Plant Spatial Pattern Predicts Hillslope Runoff and Erosion in a Semiarid Mediterranean Landscape

Abstract The importance of the spatial pattern of vegetation for hydrological behavior in semiarid environments is widely acknowledged. However, there is little empirical work testing the hypothetical covariation between vegetation spatial structure and hillslope water and sediment fluxes. We evaluated the relationships between vegetation structural attributes (spatial pattern, functional diversity), soil surface properties (crust, stone, plant, and ground cover, and particle size distribution) and hillslope hydrologic functioning in a semiarid Mediterranean landscape; in particular, we tested whether decreasing patch density or coarsening plant spatial pattern would increase runoff and sediment yield at the hillslope scale. Runoff and sediment yield were measured over a 45-month period on nine 8 × 2-m plots that varied in vegetation type and spatial pattern. We grouped vegetation into functional types and derived plant spatial pattern attributes from field plot maps processed through a GIS system. We found that there was an inverse relationship between patch density and runoff, and that both runoff and sediment yields increased as the spatial pattern of vegetation coarsened. Vegetation pattern attributes and plant functional diversity were better related to runoff and sediment yield than soil surface properties. However, a significant relationship was found between physical crust cover and plant spatial pattern. Our results present empirical evidence for the direct relationship between the hydrologic functioning of semiarid lands and both the spatial pattern and the functional diversity of perennial vegetation, and suggest that plant spatial pattern, physical crust cover, and functional diversity may be linked through feedback mechanisms.     

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。     

稀土尾矿土壤细菌群落结构对植被修复的响应

选用赣州-安远稀土弃废尾矿及其不同植被修复的堆浸田为研究对象,调查废弃尾矿及6种不同植被修复方案下土壤理化性质的变化,并利用变性凝胶梯度电泳(DGGE)技术,分析土壤微生物群落结构对植被修复的响应。结果表明:与未修复尾矿土壤相比,经不同植被修复后的土壤理化性质均得到明显改良,其中土壤含水量、有机质含量均比未修复尾矿土壤增加2—3倍。微生物群落结构分析表明,植被修复后土壤微生物群落与废弃尾矿土壤微生物群落亲缘度仅为0.21,表明植被修复后,土壤微生物群落结构发生了明显变化,且微生物多样性、均匀度、丰富度与未修复尾矿土壤相比均有了明显的提高。而在不同植被修复方案中,以湿地松和山胡椒为优势群落的两种植被修复方案对土壤改良效果最为明显,这两种修复方案不仅能显著改善土壤的固水性、有机质含量,并且对微生物群落的改善作用也最为显著。典范对应分析表明,废弃尾矿土壤微生物群落结构受土壤p H影响最为显著,而植被修复后土壤微生物群落的环境影响因子则转变为含水量、有机质、有机碳及总磷含量。进一步揭示了微生物在植被修复过程中所起到的重要作用,并为矿山生态重建过程中的土壤改良工作提供了丰富的理论依据。     

Disturbance is more important than seeding or grazing in determining soil microbial communities in a semiarid grassland

A primary goal of ecological restoration is often to return processes and functions to degraded ecosystems. Soil, while often ignored in restoration, supports diverse communities of organisms and is a fundamental actor in providing ecosystem processes and services. We investigated the impact of seeding and livestock grazing on plant communities, soil microorganisms, and soil fertility 3 years after the restoration of a disturbed pipeline corridor in southeastern Arizona. The initial soil disturbance and topsoil treatment, regardless of seeding or grazing, was the most influential factor in determining differences in both plant and microbial communities. Compared with the control, the disturbed and restored sites had greater plant species richness, greater total herbaceous plant cover, greater soil organic matter, higher pH, and differed in soil nutrients. Bacteria and fungi appeared to generally correlate with micro‐environment and soil physiochemical properties rather than specific plant species. The undisturbed control had a smaller proportion of bacterial functional groups associated with the breakdown of plant biomass (polysaccharide decomposition) and a smaller proportion of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) compared with disturbed and restored sites. The ability of the unseeded disturbed site to recover robust vegetation may be due in part to the high presence of AMF. These differences show selection for soil microorganisms that thrive in disturbed and restored sites and may contribute to increased plant productivity. Restoration of specific plant species or ecological processes and services would both benefit from better understanding of the impacts of disturbance on soil microorganisms and soil fertility.     

