Spatial and temporal variation in islands of fertility in the Sonoran Desert

In many arid and semi-arid ecosystems, canopy trees and shrubs have a strong positive influence on soil moisture and nutrient availability, creating islands of fertility where organic matter and nutrients are high relative to areas outside the canopy. Previous studies of canopy effects on soil processes have rarely considered how landscape context may modulate these effects. We measured the effects of velvet mesquite trees (Prosopis velutina) on soil moisture and the biogeochemistry of nitrogen at different positions along a topographic gradient from upland desert to riparian zone in the Sonoran Desert of central Arizona. We also examined how landscape position and patterns of precipitation interact to determine the influence of P. velutina on soil moisture, N availability assessed using ion exchange resins, net N mineralization and net nitrification, and microbial biomass C and N. P. velutina clearly created islands of fertility with higher soil organic matter, net N mineralization and net nitrification rates, and microbial biomass under mesquite canopies. These effects were consistent across the landscape and showed little temporal variability. Magnitude and direction of effect of mesquite on soil moisture changed with landscape position, from positive in the upland to negative in the terrace, but only when soil moisture was >4%. Resin N showed responses to mesquite that depended on precipitation and topographic position, with highest values during wet seasons and under mesquite on terraces. We suggest changes in proximity of P. velutina to groundwater lead to shifts in biogeochemical processes and species interactions with change in landscape position along a topographic gradient.     

Effects on soil,microclimate and vegetation of the native-invasive <Emphasis Type="Italic">Retama monosperma</Emphasis> (L.) in coastal dunes

The aim of this study was to analyse and quantify the effects of the canopy of the native-invasive N-fixer woody shrub Retama monosperma in the dune ecosystem, affecting the structure and function of the dune environment as well as plant community, in the context of the facilitation mechanism. Air temperature and relative humidity; soil pH, electric conductivity, organic matter (OM) and nutrient content; above and below-ground vegetation biomass, litter mass, species richness and Shannon diversity were determined and compared from sampling plots below the R. monosperma canopy and in canopy gaps within a coastal dune system in SW Spain. The relationships between soil OM and nutrient contents and above and below-ground vegetation biomass, litter mass, species richness and Shannon diversity were also assessed. A predominance of positive interactions was confirmed. The canopy of R. monosperma ameliorated temperature extremes beneath, and soil OM and nutrient concentrations were increased by 188–466%, compared to those found in gaps. Plant biomass increased by 442% beneath the canopy and was composed almost exclusively of herbaceous annuals. Plant diversity was not affected. Plant communities were clearly structured as fertility islands, distributed in an environmentally stressful dune matrix characterized by scarce vegetation cover and low biomass.     

Surface soil chemical and physical patterns in a brigalow–Dawson gum forest,central Queensland

Brigalow (Acacia harpophylla)–Dawson gum (Eucalyptus cambageana) open forests are predominantly supported by solodic soils in central Queensland. This report describes relations between some physical, chemical and morphological properties of surface soils (0–0.10 m) within a virgin brigalow–Dawson gum forest. Soil property gradients were found to radiate horizontally from tree-dominated to non-vegetated areas, indicative of a vegetation-induction process. These reflect the importance of litterfall organic matter in determining soil fertility and soil physical conditions at this site. The decomposition of litterfall is probably responsible for significant increases in soil organic carbon (C), total nitrogen (N) and total sulphur (S) concentrations with increasing vegetation canopy cover. The composition of soil organic matter appears constant across the study area, as similar soil C:N:S ratios were recorded across all vegetation canopy classes. Soil salinity, total phosphorus, mineral nitrogen, cation exchange capacity, exchangeable calcium and exchangeable potassium levels also increased with increasing vegetation canopy cover. Surface soil physical properties were also related to vegetation canopy cover. Bulk density and the < 20 μm dispersion ratio decreased while soil micro-relief and A hor?izon depth increased with increasing vegetation canopy cover. Organic C, through inverse relations with bulk density and the < 20 μm dispersion ratio, appears to enhance soil porosity and aggregate stability, indicating the role of organic matter in the stabilization of larger virgin soil aggregates. The close association between virgin forest and surface soil fertility is seen to have implications for changes in land-use, with a decline in nutrient availability, soil aggregate stability and productivity following forest clearing.     

