Focal plants are considerably affected by their neighbouring plants,especially when growing in heterogeneous soils.A previous study on grasses demonstrated that soil heterogeneity and species composition affected plan...Focal plants are considerably affected by their neighbouring plants,especially when growing in heterogeneous soils.A previous study on grasses demonstrated that soil heterogeneity and species composition affected plant biomass and above-and belowground allocation patterns.We now tested whether these findings were similar for forbs.Three forb species(i.e.Spartina anglica,Limonium bicolor and Suaeda glauca)were grown in pots with three levels of soil heterogeneity,created by alternatively filling resource-rich and resource-poor substrates using small,medium or large patch sizes.Species compositions were created by growing these forbs either in monocultures or in mixtures.Results showed that patch size×species composition significantly impacted shoot biomass,root biomass and total biomass of forbs at different scales.Specifically,at the pot scale,shoot biomass,root biomass and total biomass increased with increasing patch size.At the substrate scale,shoot biomass and total biomass were higher at the large patch size than at the medium patch size,both in resource-rich and resource-poor substrates.Finally,at the community scale,monocultures had more shoot biomass,root biomass and total biomass than those in the two-or three-species mixtures.These results differ from earlier findings on the responses of grasses,where shoot biomass and total biomass decreased with patch size,and more shoot biomass and total biomass were found in resource-rich than resource-poor substrates.To further elucidate the effects of soil heterogeneity on the interactions between neighbour plants,we advise to conduct longer-term experiments featuring a variety of functional groups.展开更多
Calamagrostis epigejos (L.) Roth. is a perennial grass with slender and long rhizome segments between interconnected neighbor ramets. To investigate the phenotypic plasticity in response to the heterogeneous soil wate...Calamagrostis epigejos (L.) Roth. is a perennial grass with slender and long rhizome segments between interconnected neighbor ramets. To investigate the phenotypic plasticity in response to the heterogeneous soil water supply, ramet pairs of the species were subjected to heterogeneous water supply by which either mother ramets or daughter ramets were in high or low soil water supply, respectively, in the Maowusu (Mu Us) Sandy Land of Nei Mongol. The results showed that the phenotypic characteristics of the individual ramets of C epigejos were greatly influenced by the heterogeneous water supply. The ramets treated with high water supply significantly produced more new rhizomes and more offspring (ramets), and accumulated more shoot biomass, and allocated more biomass to their shoots than those treated with low water supply. In comparison with the daughter ramets in homogeneous soil water supply, phenotypic characteristics, in terms of new rhizome growth, the production of new offspring, and the biomass allocation pattern, of the daughter ramets within the pairs of the species were not significantly changed, no matter that high or low soil water supply to mother ramets. The phenotypic responses of mother ramets to soil water supply were similar to those of daughter ramets. From these results, it is inferred that the interconnected ramets of C epigejos response phenotypically to their local soil water rather than to the soil water experienced by the interconnected ramets. The interconnected ramets of C epigejos might be independent of each other in water relationship, although they are physically interconnected with rhizome segments. The physiological independence of interconnected ramets might facilitate the risk spreading and thus enhance the genet survivorship under the frequent drought stresses in Mu Us Sandland.展开更多
Seven soil profiles developed on calcium carbonate–rich slope deposits in the Polish Carpathians were studied in order to:i)determine the micromorphological features of heterogeneous soils formed in a carbonate depos...Seven soil profiles developed on calcium carbonate–rich slope deposits in the Polish Carpathians were studied in order to:i)determine the micromorphological features of heterogeneous soils formed in a carbonate depositional environment,and ii)track primary and secondary calcium carbonate forms and their distribution in such stratified soils.Three cases of soils with different arrangements of calcium carbonate were distinguished,controlled mostly by slope processes.For instance,the increasing content and random distribution of angular and subangular rock fragments found in the overall soil matrix and the irregular coarse:fine size limit suggested different intensities of accumulation and mixing of soil material transported along the slope.Slope processes,together with the calcium carbonate content,mineralogical characteristics and texture influenced the type and arrangement of the bfabric pattern.The calcium carbonate distribution within the soils,besides the obvious inheritance from parent material,was governed by the translocation and mixing of deposits on slopes.The climatic conditions prevailing in the area favour the development of secondary forms of calcium carbonate.However,only three of the seven studied profiles contained pedogenic forms of calcium carbonate,yet they were distributed randomly.The occurrence,distribution and preservation of secondary carbonates depended on the content of primary calcium carbonate and soil features such as texture.The transported material down the slope may indicate a very low content of primary calcium or lack thereof,hence its pedogenic forms could not be created.展开更多