植被与水土流失关系研究进展

水土流失是世界性的环境问题之一,对人类社会可持续发展构成威胁,控制水土流失成为迫切需要,有许多水土流失控制措施,而生物措施尤其植被一直是人们研究的焦点.根据前人的研究,从斑块、坡面和流域/区域尺度总结了植被与水土流失的关系.斑块尺度植被对降雨和径流侵蚀能量具有很大的减弱或消除作用,可以改变植株底部的土壤性质,改善其结构,进而降低土壤可蚀性,增加入渗能力,从而减轻土壤侵蚀程度.不同植被类型、植被的不同层次结构,不同植被的形态结构具有不同的土壤侵蚀控制作用.坡面尺度主要从坡位、坡度、坡向对植被生长和分布格局的影响、对水土流失过程和格局的影响以及裸地-植被镶嵌格局、植被的条带格局对水土流失的影响和反映水土流失过程的景观格局指数的构建等方面进行了研究.更多是从植被恢复及其水土流失效应方面进行了探讨,为退化生态系统恢复和格局设计提供了极其有用的信息.流域/区域尺度植被与水土流失的关系更大程度上受到气候、地貌特征的影响,因此研究多从一定气候条件控制的土地覆盖（植被覆盖）及其格局的水土流失效应方面进行的.由于大尺度监测非常困难,研究多从遥感监测、GIS集成和模型模拟方面开展,是流域、区域等大尺度生态安全格局设计的有力支持.前人的研究为生态环境建设和保护提供了大量参考信息,但仍有一些问题需要进一步探讨,对此进行了初步的概括和归纳,希望能够对植被和水土流失关系的研究起到一定促进作用.     

露天煤矿区生态风险受体分析——以内蒙古平庄西露天煤矿为例

煤矿露天开采行为导致矿区岩体剥离、植被破坏和土壤物理化学性质的巨大改变,对采矿区土壤生态系统造成剧烈扰动,使其成为水土流失、滑坡等矿区潜在生态风险的主要受体。以内蒙古平庄西露天煤矿区土壤生态系统为研究对象,通过分析矿区主要景观单元的土壤理化性质、植被演替规律与土壤线虫群落结构特征,研究其生态脆弱性分布与变化规律。结果表明矿区土壤系统的成熟度与稳定度与其形成年限具有相关性,但与农田生态系统和未受扰动的自然生态系统相比,煤矿开采区与排弃物堆放区的土壤结构较差、土壤肥力偏低、动、植物群落成熟度和稳定性较差。受土壤养分条件及土壤微生物数量等因素的限制,其植被自然恢复速度慢,生态系统脆弱,需通过土壤改良、合理选种适生植物、改善土壤养分条件,促进植被重建。     

Successional dynamics of soil fungal diversity along a restoration chronosequence post‐coal mining

Soil disruption from open‐cut mining practices can adversely impact microbial communities and the ecosystem services that they mediate. Despite this, assessment of impacts of soil disruption, and the subsequent recovery of microbial communities is rarely studied. Monitoring of ecological restoration success on mine sites has traditionally focused on vegetation; however, most plants rely, at least in part, on associations with soil fungi for enhanced nutrient and water acquisition. Here, we used high‐throughput phylogenetic marker gene sequencing to characterize the diversity of soil fungal communities along a restoration chronosequence ranging from 3 to 23 years at a rehabilitated mine site. We used nonmined analogue sites as a baseline for comparative purposes and examined the associations of soil fungal communities with soil physicochemical and aboveground vegetation variables. Fungal richness on rehabilitated sites was significantly larger than on nonmined sites, suggesting that mixing of topsoil during stockpiling resulted in a composite microbial community. Fungal community composition was significantly influenced by edaphic variables and the length of rehabilitation, with mined sites becoming more similar to nonmined sites over time. Fungal populations associated with ectomycorrhizae were relatively more abundant than those associated with arbuscular mycorrhizae and declined in response to disturbance, but recovered over time on the woody dominated sites indicating a strong coupling of these fungi with aboveground vegetation. Our data indicate that soil fungal diversity is a useful bioindicator of soil restoration in mined sites and may complement more traditional vegetation‐based surveys.     

