Fractal Features of Soil Particle Size Distributions and Their Implications for Indicating Enclosure Management in a Semiarid Grassland Ecosystem

• Autorzy: Chen Wei , Chang Haitao , Liu Rentao

Identyfikatory

DOI

10.3161/15052249PJE2020.68.2.003

• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

Soil particle size distribution (PSD) is becoming an increasingly useful tool for the objective description of soil structure and intrinsic links between soil and the environment. Here we examined the fractal features of PSD and its correlation with soil physiochemical properties in grasslands under grazing and protected from grazing (enclosure) animals, before and after plant growing periods in a semiarid grassland ecosystem, in northern China. Our results showed that sand content was significantly higher in grassland soils under grazing compared with the enclosure at both sampling times (May and September), whereas their silt and clay contents followed the reverse pattern. The fractal dimensions of PSD (D_m) under enclosure were significantly greater than those found under grazing. The soil clay, silt contents and Dm were positively correlated with soil total N, total C, soil pH, and moisture content. By contrast, the soil sand content declined with increasing total N, total C, pH, and moisture content of soil. The soil fractal dimension of PSD had a positive correlation with soil clay and silt content, whereas it had a negatively correlated with sand content. From these results, we conclude installing enclosures can promote soil clay, silt, and soil particles' fractal dimension, with the latter could be used as a quantitative indicator of soil fertility characteristics. But it is unnecessary to use the fractal dimension of PSD as an index to evaluate the effects of enclosure management on degraded grassland.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

enclosure management; grazing; semiarid grassland; soil fractal feature; soil particle-size distribution; soil physiochemical properties

PL

zarządzanie obiektem zamkniętym; pastwisko; półpustynna łąka; cecha fraktalna gleby; rozkład wielkości cząsteczek gleby; właściwości fizjochemiczne gleby

• Wydawca: Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Czasopismo: Polish Journal of Ecology
• Rocznik: 2020
• Tom: Vol. 68, nr 2
• Strony: 132--144
• Opis fizyczny: Bibliogr. 57 poz., fot., rys., tab., wykr.

Twórcy

autor

Chen Wei

• Key Laboratory for Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Northwestern China, Ministry of Education, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China

autor

Chang Haitao

• Key Laboratory for Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Northwestern China, Ministry of Education, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China

autor

Liu Rentao

• Key Laboratory for Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Northwestern China, Ministry of Education, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China

