀模型中的植被因子(C因子)为指标,研究不同植被类型对土壤水蚀的影响.根据6个水土保持试验项目33个小区共195个小区年的资料,计算了剌槐、柠条、沙棘、沙棘-杨树,沙棘-油松、沙打旺、红豆草、苜蓿和草木樨等9种林草植被因子值.林地植被因子介于0.004到0.164之间,以刺槐林的C值最低.草地植被因子介于0.071到0.377之间,以第一年的草木樨C值为最高.定量对比说明林草植被的水土保持效益明显优于农作物.本项研究结果可以用于定量比较不同植被类型覆盖下的土壤流失速率,对于北方农牧交错带退耕还林还草政策的实施具有参考价值.     

不同植被类型对土壤水蚀的影响

不同植被类型对土壤水蚀的影响因子是计算土壤水蚀速率以及选择适当土地利用方式的基本参数。本文以土壤侵蚀模型中的植被因子(C因子)为指标，研究不同植被类型对土壤水蚀的影响。根据6个水土保持试验项目33个小区共195个小区年的资料，计算了刺槐、柠条、沙棘、沙棘一杨树，沙棘一油松、沙打旺、红豆草、苜蓿和草木樨等9种林草植被因子值。林地植被因子介于O．004到O．164之间，以刺槐林的C值最低。草地植被因子介于O．071到O．377之间，以第一年的草木樨c值为最高。定量对比说明林草植被的水土保持效益明显优于农作物。本项研究结果可以用于定量比较不同植被类型覆盖下的土壤流失速率，对于北方农牧交错带退耕还林还草政策的实施具有参考价佰。     

植被覆盖度和综合治理对纸坊沟流域土壤氮素流失的影响

同小流域土壤侵蚀一样,小流域土壤氮素随洪流流失也受到植被覆盖度的影响,通常经过调整小流域内土地利用结构以达到控制水土流失.该研究以8.27 km2纸坊沟流域和1:400比例流域模型为研究对象,研究植被覆盖度和综合治理对纸坊沟流域土壤氮素流失的影响.结果表明:在模拟降雨下,当流域植被覆盖度分别为60%、40%、20%和0时,流域模型铵态氮流失量分别为87.08、44.31、25.16和13.71 kg/km2,硝态氮为85.50、74.05、63.95和56.23 kg/km2,全氮为0.81、1.18、1.98和7.51 t/km2;在自然降雨下,1998年与1992年相比,全流域年土壤侵蚀量为1 086 t/km2和1 119 t/km2,氮素流失量为8 758.5和7 562.2 kg,减少了15.8%,其中农地减少了52.0%.流域对降水中的矿质氮具有过滤作用,硝态氮的过滤作用明显高于铵态氮.洪流泥沙中＜20 μm微团聚体富集造成了泥沙有机质和全氮的富集.植被覆盖虽能有效地减少流域土壤侵蚀和全氮的流失,却能增加土壤矿质氮的流失.坡地退耕还林草可显著减少流域土壤氮素流失.     

