Change of underground biomass and soil fertility with restoration stages of Artemisia gmelinii and Stipa bungeana in Loess Hilly Region
ZHANG Ting, CHEN Yun-Meng, WU Chun-Hua
1.Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources; 2.Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University: 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
Abstract：This study aims to better understand the interaction between typical vegetation in different succession stages and soil of Loess Hilly Region and to supply evidences for the initiatives of vegetation restoration. Based on field investigation and laboratory experiments, statistical methods of Stepwise Regression Analysis and Path Analysis were employed in this study. We studied the change of aboveground biomass, underground biomass and soil fertility of Artemisia gmelinii and Stipa bungeana in Loess Hilly Region with restoration stages and the relationship of aboveground biomass with environment factors. The results show that the aboveground and underground biomass of the two communities both increased with restoration stages, and so did their soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus and NO3N. The change trend of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen was largely agreed with community biomass, but the change trend of total phosphorus, NO3N was not very coherent with community biomass. The results of Stepwise Regression Analysis and Path Analysis suggest that factors affecting Artemisia gmelinii greatly were contents of soil organic matter, water and clay. Among the three factors, the former two factors performed positive effect, and the later had negative effect. For Stipa bungeana, altitude, slope position, restoration stages and total nitrogen were major factors influencing its biomass.
2011, Vol. 9 