Role of desert annuals in nutrient flow in arid area of Northwestern China: a nutrient reservoir and provider

Previous studies have tested the “vernal dam” hypothesis of spring ephemeral herbs in hardwood forests. The desert annual is a component of the desert ecosystem that takes advantage of water resources and temperature conditions during the rainy season to rapidly complete its life cycle within several months. To understand the role desert annual/ephemeral plants play in nutrient flow, we studied vegetation cover, nitrogen content and litter production of annual plants and litter decomposition rate in plant communities dominated by four shrubs (Haloxlon ammodendron, Hedysarum scoparium, Calligonum mongolicum, and Nitraria tangutorum) and two dominant annuals (Agriophyllum squarrosum and Halogeton arachnoideus Moq) in Minqin, northwestern China. Results indicate that over half of the total vegetation cover was provided by annuals. Annuals also took up a large amount of nitrogen (0.46–3.78 g N m⁻²) along the oasis–desert ecotone. Litter production and nutrient content were higher in areas dominated by annual plants than in areas dominated by shrubs. Furthermore, the litter decomposition rate of the annuals was higher than that of the shrubs, except for the shrub H. ammodendron, although almost all of the litter’s carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) remained after 6 months of decomposition. Without the annuals, more nutrients and rainwater might be lost through leaching or dust transfer caused by the wind erosion. In addition, green twigs of the annuals are the food for some animals, we found some green twigs and litter from annuals left in front of gerbil and rabbit burrows, sometimes even blocking these burrows. Thus, desert summer annuals, like nutrient reservoirs and providers, take up nutrients during the rainy season, providing some animals and microbes with food, and finally release these nutrients after death. Bao-Ming Chen and Gen-Xuan Wang contributed equally to this work.     

树干径流对梭梭"肥岛"和"盐岛"效应的作用机制

为探明荒漠灌木个体周围土壤养分和盐分的空间分布及其成因,以荒漠灌木梭梭(Haloxylon ammodendron Bge.)为研究对象,对其周围土壤pH值,电导率,有机碳,全氮和有效磷的空间异质性以及树干径流的化学性质进行了研究。结果表明:树干周围出现显著的"肥岛"效应,且土壤有机碳,全氮和有效磷的"肥岛"作用范围发生在距主根大约20—40 cm以内。土壤pH值和电导率在主根周围25 cm以内的值却显著低于外围,而在离主根25 cm处出现了"盐岛",即在梭梭主根中心形成了一种高养分、低盐和低pH值的环境。树干径流和自然降雨化学性质的对比研究表明:除pH值和CO23-外,树干径流中其他化学离子的含量均显著高于自然降雨中的含量,说明这种高养分、低盐分的环境是由树干径流引起的,也就是树干径流带给土壤养分的同时将盐分带走。     

Gradation in Nutrient Composition and Photosynthetic Pathways Across the Restinga Vegetation of Brazil