Soil Erosion Impact on Agronomic Productivity and Environment Quality

Soil erosion is a global issue because of its severe adverse economic and environmental impacts. Economic impacts on productivity may be due to direct effects on crops/plants on-site and off-site, and environmental consequences are primarily off-site due either to pollution of natural waters or adverse effects on air quality due to dust and emissions of radiatively active gases. Off-site economic effects of erosion are related to the damage to civil structure, siltation of water ways and reservoirs, and additional costs involved in water treatment. There are numerous reports regarding the on-site effects of erosion on productivity. However, a vast majority of these are from the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Europe, and only a few from soils of the tropics and subtropics. On-site effects of erosion on agronomic productivity are assessed with a wide range of methods, which can be broadly grouped into three categories: agronomic/soil quality evaluation, economic assessment, and knowledge surveys. Agronomic methods involve greenhouse and field experiments to assess erosion-induced changes in soil quality in relation to productivity. A widely used technique is to establish field plots on the same soil series but with different severity of past erosion. Different erosional phases must be located on the same landscape position. Impact of past erosion on productivity can also be assessed by relating plant growth to the depth of a root-restrictive horizon. Impact of current erosion rate on productivity can be assessed using field runoff plots or paired watersheds, and that of future erosion using topsoil removal and addition technique. Economic evaluation of the on-site impact involves assessment of the losses of plant available water and nutrients and other additional inputs needed due to erosion. Knowledge surveys are conducted as a qualitative substitute for locations where quantitative data are not available. Results obtained from these different techniques are not comparable, and there is a need to standardize the methods and develop scaling procedures to extrapolate the data from plot or soil level to regional and global scale. There is also a need to assess on-site impact of erosion in relation to soil loss tolerance, soil life, soil resilience or ease of restoration, and soil management options for sustainable use of soil and water resources. Restoration of degraded soils is a high global priority. If about 1.5×10⁹?ha of soils in the world prone to erosion can be managed to effectively control soil erosion, it would improve air and water quality, sequester C in the pedosphere at the rate of about 1.5?Pg/year, and increase food production. The risks of global annual loss of food production due to accelerated erosion may be as high as 190×10⁶?Mg of cereals, 6×10⁶?Mg of soybeans, 3×10⁶?Mg of pulses, and 73×10⁶?Mg of roots and tubers. The actual loss may depend on weather conditions during the growing season, farming systems, soil management, and soil ameliorative input used. Erosion-caused losses of food production are most severe in Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and elsewhere in the tropics rather than in other regions.     

南亚热带水土流失地区人工加速植被演替过程

水土流失地区植被在自然条件下从阳生草本到乔灌草复合植被的演替过程常常需要很长的时间,选取适当树种人工造林可以省略先锋物种强阳生草本的发育时间,提早诱发灌木和草本植物发育,大大加速植被恢复演替过程。通过对广东惠州市惠阳区上杨试验站等南亚热带典型水土流失地区的研究发现：自然封育状态下,水土流失地区植被恢复和演替缓慢,25。后植被覆盖度只有35％,且主要以阳生性耐贫瘠的灌木及草本为主,土壤侵蚀仍然比较严重。选择大叶相思树人工造林加速了植被演替进程,控制了水土流失,12a左右植被覆盖度就达90％左右。造林23a左右,林地遮蔽涵养水分和控制侵蚀作用下迅速生长多种当地物种,形成了乔、灌、草、藤、竹多层复合植被。在南亚热带季风气候地区,自然封育状态下严重水土流失区植被恢复至较稳定的次生林阶段需要60a左右的时间;人工造林加速植被演替只需要20a。植树造林是该地区植被恢复发育及控制水土流失的有效措施。     

植被覆盖度和综合治理对纸坊沟流域土壤氮素流失的影响

同小流域土壤侵蚀一样,小流域土壤氮素随洪流流失也受到植被覆盖度的影响,通常经过调整小流域内土地利用结构以达到控制水土流失。该研究以8.27 km2纸坊沟流域和1:400比例流域模型为研究对象,研究植被覆盖度和综合治理对纸坊沟流域土壤氮素流失的影响。结果表明:在模拟降雨下,当流域植被覆盖度分别为60%、40%、20%和0时,流域模型铵态氮流失量分别为87.08、44.31、25.16和13.71 kg/km2,硝态氮为85.50、74.05、63.95和56.23 kg/km2,全氮为0.81、1.18、1.98和7.51 t/km2;在自然降雨下,1998年与1992年相比,全流域年土壤侵蚀量为1 086 t/km2和1 119 t/km2,氮素流失量为8 758.5和7 562.2 kg,减少了15.8%,其中农地减少了52.0%。流域对降水中的矿质氮具有过滤作用,硝态氮的过滤作用明显高于铵态氮。洪流泥沙中<20 mm微团聚体富集造成了泥沙有机质和全氮的富集。植被覆盖虽能有效地减少流域土壤侵蚀和全氮的流失,却能增加土壤矿质氮的流失。坡地退耕还林草可显著减少流域土壤氮素流失。     

