Zhao Kai, Hai Long, Qin Fucang, Liu Lei, Hong Guangyu, Li Zihao, Li Long, Yue Yongjie, Dong Xiaoyu, He Rong, Shi Dongming
State Key Laboratory of Water Engineering Ecology and Environment in Arid Area, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010010, China.
College of Desert Control Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010010, China.
Plants (Basel). 2025 Jul 14;14(14):2163. doi: 10.3390/plants14142163.
In ecological restoration of arid/semi-arid sandy lands, micro-topographic variations and artificial shrub arrangement synergistically drive vegetation recovery and soil quality improvement. As a typical fragile ecosystem in northern China, the Mu Us Sandy Land has long suffered wind erosion, desertification, soil infertility, and vegetation degradation, demanding precise vegetation configuration for ecological rehabilitation. This study analyzed soil nutrients, plant diversity, and their correlations under various micro-topographic conditions across different types of artificial shrub plantations in the Mu Us Sandy Land. Employing one-way and two-way ANOVA, we compared the significant differences in soil nutrients and plant diversity indices among different micro-topographic conditions and shrub species. Additionally, redundancy analysis (RDA) was conducted to explore the direct and indirect relationships between micro-topography, shrub species, soil nutrients, and plant diversity. The results show the following: 1. The interdune depressions have the highest plant diversity and optimal soil nutrients, with relatively suitable pH values; the windward slopes and slope tops, due to severe wind erosion, have poor soil nutrients, high pH values, and the lowest plant diversity. Both micro-topography and vegetation can significantly affect soil nutrients and plant diversity ( < 0.05), and vegetation has a greater impact on soil nutrients. 2. The correlation between surface soil nutrients and plant diversity is the strongest, and the correlation weakens with increasing soil depth; under different micro-topographic conditions, the influence of soil nutrients on plant diversity varies. 3. In sandy land ecological restoration, a "vegetation type + terrain matching" strategy should be implemented, combining the characteristics of micro-topography and the ecological functions of shrubs for precise configuration, such as planting on windward slopes and slope tops to rapidly replenish nutrients, promoting and mixed plantation in interdune depressions and leeward slopes to accumulate organic matter, and prioritizing in areas requiring soil pH adjustment. This study provides a scientific basis and management insights for the ecological restoration and vegetation configuration of the Mu Us Sandy Land.
在干旱/半干旱沙地的生态恢复中，微地形变化和人工灌木配置协同推动植被恢复和土壤质量改善。毛乌素沙地作为中国北方典型的脆弱生态系统，长期遭受风蚀、荒漠化、土壤贫瘠和植被退化，需要精确的植被配置来进行生态修复。本研究分析了毛乌素沙地不同类型人工灌木林在各种微地形条件下的土壤养分、植物多样性及其相关性。采用单因素和双因素方差分析，比较了不同微地形条件和灌木种类之间土壤养分和植物多样性指数的显著差异。此外，进行了冗余分析（RDA）以探究微地形、灌木种类、土壤养分和植物多样性之间的直接和间接关系。结果表明：1. 丘间洼地植物多样性最高，土壤养分最优，pH值相对适宜；迎风坡和坡顶由于风蚀严重，土壤养分差，pH值高，植物多样性最低。微地形和植被均能显著影响土壤养分和植物多样性（<0.05），且植被对土壤养分的影响更大。2. 表层土壤养分与植物多样性的相关性最强，且随着土壤深度增加相关性减弱；在不同微地形条件下，土壤养分对植物多样性的影响各异。3. 在沙地生态恢复中，应实施“植被类型+地形匹配”策略，结合微地形特征和灌木的生态功能进行精确配置，如在迎风坡和坡顶种植以快速补充养分，在丘间洼地和背风坡促进和混交种植以积累有机质，在需要调节土壤pH值的区域优先选择。本研究为毛乌素沙地的生态恢复和植被配置提供了科学依据和管理见解。