The restinga comprises coastal vegetation formations which dominate the Atlantic seaboard of Brazil. Exposed sand ridges and associated lagoon systems have poorly developed soils subject to pronounced water deficits. Distinct vegetation zones support a high diversity of life forms, and a comparative study has been undertaken to investigate interactions between degree of exposure, nutrient supply and photosynthetic pathway (C₃, or CAM) in selected species across the restinga. A number of species occurring throughout the restinga were chosen as representative species of different life forms, comprising C₃ pioneer shrubs (Eugenia rotundifolia and Erythroxylum ovalifolium), impounding (tank) terrestrial bromeliad (Neoregelia cruenta: CAM) and the atmospheric epiphyte (Tillandsia stricta: CAM). Comparisons of plant and soil nutrient composition, and airborne deposition were conducted for each zone. Soil nutrient content and organic matter were closely related, reaching a maximum in zone 4, the seaward face of the inner dune. Salt concentration in leaves was independent of atmospheric deposition for the terrestrial species, in contrast to the atmospheric epiphyte T. stricta. In the slack area, vegetation formed characteristic “islands” with the soil beneath enriched in nutrients, suggesting a complex interplay between plants and soil during the development of vegetation succession. Here, two additional trees were investigated, C₃ and CAM members of the Clusiaceae, respectively Clusia lanceolata and C. fluminensis. Stable isotope composition of nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) was generally more negative (depleted in ¹⁵N) in plants with low total nitrogen content. This was exemplified by the atmospheric bromeliad, T. stricta, with an N content of 2.91 g/kg and δ¹⁵N of ?12.3 per mil. Stable isotopes of carbon (δ¹³C) were used to identify the distribution of photosynthetic pathways, and while the majority of bromeliads and orchids were CAM, analysis of the soil organic matter suggested that C₃ plants made the major contribution in each zone of the restinga. Since δ¹³C of plant material also suggested that water supply was optimal in zone 4, we conclude that succession and high diversity in the restinga is dependent on exposure, edaphic factors, and perhaps a critical mass of vegetation required to stabilize nutrient relations of the system.     

Priming and microbial nutrient limitation in lowland tropical forest soils of contrasting fertility

Priming is an increase in soil organic carbon decomposition following input of labile organic carbon. In temperate soils where biological activity is limited commonly by nitrogen availability, priming is expected to occur through microbial acquisition of nitrogen from organic matter or stimulated activity of recalcitrant-carbon degrading microorganisms. However, these priming mechanisms have not yet been assessed in strongly weathered tropical forest soils where biological activity is often limited by the availability of phosphorus. We examined whether microbial nutrient limitation or community dynamics drive priming in three lowland tropical forest soils of contrasting fertility (‘low’, ‘mid’ and ‘high’) by applying C₄-sucrose (alone or in combination with nutrients; nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) and measuring (1) the δ¹³C-signatures in respired CO₂ and in phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) biomarkers, and (2) the activities of enzymes involved in nitrogen (N-acetyl β-glucosaminidase), phosphorus (phosphomonoesterase) and carbon (β-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, xylanase, phenol oxidase) acquisition from organic compounds. Priming was constrained in part by nutrient availability, because priming was greater when sucrose was added alone compared to when added with nutrients. However, the greatest priming with sucrose addition alone was detected in the medium fertility soil. Priming occurred in parallel with stimulated activity of phosphomonoesterase and phenol oxidase (but not N-acetyl β-glucosaminidase); when sucrose was added with nutrients there were lower activities of phosphomonoesterase and phenol oxidase. There was no evidence according to PLFA δ¹³C-incorporation that priming was caused by specific groups of recalcitrant-carbon degrading microorganisms. We conclude that priming occurred in the intermediate fertility soil following microbial mineralization of organic nutrients (phosphorus in particular) and suggest that priming was constrained in the high fertility soil by high nutrient availability and in the low fertility soil by the low concentration of soil organic matter amenable to priming. This first study of priming mechanisms in tropical forest soils indicates that input of labile carbon can result in priming by microbial mineralization of organic nutrients, which has important implications for understanding the fate of organic carbon in tropical forest soils.     