水位提升和泥炭藓繁殖体移植对泥炭地植被恢复的影响

泥炭藓繁殖体移植是影响泥炭地植被恢复的重要因素之一,不同移植方式的效果往往缺乏比较研究。选取长白山区白江河退化泥炭地为研究地,以自然生境的丘间种喙叶泥炭藓(Sphagnum flexuosum)和藓丘种中位泥炭藓(S.magellanicum)(后者耐旱能力较强)为实验材料,通过野外移植实验,研究水位提升与不同泥炭藓繁殖体移植方式对退化泥炭地植被恢复的影响。数据分析显示:水位条件显著影响了喙叶泥炭藓和中位泥炭藓的建植,随着水位上升,地表湿度增加,两种泥炭藓的盖度均呈明显的上升趋势;移植方式的变化短期内对泥炭藓的建植作用并不明显,但在移植2个月后,移植方式对喙叶泥炭藓表现出显著影响,即耐旱能力较强的中位泥炭藓置于上层时,喙叶泥炭藓盖度最高;水位和移植方式不存在交互作用,即在低水位条件下,中位泥炭藓置于上层的移植方式也未能提升泥炭藓的建植盖度。研究表明,水位提升是泥炭地植被恢复的十分有效的手段,因物种间存在对水分保持的差异,采用合理植物繁殖体移植方式,将会明显提升植被恢复的成效。     

安徽大别山区不同森林植被类型土壤蓄水能力研究

通过对安徽大别山区上舍小流域不同森林植被类型土壤持水特性的测定结果表明:马尾松中龄林、马尾松成熟林、毛竹林、杉木中龄林土壤蓄水能力在48 129~69 487t/km²之间,比坡耕地的26 684t/km²高出1~2倍。为实现森林土壤水库的功能,各森林地类蓄存1亿m³水分所需相应的面积为1 439.1~2077.7km²,而坡耕地则需3 747.5km²。     

Soil Formation and Vegetation Establishment on the Cliff Face of Abandoned Quarries in the Early Stages of Natural Colonization

The large number of abandoned quarries in many countries presents challenges for restoration of these extremely degraded habitats. To understand soil and plant development in these extreme habitats at a most critical stage of restoration, we evaluated the edaphic conditions and natural vegetation of three large quarries in southern China 3, 5, and 7 years following abandonment. Although soil fertility (organic matter, and N, P, K concentrations) did not differ significantly over a few years, it was much higher than would be expected from newly weathered soil and was comparable to that of the adjacent garden soil on level ground with no slope. This suggests that soil formation on the steep slopes of quarry cliffs is a secondary migration process rather than a primary weathering process. Vegetation cover increased from 10.6 to 18.6 and 23.4%, and species abundance increased from 8 to 11 and 12 species, and from 3 to 6 and 7 families. Plant species composition changed from predominantly annual and perennial herbaceous species to a more diverse community with drought-tolerant and heliophilous shrubs. The vegetation cover was highly positively correlated with soil depth and soil volume ( p < 0.001), and also significantly correlated with soil organic matter, total N, and available N and P concentrations ( p < 0.05). This suggests that vegetation succession is more limited by available soil volume than by soil fertility during the early stages of quarry restoration.     

子午岭次生植被下土壤蓄水性能及有效性研究

通过土壤水分特征曲线的测定,研究了子午岭北部黄土丘陵区不同次生植被群落类型下土壤蓄水性能及水分有效含量的变化。结果表明：撂荒地的土壤蓄水量最小,草地和灌木地的土壤蓄水量有所提高,增幅为17％～65％,而乔木林地土壤蓄水量最大,分别较撂荒地和草地、灌木地增加明显,其增加幅度分别达68％～79％、41％～50％和15％～20％;土壤田间持水量在0～20cm土层从撂荒地、草地、灌木林地到乔木林地,土壤田问持水量逐步提高,而20～50cm土层则变化不大;土壤有效水含量在两个土层中的变化均随着植被的进展演替呈现增加的趋势。讨论了植被与土壤互动关系中应进一步研究的问题。     

