Research on Wind Erosion of Xilamuren Grassland, Inner Mongolia

In northern China, grassland has degraded severely and wind erosion occurs remarkably due to irrational land use in recent years. By employing sand sampler and mobile wind tunnel, an observation for 6 years was made to analyze the mechanisms of wind erosion in Xilamuren grassland, the central of Yinshan Mountains, Inner Mongolia. Results show that: (1) vegetation is the decisive factor for controlling wind erosion and the inhibiting effect of vegetation height on wind erosion is greater than that of vegetation coverage. (2) Wind erosion modulus in the initial period of enclosure reaches 1313.7 t km-2a-1 and with the improvement of the grassland vegetation, wind erosion decreases year by year. (3) For every 1000 kg soil eroded by wind, 15 kg organic matter, 227g available nitrogen, 262g available phosphorus and 120g available potassium lose in the region at the same time, being a tremendous fertility loss. Therefore, the protection of base grassland and restoration of degraded grassland are two fundamental approaches to control wind erosion on the grassland.

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Quantitative effects of wind erosion on the soil texture and soil nutrients under different vegetation coverage in a semiarid steppe of northern China

Plant and Soil ◽

10.1007/s11104-013-1606-3 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 369 (1-2) ◽

pp. 585-598 ◽

Cited By ~ 40

Author(s):

Yuchun Yan ◽

Xiaoping Xin ◽

Xingliang Xu ◽

Xu Wang ◽

Guixia Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Nutrients ◽

Soil Texture ◽

Wind Erosion ◽

Northern China ◽

Vegetation Coverage

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Effects of biochar on waterlogging and the associated change in micro-ecological environment of maize rhizosphere soil in saline-alkali land

BioResources ◽

10.15376/biores.15.4.9303-9323 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (4) ◽

pp. 9303-9323

Author(s):

Zhihui Wang ◽

Dawei Yin ◽

Hongyi Wang ◽

Changjiang Zhao ◽

Zuotong Li

Keyword(s):

Bacterial Community ◽

Soil Respiration ◽

Bulk Density ◽

Relative Abundance ◽

Rhizosphere Soil ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Northern China ◽

Available Phosphorus ◽

Available Nitrogen ◽

Maize Rhizosphere

Saline-alkali soils of northern China are prone to waterlogging after degradation caused by overuse. The effects of biochar (40 t/ha) were tested relative to the physico-chemical properties of maize rhizosphere soil, the composition and function of the soil bacterial community, and its response to sudden waterlogging. Biochar treatment decreased the pH and bulk density of the soil and increased soil organic carbon (SOC), available nitrogen (AN), and available phosphorus (AP). The relative abundance of bacteria (Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Nitrospirae) also increased, along with the activities of soil enzymes, such as dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase, and alkaline phosphomonoester. The response of soil microbial enzymes to biochar addition was induced by changes in the soil physical properties (pH, soil moisture content, and soil respiration (BR)). Changes in the bacterial community structure were driven by soil nutrients and physical characteristics (AN, AP, SOC, pH, moisture, water-stable aggregate stability rate, BR, and bulk density). After waterlogging, soil with biochar demonstrated high water permeability and improved soil respiration. The relative abundance of soil bacteria and enzyme activities remained higher in the biochar plot than in the no-biochar plot. Biochar maintained the growth and vitality of maize roots in unfavorable environmental conditions, thus ensuring high yields.