The effects of harvester ant (Messor ebeninus Forel) nests on vegetation and soil properties in a desert dwarf shrub community in north-eastern Arabia

In desert ecosystems, harvester ants have been shown to be important granivores and seed dispersers. Because many desert plants exist as seeds in the ground for long periods, harvester ants may greatly influence plant population dynamics. In this study, we examine the effects of harvester ant nests on vegetation and soil properties in a desert ecosystem dominated by the dwarf shrub Rhanterium epapposum in Kuwait, north-eastern Arabia. Soil properties were greatly modified in the circular refuse zone around the nests of the harvester ants, with elevated levels of nutrients (except nitrogen) and organic matter. Plant species richness and productivity were also significantly enhanced in the refuse zone. The vast majority of species inhabiting this zone were desert annuals, but there is no evidence to suggest that the species involved have any distinct association with ant nests. Harvester ants therefore contribute substantially to small-scale spatial heterogeneity in this aridland plant community. It is also suggested that the significance of ant nests in providing favourable sites for plant growth is enhanced in drier years, when many species in off-nest sites may die prematurely due to drought. Furthermore, because ants occasionally abandon their nests and create new colonies, the addition of nutrient-rich patches to the landscape over time could represent an important mechanism for maintaining fertility of desert soils, possibly with long-term implications for plant biodiversity. Harvester ants can therefore be regarded as a key ecosystem engineer in this relatively undisturbed desert ecosystem of Kuwait.     

影响阜康荒漠-绿洲过渡带荒漠植物数量特征的土壤驱动力分析

荒漠-绿洲过渡带是绿洲向沙漠系统的过渡地带,荒漠植物是绿洲扩展或荒漠化加速的缓冲器,土壤环境是影响植物演变的重要影响因素,土壤环境因素是整个过渡带演化的重要驱动力。通过对阜康荒漠-绿洲过渡带荒漠植物群落实地调查,利用通用植物数量分析软件CANOCO 5.0中冗余度分析(RDA),探讨过渡带影响荒漠植物群落数量特征指标的土壤驱动因子。结果表明:(1)土壤含水量、全N、全P和有机质是影响荒漠植物群落数量特征的主要驱动力因子,环境解释量累计达到69%,而总盐、p H和全K对荒漠植物群落数量特征影响较弱;(2)4个土壤主要驱动力对荒漠植物群落数量特征重要性大小顺序:土壤含水量有机质全N全P;(3)荒漠植物群落数量特征与土壤含水量、有机质和全P呈正相关,但与全N为负相关关系,揭示了土壤含水量、有机质和全P是利于荒漠植物群落稳定的正驱动力,而全N为抑制荒漠植物生长的负驱动力。综上所述,土壤各因子的驱动力作用不尽相同,存在正、负差异,协同维护荒漠植物群落数量特征的稳定和发展。     

Responses of soil microorganisms to resource availability in urban, desert soils

Terrestrial desert ecosystems are strongly structured by the distribution of plants, which concentrate resources and create islands of fertility relative to interplant spaces. Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition resulting from urbanization has the potential to change those spatial patterns via resource inputs, resulting in more homogeneous soil resource availability. We sampled soils at 12 desert remnant sites around Phoenix, Arizona along a model-predicted gradient in N deposition to determine the degree to which deposition has altered spatial patterns in soil resource availability and microbial activity. Soil microbial biomass and abundance were not influenced by atmospheric N deposition. Instead, plant islands remained strong organizers of soil microbial processes. These islands of fertility exhibited elevated pools of resources, microbial abundance, and activity relative to interspaces. In both plant islands and interspaces, soil moisture and soil N concentrations predicted microbial biomass and abundance. Following experimental wetting, carbon dioxide (CO₂) flux from soil of interspaces was positively correlated with N deposition, whereas in plant islands, soil CO₂ flux was positively correlated with soil moisture content and soil organic matter. Soil CO₂ flux in both patch types showed rapid and short-lived responses to precipitation, demonstrating the brief time scales during which soil biota may process deposited materials. Although we observed patterns consistent with N limitation of microbes in interspaces, we conclude that atmospheric N deposition likely accumulates in soils because microbes are primarily limited by water and secondarily by carbon or nitrogen. Soil microbial uptake of atmospherically deposited N likely occurs only during sparse and infrequent rainfall.     

