Zhang Shuyu, Zhao Guangju, Fan Junjian, Yang Mingyue, Tian Peng, Mu Xingmin, Geng Ren
The National Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming, College of Soil and Water Conservation Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi Province, China; State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
The National Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming, College of Soil and Water Conservation Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi Province, China; State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; The National Key Laboratory of Water Disaster Prevention, Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, Nanjing, 210029, China.
J Environ Manage. 2024 Dec;372:123356. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123356. Epub 2024 Nov 19.
Soil infiltration is essential in the hydrological cycle, fulfilling plant water requirements, particularly in semi-arid regions such as the Loess Plateau. However, comprehensive characterization of soil infiltration responses to different vegetation restoration types remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to examine the effects of revegetation on soil infiltration by conducting field experiments with nine representative plant species across five vegetation restoration types. Specifically, we focused on how revegetation affects soil and root properties to determine key factors impacting soil infiltration. The results showed that artificial forestland and natural grassland exhibited the most substantial effects on soil properties. Natural grassland exhibited the highest soil aggregate stability and organic matter content. Root length density and root surface area increased after vegetation restoration, most notably in artificial forestland. Root characteristics were positively correlated with aggregate stability, soil organic matter, and porosity. An increase in root surface area significantly enhanced the steady infiltration rate and saturated hydraulic conductivity (P < 0.01). Except for economic forestland, all types of vegetation restoration improved soil infiltration properties, especially notable in Artemisia sacrorum and Platycladus orientalis. The soil infiltration properties in forestland surpassed those in natural grassland, artificial grassland, and shrubland. Random Forest Regression (RFR) suggested that soil particle size, porosity, and aggerate stability were key predictors of soil infiltration properties. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) indicated that soil infiltration rates were altered by root-mediated changes in soil porosity. Additionally, soil organic matter exerts an indirect positive effect on infiltration rates by influencing soil aggregate stability. These findings are crucial for evaluating hydrological processes and devising more effective ecological restoration and soil and water conservation strategies in the Loess Plateau.
土壤入渗在水文循环中至关重要，它满足了植物的水分需求，特别是在黄土高原等半干旱地区。然而，对于不同植被恢复类型下土壤入渗响应的全面表征仍不清楚。因此，本研究旨在通过对五种植被恢复类型中的九种代表性植物进行田间试验，来研究植被恢复对土壤入渗的影响。具体而言，我们关注植被恢复如何影响土壤和根系特性，以确定影响土壤入渗的关键因素。结果表明，人工林地和天然草地对土壤性质的影响最为显著。天然草地表现出最高的土壤团聚体稳定性和有机质含量。植被恢复后，根长密度和根表面积增加，在人工林地中最为明显。根系特征与团聚体稳定性、土壤有机质和孔隙度呈正相关。根表面积的增加显著提高了稳定入渗率和饱和导水率（P < 0.01）。除经济林地外，所有类型的植被恢复都改善了土壤入渗特性，在铁杆蒿和侧柏中尤为显著。林地的土壤入渗特性超过了天然草地、人工草地和灌丛。随机森林回归（RFR）表明，土壤颗粒大小、孔隙度和团聚体稳定性是土壤入渗特性的关键预测因子。偏最小二乘结构方程模型（PLS-SEM）表明，土壤入渗率因根系介导的土壤孔隙度变化而改变。此外，土壤有机质通过影响土壤团聚体稳定性对入渗率产生间接的正向影响。这些发现对于评估黄土高原的水文过程以及制定更有效的生态恢复和水土保持策略至关重要。