蔡家河湿地土壤种子库特征及其与地上植被和土壤因子的关系

为明确蔡家河湿地土壤种子库特征及其与地上植被和土壤因子的关系, 采用野外调查取样和室内萌发实验相结合的方法, 对芦苇群落, 野艾蒿群落和林下杂草群落3种不同植被类型的土壤种子库密度, 物种组成, 地上植被以及土壤理化性质进行了调查研究。结果表明: 蔡家河湿地3种植被类型的土壤种子库密度分别为(7725±1286) 粒•m-2, (2535±556) 粒•m-2和(5085±984) 粒•m-2; 物种数量分别为36种, 28种和39种。3种植被类型土壤种子库的物种丰富度以及多样性均高于地上植被, 并且3种植被类型间土壤种子库物种组成的相似性高于地上植被, 说明土壤种子库比地上植被具有更高的稳定性。芦苇群落的种子库密度, 物种多样性指数以及土壤种子库和地上植被物种组成的相似性均高于野艾蒿群落和林下杂草群落。土壤含水量与土壤有机质是影响土壤种子库物种组成的主要土壤因子, 在土壤水分以及有机质含量高的芦苇群落中含有大量湿生植物种子, 但在水分和有机质含量低的野艾蒿和林下杂草群落未发现柳叶菜(Epilobium hirsutum)、马先蒿(Pedicularis resupinata)、问荆(Equisetum arvense)等湿生植物的种子。因此, 蔡家河湿地土壤种子库已出现一定程度的退化, 芦苇群落土壤种子库可用作退化湿地植被恢复的种源, 在植被恢复时要满足种子萌发对土壤水分和有机质的需求。     

Erosion,phosphorus and phytoplankton response in rivers of South-Eastern Norway

The development of P fractions and phytoplankton was studied in three rivers with varying concentrations of seston.Less than 1% of the yearly TP transport may take place during periods with high algal biomass.The observation of a high growth rate of phytoplankton in the rivers coinciding with high concentrations of RP, low content of seston and high TP:Chl a ratio, indicate that the growth was often not P-limiting. During short periods with high phytoplankton biomass the ratio TP:Chl a may be low, indicating that a high fraction of TP was available.The content of P in soil samples and in samples with high seston content was about 0.1% of dry weight, and the algal availability of P often varied between 25 and 75% of TP for both types of samples.Decreasing biomass or low growth rates were observed at secchi depths less than 0.5 m and seston concentrations less than about 25 mg dry weight 1^–1. High flow rate also depressed the development of the total phytoplankton biomass. The assimilation of available P is incomplete under such conditions, i.e. under conditions of light limitation and high dilution rate.The availability of P for phytoplankton in rivers with different length, light conditions and stream velocity is discussed.     

黄土高原植被建设与土壤干燥化:问题与展望

黄土高原大规模植被建设有效减少了水土流失、改善了区域生态环境,大规模人工植被种植也造成了土壤水分的过度消耗,导致了土壤干燥化,成为当前黄土高原生态恢复的重要制约因素,威胁区域生态系统健康与稳定。系统综述了黄土高原地区人工植被恢复对土壤干燥化的作用机制,植被群落特征与土壤干燥化的耦合关系,多尺度土壤干燥化时空分异规律及其影响因素,明确了当前大规模人工植被恢复过程中土壤水分持续利用面临的问题与挑战。建议今后加强植被动态对水文过程影响的研究,明确多尺度植被格局与土壤干燥化时空分异的耦合关系,系统开展变化环境下不同尺度植被与土壤水分相互作用的模拟研究,探讨基于植被格局优化的土壤水分调控机制,维护黄土高原地区土壤安全,提升区域生态系统服务功能。     

Study on Water Balance and Evapotranspiration of Artificial Vegetation in Shapotou Area,Tenger Desert

Precipitation, the only water resource available for plants, is the main limited factor to plant growth in Shapotou area. After the vegetation protective system is built, the proportion between various components of water balance changes and exerts a great influence on growth and succession of artificial vegetation. By calculation on the basis of water balance using weighing electronic lysimeters, the results showed that the average precipitation (186.6 mm) met the need of plant growth in the earlier stage of sand control. The evapotranspiration of desert plants, of which the density is 75 in 100 m2 area of the ground, was much more than the annual' average precipitation. The ratio of evapotranspiration of Artemisia ordosica Kraschen. and Caragana korshinskii Kom. to precipitation was 136.6% and 131.1 % respectively. The ratio of soil evaporation in the water equilibrium rose as the precipitation decreased in the range of 100 ～ 200 mm. However when precipitation was around 100 mm, which was the lowest limit of precipitation available for artificial vegetation, water was almost solely dependant on the soil ineffective evaporation. The effects of precipitation distribution in time and space and formation of biocrust on the soil surface on water balance and water use in artificial vegetation were highly appraised.     