模拟氮沉降对荆条灌木“肥岛”土壤养分的影响

氮沉降的增加,可能会对土壤养分造成更为显著的影响,目前关于大气氮沉降对植物"肥岛"效应中土壤养分的影响鲜有报道。于河南省太行山南麓地区,以NH_4NO_3为供施氮源,按土层深度采集土样,以模拟氮沉降方法(3个水平,无氮CK、低氮2g N m~(-2)a~(-1)处理、中氮12g N m~(-2)a~(-1)处理和高氮24g N m~(-2)a~(-1)处理),分析了氮沉降对太行山荆条灌木(Vitex negundo L.var.)"肥岛"土壤中有机质、全氮和速效磷含量的影响。结果表明:灌木"肥岛"中全氮和速效磷含量,总体表现出随氮沉降量增长而增加的趋势;氮沉降显著增加了土壤表层有机质、氮、磷的含量;高氮沉降与CK相比引起的各土层间养分差异更显著;随着氮沉降水平的增加,冠幅内外和土层间养分差异增大,土壤养分的增长率随之加大;氮沉降在一定程度内加剧了"肥岛"的富集效应,且氮沉降量越大,这种富集效应越显著。这些研究结果可为研究灌木"肥岛"对外源氮的响应机制及保育作用提供参考。     

Vegetation responses in Alaskan arctic tundra after 8 years of a summer warming and winter snow manipulation experiment

We used snow fences and small (1 m²) open‐topped fiberglass chambers (OTCs) to study the effects of changes in winter snow cover and summer air temperatures on arctic tundra. In 1994, two 60 m long, 2.8 m high snow fences, one in moist and the other in dry tundra, were erected at Toolik Lake, Alaska. OTCs paired with unwarmed plots, were placed along each experimental snow gradient and in control areas adjacent to the snowdrifts. After 8 years, the vegetation of the two sites, including that in control plots, had changed significantly. At both sites, the cover of shrubs, live vegetation, and litter, together with canopy height, had all increased, while lichen cover and diversity had decreased. At the moist site, bryophytes decreased in cover, while an increase in graminoids was almost entirely because of the response of the sedge Eriophorum vaginatum. These community changes were consistent with results found in studies of responses to warming and increased nutrient availability in the Arctic. However, during the time period of the experiment, summer temperature did not increase, but summer precipitation increased by 28%. The snow addition treatment affected species abundance, canopy height, and diversity, whereas the summer warming treatment had few measurable effects on vegetation. The interannual temperature fluctuation was considerably larger than the temperature increases within OTCs (<2°C), however. Snow addition also had a greater effect on microclimate by insulating vegetation from winter wind and temperature extremes, modifying winter soil temperatures, and increasing spring run‐off. Most increases in shrub cover and canopy height occurred in the medium snow‐depth zone (0.5–2 m) of the moist site, and the medium to deep snow‐depth zone (2–3 m) of the dry site. At the moist tundra site, deciduous shrubs, particularly Betula nana, increased in cover, while evergreen shrubs decreased. These differential responses were likely because of the larger production to biomass ratio in deciduous shrubs, combined with their more flexible growth response under changing environmental conditions. At the dry site, where deciduous shrubs were a minor part of the vegetation, evergreen shrubs increased in both cover and canopy height. These changes in abundance of functional groups are expected to affect most ecological processes, particularly the rate of litter decomposition, nutrient cycling, and both soil carbon and nitrogen pools. Also, changes in canopy structure, associated with increases in shrub abundance, are expected to alter the summer energy balance by increasing net radiation and evapotranspiration, thus altering soil moisture regimes.     

