Soil moisture balance and magnetic enhancement in loess–paleosol sequences from the Tibetan Plateau and Chinese Loess Plateau

Abstract Large gullies occur globally and can be classified into four main micro-topographic types: ridges, plane surfaces, pipes and cliffs. Afforestation is an effective method of controlling land degradation worldwide. However, the combined effects of afforestation and micro-topography on the variability of soil moisture remain poorly understood. The primary objectives of this study were to determine whether afforestation affects the spatial pattern of the root-zone (0–100 cm) soil moisture and whether soil moisture dynamics differ among the micro-topographic types in gully areas of the Chinese Loess Plateau. The results showed that in the woodland regions, the spatial mean moisture values decreased by an average of 6.2% and the spatial variability increased, as indicated by the standard deviation (17.1%) and the coefficient of variation (22.2%). In general, different micro-topographic types exerted different influences on soil moisture behavior. The plane surface presented the largest average soil moisture values and the smallest spatial variability. The lowest soil moisture values were observed in the ridge, mainly due to the rapid drainage of these areas. Although pipe woodland region can concentrate surface runoff during and after rainfall, the larger trees growing in these areas can lead to increased soil moisture evapotranspiration.

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Soil moisture response to rainfall on the Chinese Loess Plateau after a long-term vegetation rehabilitation

Hydrological Processes ◽

10.1002/hyp.13143 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 32 (12) ◽

pp. 1738-1754 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Zhao Jin ◽

Li Guo ◽

Henry Lin ◽

Yunqiang Wang ◽

Yunlong Yu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Loess Plateau ◽

Chinese Loess Plateau ◽

Chinese Loess ◽

The Chinese Loess Plateau

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Changes in soil moisture and organic carbon under deep-rooted trees of different stand ages on the Chinese Loess Plateau

Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment ◽

10.1016/j.agee.2022.107855 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 328 ◽

pp. 107855

Author(s):

Fan Yang ◽

Mingbin Huang ◽

Chenhui Li ◽

Xiaofei Wu ◽

Tianqi Guo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Loess Plateau ◽

Rooted Trees ◽

Chinese Loess Plateau ◽

Chinese Loess ◽

The Chinese Loess Plateau

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Magnetic parameter variations in the Chaona loess/paleosol sequences in the central Chinese Loess Plateau, and their significance for the middle Pleistocene climate transition

Quaternary Research ◽

10.1016/j.yqres.2013.10.002 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 81 (3) ◽

pp. 433-444 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

Yougui Song ◽

Xiaomin Fang ◽

John W. King ◽

Jijun Li ◽

Ishikawa Naoto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saturation Magnetization ◽

Loess Plateau ◽

Chinese Loess Plateau ◽

Middle Pleistocene ◽

High Coercivity ◽

The Tibetan Plateau ◽

Chinese Loess ◽

Pleistocene Climate ◽

History Of ◽

Climate Transition

AbstractA high-resolution rock magnetic investigation was performed on the Chaona Quaternary loess/paleosol sequences in the Central Chinese Loess Plateau. Based on a newly developed independent unturned time scale and magnetic records, we reconstructed the history of the East Asia monsoons during the last 3 Ma and explored the middle Pleistocene climate transition (MPT). Rock magnetic results show that the loess layers are characterized by relatively high coercivity and remanent coercivity, lower magnetic susceptibility (MS), and that the paleosol layers are characterized by relatively high MS, saturation magnetization and remanent saturation magnetization. Spectrum analyses indicate that there are various periods in addition to orbital periodicities. According to the onset and stable appearance of 100 kyr period, we consider that the MPT recorded in this section began at ~ 1.26 Ma and was completed by ~ 0.53 Ma, which differs from previous investigations based on orbitally tuned time scales. The forcing mechanism for the MPT was more complicated than just the orbital forcing. We conclude that the rapid uplift of the Tibetan Plateau may have played an important role in the shift of periodicities during the middle Pleistocene.

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Chlorite weathering linked to magnetic enhancement in Red Clay on the Chinese Loess Plateau

Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology ◽

10.1016/j.palaeo.2019.109446 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 538 ◽

pp. 109446 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Chengcheng Ye ◽

Yibo Yang ◽

Xiaomin Fang ◽

Jinbo Zan ◽

Mengqi Tan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Loess Plateau ◽

Chinese Loess Plateau ◽

Red Clay ◽

Chinese Loess ◽

Magnetic Enhancement ◽

The Chinese Loess Plateau

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Effects of two typical revegetation methods on soil moisture in the semi-arid Loess Plateau, China

Hydrology Research ◽

10.2166/nh.2019.011 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 50 (5) ◽

pp. 1453-1462

Author(s):

Qian Zhao ◽

Lei Yang ◽

Xin Wang ◽

Runcheng Bi ◽

Qindi Zhang

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Loess Plateau ◽

Temporal Variations ◽

Chinese Loess Plateau ◽

Deep Soil ◽

Chinese Loess ◽

Soil Desiccation ◽

Native Grasslands ◽

First Choice ◽

Natural Revegetation

Abstract Understanding the effects of vegetation on soil moisture is vital to the ecosystem restoration in water-restricted areas. For this study, the effects of introduced revegetation and natural revegetation on soil water (0–1.8 m) were investigated in the Chinese Loess Plateau, which was based on an in situ vegetation removal experiment and two years of soil moisture monitoring. The results indicated that under introduced revegetation, pasture grassland had lower soil moisture but higher temporal variations over the growing season. Compared with abandoned farmlands and native grasslands under natural revegetation, pasture grasslands revealed greater negative effects on deep soil moisture (1–1.8 m), which was difficult to recover following soil desiccation. In contrast, for abandoned farmlands and native grasslands, the surface soil moisture (0–0.4 m) was mainly impacted, which was easily replenished through rainfall events. These outcomes implied that natural revegetation, rather than introduced revegetation, should be the first choice in water-limited regions toward the rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems.

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