Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Zi-Qiang Yuan, Xin Song, Zhaozhong Feng, Jian Wang, Runzhi Wang, Evgenios Agathokleous, Chao Fang, Jordi Sardans, Josep Penuelas
Summary: Grazing exclusion is an effective management practice to restore degraded ecosystems, resulting in significant increase in soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (N) stock. The rates of SOC and N sequestration increase with the duration of grazing exclusion. The controlling factors include the age of grazing exclusion, initial SOC and N contents, altitude, mean annual temperature, and mean annual precipitation.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Peng Shi, Lulu Bai, Zhun Zhao, Jingbing Dong, Zhanbin Li, Zhiqiang Min, Lingzhou Cui, Peng Li
Summary: The distribution of vegetation has an impact on soil carbon loss. It is suggested to restore vegetation in the down-slope area to reduce runoff, sediment, and soil carbon losses.
Article
Forestry
Zemin Ai, Jiayi Li, Xinghua Li, Jiaoyang Zhang, Hongfei Liu, Hongwei Xu, Guobin Liu, Sha Xue
Summary: Knowledge of plant photosynthesis, biomass, and stress resistance is important for understanding vegetation growth and restoration. However, the response of these plant traits to plant-soil interactions at different successional stages is still poorly understood. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of soil from different successional stages on plant traits, and the results showed specific directional responses of plant traits to plant-soil interactions.
Article
Agronomy
Xiaohong Chai, Weiwei Wang, Xiuzi Ren, Junfeng Wang, Qi Zhang, Gaohui Duan, Yuanyuan Qu, Xuexuan Xu, Feng Du
Summary: The study found that the concentration of cutin in leaves is positively correlated with soil water repellency, while root-derived suberin has no correlation with soil water repellency. The origin of hydrophobic compounds is crucial for soil water repellency.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shenglan Ye, Biao Peng, Tiancheng Liu
Summary: In the hilly and gully areas of the Loess Plateau, the application of organic fertilizer significantly promotes the growth and improves the quality of Pear-jujube. Among the different organic fertilizers tested, soybean cake fertilizer had the most significant effect.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Xi Yang, Ming'an Shao, Tongchuan Li, Miao Gan, Mingyu Chen, Zhiyong Li
Summary: Investigation on natural grasslands across a climatic gradient on the Loess Plateau showed that the proportion of macroaggregates and the OC content within macroaggregates dominated the dynamics of OC in bulk soil.
Article
Ecology
Shu-Lin Wang, An Hu, Fu-Jiang Hou
Summary: This study investigated the relationships between the soil seed bank, seeds in Tan sheep dung, and aboveground vegetation under different stocking rates in a semi-arid region of the Loess Plateau in China. The findings showed that sheep grazing increased vegetation richness heterogeneity but negatively influenced vegetation density, with low species similarity between the seed banks and aboveground vegetation. The results indicate that the seasonal nature of seed dispersal from herbage to livestock to soil during cold season grazing is an adaptation to harsh, semi-arid environments, facilitating grassland regeneration on the Loess Plateau and similar regions globally.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Shenqiang Lv, Jia Li, Zeyu Yang, Ting Yang, Huitong Li, Xiaofei Wang, Yi Peng, Chunju Zhou, Linquan Wang, Ahmed I. Abdo
Summary: This study investigated the effects of ridge tillage and plastic film or straw mulching on yield stability, soil water storage, nitrogen budget, and soil nitrogen and organic carbon contents in rain-fed spring maize on the Loess Plateau. The results showed that plastic film mulching increased maize yield and stability, improved water use efficiency, and maintained soil nitrogen and organic carbon contents. However, the potential impact of microplastic contamination should be considered.
