[1]ZHAI Hui,LI Guorong,LI Jinfang,et al.Influences of Vegetation Coverage and Rodent Mounds on Topsoil Particle Characteristics of Alpine Grassland[J].Research of Soil and Water Conservation,2023,30(05):122-129.[doi:10.13869/j.cnki.rswc.2023.05.052.]
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Research of Soil and Water Conservation[ISSN 1005-3409/CN 61-1272/P] Volume:
30
Number of periods:
2023 05
Page number:
122-129
Column:
Public date:
2023-08-10
- Title:
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Influences of Vegetation Coverage and Rodent Mounds on Topsoil Particle Characteristics of Alpine Grassland
- Author(s):
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ZHAI Hui1, LI Guorong1,2, LI Jinfang1, TONG Shengchun1,2, ZHAO Jianyun1,2, ZHU Haili1,2, LIU Yabin1,2, LI Xilai3, HU Xiasong1,2
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(1.Department of Geological Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China; 2.Key Lab of Cenozoic Resource & Environment in North Margin of the Tibetan Plateau, Xining 810016, China; 3.College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China)
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- Keywords:
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alpine grassland; natural degradation area; rodent mounds; particle size composition; soil degradation
- CLC:
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S152.3
- DOI:
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10.13869/j.cnki.rswc.2023.05.052.
- Abstract:
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[Objective] The aim of this study is to explore the variation characteristics of topsoil particle size composition in the alpine grassland in the source region of the Yellow River, as well as main influencing factors on soil degradation in the grassland, and then to provide certain guidance. [Methods] The topsoil with different coverage(0%, 5%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%)and two types of new and old rodent mounds in the forbidden grazing area of Henan County, Qinghai Province were used as research objects. The influences of different coverage of grassland and rodent mounds distribution on topsoil particle size composition in the source region of the Yellow River were analyzed. [Results](1)The average soil particle size on the surface of alpine grassland increased with the decrease of grass coverage, and the variation range of soil particle size less than 2 μm was the smallest, and the variation range of soil particle size between 20 μm and 50 μm and 250 μm was the largest. The soil particle size between 20 μm and 50 μm was relatively sensitive to soil erosion.(2)The surface soil particle size composition of undegraded grassland was mainly composed of silt, clay and silt contents and coverage showed a linear positive correlation, and sand content and coverage showed a linear negative correlation. Compared with the primary grassland, the content of sand in bare land increased by 21.96%, that of Eospalax baileyi mound increased by 27.86% and that of Ochotona curzoniae mound increased by 33.14%.(3)There was no obvious difference in soil particle size composition between the two types of mounds formed at the same time. Compared with the new mounds, the clay content of old mounds of Ochotona curzoniae and Eospalax baileyi decreased by 5.85% and 6.32%, the silt content decreased by 28.99% and 23.01%, and the sand content increased by 34.84% and 29.33%, respectively. The mean grain size of soil increased by nearly 2 times, and the soil erosion of rodent mounds showed the phenomenon of soil coarse-grained and desertification. [Conclusion] Increasing grassland coverage to more than 50% and decreasing new rodent mounds density could effectively control soil coarser granulation in alpine grassland.