Pedosphere 18(6): 809--816, 2008
ISSN 1002-0160/CN 32-1315/P
©2008 Soil Science Society of China
Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press
| Aggregate characteristics during natural revegetation on the Loess Plateau |
AN Shao-Shan 1,2, HUANG Yi-Mei2, ZHENG Fen-Li1,2 and YANG Jian-Guo3,4 |
1 State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling 712100 (China). E-mail: shan@ms.iswc.ac.cn;
2 Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling 712100 (China);
3 College of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083 (China);
4 Institute of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan 750002 (China) |
| ABSTRACT |
| Field investigations and laboratory analysis were conducted to study the characteristics of soil water-stable aggregates during vegetation rehabilitation in typical grassland soils of the hilly-gullied loess area. The relationship between water-stable aggregates and other soil properties was analyzed using canonical correlation analysis and principal component analysis. The results show that during the natural revegetation, the aggregates > 5 mm dominated and constituted between 50% and 80% of the total soil water-stable aggregates in most of the soil layers. The 2-5 mm aggregate class was the second main component. The mean value of water-stable aggregates > 5 mm within the 0-2 m soil profile under different plant communities decreased in the following order: Stipa grandis > Stipa bungeana Trin. > Artemisia sacrorum Ledeb. > Thymus mongolicus Ronn. > Hierochloe odorata (L.) Beauv. Clay, organic matter, and total N were the key factors that infuenced the water stability of the aggregates. Total N and organic matter were the main factors that affected the water stability of the aggregates > 5 mm and 0.5-1 mm in size. The contents of Fe2O3, Al2O3, and physical clay (< 0.01 mm) were the main factors which affected the water stability of the 1-2 and 0.25-0.5 mm aggregates. |
| Key Words: canonical correlation analysis, loess area, natural revegetation, principal component analysis, soil water-stable aggregates |
| Citation: An, S. S., Huang, Y. M., Zheng, F. L. and Yang, J. G. 2008. Aggregate characteristics during natural revegetation on the Loess Plateau. Pedosphere. 18(6): 809-816. |
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