Effects of Haloxylon spp. of Different Age Classes on Vegetation Cover and Soil Properties on an Arid Desert Steppe in Iran

In arid regions, afforestation has been considered as a method for ecological revival in terms of vegetation enrichment and soil amelioration. In this study, the effects of afforestation with Haloxylon spp. on vegetation cover and soil properties were measured < 3, 3, 6, and 25 years after planti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pedosphere 2019-10, Vol.29 (5), p.619-631
Main Authors: EBRAHIMI, Mahdieh, MOHAMMADI, Fereshteh, FAKHIREH, Akbar, BAMERI, Abolfazl
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Afforestation
afforestation succession
arid land
Arid regions
Arid zones
Canopies
desertification control
Deserts
Ecological succession
Electrical conductivity
Electrical resistivity
Organic matter
Organic phosphorus
Phosphorus
Plant communities
plant community
Plant diversity
Planting
Potassium
soil amelioration
Soil amendment
Soil chemistry
Soil layers
Soil pH
Soil properties
Soils
Species diversity
Species richness
Vegetation
Vegetation cover
vegetation enrichment
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Summary:In arid regions, afforestation has been considered as a method for ecological revival in terms of vegetation enrichment and soil amelioration. In this study, the effects of afforestation with Haloxylon spp. on vegetation cover and soil properties were measured < 3, 3, 6, and 25 years after planting in an arid desert in Iran. Soil samples were collected at two depths (0–30 and 30–60 cm) under and between shrub canopies. Afforestation succession significantly affected plant community characteristics. In total, 16 species from 8 families and 15 genera were observed along the afforestation successional gradient. Plant species richness and diversity and vegetation cover increased slowly during the succession, and reached the maximum values in the area where Haloxylon had been planted for 25 years. Soil nutrient values gradually increased during the succession, and the levels of organic matter, total nitrogen, available potassium, and available phosphorus were significantly higher under Haloxylon canopies than between them. Afforestation reduced soil pH under and between Haloxylon canopies during the succession, while soil electrical conductivity followed an opposite pattern. Haloxylon planting increased the silt content in the 0–30 cm soil layer. Our results suggest that Haloxylon establishment plays an important role in the reestablishment of desertified ecosystems in arid regions.
ISSN:1002-0160
2210-5107
DOI:10.1016/S1002-0160(17)60378-3