Effects of artificial soil crusts on micro ecological environment and vegetation restoration on the loess slope
Wang Ruijun, Wang Baitian, Zhang Fan,Wang Ning, Shu Xin, Qu Hong, Yuan Yao, Yang Hao
1. School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, 100083, Beijing,China; 2. Chifeng Municipal Forestry Bureau of Inner Mongolia,024000,Chifeng,Inner Mongolia,China; 3. College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University,100083, Beijing,China; 4. Ming Dynasty Tombs Forest Farm, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Landscaping, 102200, Beijing,China
To promote vegetation restoration on arid sunny slopes in the loess plateau, artificial soil crusts were adopted on waste soil slopes in Fangshan County, Shanxi Province, and their effects on the improvement of micro ecological environment and vegetation growth were determined. The first test began on April 26, 2012 and the second on July 20, 2012, both finished on November 30, 2012. The results were shown as follows. 1) The artificial soil crusts increased the monthly average temperature of surface soil layer of 10 cm deep by 1.9°. 2) The monthly average soil moisture at 10 cm depth was 35.8% higher than that of the control area. 3) The volume of rainfall erosion rills in the crusted area was 50% less than that in the control area. 4) When nitrogen fertilizers and carbon biological polymers were applied simultaneously, plant biomass was three times larger than that when either of them was applied alone. 5) The artificial soil crusts promoted the germination of seeds in the soil seed bank. The biomass of plants in the soil seed bank accounted for 83.06% of total plant biomass in the crusted area. 6) The vegetation coverage in the artificial soil crust area was over 90%, much higher than that of the control area (30%) and natural slopes (35%). The fresh weight of plants in the artificial soil crust area was 1.65 t/ hm2, which was 9.5 times and 19.48 times larger than that of the control area and natural slopes.7) A high vegetation coverage in the artificial soil crust area could be formed on loess slopes with serious soil erosion within a single growing season, suggesting that this method is suitable for fast vegetation restoration on loess slopes in Loess Hilly-gully Region.