Evaluating soil seed banks of phosphate mining restoration in the hyper-arid Negev desert

Ecological systems are severely damaged by the anthropogenic disturbance of mining. Phosphate open-pit mining fields cover over 200 km² of the Negev desert, Israel. However, the effects of the ongoing mine site restoration efforts on the plant community have not been studied. Plants and their seed banks have a major role in ecosystem processes and restoration. In this study, we focused on three mining sites, restored in different years, along Zin River valley. We compared the plant community of restored mining plots within these areas to adjacent natural plots. We asked whether plant community germination potential from the soil seed bank differs between the restored plots and the adjacent natural plots within a mining site. We hypothesized that: (1) there is a lack of seed bank in the restored plots; (2) the altered soil composition at the restored plots inhibits germination. We used soil samples collected from the different mining sites and set up greenhouse experiments. One experiment compared natural and restored areas with different soil treatments. In another experiment, we added native seeds to test their germination potential on restored soil. Our results indicate that lack of seed bank is the major limiting factor hindering germination and not the composition of the soil after restoration. Our findings shed light on the constraints of seed bank establishment in post-mining areas of hyper-arid regions. We suggest considering active restoration practices to facilitate natural dispersal and improve seed bank establishment.     

Soil disturbance regime in relation to micro-scale landforms and its effects on vegetation structure in a hilly area in Japan

To clarify vegetation-landform relationships, we examined the soil disturbance regime in relation to micro-scale landforms and its effects on vegetation structure in a mixed temperate forest in a hilly area in northeastern Japan. Soil profiles in each micro-landform unit were surveyed to elucidate the effects of soil disturbances on the vegetation structure. The hilly area studied consisted of an upper and a lower hillslope area divided by an erosion front, which differed considerably with respect to vegetation structure. In the upper hillslope area, canopy was closed and dominated by Pinus densiflora and Quercus serrata. In the lower hillslope area, on the other hand, canopy was less closed and shrubs, ferns, and herbaceous species were abundant. The species composition changed gradually from the crest slope to the upper sideslope to the head hollow in the upper hillslope area. However, micro-landforms in the lower hillslope area seemed to have less effect on the vegetation structure. This may be because the lower hillslope area, in contrast to the upper hillslope area, has suffered from soil disturbances, and hence shrubs, ferns, and herbs have developed irrespective of micro-landforms. Thus, vegetation can be quite different depending on whether or not sites have suffered from soil disturbance. In disturbed stands, it is suggested that the frequency and intensity of disturbance are more important for species composition than the type of soil disturbance.     

干旱半干旱区坡面覆被格局的水土流失效应研究进展

植被恢复与建设是控制水土流失的重要措施.在干旱半干旱地区,植被在空间上的分布呈现离散特征,在坡面上形成的裸地-植被镶嵌和植被条带分布等覆被格局对水土流失过程具有重要影响.覆被格局与水土流失关系研究是景观生态学格局与过程研究的重要内容.从植被斑块、坡面覆被格局对水土流失的影响与耦合覆被格局与水土流失的手段和方法三个方面对国内外相关研究进行总结分析.从中发现,植被类型、层次结构和形态特征是植被斑块尺度上影响径流泥沙的关键因素;不同覆被类型的产流产沙特征与覆被格局的准确描述是研究覆被格局水土流失效应的重要基础;坡面覆被格局对水土流失的影响关键在于其改变了径流泥沙运移和汇集的连续性,应重点关注径流泥沙源汇区的连通性和空间分布在水土流失中的作用;以坡面的精确覆被制图为基础,建立基于水土流失过程的覆被格局指数和耦合格局信息的径流与侵蚀模型是定量研究覆被格局影响的有效手段.今后应加强以下研究:以动态系统的观点研究覆被格局的变化对水土流失的影响,系统理解覆被格局与水土流失之间的相互联系与反馈机制,探讨两者间动态关系随尺度变化的规律性并发展尺度上推方法;构建过程意义明确且简单实用的格局指数,将覆被格局与水土流失过程有机联系起来;发展覆被格局的动态信息与产流产沙过程相结合的水文模型,加强对格局与径流泥沙反馈系统的耦合,建立真正意义上的覆被格局-水土流失过程耦合模型.     

