Pedosphere 18(6): 741--748, 2008
ISSN 1002-0160/CN 32-1315/P
©2008 Soil Science Society of China
Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press
| Effect of land cover change on soil phosphorus fractions in southeastern Horqin sandy land, northern China |
ZHAO Qiong1,2, ZENG De-Hui1, FAN Zhi-Ping 1 and D. K. LEE3 |
1 Daqinggou Ecological Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016 (China). E-mail: xiayuliao8201@126.com;
2 Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039 (China);
3 Department of Forest Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-921 (Republic of Korea) |
| ABSTRACT |
| In the past 50 years, large areas of the Horqin sandy land were afforested to prevent desertification. Although the afforestation policy appears successful, many people now doubt whether it is suitable to plant trees with high density on the poor soils in semiarid regions. Little is known about the impacts of afforestation on the sandy soil properties, although the evaluation of these impacts is fundamental to judge the rationality of afforestation policy. Soil phosphorus (P) fractions, acid phosphomonoesterase activities, and other soil chemical properties were compared among five adjoining typical ecosystems on poor sandy soils in southeastern Horqin sandy land. The ecosystems studied are natural elm savanna, degraded grassland, Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) plantation, Chinese pine (Pinus tabulaeformis) plantation, and mixed plantation of Mongolian pine and poplar (Populus simonii). The results showed that organic P dominated soil P (47%-65%) was the principal source of available P. The degradation of elm savanna to grassland significantly reduced soil pH and resulted in an overall reduction in soil fertility, although slightly increased labile inorganic P. Grassland afforestation had no significant influence on soil pH, organic carbon, and total N but significantly reduced total P. Impacts of grassland afforestation on soil P fractions depended on tree species. Natural elm savanna had higher soil P conserving ability than artificial plantations. Therefore, with the aim of developing a sustainable ecosystem, we suggested that vegetations with low nutrient demand (particularly P) and effcient nutrient cycling would be more suitable for ecosystem restoration in the semiarid region. |
| Key Words: afforestation, Horqin sandy land, soil phosphorus, vegetation restoration |
| Citation: Zhao, Q., Zeng, D. H., Fan, Z. P. and Lee, D. K. 2008. Effect of land cover change on soil phosphorus fractions in southeastern Horqin sandy land, northern China. Pedosphere. 18(6): 741-748. |
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