Arid Zone Research ›› 2022, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (2): 605-614.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2022.02.27

• Ecology and Environment • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of different years of returning farmland on soil moisture and species diversity in Minqin Qingtu Lake area

WANG Jia1(),TIAN Qing1(),WANG Lide1,2,HE Hongsheng1,SONG Dacheng2,GUO Chunxiu2   

  1. 1. College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
    2. Gansu Desert Control Research Institute, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
  • Received:2021-04-22 Revised:2021-08-11 Online:2022-03-15 Published:2022-03-30
  • Contact: Qing TIAN E-mail:2507326198@qq.com;tqing@gsau.edu.cn

Abstract:

Using the spatial instead of temporal method, we investigated the characteristics of soil moisture change and vegetation succession characteristics across different years of abandoned land (returned fields 1 a, 2 a, 4 a, 8 a, 13 a, 20 a, 30 a, 40 a, and CK) in the Qingtu Lake area of Minqin. As the period of abandoned land increased, the soil water content first decreased, then increased and gradually stabilized. Additionally, as the period of abandoned land increased, the number of individuals, number of groups and Margalef richness index tended to decline; the Shannon diversity index and Pielou evenness index increased first, then decreased and gradually stabilized, whereas the Simpson dominance index only minorly changed before stabilizing. Moreover, as the period of returning farmland increased, the plant community followed a succession process: Kochia scopariaHalogeton arachnoideusSetaria viridisPeganum nigellastrumSuaeda microphyllaLycium ruthenicumReaumuria soongaricaKalidium foliatum. Overall, the Simpson dominance index and soil water content in the 0-20 cm soil layer showed a highly significant negative correlation, whereas the Shannon diversity index and soil water content in the 0-20 cm soil layer showed a highly significant positive correlation; however, there was no significant correlation with soil water content in the 20-40 cm soil layer. Additionally, there was no significant correlation between group number, Margalef richness index, Pielou evenness index, and soil water content. As such, natural vegetation succession in arid areas depends on the soil water content in the 0-20 cm soil layer.

Key words: Qingtu Lake, abandoned land, natural succession of vegetation, soil moisture content, correlation