Effect of spatial scale and topography on spatial heterogeneity of soil seed banks under grazing dis-turbance in a sandy grassland of Horqin Sand Land, Northern China

Soil water dynamic is considered an important process for water resource and plantation management in Horqin Sand Land, northern China. In this study, soil water content simulated by the SWMS-2D model was used to systematically analyse soil water dynamics and explore the relationship between soil water and rainfall among micro-landforms (i.e., top, upslope, midslope, toeslope, and bottomland) and 0–200 cm soil depths during the growing season of 2013 and 2015. The results showed that soil water dynamics in 0–20 cm depths were closely linked to rainfall patterns, whereas soil water content in 20–80 cm depths illustrated a slight decline in addition to fluctuations caused by rainfall. At the top position, the soil water content in different ranges of depths (20–40 and 80–200 cm) was near the wilting point, and hence some branches, and even entire plants exhibited diebacks. At the upslope or midslope positions, the soil water content in 20–80 or 80–200 cm depths was higher than at the top position. Soil water content was higher at the toeslope and bottomland positions than at other micro-landforms, and deep caliche layers had a positive feedback effect on shrub establishment. Soil water recharge by rainfall was closely related to rainfall intensity and micro-landforms. Only rainfalls > 20 mm significantly increased water content in > 40 cm soil depths, but deeper water recharge occurred at the toeslope position. A linear equation was fitted to the relationship between soil water and antecedent rainfall, and the slopes and R<sup>2</sup> of the equations were different among micro-landforms and soil depths. The linear equations generally fitted well in 0–20 and 20–40 cm depths at the top, upslope, midslope, and toeslope positions (R<sup>2</sup> value of about 0.60), with soil water in 0–20 cm depths showing greater responses to rainfall (average slope of 0.189). In 20–40 cm depths, the response was larger at the toeslope position, with a slope of 0.137. In 40–80 cm depths, a good linear fit with a slope of 0.041 was only recorded at the toeslope position. This study provides a soil water basis for ecological restoration in similar regions.

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Method for Classifying Behavior of Livestock on Fenced Temperate Rangeland in Northern China

Sensors ◽

10.3390/s19235334 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (23) ◽

pp. 5334 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gou ◽

Tsunekawa ◽

Peng ◽

Zhao ◽

Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Movement ◽

Northern China ◽

Time Interval ◽

Accelerometer Data ◽

Global Positioning ◽

Sand Land ◽

Reliable Classification ◽

Livestock Behavior ◽

Horqin Sand Land ◽

Instantaneous Acceleration

Different livestock behaviors have distinct effects on grassland degradation. However, because direct observation of livestock behavior is time- and labor-intensive, an automated methodology to classify livestock behavior according to animal position and posture is necessary. We applied the Random Forest algorithm to predict livestock behaviors in the Horqin Sand Land by using Global Positioning System (GPS) and tri-axis accelerometer data and then confirmed the results through field observations. The overall accuracy of GPS models was 85% to 90% when the time interval was greater than 300–800 s, which was approximated to the tri-axis model (96%) and GPS-tri models (96%). In the GPS model, the linear backward or forward distance were the most important determinants of behavior classification, and nongrazing was less than 30% when livestock travelled more than 30–50 m over a 5-min interval. For the tri-axis accelerometer model, the anteroposterior acceleration (–3 m/s2) of neck movement was the most accurate determinant of livestock behavior classification. Using instantaneous acceleration of livestock body movement more precisely classified livestock behaviors than did GPS location-based distance metrics. When a tri-axis model is unavailable, GPS models will yield sufficiently reliable classification accuracy when an appropriate time interval is defined.

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Saturated hydraulic conductivity of soils in the Horqin Sand Land of Inner Mongolia, northern China

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment ◽

10.1007/s10661-012-3002-5 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 185 (7) ◽

pp. 6013-6021 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Shuxia Yao ◽

Tonghui Zhang ◽

Chuancheng Zhao ◽

Xinping Liu

Keyword(s):

Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

Inner Mongolia ◽

Northern China ◽

Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity ◽

Sand Land ◽

Horqin Sand Land

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Facilitative effects of shrubs in shifting sand on soil macro-faunal community in Horqin Sand Land of Inner Mongolia, Northern China

European Journal of Soil Biology ◽

10.1016/j.ejsobi.2011.07.006 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 47 (5) ◽

pp. 316-321 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Rentao Liu ◽

Halin Zhao ◽

Xueyong Zhao ◽

Sam Drake

Keyword(s):

Inner Mongolia ◽

Northern China ◽

Sand Land ◽

Shifting Sand ◽

Horqin Sand Land

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Influence of dune stabilization on relationship between plant diversity and productivity in Horqin Sand Land, Northern China

Environmental Earth Sciences ◽

10.1007/s12665-012-1950-2 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 67 (5) ◽

pp. 1547-1556 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Xiaoan Zuo ◽

Xueyong Zhao ◽

Shaokun Wang ◽

Yuqiang Li ◽

Jie Lian ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Diversity ◽

Northern China ◽

Dune Stabilization ◽

Sand Land ◽

Horqin Sand Land

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Effects of Different Dune Positions and Microbiotic Crusts on Soil Seed Banks in the Gurbantonggut Desert

Arid Zone Research ◽

10.3724/sp.j.1148.2008.00107 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

pp. 107-113

Author(s):

Rong-yi CHEN

Keyword(s):

Seed Banks ◽

Soil Seed Banks ◽

Microbiotic Crusts

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Classification of Post-Fire Responses of Woody Plants to include Pyrophobic Communities

Fire ◽

10.3390/fire3020015 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 15 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lynda D. Prior ◽

David M. J. S. Bowman

Keyword(s):

Woody Plants ◽

Seed Banks ◽

Classification Systems ◽

Woody Vegetation ◽

General Category ◽

Conifer Species ◽

Soil Seed Banks ◽

Obligate Seeder ◽

In Fire

Developing standardised classification of post-fire responses is essential for globally consistent comparisons of woody vegetation communities. Existing classification systems are based on responses of species growing in fire-prone environments. To accommodate species that occur in rarely burnt environments, we have suggested some important points of clarification to earlier schemes categorizing post-fire responses. We have illustrated this approach using several Australasian conifer species as examples of pyrophobic species. In particular, we suggest using the term “obligate seeder” for the general category of plants that rely on seed to reproduce, and qualifying this to “post-fire obligate seeder” for the narrower category of species with populations that recover from canopy fire only by seeding; the species are typically fire-cued, with large aerial or soil seed banks that germinate profusely following a fire, and grow and reproduce rapidly in order to renew the seed bank before the next fire.

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