Arid Zone Research ›› 2021, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (5): 1335-1345.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2021.05.15

• Soil Resources • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Spatial distribution characteristics of grain size of surface soil in the sand-resitant belt of Minqin Oasis marginal

ZHAO Peng1,2(),ZHU Shujuan1(),DUAN Xiaofeng2,CHANG Zhaofeng2,KANG Caizhou1,WANG Fanglin2,WANG Yuqi2,GAO Decai3   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Desertification and Aeolian Sand Disaster Combating, Gansu Desert Control Research Institute, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
    2. Gansu Minqin National Field Observation & Research Station on Ecosystem of Desert Grassland, Minqin 733000, Gansu, China
    3. Gulang County Haizitan Forest Field, Gulang 733100, Gansu, China
  • Received:2021-04-02 Revised:2021-07-01 Online:2021-09-15 Published:2021-09-24
  • Contact: Shujuan ZHU E-mail:zhpg1987@sina.com;315153214@qq.com

Abstract:

Soil particle size is an important characteristic parameter of sand drift activity. Through field investigation and indoor test, this paper explored the grain size characteristics of surface soil at the windbreak and sand fixation forest with different spatial distribution, to evaluate the function of the sand barrier belt on the edge of Minqin Oasis. According to the results, the grain size composition in the surface soil of Haloxylon ammodendron-Artemisia desertorum-Agriophyllum squarrosum fixing forest in Baqu was mainly fine sand, medium sand, and very fine sand, which accounts for 33.47%, 26.08%, and 18.18%, respectively. The grain size composition in the surface soil of Nitraria tangutorum-Artemisia desertorum-Bassia dasyphylla fixing forest in Quanshanqu was dominated by fine sand, silt, and very fine sand, which accounts for 29.62%, 21.17%, and 18.87%, respectively. The grain size composition in the surface soil of Nitraria tangutorum-Phragmites australis- Salsola collina fixing forest in Huqu mainly consisted of fine sand, silt, and very fine sand, which accounts for 36.66%, 27.98%, and 22. 83%, respectively. Average particle size, Baqu (2.55 Φ) > Quanshanqu (3.5 Φ) > Huqu (3.94 Φ). Grain size sorting in Baqu (1.58 Φ) was poor, grain size sorting in Quanshanqu (2.29 Φ) and Huqu (2.10 Φ) were also very poor. The frequency curve of grain size in Quanshanqu and Huqu is of double peak type, while that in Baqu is of single peak type. The skewness is extremely positive, and the kurtosis is very narrow. The cumulative distribution curve of grain size shows that the aeolian sand activity in Baqu is more frequent and intense than that in the Quanshanqu and Huqu. The specie composition of the desert vegetation community determines the function of windbreak and sand fixation in the sand-blocking belt and then affects the grain size distribution of the topsoil. It suggested that forestation tree species with strong sand-fixing ability should be selected when the ecological protection system of sand-blocking belt is restored.

Key words: sand-resitant belt, grain size characteristics, fixing vegetation, wind break and sand-fixing function, Minqin Oasis