Bibliografia

• 1. Anderson A. N., McBratney A. B., Crawford J. W. 1998 – Application of fractals to soil studies – Adv. Agron. 63: 30-76.
• 2. Ajorlo M., Abdullah R., Hanif A. H. M. 2011 – Impacts of livestock grazing on selected soil chemical properties in intensively managed pastures of Peninsular Malaysia – Pertan. J. Trop. Agricul. Sci. 34: 775-778.
• 3. Batjes N. H. 1996 – Total carbon and nitrogen in the soils of the world – Eur. J. Soil Sci. 47: 151-163.
• 4. Bikila N. G., Tessema Z. K., Abule E. G. 2016 – Carbon sequestration potentials of semiarid rangelands under traditional management practices in Borana, southern Ethiopia – Agr. Ecosyst. Environ. 223: 108-114.
• 5. Binkley D., Francis S., Margot K. 2003 – Influence of elk grazing on soil properties in Rocky Mountain National Park – Forest Ecol. Manag. 185: 235-247.
• 6. Chang H. T., Zhao J., Liu J. N. 2019 – Changes in soil physic-chemical properties and related fractal features during conversion of cropland into agroforestry and grassland, a case study of desertified steppe in Ningxia – Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 28: 14-25.
• 7. Deng J. F., Li J. H., Deng G. 2017 – Fractal scaling of particle-size distribution and associations with soil properties of Mongolian pine plantations in the Mu Us Desert, China – Sci. Rep. 7: 6742.
• 8. Drewry J. J., Cameron K. C., Buchan G. D. 2008 – Pasture yield and soil physical property responses to soil compaction from treading and grazing - a review – Aust. J. Soil Res. 46: 237-256.
• 9. Feng X., Qu J., Tan L. 2020 – Fractal features of sandy soil particle-size distributions during the rangeland desertification process on the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau – J. Soils Sediment. 20: 472-485.
• 10. Gao G. L., Ding G. D., Zhao Y. Y. 2016 – Characterization of soil particle size distribution with a fractal model in the desertified regions of northern China – Acta Geophys. 64: 1-14.
• 11. Gao Y. Z., Han X. G., Wang S. P. 2004 – The effects of grazing on grassland soils – Acta Ecologica Sinica, 24: 790-797.
• 12. Gao Y. H., Zeng X. Y., Schumann M. 2011 – Effectiveness of exclosures on restoration of degraded alpine meadow in the Eastern Tibetan Plateau – Arid Land. Res. Manag. 25: 164-175.
• 13. Girmay G., Singh B. R., Nyssen J. 2009 – Runoff and sediment-associated nutrient losses under different land uses in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia – J. Hydrol. 376: 70-80.
• 14. Hewins D. B., Lyseng M. P., Bork E. W., Alexander M. J., Cariyle C. N., Chang S. X. 2018 – Long-term grazing impacts on vegetation diversity, composition, and exotic species presence across an aridity gradient in northern temperate grasslands – Plant Ecol. 219: 649-663.
• 15. Hiernaux P. 1998 – Effects of grazing on plant species composition and spatial distribution in rangelands of the Sahel – Plant Ecol. 138: 191-202.
• 16. Hiernaux P., Bielders C. L., Valentin C. 1999 – Effects of livestock grazing on physical and chemical properties of sandy soils in Sahelian rangelands – J. Arid Environ. 41: 234-245.
• 17. Hou F. J., Yang Z. Y. 2006 – Effects of grazing of livestock on grassland – Acta Ecologica Sinica, 26: 244-264.
• 18. Huang C. Y. 2010 – Soil Science – Beijing: China Agriculture Press, pp. 56-329.
• 19. Huang G. H., Zhan W. H. 2002 – Fractal property of soil particle size distribution and its application – Acta Pedologica Sinica, 39: 490-497.
• 20. Huang G. H., Zhang R. D. 2005 – Evaluation of soil water retention curve with the pore-solid fractal mode – Geoderma, 127: 52-61.
• 21. Feyisa K., Beyene S., Angassa A. 2017 – Effects of enclosure management on carbon sequestration, soil properties and vegetation attributes in East African rangelands – Catena, 159: 9-19.
• 22. Jeddi K., Chaieb M. 2010 – Changes in soil properties and vegetation following livestock grazing exclusion in degraded arid environments of South Tunisia – Flora, 205: 175-189.
• 23. Li S. G., Harazono Y., Zhao H. L. 2002 – Micrometeorological changes following establishment of artificially established artemisia vegetation on desertified sandy land in the Horqin sandy land, China and their implication on regional environmental change – J. Arid Environ. 52: 117-119.
• 24. Li X. B., Zhang Y. F., Chen L. 2017 – Relationship between soil particle size distribution and soil nutrient distribution characteristics in typical communities of desert grassland – Acta Botanica Boreali Occidentalia Sinica, 37: 1635-1644.
• 25. Li Y. Q., Zhao H. L., Zhao X. Y. 2011 – Effects of grazing and livestock exclusion on soil physical and chemical properties in desertified sandy grassland, Inner Mongolia, northern China – Environ. Earth Sci. 63: 771-783.
• 26. Liu Y. X., Li D. C., Hou F. J. 2019 – Effect of grazing in spring and autumn on the physical and chemical properties of soil in Qilian Mountain – Pratacultural Science, 36: 273-283.
• 27. Liu X., Zhang G., Heathman G. C. 2009 – Fractal features of soil particle-size distribution as affected by plant communities in the forested region of mountain Yimeng, China – Geoderma. 154: 119-130.
• 28. Lobe I., Amenlung W., Du Preez C. C. 2001 – Losses of carbon and nitrogen with prolonged arable cropping from sandy soils of the South African Highveld – Eur. Soil Sci. 52: 93-101.