Soil fertility and herb facilitation mediated by Retama sphaerocarpa

Abstract. Woody legumes growing in dry climates can increase soil nutrient content and facilitate plant growth in their understorey. We investigated differences in soil fertility and herbaceous community in relation to the presence and absence of the legume Retama sphaerocarpa in a shrubland in a mediterranean type climate. The results showed a higher content of limiting nutrients for plant growth, such as phosphorus and nitrogen, under the R. sphaerocarpa canopy. Herbaceous biomass, cover and nitrogen content increased below the canopy. However, species richness and diversity were diminished in the presence of a dense canopy of R. sphaerocarpa. Nitrogen isotopic analysis did not indicate a clear relationship between symbiotic fixation in R. sphaerocarpa and nitrogen content of soil and plants under its canopy. Nevertheless, herbs growing in the understorey showed a linear correlation between foliar N content and ¹⁵N values. The existence of a dense shrub canopy induced a smaller monthly variation in herb richness, diversity and biomass, suggesting that it provides a stable microhabitat facilitating herbaceous vegetation establishment and growth. The ‘shelter’ effect was more important when environmental conditions became stressful for herbaceous plants.     

Effects of wind erosion on the spatial heterogeneity of soil nutrients in two desert grassland communities

Wind is known to affect the spatial heterogeneity of soil resources in arid and semiarid systems, but multi-year, quantified observations are largely absent. We studied the effects of wind erosion on the spatial distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) and other soil nutrients at the Jornada Experimental Range, in southern New Mexico. Enhanced wind erosion was encouraged by grass cover reduction in a Sporobolus-mesquite dominated site (SM) and a Bouteloua-mesquite dominated site (BM). The scale and magnitude of spatial dependence for the soil analytes were quantified using geostatistical analyses. Results of this study show that soil organic matter related analytes such as SOC, TN, N_avail, and SO₄ ^2- are among the first to be eroded and redistributed; cations such as Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ may not be removed and redistributed significantly; and other ions such as K⁺, Na⁺ and Cl⁻ showed no discernible pattern of change. Geostatistics show that wind appeared to increase the scale of spatial autocorrelation, but decrease the scale of spatial dependence of most soil analytes over 2–3 windy seasons. In the wind enhanced plot of the SM site, up to 99% of the spatial dependence of SOC was autocorrelated at the distance of 1.45 m before the initiation of wind erosion, but the spatial dependence dropped significantly to only 60% at a larger autocorrelation distance of 2.76 m after three windy seasons. Similar but less significant changes were observed for SOC in the BM site. Despite the differential effects of wind on the soil analytes, we conclude that the overall results of wind on the grass cover reduction plots are the disappearance of small, strong fertile islands, which may be related to grasses; and the reinforcement of large fertile islands, which are likely related to mesquite shrubs. In addition, the change of the spatial patterns of SOC and other soil nutrients induced by enhanced wind erosion may persist and reinforce soil islands associated with shrubs, thus allowing a positive feedback for further desertification in this arid grassland.     

Savanna tree influence on understory vegetation and soil nutrients in northwestern Kenya

Abstract. Contrary to observations and models in which trees and herbaceous plants are viewed as competitors, we found that trees in an African savanna have positive impacts on herbaceous biomass production and composition, and on soil nutrient status. In the Turkana District of northwestern Kenya, we investigated vegetation and soil gradients along equi-angular transects radiating from the boles of individual Acacia tortilis trees. Total herbaceous biomass averaged 260 ± 17(se) g/m² at the bole and declined to 95 ± 8 g/m² in the tree interspaces. Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen concentrations were greatest (0.72 % and 0.083 %, respectively) in shallow soils near the bole and declined rapidly toward the interspaces and with increasing depth. Transects were also established between tree pairs to assess effects of differential canopy proximities. Grass production averaged 220 ± 21 g / m² below overlapping canopies, 150 ± 15 g / m² under individual canopies, and 95 ± 8 g / m² in interstitial areas. Detrended correspondence analysis revealed that shifts in species composition were correlated with distance from tree bole out to the edge of the canopy. Species response, in terms of relative cover, to increasing distance from the bole, seemed to fall into five general classes: 1) greatest at the bole, 2) increasing with distance from the bole, 3) greatest in the mid canopy zone, 4) least at the bole and 5) no response. Trees did not influence herbaceous compositionbeyondtree canopies. It is assumed that shade cast by the tree canopy with subsequent reductions of understory water stress and temperature and increased nutrient concentrations may be the most important factors affecting understory soil and vegetation.     

