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Journal of Desert Research ›› 2025, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (5): 68-77.DOI: 10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2025.00009

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Long-term effects of the introduction of Haloxylon ammodendron on desert soil characteristics

Xiaogan Zhou1(), Yongzhong Luo1(), Quanlin Ma1,2, Jiliang Liu3, Jialong Ren4, Ziting Wang1,2, Qihan Yan4, Chang Qin4, Jiaqi Zhai1   

  1. 1.College of Forestry,Gansu Agricultural University,Lanzhou 730070,China
    2.Gansu Academy of Forestry Sciences,Lanzhou 730020,China
    3.Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Lanzhou 730000,China
    4.Shanxi Normal University,Taiyuan 030031,China
  • Received:2024-10-17 Revised:2024-12-28 Online:2025-09-20 Published:2025-09-27
  • Contact: Yongzhong Luo

Abstract:

To investigate the impact of artificial sand-fixing vegetation restoration on soil characteristics in arid desert regions, this study was conducted in the Zhangye Oasis of the middle reaches of the Heihe River. The research focused on mobile sandy dunes, fixed sandy dunes, and Haloxylon ammodendron plantations of different ages, analyzing changes in soil physicochemical properties, vegetation factors, and their interrelationships. The results revealed that: (1) The transformation of mobile and fixed sandy dunes into artificial H. ammodendron plantations reduced soil bulk density and fine sand content, increased coarse sand content, and significantly enhanced clay and silt content in 30-year-old plantations. (2) The conversion of mobile and fixed sandy dunes into H. ammodendron plantations decreased soil pH, increased soil electrical conductivity, and further elevated conductivity with the age of the plantations. (3) The conversion of mobile sandy dunes and fixed sandy dunes into H. ammodendron plantations significantly increased soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) contents, as well as soil electrical conductivity, with these increments generally correlating with the extension of H. ammodendron plantations age. (4) Shrub density, shrub cover, and herbaceous species richness were the main factors driving soil environmental changes during the restoration process of H. ammodendron plantations, accounting for 40.1% of the variation in soil conditions. In conclusion, the increase in shrub cover and density resulting from artificial H. ammodendron plantation establishment improves soil environment over time. However, it also leads to elevated soil electrical conductivity and reduced total nitrogen content, posing potential threats to soil stability and health in H. ammodendron plantations.

Key words: the middle reaches of the Heihe River, Haloxylon ammodendron plantations, mobile sandy dune, fixed sandy dune, soil physical and chemical properties

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