Effects of different restoration measures on vegetation and soil characteristics in degraded desert steppe

doi:10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2025.00177

Journal of Desert Research ›› 2025, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (4): 295-304.DOI: 10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2025.00177

Effects of different restoration measures on vegetation and soil characteristics in degraded desert steppe

Meixin Wang¹^,²(), Liangxu Liu¹, Shaokun Wang¹, Min Chen¹, Xujun Ma¹, Akhmadi Khaulenbek³, Zhenlin Guo⁴, Xiaoxue Zhang¹^,², Hao Qu¹()

^1.Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station / State Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands，Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources，Chinese Academy of Sciences，Lanzhou 730000，China
^2.University of Chinese Academy of Sciences，Beijing 100049，China
^3.Institute of Geography and Geoecology，Mongolian Academy of Sciences，Ulaanbaatar 15170，Mongolia
^4.Yanchi County Forestry and Grassland Bureau，Yanchi 751599，Ningxia，China

Received:2025-05-07 Revised:2025-06-24 Online:2025-07-20 Published:2025-08-18
Contact: Hao Qu

Abstract

Abstract:

Desert steppe degradation is one of the most concerning ecological issues. Therefore， selecting scientifically restoration measure is key to achieving ecological restoration and sustainable development of degraded desert steppe. Due to the limited effectiveness of single measure， the integration of multiple approaches has become an important strategy for restoring degraded desert steppe. We conducted a 5-year study in a typical degraded desert steppe of northern China. We set four treatments （control， sand-fixing barrier， sand-fixing barrier + litter addition， and sand-fixing barrier + litter addition + organic fertilizer） to quantify and compare the specific effects of different measures on desert steppe restoration by monitoring vegetation coverage， soil environmental factors， and soil nutrients. The results showed that：（1） sand-fixing barriers significantly enhanced vegetation coverage but did not substantially alter soil nutrient content or microbial abundance；（2） sand-fixing barrier + litter addition improved soil physicochemical properties through organic matter input， and demonstrated greater enhancement in vegetation coverage compared to control and using sand-fixing barrier alone；（3） sand-fixing barrier + litter addition + organic fertilizer had the most pronounced improvements in vegetation and soil characteristics at the beginning of the experiment. However， the effects of fertilizer lasted shortly， and with no difference from the sand-fixing barrier + litter addition over time （except for soil microbial abundance）. Considering restoration effectiveness， economical cost and practicality， sand-fixing barrier + litter addition represents the optimal restoration measure for degraded desert steppe ecosystems.

Key words: desert steppe, ecological restoration, sand-fixing barrier, litter addition, organic fertilizer

CLC Number:

Meixin Wang, Liangxu Liu, Shaokun Wang, Min Chen, Xujun Ma, Akhmadi Khaulenbek, Zhenlin Guo, Xiaoxue Zhang, Hao Qu. Effects of different restoration measures on vegetation and soil characteristics in degraded desert steppe[J]. Journal of Desert Research, 2025, 45(4): 295-304.

Figures/Tables 7

Fig.1 Experimental design

Fig.2 Effects of different treatments on vegetation coverage

Fig.3 Effects of different treatments on soil water content

Fig.4 Effects of different treatments on soil nutrient contents

Fig.5 Effects of different treatments on soil microbe

Fig.6 The path effects of soil factors under different treatments

Fig.7 Changes in litter mass residue percentage over time

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Effects of different restoration measures on vegetation and soil characteristics in degraded desert steppe

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