• 29. López-Ulloa D., Veldkamp E., Koning G. H. J. D. 2005 – Soil carbon stabilization in converted tropical pastures and forests depends on soil type – Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 69: 1110-1117.
• 30. Ly S. Q. 2012 – Study on Fractal Characteristics of Soil Particles and Their Correlation with Soil Properties in Lowlands of the Yellow River Delta – Ph.D. thesis, Shandong Agricultural University, China.
• 31. Luo Y. X., Liu R. T., Zhang J. 2019 – Soil particle composition, fractal dimension and their effects on soil properties following sand-binding revegetation within straw checkerboard in Tengger Desert, China – Chinese J. Appl. Ecol. 30: 169-179.
• 32. Mandelbrot B. B., Benoit B. 1983 – The fractal geometry of nature – Am. J. Phys. 51: 286-288.
• 33. Mekuria W., Veldkamp E., Corre M. D. 2011 – Restoration of ecosystem carbon stocks following exclosure establishment in communal grazing lands in Tigray, Ethiopia – Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 75: 246-256.
• 34. Mofidi M., Jafari M., Tavili A. 2013 – Grazing exclusion effect on soil and vegetation properties in Imam Kandi Rangelands, Iran – Arid Land Res. Manag. 27: 32-40.
• 35. Mureithi S. M., Verdoodt S., Gachene K. K. 2014 – Impact of enclosure management on soil properties and microbial biomass in a restored semi-arid rangeland, Kenya – J. Arid Land. 6: 561-570.
• 36. Muñoz J. D., Kravchenko A. 2011 – Soil carbon mapping using on-the-go near infrared spectroscopy, topography and aerial photographs – Geoderma, 166: 102-110.
• 37. Nosetto M. D., Jobbágy E. G., Paruelo J. M. 2006 – Carbon sequestration in semi-arid rangelands: comparison of Pinus ponderosa plantations and grazing exclusion in NW Patagonia – J. Arid Environ. 67: 0-156.
• 38. Qi Y., Jiang Q. O., Guo J. B. 2019 – Effects of seasonal grazing on vegetation and soil in Gan Nan alpine meadow – Acta Agrestia Sinica, 27: 306-314.
• 39. Raiesi F., Asadi E. 2006 – Soil microbial activity and litter turnover in native grazed and ungrazed rangelands in a semiarid ecosystem – Biol. Fertil. Soils, 43: 76-82.
• 40. Shang Z., Cao J., Guo R. 2017 – Effect of enclosure on soil carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus of alpine desert rangeland – Land Degrad. Dev. 28: 1166-1177.
• 41. Somda Z. C., Powell J. M., Bationo A. 1997 – Soil pH and nitrogen changes following cattle and sheep urine deposition – Commun. Soil Sci. Plant. 28: 1253-1268.
• 42. Soil Survey Staff Division 1993 – Soil Survey Manual – USDA Handb. vol. 18. U.S. Gov. Print. Office, Washington, DC.
• 43. Stavi I., Ungar E. D., Lavee H. 2008 – Grazing-induced spatial variability of soil bulk density and content of moisture, total carbon and calcium carbonate in a semi-arid rangeland – Catena, 75: 285-296.
• 44. Su Y. Z., Zhang T. H., Li Y. L. 2005 – Changes in soil properties after establishment of Artemisia halodendron and Caragana microphyllaon shifting sand dunes in semiarid Horqin sandy land, Northern China – Environ. Manage. 36: 272-281.
• 45. Su Y. Z., Zhao H. L. 2003 – Effects of land use and management on soil quality of Horqin sandy land – J. Appl. Ecol. 14: 1681-1686.
• 46. Su Y. Z., Zhao H. L., Zhao W. Z. 2004 – Fractal features of soil particle size distribution and the implication for indicating desertification – Geoderma, 122: 42-49.
• 47. Sun Y., He X. Z., Hou F. J. 2018 – Grazing increases litter decomposition rate but decreases nitrogen release rate in an alpine meadow – Biogeosciences, 15: 4233-4243.
• 48. Tessema Z., De Boer W., Baars R., Prins H. 2011 – Changes in soil nutrients, vegetation structure and herbaceous biomass in response to grazing in a semi-arid savanna of Ethiopia – J. Arid Environ. 75: 662-670.
• 49. Turcotte D. L. 1986 – Fractal fragmentation – Geography Res. 91: 1921-1926.
• 50. Tyler S. W., Wheatcraft S. W. 1992 – Fractal scaling of soil particle-size distributions: analysis and limitations – Soil Sci. Soc. Am. 56: 362-369.
• 51. Villamil M. B., Amiotti N. M., Peinemann N. 2001 – Soil degradation related to overgrazing in the semi-arid southern caldenal area of Argentina – Soil Science, 166: 441-452.
• 52. Wang Z. N., Yuan X., Wang D. L. 2018 – Large herbivores influence plant litter decomposition by altering soil properties and plant quality in a meadow steppe – Sci. Rep. 8: 1-10.
• 53. Wardle D. A. 2004 – Ecological linkages between aboveground and belowground biota – Science, 304 (5677): 1629-1633.
• 54. Yan Y. C., Xin X. P., Xu X. I. 2013 – Quantitative effects of wind erosion on the soil texture and soil nutrients under different vegetation coverage in a semiarid steppe of northern China – Plant Soil, 369: 585-598.
• 55. Yates C. J., Norton D. A., Hobbs R. J. 2000 – Grazing effects on plant cover, soil and microclimate in fragmented woodlands in south-western Australia: Implications for restoration – Austral. Ecol. 25: 36-47.
• 56. Zhao H. L., Zhao X. Y. 2005 – Desertification processes due to heavy grazing in sandy rangeland. Inner Mongolia – J. Arid Environ. 62: 309-319.
• 57. Zhao W. J., Zhen C., Hong M. 2017 – Fractal features of soil particle-size distributions and their relationships with soil properties in gravel-mulched fields – Arab. J. Geosci. 10: 21-30.

Uwagi

Opracowanie rekordu ze środków MNiSW, umowa Nr 461252 w ramach programu "Społeczna odpowiedzialność nauki" - moduł: Popularyzacja nauki i promocja sportu (2020).