Effects of topography and grazing exclusion on vegetation and soil in typical steppe in the Loess Plateau

doi:10.1093/jpe/rtaf081

J Plant Ecol ›› 2025, Vol. 18 ›› Issue (5): rtaf081.DOI: 10.1093/jpe/rtaf081

• Research Articles •

Effects of topography and grazing exclusion on vegetation and soil in typical steppe in the Loess Plateau

Zhaoxia Guo^a, Yanhong Li^a, Xianjiang Chen^a, Shenghua Chang^a, Fujiang Hou^a,*

^aState Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems; Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Engineering Technology Research Center for Ecological Restoration and Utilization of Degraded Grassland in Northwest China, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China

^*Corresponding author. E-mail: cyhoufj@lzu.edu.cn

Received:2024-10-19 Accepted:2025-05-22 Online:2025-06-07 Published:2025-10-01
Supported by:
This research was supported by the Innovative Research Team of the Ministry of Education (IRT_17R50), the National Program for S &T Collaboration of Developing Countries (KY202002011), the Technological Support for Grassland Ecological Management, the ‘Lanzhou City's Scientific Research Funding Subsidy’ to Lanzhou University, and the Key Research and Development Program of Forestry and Grassland Administration of Ningxia Autonomous Region, China-Study on Construction Mode, and Key Technology of Grassland Ecological Civilization Demonstration Area in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (20210239).

地形和禁牧对黄土高原典型草原植被和土壤特征的影响

Abstract

Abstract: Grazing is widely used in mountain land, which changes soil structure through feeding, trampling, excreta return, redistributing solar radiation, surface runoff, and then affects soil moisture (SM) and soil elements. However, research of interaction between topography and exclusion duration on relationship between soil and vegetation characteristics is scarce. The study was carried out to explore effect of topography and livestock exclusion duration on soil properties, correlation between soil and vegetation characteristics. The results showed that: (i) SM peaked at 3 years of exclusion. Water use efficiency, soil organic carbon, soil phosphorus, soil available nitrogen and soil available phosphorus were found to be directly proportional to duration of livestock exclusion and inversely correlated with slope. Soil nitrogen and N/P were directly proportional to duration of livestock exclusion and slope. C/N was inversely correlated with duration of livestock exclusion and slope. C/P was directly proportional to duration of livestock exclusion, and the change with slope was not obvious. Soil properties in sunny slope were greater than in shady slope. (ii) Aspect and slope positively affected the relationship between soil properties and aboveground biomass significantly. The effects of livestock exclusion on relationship between aboveground biomass, plant species richness and soil properties were insignificant. (iii) Livestock exclusion of sunny slope is more beneficial to soil nutrient accumulation than shady slope. Livestock exclusion played an opposite role to topography in regulating the relationship between soil and vegetation characteristics. Therefore, grazing management on complex topography is conducive to regulating soil nutrients and further coordinating vegetation growth.

Key words: typical steppe, topography, duration of livestock exclusion, soil properties, vegetation characteristics

摘要：
放牧是山地区域常见的草地管理方式。放牧通过采食、践踏、排泄物返还、辐射再分配、地表径流等方式改变土壤结构，进而影响土壤水分和元素含量。然而，目前尚不清楚地形与禁牧时间交互如何影响土壤与植被特征。本研究以黄土高原为研究对象，分析了地形与禁牧时间对土壤理化性质以及土壤-植被关系的影响。结果表明：(1)土壤含水量在禁牧第3年达到峰值。植被水分利用效率、土壤有机碳、总磷、速效氮和速效磷与禁牧时间呈正相关、而与坡度呈负相关关系；土壤氮和N/P比与禁牧时间和坡度正相关；C/N比与禁牧时间和坡度负相关；C/P比与禁牧时间正相关，但受坡度变化影响较小；此外，阳坡土壤理化属性高于阴坡。(2)坡向和坡度显著影响土壤性质与地上生物量的关系，但对土壤性质与植物多样性的关系影响较弱。然而，土壤-植被关系不受封育年限的影响。(3)与阴坡相比，阳坡禁牧更有利于土壤中元素的积累。在调节土壤-植被关系方面，禁牧和地形所起的作用相反。因此，本研究建议放牧管理在复杂地形中进行，有利于调节土壤元素平衡进而促进植被生长。

关键词: 典型草原, 地形, 禁牧年限, 土壤性质, 植被特征

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Effects of topography and grazing exclusion on vegetation and soil in typical steppe in the Loess Plateau

地形和禁牧对黄土高原典型草原植被和土壤特征的影响

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