AGRICULTURAL WATER MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Liangang Xiao, Mingkai Leng, Philip Greenwood, Rongqin Zhao, Zhixiang Xie, Zengtao You, Junguo Liu
Summary: This study investigates the effects of grazing exclusion on soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation and vegetation recovery. It finds that grazing exclusion can increase the potential for SOC accumulation, and higher annual precipitation is positively correlated with SOC accumulation.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2024)
Article
Agronomy
Qi Zhang, Yuanhong Zhang, Xumin Wang, Haoyu Li, Pengzhao Liu, Xiaoli Wang, Rui Wang, Jun Li
Summary: This study investigated the effects of four tillage practices on soil aggregates, soil carbon pools, soil carbon sequestration, and emissions through a long-term tillage experiment. The results showed that conservation tillage practices improved soil organic carbon stock and reduced carbon emissions. This was achieved by increasing soil aggregates and improving carbon pool management. However, no-tillage and subsoiling practices increased the stratification ratios of soil organic carbon, which hindered its vertical distribution. Additionally, conservation tillage practices also increased crop yield and had positive effects on environmental protection and soil physicochemical properties. Based on a comprehensive index assessment, NCS was recommended as a sustainable tillage practice.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Tianyuan Liu, Jian Sun, Youchao Chen, Tiancai Zhou, Hua Shang, Yingxin Wang, Junxi Wu, Qi Mi, Jintao Zhang, Wen He, Le Sun
Summary: In the context of Carbon Emissions Peak and Carbon Neutrality, the impact of grazing exclusion (GE) on carbon dynamics in alpine grasslands on the QingZang Plateau (QZP) at a regional scale was evaluated through meta-analysis. The study found that GE had a positive effect on carbon sequestration in the alpine meadow compared to the alpine steppe. The longer duration of GE was more effective for increasing ecosystem carbon sequestration in the alpine steppe. Annual mean precipitation and temperature began to dominate ecosystem carbon sequestration after three years of GE duration in the alpine meadow. Different carbon fractions (plant-soil-microbe) responded differently to GE at spatial and temporal scales.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yipeng Zhou, Zhidan Zhang, Jinjing Zhang, Minshuang Zhao, Nianpeng He
Summary: This study examined the spatial variation of soil particulate organic carbon in three plateau grasslands and identified the factors affecting its distribution. The results showed that soil particulate organic carbon content was highest on the Tibetan Plateau, followed by the Mongolian Plateau and Loess Plateau. Environmental, soil, and microbial factors all played important roles in controlling the change of soil particulate organic carbon.
JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE AND PLANT NUTRITION
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Peng Shi, Zhanbin Li, Peng Li, Yan Zhang, Binbin Li
Summary: The large-scale vegetation restoration program in China's Loess Plateau has positively impacted soil organic carbon storage, soil total nitrogen storage, and soil conservation service, but has led to a decrease in soil water content. There are significant trade-offs among different types of vegetation land-use, with grassland having a greater impact on soil water content, soil organic carbon storage, and soil total nitrogen storage. Coordination of ecosystem services and the use of grassland in water limited areas are important for regional sustainable development.
NATURAL RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Wenjie Wu, Guangjie Chen, Tingfang Meng, Cheng Li, Hao Feng, Bingcheng Si, Kadambot H. M. Siddique
Summary: The comprehensive effects of different vegetation restoration types on soil properties on the Loess Plateau are not clear. Evaluating the soil properties of the main economic and ecological tree species can provide crucial guidance for regional ecological environment restoration. Black locust had greater negative effects on soil properties compared to economic tree species.
Article
Soil Science
Chenli Liu, Wenlong Li, Jing Xu, Wei Wei, Pengfei Xue, Hepiao Yan
Summary: In this study, a meta-analysis of 53 peer-reviewed publications was conducted to explore the effects of grazing on soil nutrient levels in alpine grasslands. The results showed that grazing significantly decreased soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, available phosphorus, soil moisture, and soil C:N ratio, while increasing soil bulk density and temperature. The effects of grazing on soil nutrients varied with grazing intensity, season, livestock type, and grazing duration, providing insights into sustainable management strategies in alpine grassland ecosystems on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
SOIL & TILLAGE RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ji Chen, Yong Zhang, Yakov Kuzyakov, Dong Wang, Jorgen Eivind Olesen
Summary: Soil microbiology has entered the era of big data, but faces challenges in integrating laboratory, field, and model-based studies. The limitations of laboratory experiments ignore the interactions of various environmental drivers, leading to discrepancies between laboratory and field studies. The upscaling of soil microbiology research from laboratory to ecosystems is a grand challenge with the potential to inform climate-smart and resource-efficient ecosystems. Understanding the gaps between laboratory and field studies and the issues in bridging observations and model predictions is crucial for interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge advancement.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mengjun Hu, Jiali Wang, Longlong Lu, Pengshuai Shao, Zhenxing Zhou, Dong Wang, Shijie Han, Brooke Osborne, Ji Chen
Summary: Wildfire has attracted increasing attention due to its higher sensitivity to soil microbes. However, little is known about the effects of post-fire changes in soil biogeochemical properties and microbial community composition on soil extracellular enzyme activities. This study investigated the responses and controlling factors of C-, nitrogen-(N), and phosphorus-(P) acquiring extracellular enzyme activities in subtropical-temperate ecotonal forests in Central China at different time intervals after wildfire. The results showed that soil extracellular enzyme activities declined over time post-fire, with the highest values observed one-year post-fire. The response of enzyme activity to fire was correlated with bacterial biomass and soil nutrient availability. Overall, wildfire reduced the microbial demand for nutrients over time.