Interaction between soil pedogenesis, subsurface water dynamics, climate, vegetation and human ingenuity in a desert environment has been found to result in a unique ecohydrological system with an essentially three di...Interaction between soil pedogenesis, subsurface water dynamics, climate, vegetation and human ingenuity in a desert environment has been found to result in a unique ecohydrological system with an essentially three dimensional sedimentation structure in the bed of a recharge dam in Oman. A 3-D array of silt blocks sand- wiched by dry sand-filled horizontal and vertical fractures was studied in pot experiments as a model of a natural prototype. Pots are filled with a homogenous sand-silt mixture （control） or artificially structured （smart design, SD） soil substrates. Rhodes grass and ivy （Ipomea, Convolvulaceae） were grown in the pots during the hottest season in Oman. Soil moisture content （SMC） was measured at different depths over a period of 20 days without irrigation. SD preserved the SMC of the root zone for both ivy and grass （SMC of around 25%-30% compared to 〈10% for control, 3 days after the last irrigation）. Even after 20 days, SMC was around 18% in the SD and 7% in the control. This, similar to the case of a natural prototype, is attributed to the higher upward capillary movement of water in control pots and intensive evaporation. The capillary barrier of sand sheaths causes discontinuity in moisture mi- gration from the micro-pores in the silt blocks to sand pores. The blocks serve as capillarity-locked water buffers, which are depleted at a slow rate by transpiration rather than evaporation from the soil surface. This creates a unique ecosystem with a dramatic difference in vegetation between SD-pots and control pots. Consequently, the Noy-Meir edaphic factor, conceptualizing the ecological impact of 1-D vertical heterogeneity of desert soils, should be generalized to incorporate 3-D soil heterogeneity patterns. This agro-engineering control of the soil substrate and soil moisture distribution and dynamics （SMDaD） can be widely used by desert farmers as a cheap technique, with significant savings of irrigation water.展开更多
How common reed （Phragmites australis Trin. ex Steud.） colonization correlates to soil heterogeneity and environmental determinants remains unclear in arid areas. We conducted a field investigation and soil sampling...How common reed （Phragmites australis Trin. ex Steud.） colonization correlates to soil heterogeneity and environmental determinants remains unclear in arid areas. We conducted a field investigation and soil sampling in 100 plots along Keriya River Basin to uncover the relationship between common reed and heterogeneous soils. Reed colonization variables and its soil properties were measured and recorded for the analysis of their relationship using Pearson correlation and redundancy analysis methods. The comparison results of common reed characteris- tics among 100 plots showed that common reeds performed strong tolerance and ecophysiological plasticity to edaphic stresses. Common reed colonization was tightly connected to soil heterogeneity according to the correla- tion analysis between its colonization characteristics and soil properties. Common reed colonization got feedbacks on soil properties as well, including the increase of soil organic matter and the alleviation of salt uplifting. The main limiting environmental determinant of common reed colonization was soil salt, followed by pH and soil water content.展开更多
Accessibility to organic carbon(OC) budget is required for sustainable agricultural development and ecosystem preservation and restoration. Using geostatistical models to describe and demonstrate the spatial variabili...Accessibility to organic carbon(OC) budget is required for sustainable agricultural development and ecosystem preservation and restoration. Using geostatistical models to describe and demonstrate the spatial variability of soil organic carbon(SOC) will lead to a greater understanding of this dynamics. The aim of this paper is to present the relationships between the spatial variability of SOC and the topographic features by using geostatistical methods on a loess mountain-slope in Toshan region, Golestan Province, northern Iran. Hence, 234 soil samples were collected in a regular grid that covered different parts of the slope. The results showed that such factors as silt, clay, saturated moisture content, mean weighted diameter(MWD) and bulk density were all correlated to the OC content in different slope positions, and