Arid Zone Research ›› 2025, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (11): 2071-2082.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2025.11.10

• Plant Ecology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Plant species diversity and soil nutrient alter characteristics of artificial Hippophae rhamnoides forests with different restoration years: A case study of Shuanglonggou Gangue Mountain

WANG Lide1,2,3(), LI Hao3, HE Jing3(), CHEN Sihang1, WANG Jingrui1,2, LI Shihan3, SI Jingyi3   

  1. 1. Gansu Institute of Desertification Control, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
    2. Minqin Desert Grassland Ecosystem National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station, Minqin 733300, Gansu, China
    3. College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
  • Received:2025-04-24 Revised:2025-09-01 Online:2025-11-15 Published:2025-12-13
  • Contact: HE Jing E-mail:460025211@qq.com;hejing268@aliyun.com

Abstract:

To investigate the dynamics of plant species diversity and soil nutrients in artificial Hippophae rhamnoides forests with different restoration years in the Shuanglonggou coal gangue area, this study examined plots restored for 3 a, 6 a, and 11 a, using unrestored gangue wasteland as control. Field vegetation surveys were conducted, soil nutrients were estimated, and plant-soil correlations were analyzed using the space-for-time substitution method. The results showed that: (1) During restoration, 65 plant species from 48 genera and 24 families were recorded, with Asteraceae being the most dominant family. (2) The number of plant individuals increased with restoration time, reaching a maximum of 1234 in the 11 a plot. Species richness, Simpson dominance index, and Margalef richness index increased, reaching the peak values at 34, 0.277, and 3.213, respectively, in the 11a plot, whereas the Pielou evenness index and Shannon diversity index showed overall declining trends. (3) Soil total nitrogen, total phosphorus, organic matter, ammonium nitrogen, and available phosphorus decreased significantly with soil depth, showing obvious surface aggregation, whereas total phosphorus, nitrate nitrogen, and ammonium nitrogen increased significantly with restoration time. (4) Plant species diversity was closely correlated with soil nutrients; plant individual count was significantly positively correlated with nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen and significantly negatively correlated with available phosphorus; and species richness was significantly positively correlated with soil pH, total phosphorus, nitrate nitrogen, and ammonium nitrogen. Simpson dominance and Margalef richness indices were significantly positively correlated with total phosphorus, nitrate nitrogen, and ammonium nitrogen. However, Pielou evenness index was significantly positively correlated with available phosphorus. This indicated that these soil nutrients were key factors influencing plant species diversity in this region. The study demonstrated that prolonged artificial restoration significantly enhanced plant species diversity and soil nutrient content in the Shuanglonggou gangue area, providing a scientific basis for ecosystem restoration in abandoned mining regions.

Key words: artificial Hippophae rhamnoides forest, plant species diversity, soil nutrient, ecological restoration