The applicable density of sand-fixing shrub plantation in Horqin Sand Land of Northeastern China

• Published in: Ecological engineering 2014-03, Vol.64, p.250-254
• Main Authors: Musa, Ala, Deming, Jiang, Cunyang, Niu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Caragana microphylla; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Environmental degradation: ecosystems survey and restoration; Evapotranspiration; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Horqin sandy land; Plantation density; Soil moisture
• ISSN: 0925-8574; 1872-6992
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2013.12.026

Caragana microphylla is the dominant perennial shrubs and widely used to stabilize shifting sand dunes in semi-arid, north China. To confirm the influence of plantations on soil water condition, we determined the soil moisture and evapotranspiration under different densities of sand-fixing C. microphylla shrubs during growth period. Result showed that the soil moisture under shrubs continued decreasing with the increasing of plantations densities. Soil moisture under 0.5m×1m and 1m×2m densities of C. microphylla shrubs are under wilting humidity (1.55%) level, however, soil moisture under 2m×2m densities and savageness C. microphylla shrubs always keep above 1.6% during growth season. Evapotranspiration of all shrubs are low than rainfall and occupied above 90.3–98.5% of rainfall during growth phases, and continually increased with the increasing plant densities. The 0.5m×1m density shrubs have the highest evapotranspiration, about to 298.3mm (2009)/235.7mm (2008) and occupied above 98.5% (2009)/94.4% (2008) of rainfall at the same time. The 2m×2m density shrubs have the lowest evapotranspiration, about 283.4mm (2009)/230.7mm (2008), and soil moisture surplus 20.8mm (2009)/19.0mm (2008) at the end of growth season. According to soil moisture and evapotranspiration, the 2m×2m of C. microphylla shrubs is applicable density in Horqin sandy land, north-east of China.