the spatial variability of SOC more to slope positions and elevations. The coefficient of variation(CV) indicated that the variability of SOC was moderate in different slope positions and for the mountain-slope as a whole. However, the higher variability of SOC(CV = 45.6%) was shown in the back-slope positions. Also, the ordinary cokriging method for clay as covariant gave better results in evaluating SOC for the whole slope with the RMSE value 0.2552 in comparison with the kriging and the inverse distance weighted(IDW) methods. The interpolation map of OC for the slope under investigation showed lowering SOC concentrations versus increasing elevation and slope gradient. The spatial correlation ratio was different between various slope positions and related to the topographic texture.展开更多
Soil slope stability in seasonally frozen regions is a challenging problem for geotechnical engineers.The freezethaw process of soil slope caused by the temperature fluctuation increases the difficulty in predicting t...Soil slope stability in seasonally frozen regions is a challenging problem for geotechnical engineers.The freezethaw process of soil slope caused by the temperature fluctuation increases the difficulty in predicting the slope stability because the soil property is influenced by the freeze-thaw cycle.In addition,the frozen soil,which has ice crystal,ice lens and experienced freeze-thaw process,could present stronger heterogeneity.Previous research has not investigated the combined effect of soil heterogeneity and freeze-thaw cycle.This paper studies the influence of soil heterogeneity on the stability of frozen soil slope under freeze-thaw cycles.The local average subdivision(LAS)is utilized to model the soil heterogeneity.A typical slope geometry has been chosen and analysed as an illustrative example and the strength reduction method is used to calculate the factor of safety(FOS)of slope.It has been found that when the temperature is steady,the FOS of the frozen soil slope is influenced by the spatial variability of the thermal conductivity,but the influence is not significant.When the standard deviation and the SOF of the thermal conductivity increase,the mean of the FOS is equal to the FOS of the homogeneous case and the standard deviation of the FOS also increases.After the frozen soil goes through freeze-thaw process,the FOS of the frozen soil slope decreases due to the reduction in the cohesion and the internal friction angle caused by the freeze-thaw cycles.Furthermore,the decreasing ratio of the FOS becomes more scattered after the 5th freeze-thaw cycle compared to that of the FOS after the 1st freeze-thaw cycle.The larger variability of the FOS could induce inaccuracy in the prediction of the frozen soil slope stability.展开更多
Physical soil crust(PSC),a key component of surface soil structure,exists extensively in loess areas.PSC is considered to have a significant effect on soil detachment processes.However,the long-term effects and the co...Physical soil crust(PSC),a key component of surface soil structure,exists extensively in loess areas.PSC is considered to have a significant effect on soil detachment processes.However,the long-term effects and the corresponding mechanisms of PSC on soil detachment by overland flow are still not well understood,especially in natural environments.To investigate temporal variation in soil erosion resistance and the underlying factors during PSC formation,an 8×8-m soil plot was exposed to natural conditions in the Loess Plateau over a 524-day period spanning two rainy seasons and a winter between them.A flume test was conducted to determine soil detachment capacity(Dc)under six designed flow shear stress levels(5.66-22.11 Pa)using crusted(SC)and non-crusted(NSC)soil samples at different PSC development stages.Subsequently,two soil erosion resistance parameters,rill erodibility(K_(r))and critical shear stress(τ_(c)),were calculated.Over time,in the SC and NSC treatments,K_(r)decreased from 0.516 to 0.120 s m^(-1)and 0.521 to 0.223 s m^(-1),respectively,whileτ_(c)increased from 0.49 to 4.42 Pa and 0.26-2.46 Pa,respectively.Variation in soil erosion resistance was rapid in the first one to two months,and then slowed down,with slight fluctuations afterwards.In the SC treatment,K_(r)was 42%lower andτ_(c)was 67%greater than those in the NSC treatment.Soil properties changed greatly for both treatments.SCT increased from 0 to 7.09 mm in the SC treatment.Coh increased from 2.91 to 9.04 kPa and 3.01-4.78 kPa in SC and NSC treatments,respectively.Both soil erosion resistance parameters could be well predicted by SCT and Coh in the SC treatment(R^(2)≥0.82),while their best predictor was Coh in the NSC treatment(R^(2)≥0.90).The results demonstrate that PSC formation enhances soil erosion resistance in the soil detachment process in the loess region under natural conditions.Our study revealed the important role and complexity of PSC in the process of soil erosion,and provided theoretical and data support for accurate understanding and prediction of soil erosion.展开更多
