Arid Zone Research ›› 2019, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (1): 131-138.

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Occurrence and Distribution of Throughfall under Caragana intermedia Canopy in Desert Steppe

YANG Xin-guo1,2,3, GU Jun-long1,2,3, WANG Xing1,2,3, CHEN Lin1,2,3, WANG Lei1,2,3, SONG Nai-ping1,2,3, QU Wen-jie1,2,3   

  1. 1. Northwest National Key Laboratory Breeding Base for Land Degradation and Ecological Restoration, Ningxia University,Yinchuan 750021,Ningxia,China;2. Key Laboratory of Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystems,Ministry of Education, Ningxia University,Yinchuan 750021,Ningxia,China;3. Joint Research Center for Ecological and Biological Resources Development in Western China, Ningxia University,Yinchuan 750021,Ningxia,China

  • Received:2018-04-06 Revised:2018-07-28 Online:2019-01-15 Published:2019-01-17

Abstract: The rainfall redistribution through canopy is of important eco-hydrological significance for the survival of shrubs. The Caragana intermedia plantation in large area in desert steppe is mostly zonal,and the growth mode and morphological characteristics of natural sporadic C. intermedia plants are quite different. Whether this difference affecting the distribution of precipitation through canopy is necessary to be further verified. The eco-hydrological mechanism of vegetation stability of adult C. intermedia plantation in desert steppe should be further understood. The occurrence and distribution of throughfall under C. intermedia canopy in two different growth patterns (scattered and row distribution) were compared and analyzed by monitoring precipitation redistribution in 18 different rainfall events in 2016. The results showed that the throughfall percentage of scattered C. intermedia plants was 25.6%~96.5%,that of row ones was 25.4%~96.1%,and the coefficients of variation was 23% and 19% respectively. The mean values of throughfall were similar and for 7.55 mm and 7.40 mm respectively. Rainfall,rainfall duration,and rainfall intensity had a very significant linear relationship with thoughfall depth,but the relationship between throughfall percentage and characteristic parameters of precipitation was complex,which was dominated by power function,and the fitting significance of scattered C. intermedia plants was better than that of row ones. The distribution of throughfall under canopy was spatial heterogeneity. Generally,throughfall percentage was increased linearly with the increase of distance from shrub base. The dry area of throughfall was concentrated at the base of scattered C. intermedia plants,however,the distribution of row ones was more complex. Mosaic distribution of dry areas and rain pole was found for row C. intermedia plants. The different growth patterns of C. intermedia plants did not significantly affect the throughfall depth,but the spatial distribution pattern of throughfall under canopy was significantly changed,which might further affect the process of the conversion from precipitation to soil water.

Key words: throughfall, Caragana intermedia, spatial heterogeneity, rainfall, desert steppe, Yanchi county