LAND DEGRADATION & DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lihua Tian, Wen Yang, Awei Ji-Shi, Yunhe Ma, Wenxue Zhao, Youjun Chen, Qingping Zhou, Guangpeng Qu, Jingxue Zhao, Gao-Lin Wu
Summary: Desertification in alpine grasslands is worsened by climate change and human activity, posing a threat to the ecosystem. Artificial reseeding can improve plant diversity, productivity, soil fertility, and carbon/nitrogen storage. However, the restored meadows still have lower levels of biodiversity, productivity, and fertility compared to native meadows. The ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) index of restored meadows increased but did not recover to native meadow levels, with aboveground EMF improving more than belowground EMF. Plant diversity and productivity are positively correlated with EMF and individual ecosystem functions.
LAND DEGRADATION & DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Yi-Fan Liu, Hui Fang, Ze Huang, Pedro A. M. Leite, Yu Liu, Manuel Lopez-Vicente, Jingxue Zhao, Zhi-Hua Shi, Gao-Lin Wu
Summary: Shrub encroachment is causing changes to alpine meadow ecosystems, including reduction in herbaceous plant density and species richness, decrease in herbaceous root biomass, and weakening of soil strength. These findings highlight the importance of shrub encroachment in increasing soil erosion risk in hillside alpine meadows under climate changes.
Article
Ecology
Yi-Fan Liu, Hui Fang, Pedro A. M. Leite, Yu Liu, Jingxue Zhao, Gao-Lin Wu
Summary: Degradation of hillside alpine meadow ecosystems leads to fragmentation of the mattic epipedon (ME) and alters soil infiltrability. ME fragmentation reduces plant biomass and root biomass, and decreases soil compressive strength and total soil porosity. However, non-capillary porosity and aggregate stability slightly increase with fragmentation. Importantly, soil infiltration rates greatly increase as a result of ME fragmentation. Overall, ME fragmentation improves soil infiltrability and has drastic effects on water provisioning function in hillside alpine meadows.
Article
Ecology
Gao-Lin Wu, Hui Fang, Zeng Cui, Jingxue Zhao
Summary: Climate change, specifically the warming climate and melting glaciers, has led to gravel encroachment which poses a threat to hillside grassland ecosystems. A field experiment revealed that gravel encroachment rapidly altered the species composition and ranking of alpine meadow plant communities, resulting in a significant decrease in community stability.
Article
Plant Sciences
Zhen Cheng, Jingxue Zhao, Luming Ding, Zhi-Hua Shi, Paul Kardol, Gao-Lin Wu
Summary: The findings of this study demonstrate that climate factors are more important than species richness for the provisioning of ecosystem functions at large spatial scales. In summary, this study underscores the importance of considering climate factors alongside species richness when assessing ecosystem functioning across extensive geographical areas.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Yulei Ma, Yifan Liu, Manuel Lopez-Vicente, Gao-Lin Wu
Summary: This study examined the effects of shifts in vegetation composition on soil saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) in alpine grasslands. The results showed that the shift from normal alpine meadows to shrub meadows or severely degraded meadows altered the soil and meadow properties, leading to reduced Ks and field moisture capacity. The dominant factors affecting Ks varied depending on the type of shift, including meadow cover, root mass density, clay content, and total porosity. This study contributes to understanding the ecohydrological processes in alpine meadow ecosystems in response to climate change and overgrazing.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Yu Liu, Di Wang, Zeng Cui, Shixiong Li, Runjie Li, Jesus Rodrigo-Comino, Manuel Lopez-Vicente, Gao-Lin Wu
Summary: Meadow patches are evidence of degradation caused by the fragmentation and disappearance of mattic epipedons. This study investigates how the loss of mattic epipedons affects soil erosion processes in alpine regions through simulated rainfall experiments. The findings highlight the importance of maintaining runoff and reducing sediment through the presence of mattic epipedons.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Xiongde Dong, Leyun Yang, Laura Sofie Harbo, Xinyu Yan, Ji Chen, Cancan Zhao, Yutong Xiao, Hao Liu, Shilin Wang, Yuan Miao, Dong Wang, Shijie Han
Summary: Soil microorganisms and their diversity are vital indicators of soil carbon and nutrient cycling. This study examined the impact of land use type on soil microbial communities in the Yellow River floodplain. Different land use types significantly affected the composition and diversity of soil microbial communities. Peanut farmland exhibited the highest soil carbon content, microbial diversity, and potential as a carbon sink.
