Arid Zone Research ›› 2025, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (3): 456-466.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2025.03.06

• Land and Water Resources • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of addition of the bentonite on the physicochemical properties and vegetation growth of wind-eroded sandy soil

LIU Quanyu1,2(), LI Congjuan2(), LI Guizhen1   

  1. 1. College of Grassland Science, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, Xinjiang, China
    2. Key Laboratory of Ecological Security and Sustainable Development in Arid Region, National Engineering Research Center for Desert-Oasis Ecological Construction, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, China
  • Received:2024-12-03 Revised:2024-12-24 Online:2025-03-15 Published:2025-03-17
  • Contact: LI Congjuan E-mail:liuquanyu@xjnydx.wecom.work;licj@ms.xjb.ac.cn

Abstract:

Desertification is a serious environmental problem globally, severely restricting the sustainable development of regional economies. In recent years, clay minerals have been widely used for improving wind-eroded and sandy soil, and bentonite with its unique 2:1 layered structure has particularly good prospects for application in the improvement of wind-eroded and sandy soil. In this study, the effects of different proportions of bentonite [without bentonite addition (B0), 2% bentonite addition (B2), and 4% bentonite addition (B4)] on the physical and chemical properties of wind-eroded and desertified soil and plant growth were studied. The results showed the following: (1) Bentonite addition increased the content of fine-grained soil and improved the soil’s water retention and water holding capacity (12%-88%). (2) The shear strength of wind-eroded and sandy soil supplemented with B2 and B4 bentonite was increased by 150% and 205%, respectively, compared with that upon B0 treatment. (3) Bentonite addition can lead to crust formation on the sandy surface, which is beneficial for sand fixation. (4) Among the treatments, B4 bentonite addition significantly increased plant coverage, biomass, and plant height by 32%-33%, 56%-85%, and 71%-107%, respectively. In summary, the addition of bentonite not only improved the soil’s water retention capacity, improved the soil’s physical properties, and fixed the sandy surface, but also promoted plant growth.

Key words: sandy soil amelioration, soil moisture conservation, soil shear resistance strength, sand stabilization mechanisms