Key Laboratory for Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, Hunan, China; Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystem, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang 547100, Guangxi, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
Key Laboratory for Agro-Ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, Hunan, China; Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystem, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang 547100, Guangxi, China.
Sci Total Environ. 2019 Feb 10;650(Pt 2):2657-2665. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.09.372. Epub 2018 Oct 2.
Vegetation restoration was implemented to control soil erosion in the karst regions of southwest China. It is essential to assess the soil function and quality scientifically during this process and to adopt suitable management practices for this area. However, few studies have been conducted to comprehensively evaluate the effect of vegetation restoration on soil quality in this severely eroded karst area. By taking 302 soil samples from 11 vegetation types, this study investigated the influence of different types of vegetation restoration on soil quality using an integrated soil quality index (SQI) and a generalized linear model (GLM). Vegetation types had significant effects on soil properties and thus on soil quality. SQI was developed by using TN, TP, TK, AP, and clay content; TN had highest weighting values (0.58), which indicated that it contributed the most to final SQI. The highest and lowest SQI values were observed for primary forest and cropland, respectively. Overall, vegetation restoration (e.g., natural restoration, artificial forests and artificial grassland) improved soil quality significantly. A GLM model explained 73.20% of the total variation in SQI, and vegetation type explained the largest proportion (46.39%) of the variation, which implies that the vegetation restoration practices can greatly enhance the soil quality in karst landscapes of southwest China. The results of this study may be used to improve implication of ecological restoration and management in degraded regions.
植被恢复被实施于中国西南喀斯特地区以控制水土流失。在此过程中，科学评估土壤功能和质量并采取适合该地区的管理措施至关重要。然而，很少有研究全面评估植被恢复对这一严重侵蚀喀斯特地区土壤质量的影响。本研究通过对 11 种植被类型的 302 个土壤样本进行调查，采用综合土壤质量指数（SQI）和广义线性模型（GLM）研究了不同类型的植被恢复对土壤质量的影响。植被类型对土壤性质，进而对土壤质量有显著影响。SQI 通过 TN、TP、TK、AP 和粘粒含量来构建；TN 的权重值最高（0.58），表明其对最终 SQI 的贡献最大。原始森林和耕地的 SQI 值最高和最低。总体而言，植被恢复（如自然恢复、人工林和人工草地）显著提高了土壤质量。GLM 模型解释了 SQI 总变异的 73.20%，植被类型解释了最大比例（46.39%）的变异，这意味着植被恢复实践可以极大地提高中国西南喀斯特景观的土壤质量。本研究的结果可用于改进退化地区的生态恢复和管理的实施。