Assessing Impacts of Hydropattern Restoration of an Overdrained Wetland on Soil Nutrients, Vegetation and Fire

Restoring hydrology to overdrained wetlands can facilitate restoration of degraded ecosystems. In the northern Everglades, the Rotenberger Wildlife Management Area (RWMA) became a rain-driven system as historic overland inflows were redirected. Consequently, the soil experienced severe drying, resulting in frequent muck fires, oxidation and a shift in vegetation composition. In July 2001, the RWMA hydropattern restoration began utilizing discharge from Stormwater Treatment Area 5 (STA-5), a constructed wetland. As a result, predischarge hydroperiods averaging 124 days increased to an average of 183 days. Soil total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in the topsoil layer did not significantly change from predischarge (637 mg/kg) to postdischarge (633 mg/kg) concentrations. Muck fires appear to be the catalyst for rapid alterations in the bioavailability and solubility of P. Prior to muck fires, soil P pools were 88% organic P and 12% inorganic P, shifting to 49% organic P and 51% inorganic P measured after a muck fire. Sawgrass ( Cladium jamaicense , OBL) and Cattail ( Typha domingensis , OBL) cover approximately 75% of the RWMA area as dominant or codominant species. Predischarge vegetation community composition documented obligate (OBL) and facultative wetland (FACW) species, each composing 46% of all species surveyed. Postdischarge vegetation compositions shifted to 59% OBL and 39% FACW species. In addition, there were significant elevations in tissue nutrient concentrations, TP, and total nitrogen, between pre- and postdischarge samples. An adaptive management approach to inflow and outflow operations will be an important part of successful wetland restoration.     

Vegetation Restoration and Its Effects on Carbon Balance in Guangdong Province, China

The significance of the regional carbon (C) balance of vegetation restoration to global change was studied in Guangdong Province, one of the most populated provinces in China. The percentage of the province in forestland cover increased steadily from 26.23% in 1979 to 50.11% in 1998 owing to restoration of forests. During this period, the area increase in the conifer forest was 424.83 × 10⁴ ha, whereas the area in broad-leaved, mixed, and other forests increased by 68.82 × 10⁴, 18.94 × 10⁴, and 60.46 × 10⁴ ha, respectively. C sequestration by forest soils from 1979 to 1998 was 389.36 Mt, equivalent to 1.43 Pg fixed carbon dioxide (CO₂). The total annual CO₂ sequestration by forests and the soils was 118.05 Mt, which was about half of the annual CO₂ emission in Guangdong. The role of forest management and restoration in improving the carbon balance is discussed.     

南方沿海地区城市水土流失类型及特征—以珠海市三灶区为例

通过野外实地考察结合遥感技术手段开展珠海市三灶区城市水土流失重点调查。三灶区水土流失类型以人为侵蚀为主,主要是由开发平台建设、取土采石和修筑公路造成,侵蚀类型复杂多样,多沿交通道路两侧以及城市建成区周遍地带分布,侵蚀模数相差很大,最大侵蚀模数和最小侵蚀模数之间相差3个数量级,充分反映了城市水土流失的特点。     

Vegetation and soil recovery following Eucalyptus grandis removal in Limpopo Province,South Africa

South African terrestrial ecosystems are invaded by hundreds of alien plant species, and large‐scale clearing based on the passive restoration assumption that cleared areas will recover unaided is underway. This study assessed the recovery of vegetation and soil properties, three years following Eucalyptus grandis clearing using fell‐and‐removal and fell‐and‐stackburn methods at Zvakanaka Farm in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The main aim was to ascertain the extent of vegetation and soil recovery, as well as determining which clearing methods facilitate passive vegetation and soil restoration. Results indicate significantly (p < 0.001) lower native species diversity, cover and composition in cleared than in uninvaded sites. However, the recorded low species diversity and composition in cleared sites were more pronounced in the fell‐and‐stackburn than in the fell‐and‐removal sites. Measured soil physical properties varied, with compaction being higher in fell‐and‐removal, whereas soils were more repellent in fell‐and‐stackburn sites. The study concludes that vegetation and soil recovery, following E. grandis clearing, is complex and involves several interacting factors, which are linked to invasion history and intensity. Therefore, for vegetation and soil properties to recover, following E. grandis removal, the clearing programme should consider active restoration techniques, for example soil manipulation and native plant seeding.