沙漠绿洲过渡带柽柳灌丛沙堆-丘间地系统土壤养分空间异质性

以塔克拉玛干沙漠南缘策勒沙漠绿洲过渡带为研究区,选取植被盖度依次为30%、15%—20%、10%和5%的4个典型样地,对各样地的柽柳灌丛沙堆-丘间地系统典型部位0—10 cm和10—20 cm土壤进行系统采样,分析土壤枯落物、有机质、全效N、P、K和速效N、P、K含量,从风沙地貌的角度研究过渡带沙漠化进程中土壤养分分布特征。结果表明:(1)随着植被总盖度的降低,灌丛沙堆表层0—10 cm土壤的枯落物、有机质、全N、全K、速效K含量呈降低趋势,平均降幅为69.3%、37.0%、35.3%、8.3%和24.5%。全P含量没有明显的变化,速效N和速效P含量呈先减小后增大的趋势;(2)从灌丛下→沙堆边缘→丘间地→风影区,土壤枯落物、有机质、全N、全P、速效N、速效P、速效K含量表现出先减小后增大的趋势,最大值位于灌丛下部位,最小值位于丘间地,但在植被盖度5%的样地,沙堆-丘间地系统各部位之间养分含量无显著性差异;(3)与0—10 cm土层相比,10—20 cm土层的枯落物、有机质、全N、全P和速效P含量显著降低,平均降幅为40.0%、27.0%、25.0%、4.5%和2.0%,全K、速效N和速效K含量明显增加,平均增幅为4.8%、103.3%和12.1%。随着植被盖度的降低,10—20 cm土层的养分含量具有与0—10 cm土层相对一致的变化趋势;(4)灌丛的生物反馈作用使得灌丛下部位具有明显的养分富集效应,但随着植被总盖度的降低和风沙活动不断加剧,非生物因素逐渐占据主导,灌丛的养分富集效应趋于减弱和消失。     

湘南红壤丘陵区不同植被类型下土壤肥力特征

以自然植被恢复长期定位试验为基础,通过分析自然恢复31a后形成的6个植被类型区(樟树、枫树、梓树、白檵木、唐竹、白茅草)、2个同期种植的人工植被区(湿地松、板栗)以及相邻裸地区0—100 cm土层pH值、有机质及主要养分含量的变化,明确了湘南红壤丘陵区不同植被类型对土壤肥力的影响。结果表明:(1)白茅草和唐竹区的土壤pH值显著高于裸地区,但枫树和白檵木区的土壤酸化明显。(2)土壤有机质、活性有机质、全P、速效P等指标表现为乔木草本灌木,碱解N、全K、速效K表现为灌木乔木草本,全N表现为乔木灌木草本。(3)土壤综合肥力优劣为:枫树区梓树区白檵木区樟树区唐竹区白茅草区湿地松区板栗区裸地区,自然恢复植被比人工植被更有利于土壤肥力的提高。     

Impact of off-road vehicles on soil and vegetation in a desert rangeland in Saudi Arabia