The analysis of the bearing capacity of strip footings sited near an excavation is critical in geotechnics.In this study,the effects of the geometrical features of the excavation and the soil strength properties on th...The analysis of the bearing capacity of strip footings sited near an excavation is critical in geotechnics.In this study,the effects of the geometrical features of the excavation and the soil strength properties on the seismic bearing capacity of a strip footing resting on an excavation were evaluated using the lower and upper bounds of the finite element limit analysis method.The effects of the setback distance ratio(L/B),excavation height ratio(H/B),soil strength heterogeneity(kB/cu),and horizontal earthquake coefficient(kh)were analyzed.Design charts and tables were produced to clarify the relationship between the undrained seismic bearing capacity and the selected parameters.展开更多
Surface runoff is mainly generated by two mechanisms, infiltration excess (Horton) runoff and saturation excess (Dunne) runoff; and the spatial variability of soil properties, antecedent soil moisture, topography, and...Surface runoff is mainly generated by two mechanisms, infiltration excess (Horton) runoff and saturation excess (Dunne) runoff; and the spatial variability of soil properties, antecedent soil moisture, topography, and rainfall will result in different surface runoff generation mechanisms. For a large area (e.g., a model grid size of a regional climate model or a general circulation model), these runoff generation mechanisms are commonly present at different portions of a grid cell simultaneously. Missing one of the two major runoff generation mechanisms and failing to consider spatial soil variability can result in significant under/over estimation of surface runoff which can directly introduce large errors in soil moisture states over each model grid cell. Therefore, proper modeling of surface runoff is essential to a reasonable representation of feedbacks in a land-atmosphere system. This paper presents a new surface runoff parameterization with the Philip infiltration formulation that dynamically represents both the Horton and Dunne runoff generation mechanisms within a model grid cell. The parameterization takes into account the effects of soil heterogeneity on Horton and Dunne runoff. The new parameterization is implemented into the current version of the hydrologically based Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) land surface model and tested over one watershed in Pennsylvania, USA and over the Shiguanhe Basin in the Huaihe Watershed in China. Results show that the new parameterization plays a very important role in partitioning the water budget between surface runoff and soil moisture in the atmosphere-land coupling system, and has potential applications on large hydrological simulations and land-atmospheric interactions. It is further found that the Horton runoff mechanism should be considered within the context of subgrid-scale spatial variability of soil properties and precipitation.展开更多
Many studies have focused on soil nutrient heterogeneity and islands of fertility in arid ecosystems. However, few have been conducted on an oasis-desert transitional zone where there is a vegetation pattern changing ...Many studies have focused on soil nutrient heterogeneity and islands of fertility in arid ecosystems. However, few have been conducted on an oasis-desert transitional zone where there is a vegetation pattern changing from shrubs to annual herbs. The goal of the present study was to understand vegetation and soil nutrient heterogenity along an oasis-desert transitional zone in northwestern China. Three replicated sampling belts were selected at 200 m intervals along the transitional zone. Twenty-one quadrats （10 x 10m） at 50m intervals were located along each sampling belt. The vegetation cover was estimated through the quadrats, where both the soil under the canopy and the open soil were sampled simultaneously. The dominated shrub was Haloxylon ammodendron in the areas close to the oasis and Nitraria tangutorum dominated the areas close to the desert. In general, along the transitional zone the vegetation cover decreased within 660 m, increased above 660 m and decreased again above 1 020 m （close to the desert）. The soil nutrients （organic matter, total N, NO3^- and NH4^＋） showed significant differences along the zone. The soil nutrients except the soil NH4^＋ under the canopy were higher than those in open soil, confirming ＂islands of fertility＂ or nutrient enrichment. Only a slight downward trend of the level of ＂islands of fertility＂ for soil organic matter appeared in the area within 900 m. Soil organic matter both under canopy and in interspace showed a positive correlation with the total vegetation cover, however, there was no significant correlation between the other soil nutrients and the total vegetation cover. We also analyzed the relationship between the shrubs and annuals and the soil nutrients along the zone. Similarly, there was no significant correlation between them, except soil organic matter with the annuals. The results implied that annual plants played an important role in soil nutrient enrichment in arid ecosystem.展开更多
