Arid Zone Research ›› 2021, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (4): 1192-1198.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2021.04.31

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Effects of Rhombomys opimus disturbance on soil physical and chemical properties of artificial Haloxylon ammodendron forest

MENG Ruiling1(),XU Xianying1,2(),WANG Li1,LIU Hujun2,ZHAO Peng2,LI Fengbo1   

  1. 1. College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
    2. State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Desertification and Aeolian Sand Disaster Combating, Gansu Desert Control Research Institute, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
  • Received:2020-12-23 Revised:2021-01-15 Online:2021-07-15 Published:2021-08-03
  • Contact: Xianying XU E-mail:786635516@qq.com;xyingxu@163.com

Abstract:

An investigation into the influence of Rhombomys opimus disturbance on the physical and chemical properties of soil could clarify the ecological function and role that R. opimus plays in artificial Haloxylon ammodendron forest. Specifically, the in-use (effective burrows) and abandoned (abandoned burrows) burrows of R. opimus in an artificial H. ammodendron forest were analyzed for the layered determination of 0-30 cm soil moisture, organic matter, total nitrogen, and other parameters to determine how R. opimus excavation activities influence the physical and chemical properties of soil. The results showed that the water content and bulk density of the 0-30 cm layer of soil had the same change laws: Abandoned cave < effective hole < control; and the water content and bulk density increased with increased burrow depth. The salt content in the soil layers in the effective and abandoned burrows decreased with increased soil depth. The pH of each soil layer increased in the effective burrows, but decreased in the abandoned burrows. The total nitrogen in each soil layer (0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, 20-30 cm) in the effective burrows was 0.23 g·kg -1, 0.13 g·kg-1, and 0.22 g·kg-1 higher than in the abandoned burrows. The total phosphorus and total potassium in the soil layers were: Effective burrows > abandoned burrows > control, with the highest content in the 0-10 cm layer. The available phosphorus in the soil layers of both burrows had the same change rule, with the highest content in the 20-30 cm layer. The effective potassium in each soil level in the effective burrows was 1.05, 1.01, and 1.01 times that of the abandoned burrows. Organic matter: The total amount of organic matter in the effective and abandoned burrows increased by 63.2% and 48.8%, respectively. In summary, the soil nutrients of the effective burrows were generally higher than those of the abandoned burrows, and the soil nutrients increased in different degrees, indicating that R. opimus disturbance could change the soil bulk density and water patterns, promote nutrient accumulation, and increase soil fertility.

Key words: Rhombomys opimus, disturbance, artificial Haloxylon ammodendron forest, soil, burrow