JOURNAL OF PLANT ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Gao-Lin Wu, Mingtao Li, Pedro A. M. Leite, Zhiqiang Dang, Jingxue Zhao
Summary: In this study, a field restoration experiment was conducted to assess the effectiveness of grass clipping mulching in restoring degraded alpine meadows. The results showed that mulching with grass clippings increased soil moisture, seedling density, plant cover, plant density, aboveground biomass, and belowground biomass, while reducing soil temperature. The improvement of surface microclimate by grass clipping mulching played a crucial role in the successful restoration of grassland ecosystems. The findings suggest that using locally available grass clippings as mulch can be a cost-effective and sustainable approach for restoring severely degraded high-elevation alpine grasslands.
RESTORATION ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Gao-Lin Wu, Jingxue Zhao
Summary: The ongoing climate warming poses a threat to the ecological function of grassland ecosystems. However, the positive effects of warming on community microhabitats and appearance, particularly in degraded grasslands, are still unclear. In a 2-year field experiment, we found that warming significantly increased the community coverage and height in degraded meadows, but not in undegraded meadows. The topsoil temperature response to warming was stronger in degraded meadows, while the negative response of topsoil moisture to warming was weaker compared to undegraded meadows. Our results demonstrate that warming-induced soil drying plays an important role in shaping the community appearance in alpine meadows.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Zeng Cui, David Dunkerley, Jingxue Zhao, Gao-Lin Wu
Summary: This study found that shrub-encroached meadows and severely degraded meadows have significant effects on soil infiltration rate and evapotranspiration by reducing plant coverage and increasing soil permeability. However, short-term grazing exclusion has little impact on soil infiltration rates.
Article
Ecology
Alexander M. Cancelli, Frank A. P. C. Gobas
Summary: A mechanistic model was developed to assess the removal efficiency of pollutants in a wetland system, particularly in oil sands process-affected water (OSPW). The model simulated wetland mechanisms of chemical removal and showed that sustained wetland treatment is feasible. It is a helpful tool to evaluate the feasibility of treatment systems and to assess trade-offs in wetland design and operation.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Prakash Singh Thapa, Hiromu Daimaru, Seiji Yanai
Summary: This study assessed the vegetation recovery and erosion condition in a landslide area in central Japan. The results show that the upper slope, where reforestation activities were implemented, has seen significant vegetation recovery and no significant erosion, while the lower slope lacks vegetation and has experienced continued erosion.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Mike Jerauld, Forrest Dierberg, Thomas DeBusk, Scott Jackson, Kevin Grace, John Juston
Summary: The Everglades Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs) are constructed wetlands built to remove phosphorus (P) from agricultural and urban runoff in support of Everglades restoration. Research shows that the levels of calcium (Ca) and alkalinity (Alk) have an impact on phosphorus removal in these wetlands.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Kalindhi Larios, Stefan Gerber, Rafael Munoz-Carpena, Patrick Inglett, K. Ramesh Reddy, Michael Chimney
Summary: This study modeled the phosphorus biogeochemical dynamics in one of the best performing Everglades treatment wetlands and found that the complexity of the hydrological system significantly affected the simulated water column P concentration. The modeling tool developed in this study can guide future data collection and optimization efforts for treatment wetlands in the Everglades.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Jing Hu, Benjamin Baiser, R. Thomas James, K. Ramesh Reddy
Summary: This study examined the long-term phosphorus retention in Stormwater Treatment Areas (STAs) and identified the factors influencing their performance. The results showed that the operational performance of STAs improved over time. There were notable differences among individual STAs, with the co-precipitation of phosphorus with calcium playing a critical role in one of the STAs. This highlights the complexity of phosphorus removal in STAs and the need for site-specific management strategies.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Odi Villapando, K. R. Reddy, J. King
Summary: The biogeochemical response to different flow conditions within two parallel flow-ways in Everglades Stormwater Treatment Area (STA)-2 was studied. It was found that there was a gradual decrease in the total phosphorus (TP) concentration from inflow to outflow for both emergent aquatic vegetation (EAV) and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) dominated systems, with EAV showing a higher reduction rate. Significant increase in TP concentration was observed in the SAV system under no flow condition, possibly due to the production of particulate phosphorus (PP) through various mechanisms.
ECOLOGICAL ENGINEERING
(2024)