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Effects of Long-Term Enclosing on Vertical Distributions of Soil Physical Properties and Nutrient Stocks in Grassland of Inner Mongolia

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11091832 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (9) ◽

pp. 1832

Author(s):

Juan Hu ◽

Daowei Zhou ◽

Qiang Li ◽

Qicun Wang

Keyword(s):

Physical Properties ◽

Inner Mongolia ◽

Soil Layer ◽

Soil Physical Properties ◽

Available Phosphorus ◽

Available Nitrogen ◽

Green Plants ◽

Nutrient Stocks ◽

Vertical Distributions

Enclosing plays a crucial role in vegetation and soil quality in grassland. The biomass of green plants, litter, and vertical distributions of soil physical properties and nutrient stocks were evaluated at plot enclosed long term for 38 years inside a fence and a long-term grazing plot outside a fence in a semi-arid grassland of Inner Mongolia. The results showed that dry matter of green plants and litter during the 38-year enclosing treatment was higher than in the grazing treatment (p < 0.01). The soil silt (2–50 μm) in the 38-year enclosing treatment was 5.9% higher than in the grazing treatment (p < 0.01) in 0–10 cm soil, and the fine sand (100–250 μm) was 6.0% lower (p < 0.05). The 38-year enclosing treatment slightly decreased the bulk density and significantly decreased the electrical conductivity in each soil layer (0–100 cm). The 38-year enclosing treatment significantly increased the stocks of soil organic carbon (SOC), available phosphorus (AP), and available potassium (AK) on the surface soil, and obviously decreased the stocks of total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sulfur (S), and available nitrogen (AN) in each soil layer (0–100 cm). In conclusion, long-term enclosing improved grassland production, but decreased most nutrient stocks in soil.

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Interactive effects of wind speed, vegetation coverage and soil moisture in controlling wind erosion in a temperate desert steppe, Inner Mongolia of China

Journal of Arid Land ◽

10.1007/s40333-018-0059-1 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 534-547 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Zhongju Meng ◽

Xiaohong Dang ◽

Yong Gao ◽

Xiaomeng Ren ◽

Yanlong Ding ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Wind Speed ◽

Inner Mongolia ◽

Wind Erosion ◽

Interactive Effects ◽

Vegetation Coverage ◽

Desert Steppe ◽

Temperate Desert

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Remote-sensing estimation of grassland vegetation coverage in Inner Mongolia, China

Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology ◽

10.3724/sp.j.1258.2011.00615 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 35 (6) ◽

pp. 615-622 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jing-Fang ZHU ◽

Bai-Ling XING ◽

Wei-Min JU ◽

Gao-Long ZHU ◽

Yi-Bo LIU

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Inner Mongolia ◽

Vegetation Coverage ◽

Grassland Vegetation

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Estimation of wind erosion rates of Mongolian Plateau by using 137Cs tracing technique

Annals of Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW Land Reclamation ◽

10.2478/v10060-008-0078-2 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 42 (1) ◽

pp. 197-208 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Yongqing Qi ◽

Jiyuan Liu ◽

Huading Shi ◽

Dafang Zhuang ◽

Yunfeng Hu

Keyword(s):

Inner Mongolia ◽

Wind Erosion ◽

Arid Regions ◽

Vegetation Type ◽

Spatial Dynamics ◽

Vegetation Coverage ◽

Physical Factors ◽

Mongolian Plateau ◽

Erosion Rates ◽

Soil Wind Erosion

Estimation of wind erosion rates of Mongolian Plateau by using 137Cs tracing technique Wind erosion is one of the major environmental problems in semi-arid and arid regions. Here we established a transect from northwest (Tariat, Mongolia) to southeast (Xilingol, Inner Mongolia of China) across the Mongolian Plateau, and selected eight sampling sites along the transect. We then estimated the soil wind erosion rates by using the 137Cs tracing technique and examined their spatial dynamics. In the Mongolia section (from Tariat to Sainshand), the wind erosion rate increased gradually with vegetation type and climatic regimes; the wind erosion process was controlled by physical factors such as annual precipitation and vegetation coverage, etc. While in the China section (Inner Mongolia), the wind erosion rates of Xilinhot, Zhengxiangbai Banner and Taipusi Banner were thrice as much as those of Bayannur of Mongolia, although these four sites were all dominated by typical steppe. Besides the physical factors, higher population density and livestock carrying level should be responsible for the higher wind erosion rates in these regions of Inner Mongolia.