宁南山区不同植被恢复方式下土壤线虫群落特征:形态学鉴定与高通量测序法比较

线虫是土壤食物网的重要组分, 也是土壤健康与生态系统恢复的重要指示生物, 因此准确测定线虫群落特征是发挥其生态指示作用的基础。传统线虫学研究多采用形态学鉴定方法, 但高通量测序技术近年来也逐渐受到重视。然而, 关于这两种方法的对比研究目前仍比较缺乏。本研究同时采用形态学鉴定和高通量测序法, 在黄土高原宁夏南部山区, 对不同植被恢复方式下(农田、自然恢复草地、柠条(Caragana korshinskii)人工林地和苜蓿人工草地)土壤线虫的数量、群落格局和生态指数进行了测定和比较。结果表明: (1)高通量测序仅能提供线虫类群的相对多度, 而形态学鉴定法能够测定土壤线虫的绝对多度, 后者测定结果表明3种植被恢复样地, 特别是自然恢复草地和柠条人工林地, 较农田具有更高的土壤线虫多度; (2)高通量测序法检获的线虫类群数(3纲4目26科42属)高于形态学鉴定法的测定结果(2纲3目18科27属), 但两种方法仅检获15个共有线虫属, 前者检测到的植物寄生线虫属数(22属)较后者(7属)显著增加, 而食细菌线虫和杂食-捕食线虫则相反; (3)在两种方法下, 相比农田, 3种植被恢复样地尤其是自然恢复草地和柠条人工林地, 其食微线虫的相对多度均显著下降, 而植物寄生线虫和杂食-捕食线虫的相对多度大幅上升, 这也导致线虫成熟度指数(MI)和植物寄生线虫指数(PPI)的提高及瓦斯乐卡指数(WI)的显著下降; (4)相比形态学鉴定法, 高通量测序法能检测到更丰富多样的植物寄生线虫, 在该方法下土壤线虫群落的组成、结构和生态指数在植被恢复样地与农田之间的差异也更为显著。综上所述, 采用形态学鉴定和高通量测序法测定的不同植被恢复方式下的线虫群落特征具有显著差异。     

生态水文过程研究进展

生态水文学是研究生态格局和生态过程变化水文学机制的科学。它的一个重要研究方向是在不同时空尺度上和一系列环境条件下探讨生态水文过程。生态水文过程是指水文过程与生物动力过程之间的功能关系 ,它包括生态水文物理过程、生态水文化学过程及其生态效应。在探讨以上基本概念和总结生态水文过程研究特点的基础上 ,着重探讨生态水文物理过程、生态水文化学过程及其生态效应等生态水文过程核心内容的研究进展 ,并简要分析了生态水文过程研究中存在的主要问题和未来的研究热点。     

Assessing Simple Versus Complex Restoration Strategies for Industrially Disturbed Forests

Assessing the community‐level consequences of ecological restoration treatments is essential to guide future restoration efforts. We compared the vegetation composition and species richness of restored sites that received a range of restoration treatments and those of unrestored sites that experienced varying levels of disturbance. Our study was conducted in the industrially degraded landscape surrounding Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. The Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Forest once present in this area was degraded through logging, mining, and smelting activities beginning in the late 1800s until restoration of the most visibly degraded areas began in 1974. Restoration treatments ranged from simple abiotic enhancements to complex, multistage revegetation treatments using native and non‐native species, which included fertilizing, spreading of ground dolomitic limestone, understory seeding, and tree planting. Canonical correspondence analysis was used to determine which restoration treatments explained differences in the community structure among sites. We found that native understory vascular species richness was similar in restored sites that received more complex restoration treatments and unrestored sites that were mildly disturbed; however, the role of planted trees and non‐native species in the restored communities remains unclear. Understory vascular seeding played a key role in determining community composition of vascular understory and overstory communities, but the time since restoration commenced was a more important factor for nonvascular communities because they received no direct biotic enhancements. The use of non‐native species in the vascular seed mix seems to be slowly encouraging the colonization of native species, but non‐natives continue to dominate restored sites 25 years after restoration began.     

