Arid Zone Research ›› 2021, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (2): 421-428.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2021.02.13

• Soil Resources • Previous Articles     Next Articles

The positive effect of Caragana breviflora shrubs on plant communities and soil microbial communities in the Inner Mongolia desert region

ZHANG Peng(),LI Ying,WANG Yelin,SONG Chengcheng,GAO Fanglei,XIE Lina(),MA Chengcang   

  1. Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
  • Received:2020-07-14 Revised:2020-09-26 Online:2021-03-15 Published:2021-04-25
  • Contact: Lina XIE E-mail:18963248622@163.com;xielina1989 @163.com

Abstract:

In this study, we used Caragana breviflora in the Inner Mongolia desert area as target shrubs and field investigation methods to evaluate the effect of shrubs on plant communities, while also using a combination of traditional cultivation methods and molecular biology technology to evaluate the effects of shrubs on soil microbial communities. The findings revealed that: (1) Both the abundance and biomass of herbaceous plants were significantly greater under C. breviflora shrub canopies than in open areas, whereas there was no significant difference in the richness and Shannon-Wiener diversity index between shrub canopies and open areas; (2) The richness, abundance, and Shannon-Wiener index of soil culturable bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes tended to be highest at either the top or subsurface soil layers; (3) C. breviflora shrubs had positive effects on soil microbial communities, and these positive effects were the highest at the top soil layer; (4) C. breviflora shrubs had more positive effects on plant communities than on soil microbial communities.

Key words: Caragana brachypoda, shrub encroachment, soil culturable microorganism, soil fertile island, plant community