Rana Sohel, Xu Ziheng, Jemim Razia Sultana, Liu Zhen, Wang Yanmei, Geng Xiaodong, Cai Qifei, Feng Jian, Zhou Huina, Zhang Tao, Li Mingwan, Guo Xiaomin, Li Zhi
College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China.
Palm Eco-Town Development Co., Ltd., Building 3A, Haihui Center, Zhengdong New Area, Zhengzhou 450000, China.
Life (Basel). 2022 Jul 28;12(8):1136. doi: 10.3390/life12081136.
Meadow soil is a vital ecosystem component and can be influenced by meadow vegetation. Evaluating soil quality in mountain meadows subjected to different levels of tourism disturbance is essential for scientific research, ecological restoration, and sustainable management. This study aimed to evaluate meadow soil quality at different tourism-disturbance levels and attempted to establish a minimum data set (MDS) with compatible indicators for soil quality assessment of subtropical mountain meadows. We analyzed fifteen soil physical, chemical, and biological indicators in control check (CK), light disturbance (LD), medium disturbance (MD), and severe disturbance (SD) meadow areas in Wugong Mountain, west of Jiangxi, China. In addition, a soil quality index (SQI) was determined using the established MDS based on the integrated soil quality index. Average soil permeability, soil pH, available nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), and number of fungal OTUs were finally introduced into the MDS to evaluate meadow soil quality at different tourism-disturbance levels. The study found that the soil of the Wugong Mountain meadow was acidic, the bulk density was loose, and the nutrient content was rich. Additionally, SQI decreased with increase in tourism-disturbance level. The mean SQI values of the Wugong Mountain meadow areas were: CK, 0.612; LD, 0.493; MD, 0.448; and SD, 0.416. Our results demonstrate that the SQI based on the MDS method could be a valuable tool with which to indicate the soil quality of mountain meadow areas, and the SQI can be regarded as a primary indicator of ecological restoration and sustainable management.
草甸土壤是重要的生态系统组成部分，会受到草甸植被的影响。评估受不同程度旅游干扰的山地草甸土壤质量，对于科学研究、生态恢复和可持续管理至关重要。本研究旨在评估不同旅游干扰水平下的草甸土壤质量，并尝试建立一套适用于亚热带山地草甸土壤质量评估的最小数据集（MDS）及兼容指标。我们分析了中国江西西部武功山对照检查（CK）、轻度干扰（LD）、中度干扰（MD）和重度干扰（SD）草甸区域的15项土壤物理、化学和生物学指标。此外，基于综合土壤质量指数，利用已建立的MDS确定了土壤质量指数（SQI）。最终将平均土壤渗透率、土壤pH值、有效氮（AN）、有效磷（AP）和真菌OTU数量纳入MDS，以评估不同旅游干扰水平下的草甸土壤质量。研究发现，武功山草甸土壤呈酸性，容重疏松，养分含量丰富。此外，SQI随旅游干扰水平的增加而降低。武功山草甸区域的平均SQI值分别为：CK，0.612；LD，0.493；MD，0.448；SD，0.
