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| Effects of soil erosion of different degrees on soil productivity and recovery in Weibei Dryland |
| College of Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, China |
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Abstract Soil erosion could reduce productivity and affect crop yields. Therefore, the recovery of soil productivity becomes a widespread problem concerned by people. Productivity of eroded soils was studied through artificial simulation of soil erosion and recovery of soil productivity was explored by fertilization.The results showed that: 1) Fertilization could improve the physical properties such as reducing moisture content of eroded soil, increasing bulk density, and decreasing the porosity. 2) Soil organic matter and other mass nutrient contents decreased with the increasing degree of erosion under no-fertilization conditions. Fertilization could increase soil organic matter and mass contents of soil nutrients. However,soil organic matter and mass nutrients also presented a trend of decreasing with soil erosion increasing after fertilization. 3) Soil erosion could affect the Zea mays L. biomass, which declined by 0.38% with 1cm depth erosion. But, fertilization could compensate this losses caused by erosion. 4) Similar with the variation trend of Zea mays L. biomass, yields of Zea mays L. decreased with the increasing degree of soil erosion. Zea mays L. yields declined an average of 2.49% with 1cm depth erosion losses. Under four different soil surface treatments, i. e. , 20 cm surface peeled, 10cm surface peeled, original topsoil undisturbed and 10cm surface covered, Zea mays L. yields increased by 2.44%, 2.13%, 1.50%,1.23% with conventional fertilization and 2.99%, 2.56%, 1.98%, 1.14% with excessive fertilization compared with no-fertilization conditions respectively.
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Received: 17 July 2012
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