Arid Zone Research ›› 2019, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (1): 85-84.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2019.01.10

• Land and Water Resources • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of Groundwater and Soil Chemical Properties on Distribution of Natural Vegetation around Playa

CHENG Guo-shuai, LIU Dong-wei, WEN Lu, LIU Hua-min, DONG Shao-gang, WANG Li-xin   

  1. School of Ecology and Environment,Inner Mongolia University,Hohhot 010021,Inner Mongolia,China
  • Received:2018-04-17 Revised:2018-08-10 Published:2025-10-17

Abstract: Lakes in northwest China are dramatically shrunk and even dried up.Large areas of exposed lake beds become as the sources of chemical dust.Promoting vegetation coverage is an effective way in suppressing dust emissions and regenerating ecosystem.In this study, the Balhages playa,typical in the northern marginal zone of Inner Mongolia,was selected to examine the effects of groundwater and soil chemical properties on the spatial distribution of natural vegetation based on the field survey,transect investigation,field sampling and laboratory analysis as well as statistical analysis.The results showed that,under the influence of groundwater and soil chemical properties,the communities of Phragmites australis,Kalidium foliatum,Achnatherum splendens,Reaumuria songarica and Stipa klemenzii were distributed in a ring shape from the dried lake-bed to the lakeside.The spatial distribution of natural vegetation around the playa was mainly affected by groundwater level,total dissolved solids (TDS) and soil available phosphorus content.The groundwater depth increased gradually but the groundwater TDS decreased from the lake bed to the lakeside.The biomass and coverage of the vegetation was maximal when the groundwater depth was about 4 m and the TDS was lower than 10 g·L-1.The effect of soil available phosphorus content on the spatial distribution of natural vegetation was the highest,and then that of soil SO2-4.When soil salt content is feasible for the survival of native natural vegetation,groundwater and soil available phosphorus content should be preferentially considered for artificial vegetation regeneration over playa.

Key words: playa, dried lake-bed, groundwater, desert vegetation, soil chemical property, Inner Mongolia