Arid Zone Research ›› 2023, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (5): 747-755.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2023.05.07

• Land and Water Resources • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Characteristics of soil nutrient accumulation after 38 years of the Jilantai Salt Lake protection system

WEI Yajuan1,2(),LIU Meiying3,XIE Yunhu1(),LI Xing4   

  1. 1. Department of Resource and Environment, Baotou Teachers’ College, Baotou 014030, Inner Mongolia, China
    2. College of Desert Control Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, Inner Mongolia, China
    3. Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Soil Quality and Nutrient Resource, College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, Inner Mongolia, China
    4. Experimental Center for Desert Forestry, CAF, Dengkou 015200, Inner Mongolia, China
  • Received:2023-02-06 Revised:2023-03-22 Online:2023-05-15 Published:2023-05-30

Abstract:

This study was established to evaluate the influence of the Jilantai Salt Lake protection system on soil nutrient accumulation. This is a comparative study of soil nutrient accumulation in different protection system types under the salt lake protection system (zones for fixing shifting sand, fencing dunes for grass recovery, preventing wind and stopping sand, and a forest for protecting the salt lake) using the method of representative investigation and laboratory analysis. The goal was to provide a theoretical basis for the management of shelter forest in Jilantai Salt Lake. Our results showed the following: (1) The increases in soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), available nitrogen (AN), and available phosphorus (AP) contents were in the range of 0.45-1.92 g·kg-1, 0.03-0.58 g·kg-1, 0.15-0.43 g·kg-1, 1.33-13.31 mg·kg-1, and 0.12-12.94 mg·kg-1, respectively. Soil depth, protection system type, and their interaction had significant positive effects on the increase in the soil SOC, TN, TP, and AP contents. (2) Establishment of the salt lake protection system had a significant effect on soil nutrients at a depth of approximately 0-100 cm, and the soil depth, protection system type, and their interaction had a significant impact on soil TP relative interaction intense (RIITP), AN relative interaction intense (RIIAN), AP relative interaction intense (RIIAP), and total RII. (3) Nutrient restoration index showed that soil nutrients improved to different degrees in different protection system types of the salt lake protection system, and their nutrient restoration indexes of zones for fixing shifting sand, fencing dunes for grass recovery, preventing wind and stopping sand and a forest for protecting the salt lake were 7.83%, 37.72%, 185.12%, and 252.36%, respectively. This study showed that, in the 38 years since its establishment, the salt lake protection system could effectively promote soil nutrient accumulation and accelerate soil nutrient restoration in the salt lake area, benefitting the ecological restoration and reconstruction around Jilantai Salt Lake.

Key words: vegetation restoration, nutrient accumulation, relative interaction intense, protection system type, salt lake protection system