In the past few decades, the increase in grazing intensity has led to soil degradation and desertification in Inner Mongolia grassland, China, due to population growth and shift in the socio-economic system. Two sites...In the past few decades, the increase in grazing intensity has led to soil degradation and desertification in Inner Mongolia grassland, China, due to population growth and shift in the socio-economic system. Two sites with different grazing intensities, continuous grazing site （CG） with 1.2 sheep ha-1 year-1 and heavy grazing site （HG） with 2.0 sheep ha-1 year-1, were investigated at the Inner Mongolia Grassland Ecosystem Research Station （43° 37′ 50″ N, 116° 42′ 18″ E） situated in the northern China to i） characterize the temporal distribution of soil water content along soil profile; and ii） quantify the water fluxes as affected by grazing intensity. Soil water content was monitored by time domain refiectometry （TDR） probes. Soil water retention curves were determined by pressure membrane extractor, furthermore processed by RETC （RETention Curve） software. Soil matric potential, plant available water and water flux were calculated using these data. Both sites showed an identical seasonal soil water dynamics within four defined hydraulic periods： i） wetting transition coincided with a dramatic water increase due to snow and frozen soil thawing from March to April; 2） wet summer, rainfall in accordance with plant growth from May to September; 3） drying transition, a decrease of soil water from October to November due to rainfall limit; and 4） dry winter, freezing from December to next February. Heavy grazing largely reduced soil water content by 43%-48% and plant available water by 46%-61% as compared to the CG site. During growing season net water flux was nearly similar between HG （242 mm） and CG （223 mm） sites between 5 and 20 cm depths. However, between 20 and 40 cm depths, the upward flux was more pronounced at HG site than at CG site, indicating that water was depleted by root uptake at HG site but stored at CG site. In semi-arid grassland ecosystem, grazing intensity can affect soil water regime and flux, particularly in the growing season.展开更多
Structured soils are characterized by the presence of inter- and intra-aggregate pore systems and aggregates, which show varying chemical, physical, and biological properties depending on the aggregate type and land u...Structured soils are characterized by the presence of inter- and intra-aggregate pore systems and aggregates, which show varying chemical, physical, and biological properties depending on the aggregate type and land use system. How far these aspects also affect the ion exchange processes and to what extent the interaction between the carbon distribution and kind of organic substances affect the internal soil strength as well as hydraulic properties like wettability are still under discussion. Thus, the objective of this research was to clarify the effect of soil aggregation on physical and chemical properties of structured soils at two scales: homogenized material and single aggregates. Data obtained by sequentially peeling off soil aggregates layers revealed gradients in the chemical composition from the aggregate surface to the aggregate core. In aggregates from long term untreated forest soils we found lower amounts of carbon in the external layer, while in arable soils the differentiation was not pronounced. However, soil aggregates originating from these sites exhibited a higher concentration of microbial activity in the outer aggregate layer and declined towards the interior. Furthermore, soil depth and the vegetation type affected the wettability. Aggregate strength depended on water suction and differences in tillage treatments.展开更多
基金Supported by the German Research Foundation(DFG)(No.Forschergruppe 536)the Hundred Talents Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
文摘In the past few decades, the increase in grazing intensity has led to soil degradation and desertification in Inner Mongolia grassland, China, due to population growth and shift in the socio-economic system. Two sites with different grazing intensities, continuous grazing site （CG） with 1.2 sheep ha-1 year-1 and heavy grazing site （HG） with 2.0 sheep ha-1 year-1, were investigated at the Inner Mongolia Grassland Ecosystem Research Station （43° 37′ 50″ N, 116° 42′ 18″ E） situated in the northern China to i） characterize the temporal distribution of soil water content along soil profile; and ii） quantify the water fluxes as affected by grazing intensity. Soil water content was monitored by time domain refiectometry （TDR） probes. Soil water retention curves were determined by pressure membrane extractor, furthermore processed by RETC （RETention Curve） software. Soil matric potential, plant available water and water flux were calculated using these data. Both sites showed an identical seasonal soil water dynamics within four defined hydraulic periods： i） wetting transition coincided with a dramatic water increase due to snow and frozen soil thawing from March to April; 2） wet summer, rainfall in accordance with plant growth from May to September; 3） drying transition, a decrease of soil water from October to November due to rainfall limit; and 4） dry winter, freezing from December to next February. Heavy grazing largely reduced soil water content by 43%-48% and plant available water by 46%-61% as compared to the CG site. During growing season net water flux was nearly similar between HG （242 mm） and CG （223 mm） sites between 5 and 20 cm depths. However, between 20 and 40 cm depths, the upward flux was more pronounced at HG site than at CG site, indicating that water was depleted by root uptake at HG site but stored at CG site. In semi-arid grassland ecosystem, grazing intensity can affect soil water regime and flux, particularly in the growing season.
基金Project supported by the fund of the DFG (Deutsche Forschung Gemeinschaft) as part of the DFG priority program 1090: 'Soils as source and sink for CO2-mechanisms and regulation of organic matter stabilization in soils' (No. DFG SPP 1090).
文摘Structured soils are characterized by the presence of inter- and intra-aggregate pore systems and aggregates, which show varying chemical, physical, and biological properties depending on the aggregate type and land use system. How far these aspects also affect the ion exchange processes and to what extent the interaction between the carbon distribution and kind of organic substances affect the internal soil strength as well as hydraulic properties like wettability are still under discussion. Thus, the objective of this research was to clarify the effect of soil aggregation on physical and chemical properties of structured soils at two scales: homogenized material and single aggregates. Data obtained by sequentially peeling off soil aggregates layers revealed gradients in the chemical composition from the aggregate surface to the aggregate core. In aggregates from long term untreated forest soils we found lower amounts of carbon in the external layer, while in arable soils the differentiation was not pronounced. However, soil aggregates originating from these sites exhibited a higher concentration of microbial activity in the outer aggregate layer and declined towards the interior. Furthermore, soil depth and the vegetation type affected the wettability. Aggregate strength depended on water suction and differences in tillage treatments.