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Soil organic matter dynamics under different land-use in grasslands in Inner Mongolia (northern China)

Biogeosciences Discussions ◽

10.5194/bgd-11-5613-2014 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 5613-5637

Author(s):

L. Zhao ◽

W. Wu ◽

X. Xu ◽

Y. Xu

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Organic Matter ◽

Soil Organic Matter ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Inner Mongolia ◽

Northern China ◽

Organic Carbon Content ◽

Groundwater Supply ◽

Degraded Grassland

Abstract. We examined bulk soil properties and molecular biomarker distributions in surface soils from Inner Mongolia grasslands in order to understand the responses of soil organic matter to different land-use. The total of sixteen soils were collected from severely degraded grassland by overgrazing (DG), native grassland without apparent anthropogenic disturbance (NG), groundwater-sustaining grassland (GG) and restored grassland from previous potato cropland (RG). Compared to NG, soil organic carbon content was lower by 50% in DG, but higher by six-fold in GG and one-fold in RG. The δ13C values of soil organic carbon were −24.2 ± 0.6‰ in DG, −24.9 ± 0.6‰ in NG, −25.1 ± 0.1‰ in RG and −26.2 ± 0.6‰ in GG, reflecting different degradation degrees of soil organic matter or different water use efficiencies. The soils in DG contained the lowest abundance of aliphatic lipids (n-alkanes, n-alkanols, n-alkanoic acids, ω-hydroxylalkanoic acids and α-hydroxylalkanoic acids) and lignin-phenols, suggesting selective removal of these biochemically recalcitrant biomarkers with grassland degradation by microbial respiration or wind erosion. Compared to NG, the soils in GG and RG increased ω-hydroxylalkanoic acids by 60–70%, a biomarker for suberin from roots, and increased α-hydroxylalkanoic acids by 10–20%, a biomarker for both cutin and suberin. Our results demonstrate that the groundwater supply and cultivation-restoration practices in Inner Mongolia grasslands not only enhance soil organic carbon sequestration, but also change the proportions of shoot vs. root-derived carbon in soils. This finding has important implications for global carbon cycle since root derived aliphatic carbon has a longer residence time than the aboveground tissue-derived carbon in soils.

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Vertical Distributions of Soil Nutrients and Their Stoichiometric Ratios as Affected by Long Term Grazing and Enclosing in a Semi-Arid Grassland of Inner Mongolia

Agriculture ◽

10.3390/agriculture10090382 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. 382

Author(s):

Juan Hu ◽

Daowei Zhou ◽

Qiang Li ◽

Qicun Wang

Keyword(s):

Soil Nutrients ◽

Inner Mongolia ◽

Surface Soil ◽

Soil Layer ◽

Available Phosphorus ◽

Available Nitrogen ◽

Vertical Distributions ◽

Stoichiometric Ratios ◽

Semi Arid

Grazing and enclosing are two of the most important grassland managements. In order to evaluate the effects of different managements on the ecosystem balance of grassland, the vertical distributions of soil nutrients and their stoichiometric ratios were determined in the plots of grazing and enclosing over 38 years in a semi-arid grassland of Inner Mongolia. The results showed that total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), available nitrogen (AN), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg) and sulfur (S) contents in 0–100 cm soil in the long term enclosing plot were lower than the long term grazing plot and these changes were much greater in the surface soil than in deep soil. However, the soil organic carbon (SOC) and available phosphorus (AP) contents in the long term enclosing plot in the surface soil were higher (p < 0.01) compared with the long term grazing plot. In addition, long term enclosing increased the C/N ratio in each soil layer and improved C/K and C/P ratios in the surface soil compared with long term grazing. However, significant decreases of N/P and N/K ratios in the long term enclosing plot in each soil layer were observed. In conclusion, enclosing for 38 years decreased most of nutrients and reduced the nutrients’ mineralization in the surface soil especially and thus might restrict nutrients cycling in a semi-arid grassland of Inner Mongolia.

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