流域径流泥沙对多尺度植被变化响应研究进展

植被变化与流域水文过程构成一个反馈调节系统,是目前生态水文学研究的重点对象.由于植被自身的生长发育以及受自然因素和人为干扰的作用,植被变化具有多尺度性;由于受流域水文环境的异质性和水文通量的变化性的影响,流域水文过程也同样具有多尺度性.因此,只有通过对不同尺度生态水文过程分析,才能揭示流域径流泥沙对植被变化的响应机理.从不同时空尺度回顾了植被生长、植被演替、植被分布格局变化、造林以及森林经营措施等对流域径流泥沙影响的主要研究成果;概括了目前研究采用的3种主要方法,即植被变化对坡面水流动力学影响的实验室模拟、坡面尺度和流域尺度野外对比观测实验以及水文生态模型模拟方法;分析了植被变化与径流泥沙响应研究要考虑的尺度问题,从小区尺度上推至流域尺度或区域尺度时应考虑不同的生物物理控制过程.研究认为,要确切理解植被与径流泥沙在不同时空尺度的相互作用,必须以等级生态系统的观点为基础,有效结合生态水文与景观生态的理论,从地质-生态-水文构成的反馈调节入手,系统地理解植被变化与径流泥沙等水分养分之间的联系及反馈机制,建立尺度转换的基础.同时,作为有效的研究工具,今后水文模型的发展应更加注重耦合植被生理生态过程以及景观生态过程,从流域径流泥沙对多尺度植被变化水文响应的过程与机制入手,为植被恢复与重建、改善流域水资源状况和流域生态环境奠定基础.     

The role of plant–soil feedbacks and land-use legacies in restoration of a temperate steppe in northern China

Plant–soil feedbacks affect plant performance and plant community dynamics; however, little is known about their role in ecological restoration. Here, we studied plant–soil feedbacks in restoration of steppe vegetation after agricultural disturbance in northern China. First, we analyzed abiotic and biotic soil properties under mono-dominant plant patches in an old-field restoration site and in a ‘target’ steppe site. Second, we tested plant–soil feedbacks by growing plant species from these two sites on soils from con- and heterospecific origin. Soil properties generally did not differ between the old-field site and steppe site, but there were significant differences among mono-dominant plant patches within the sites. While soil species origin (i.e., the plant species beneath which the soil was collected) affected biomass of individual plant species in the feedback experiment, species-level plant–soil feedbacks were ‘neutral’. Soil site origin (old-field, steppe) significantly affected biomass of old-field and steppe species. For example, old-field species had higher biomass in old-field soils than in steppe soils, indicating a positive land-use legacy. However, soil site origin effects depended on the plant species beneath which the soils were collected. The predictive value of abiotic and biotic soil properties in explaining plant biomass differed between and within groups of old-field and steppe species. We conclude that the occurrence of positive land-use legacies for old-field species may retard successional replacement of old-field species by steppe species. However, high levels of idiosyncrasy in responses of old-field and steppe plant species to con- and heterospecific soils indicate interspecific variation in the extent to which soil legacies and plant–soil feedbacks control successional species replacements in Chinese steppe ecosystems.     

Soil reconstruction after mining fails to restore soil function in an Australian arid woodland

The biogeochemical properties of soils drive ecosystem function and vegetation dynamics, and hence soil restoration after mining should aim to reinstate the soil properties and hydrological dynamics of remnant ecosystems. The aim of this study is to assess soil structure in two vegetation types in an arid ecosystem, and to understand how these soil properties compare to a reconstructed soil profile after mining. In an arid ecosystem in southeast Australia, soil samples were collected at five depths (to 105 cm) from remnant woodland and shrubland sites, and sites either disturbed or totally reconstructed after mining. We assessed soil physico‐chemical properties and microbial activity. Soils in the remnant arid ecosystem had coarse‐textured topsoils that overlay clay horizons, which allows water to infiltrate and avoid evaporation, but also slows drainage to deeper horizons. Conversely, reconstructed soils had high sand content at subsoil horizons and high bulk density and compaction at surface layers (0–20 cm). Reconstructed soils had topsoils with higher pH and electrical conductivity. The reconstructed soils did not show increased microbial activity with time since restoration. Overall, the reconstructed soil horizons were not organized in a way that allowed rainfall infiltration and water storage, as is imperative to arid‐zone ecosystem function. Future restoration efforts in arid ecosystems should focus on increasing sand content of soils near the surface, to reduce evaporative water loss and improve soil quality and plant health.     

