SPATIAL HETEROGENEITY OF SOIL RESOURCES OF CARAGANA TIBETICA COMMUNITY

doi:10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2009.02.011

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Caragana tibetica is commonly found in the ecotone between desert steppe and desert of the Inner Mongolian Plateau. It is often used as an indicator species in vegetation regionalization. Due to its dwarf shrub characteristics C. tibetica can easily initiate nebkha (dune) formation in sand-covered habitats. The objective of the present study is to understand C. tibetica ecological adaptability by investigating soil heterogeneity of C. tibetica community.

Methods Nebkhas formed by C. tibetica were classified into three size groups. Small and medium nebkhas corresponded to a development stage, and large nebkhas represented a stable stage. Soil organic mater (SOM), total phosphorus (TP) and water content (W_m) were measured at the top each nebkha, in the middle of the nebkha slope, in the interspace between nebkhas, and under the nebkhas. We then also averaged these properties for each nebkha (mean of top and middle samples).

Important findings Average content of SOM, TP and W_m of nebkhas and the soil underlying them increased with nebkha age. For large and medium nebkhas and the soil underlying them these properties were higher than that in the interspaces between them. Average SOM of small nebkhas was higher than that in the interspace between them. However,average TP and W_m of the soil underlying small nebkhas were lower than in the interspace. At the top and middle of nebkhas of all sizes, SOM and TP first increased and then decreased vertically while W_m decreased gradually. Plant residues content captured by C. tibetica nebkhas increased gradually with nebkha development stage. We conclude that the “fertility island effect” formed inside and below nebkhas increases as nebkhas develop. At the same time, we found that spatial heterogeneity of SOM,TP and W_m is high.

Key words: Caragana tibetica, nabkhas, spatial heterogeneity, fertility islands effect

ZHANG Pu-Jin, YANG Jie, SONG Bing-Yu, ZHAO Li-Qing, QING Hua. SPATIAL HETEROGENEITY OF SOIL RESOURCES OF CARAGANA TIBETICA COMMUNITY[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2009, 33(2): 338-346.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2009.02.011

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2009/V33/I2/338

Figures/Tables 11

Table 1 The size of Caragana tibeticanebkhas (cm)

	大沙堆 Large nebkhas	中沙堆 Medium nebkhas	小沙堆 Small nebkhas
长 Length	250~200	140~110	70~60
宽 Width	180~130	100~70	55~45
灌丛高 Shrub height	65~60	55~45	30~20
沙堆高 Nebkhas height	55~50	50~40	20~15

Table 2 The average contents of soil organic matter, soil total phosphorus and mass water content of soil inside and outside Caragana tibeticanebkhas (mean±SE)

	大沙堆 Large nebkhas	中沙堆 Medium nebkhas	小沙堆 Small nebkhas	沙堆外 Outside nebkhas
土壤有机质 Soil organic matter (g?kg^-1)	9.444±1.886^a	8.132±1.435^b	7.579±1.579^b	7.564±0.916^b
土壤全磷 Soil total phosphorus (g?kg^-1)	0.233±0.020^a	0.221±0.030^{a c}	0.191±0.025^b	0.199±0.017^bc
土壤质量含水量 Mass water content of soil (%)	2.55±0.8^a	2.15±0.6^ab	1.67±0.4^b	2.04±0.62^ab

Table 3 The average contents of soil organic matter, soil total phosphorus and mass water content of soil underground nebkhas and outside the nebkhas (mean±SE)

	大沙堆 Large nebkhas	中沙堆 Medium nebkhas	小沙堆 Small nebkhas	沙堆外 Outside nebkhas
土壤有机质 Soil organic matter (g?kg^-1)	9.739±2.367^a	8.692±1.310^a	7.393±1.600^a	7.564±0.916^a
土壤全磷 Soil total phosphorus (g?kg^-1)	0.223±0.040^a	0.216±0.030^a	0.203±0.038^a	0.199±0.017^a
土壤质量含水量 Mass water content of soil (%)	5.87±0.56^a	4.16±0.63^b	2.72±0.32^c	2.04±0.62^c

Fig. 1 The soil organic matter content of Caragana tibeticanebkhas Horizontal line indicates standard error (±SE)

Fig. 2 The soil total phosphorus content of Caragana tibeticanebkhas Horizontal line indicates standard error (±SE)

Fig. 3 Soil-mass water content of Caragana tibeticanebkhas Horizontal line indicates standard error (±SE)

Fig. 4 Soil organic matter and soil total phosphorus contents in the surface layer soil (0~20 cm) in the top and middle parts ofCaragana tibetica nebkhas, as well as in the space between them Vertical line indicates standard error (±SE)

Table 4 Soil-mass water content of Caragana tibetica nebkhas surface layer of 0~20 cm (mean±SE)

	大沙堆 Large nebkhas	中沙堆 Medium nebkhas	小沙堆 Small nebkhas	沙堆外 Outside nebkhas
土壤质量含水量 Mass water content of soil (%)	1.92±0.25^a	1.72±0.12^a	1.67±0.42^a	2.04±0.62^a

Fig. 5 The contents of plant residues inside and outside Caragana tibeticanebkhas Vertical line indicates standard error (±SE)

Fig. 6 The soil organic matter contents in mediumCaragana tibetica nebkhas Horizontal line indicates standard error (±SE)

Table 5 The average contents of generalized and narrow sense soil organic matter inside Caragana tibeticanebkhas (mean±SE)

	广义土壤有机质 Generalized soil organic matter (g?kg^-1)	狭义土壤有机质 Narrow sense soil organic matter (g?kg^-1)
中沙堆 Medium nebkhas	11.623±2.420^a	8.132±1.435^b

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