Off-road vehicle driving is considered as main contributor to land degradation in arid regions. This study examined the impact of off-road vehicles (ORV) on soil and vegetation in a natural recreational desert meadow of Raudhat Khuraim, Saudi Arabia. Vegetation canopy cover and plant height away from road tracks were assessed. Also, species density and canopy cover, bare ground cover and soil attributes were assessed in four microhabitats; tracks, inter-tracks, verges, and away from vehicle tracks (undisturbed natural areas). Results show that the cover of forbs and grasses was negatively associated with distance from road verges. It was observed that the height of woody species responded negatively to distance away from tracks. Cover of native species decreased under verge, inter-track and track microhabitats giving more opportunity for weeds to flourish. Bare ground was highest (60.7%) in tracks. ORV impact on soil bulk density was clear with an increase of 38% under tracks compared to soils of undisturbed natural vegetation and a similar decrease in porosity was observed. On the other hand, soil electrical conductivity was significantly higher (5.45 mS cm^?1) under disturbance compared to 1.32 mS cm^?1 in undisturbed natural vegetation. Organic matter and nitrogen were not affected significantly by ORV disturbance. The results emphasize that managing off-road vehicle driving is essential for conserving native vegetation.     

Topography strongly affects atmospheric deposition and canopy exchange processes in different types of wet lowland rainforest,Southwest Costa Rica

Bulk precipitation and throughfall were collected in a wet lowland rainforest in SW Costa Rica on an event basis to allow modelling the contributions of dry deposition and canopy exchange to nutrient inputs and internal cycling of nutrients. Estimates based on bulk precipitation underestimated total atmospheric deposition to tropical rainforests by up to 10-fold ignoring the contributions of dry deposition. Canopy exchange contributed most of the aboveground inputs to the forest soil of Na⁺, about half for K⁺, 10% for P and Mg²⁺ and negligible for N, C and other elements. Tree species composition did not account for the differences found in net throughfall between forest sites, and vegetation structure (plant area index) had only a small effect on net throughfall. Forest regrowth affected net throughfall through reduced soil fertility and differences in leaf traits. Topography most significantly affected net throughfall via increased dry deposition at sites of higher elevation and via soil fertility and increased canopy exchange at down slope sites.     

Relationships among soil fertility,native plant diversity and exotic plant abundance inform restoration of forb‐rich eucalypt woodlands

Aim Water and nutrient availability are major limits to productivity in semi‐arid ecosystems; hence, ecological restoration often focuses on conserving or concentrating soil resources. By contrast, nutrient enrichment can promote invasion by exotic annuals, leading to restoration approaches that target reduction of soil nutrients. We aimed to explore potential biodiversity trade‐offs between these approaches by investigating relationships among soil nutrients, exotic annuals and native plant diversity and composition. In particular, we investigated the hypothesis that native plant diversity in semi‐arid to temperate woodlands reflects the productivity–diversity hypothesis, leading to hump‐backed relationships with soil nutrients such that (1) native plant diversity declines with increasing nutrient enrichment and (2) native diversity is limited at the lowest levels of soil fertility. Location Fragmented, long‐ungrazed Eucalyptus loxophleba subsp. loxophleba (York gum)–Acacia acuminata (jam) woodlands in the wheatbelt of South‐Western Australia. Methods We conducted stratified surveys of floristic composition and topsoil nutrient concentrations in 112 woodland patches. We used generalized linear models, structural equation models and ordinations to characterize relationships among soil nutrients, rainfall, exotic annuals and patch‐scale (100 m²) native plant composition and diversity. Results Patch‐scale native plant diversity declined strongly with increasing exotic abundance. This was partly related to elevated soil nutrient concentrations, particularly total nitrogen and available phosphorus. By contrast, there was little evidence for positive correlations between soil nutrients and native diversity, even at very low soil nutrient concentrations. Main conclusions Minimizing weed invasions is crucial for maximizing native plant diversity in E. loxophleba woodlands and could include nutrient‐depleting treatments without substantially compromising the functional capacity of soils to maintain native plant richness and composition. More broadly we emphasize that understanding relationships among ecosystem productivity, plant diversity and exotic invasions in the context of associated theoretical frameworks is fundamental for informing ecological restoration.