Faculty of Natural Resources & Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, 46417-76489 Noor, Mazandaran, Iran.
Sci Total Environ. 2020 Feb 10;703:135497. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135497. Epub 2019 Nov 14.
The effect of vegetation types at mountainous sites on the relationships between soil biota and environmental variables applicable for the evaluation of soil quality and functions are barely studied and remain almost unknown. With the aim of studying the effect of shrubland and grassland plant coverings on soil fauna and flora activities, a mountainous semi-arid site in northern Iran (Diakooh) was selected for this research. Six vegetation types were selected with dominance in shrub and grassland coverage, i.e., (1) Crataegus microphylla CK. Koch., (2) Berberis integerrima Bunge, (3) Ribes uva-crispa L., (4) Prunus spinosa L., and with dominance in rangeland cover, i.e., (5) dominant Lecokia cretica (Lam.) DC., Orchis mascula L., Cardamine bulbifera (L.) Crantz, and (6) Fragaria vesca L. A total of 15 soil samples (30 × 30 × 10 cm) from each vegetation type were transferred to the laboratory. In addition, seasonal measurements (i.e. summer and autumn) were considered to achieve the temporal patterns of soil fauna and flora activities. Higher populations of soil earthworms (especially epigeic groups), acarina, collembola, nematode, and protozoa were found in the Crataegus site compared to other vegetation types with higher activities in the autumn season. Shrublands, especially with Crataegus cover, had increased activities of soil bacteria and fungi with higher abundances in the summer. Soils with higher fertility indicators and increased biota activities were attributed to the Crataegus and Berberis vegetation types by PCA. Overall, the findings of this study showed that shrubs can improve soil quality at high altitudes of mountainous, semi-arid sites that are often considered as especially fragile and sensitive ecosystems.
山地站点的植被类型对土壤生物群与环境变量之间关系的影响，适用于评估土壤质量和功能，这些方面几乎没有得到研究，也几乎不为人知。本研究旨在研究灌木和草原植被覆盖对土壤动物区系和植物区系活动的影响，选择了伊朗北部的一个山地半干旱地区（Diakooh）作为研究地点。选择了 6 种具有灌木和草原优势覆盖的植被类型，即（1）Crataegus microphylla CK. Koch.、（2）Berberis integerrima Bunge、（3）Ribes uva-crispa L.、（4）Prunus spinosa L.，以及具有牧场优势覆盖的植被类型，即（5）占优势的 Lecokia cretica（Lam.）DC.、Orchis mascula L.、Cardamine bulbifera（L.）Crantz 和（6） Fragaria vesca L. 从每种植被类型中采集了 15 个土壤样本（30×30×10cm），并将其转移到实验室。此外，还考虑了季节性测量（即夏季和秋季），以获得土壤动物区系和植物区系活动的时间模式。与其他植被类型相比，在 Crataegus 站点中发现了更多的土壤蚯蚓（特别是表栖群）、螨虫、弹尾目、线虫和原生动物，并且在秋季的活动水平更高。与其他植被类型相比，灌木林，特别是具有 Crataegus 覆盖的灌木林，土壤细菌和真菌的活动增加，夏季的丰度更高。通过 PCA 发现，具有较高肥力指标和较高生物区系活动的土壤归因于 Crataegus 和 Berberis 植被类型。总的来说，这项研究的结果表明，在山地、半干旱地区的高海拔地区，灌木可以改善土壤质量，这些地区通常被认为是特别脆弱和敏感的生态系统。