太行山南麓山区不同植被恢复类型土壤理化和细根结构特征

在干旱半干旱地区,由于水分匮乏、土壤贫瘠等因素,将形成一定的裸地斑块,而这些斑块极易造成水土流失、滑坡等灾害,而具有不同植被覆盖的林地则能有效的保持水土。为完善干旱半干旱地区不同植被恢复类型下土壤理化和细根特征,选择太行山南麓山区具有代表性的裸露地、草地、荆条地、侧柏地、栓皮地和刺槐地等植被恢复类型,比较了各植被恢复类型下的土壤养分、粒径及细根状况等差异。研究表明:1)相对于裸露地,有植被覆盖的植被恢复类型拥有良好的土壤及细根状况。2)在不同植被类型中,刺槐林的有效氮转化速率较高;侧柏林有较高的细根参数;草地能够提高土壤中可吸收的磷组分。3)林地类型和土层均对土壤中含水率、黏粒、细根生物量和比根长产生极显著影响(P0.001)。4)各植被类型的对于土壤斑块的利用能力不同;不同植被类型中土壤及细根状况变化量具有一定的相似性,研究为生态恢复中植被类型的合理布局提供了新思路。     

Spider communities as evaluation tools for wet heathland restoration

Over the last two centuries wet heathlands and associated habitats, such as poor fens and bogs, have suffered extensive fragmentation. Recently, large-scale projects aim to restore these rare habitats throughout Europe. To evaluate post-restoration trajectories of wet heathlands, suitable monitoring tools are urgently needed. Here, we investigated whether spider communities are useful tools for evaluating the restoration success of wet heathlands. Ordination revealed that dissimilarity in spider communities between patches of different age classes resulted mainly from vegetation cover and soil moisture. By using a functional trait-approach, we tested if the time since restoration affects trait distribution of spiders in wet heathlands. Typical wet heathland spider species were less common with increasing vegetation encroachment and lower water content. New patches were inhabited by summer active, eurytopic (non-heathland) spiders, while more typical heathland species were found in middle-aged and old patches. Our results suggest that time-related changes in vegetation structure and moistness of restored wet heathlands are clearly reflected by spider communities. Although mobile spiders quickly recolonize the restored heathlands, it takes time for typical heathland spiders to settle. Restoration measures should prevent the negative effects of a vegetation encroachment and a high density of forested edges and should rehabilitate the hydrological cycle in order to preserve rare heathland spiders. We discuss that accounting for responses of spiders provides additional information to guide wet heathlands restoration.     

Effects of natural vegetative restoration on soil fungal and bacterial communities in bare patches of the southern Taihang Mountains

Understanding the distribution and composition of soil microbes in bare patches is a critical step to improving ecological remediation. The effects of different vegetative restoration types on soil microbes within semi‐arid bare patches remain unclear. Here, we evaluated the distribution of soil fungi and bacteria among different ecological restoration types at the southern Taihang Mountains. Analysis of variance showed that the chemical properties of soil with vegetation cover have higher nutrient quality than those of the exposed soil. The results also suggested that vegetative restoration significantly improved the diversity and the richness of the soil fungal and bacterial communities. Sequencing results showed that Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were the main soil fungal communities, whereas Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Actinobacteria were the main soil bacterial communities. There were significant relationships between the contents of moisture, organic matter and organic carbon and the soil fungal/bacterial communities. Venn and network diagrams indicated that the vegetative restoration types largely influenced the soil fungi and weakly influenced the soil bacteria in the bare patches. This study discusses the importance of vegetative restoration in the ecological remediation of bare patches. These findings provide effective references for soil restorative measures, water conservation, and bare‐spot reduction at the southern Taihang Mountains in future.     

Progress in wetland restoration ecology

It takes more than water to restore a wetland. Now, scientists are documenting how landscape setting, habitat type, hydrological regime, soil properties, topography, nutrient supplies, disturbance regimes, invasive species, seed banks and declining biodiversity can constrain the restoration process. Although many outcomes can be explained post hoc, we have little ability to predict the path that sites will follow when restored in alternative ways, and no insurance that specific targets will be met. To become predictive, bolder approaches are now being developed, which rely more on field experimentation at multiple spatial and temporal scales, and in many restoration contexts.