Aims Clonal plant species have the potential for high relative performance in heterogeneous environments,and this might increase the com-petitive ability and invasiveness of introduced clonal plant species.It was hypo...Aims Clonal plant species have the potential for high relative performance in heterogeneous environments,and this might increase the com-petitive ability and invasiveness of introduced clonal plant species.It was hypothesized that clonal species whose performance responds more to heterogeneity of a resource have higher competitive ability in habitats where this resource is more heterogeneous and that this relationship is stronger when other resources are less limiting.Methods To test these hypotheses,the perennial clonal herb Alternanthera philoxeroides,which is invasive in China,was grown alone or with each of four clonal perennial,co-occurring herbs native to China,i.e.Alternanthera sessilis,Cynodon dactylon,Hemarthria altissima and Wedelia chinensis.Plants were given homogeneous or het-erogeneous soil substrate crossed with low and high levels of soil moisture.Important Findings Effects of heterogeneity on the accumulation of mass and ramets and on competitive effect and response of A.philoxeroides differed between native species and interacted with effects of soil moisture.A.philoxeroides reduced the final total mass or ramet number of the native species except A.sessilis,and the negative competitive effects on H.altissima and C.dactylon were more pronounced in heterogeneous than in homogeneous soil.Competitive response of A.philoxeroides was more negative to A.sessilis than to the other native species.Across native species,the competitive response of A.philoxeroides was more negative in heterogeneous than in homo-geneous soils at low moisture level,but the reverse was true at high moisture level.Results do not consistently support either hypoth-esis,but do suggest that competitive ability can be partly explained by individual species traits such as size,and that some competi-tive effects and responses are emergent properties of interspecific interactions.展开更多
Aims Seed germinations react to their local growing conditions,but the impacts of soil heterogeneity on seed germinations are not well known.Methods Effects of three-dimensional soil heterogeneity on seed germinations...Aims Seed germinations react to their local growing conditions,but the impacts of soil heterogeneity on seed germinations are not well known.Methods Effects of three-dimensional soil heterogeneity on seed germinations of grasses species were explored,where two levels of such soil heterogeneity were created via alternatively filling nutrient-poor and nutrientrich substrate in pot in all directions.Patch sizes of the two heterogeneity levels are around 7.5 and 15 cm,respectively.Fifty seeds of each of the grasses species(Lolium perenne and Elymus nutans)were set either in these heterogeneous soils or in petri dishes with distilled water.Seed germinations of these species were daily recorded.Important Findings We found that pots with smaller patches had relatively lower germination rate,which is con sistent with our expectati on that shorter distance between nutrient-rich and nu trient-poor patches in pots with smaller patches allows plants to reduce their germination rates and delay their germination,in order to reduce the negative impacts of the strong variation of soil resources in these pots.Our results also revealed that pots with smaller patches yielded more heterogeneous seed germination,i.e.seed germinations highly diverged among these pots.These findings highlight that the realistic three-dimensional design can improve our understanding of seed germination as driven by soil spatial heterogeneity.展开更多
Aims Soil heterogeneity is ubiquitous in many ecosystems.We hypothesized that plant communities with higher species richness might be better adapted to soil heterogeneity and produce more biomass than those with lower...Aims Soil heterogeneity is ubiquitous in many ecosystems.We hypothesized that plant communities with higher species richness might be better adapted to soil heterogeneity and produce more biomass than those with lower richness.This is because there is niche differentiation among species and different species can complement each other and occupy a broader range of niches when plant species richness is high.However,no study has tested how soil particle heterogeneity affects the yield of plant communities,and whether such effects depend on the spatial scale of the heterogeneity and the species richness within the communities.Methods In a greenhouse experiment,we sowed seeds of four-species or eight-species mixtures in three heterogeneous treatments consisting of 32,8 or 2 patches of both small(1.5 mm)and large quartz(3.0 mm)particles arranged in a chessboard manner and one homogeneous treatment with an even mixture of small and large quartz particles.Important Findings Biomass production was significantly greater in the communities with high species richness than those with low species richness.However,soil particle heterogeneity or its interactions with patch scale or species richness did not significantly affect biomass production of the experimental communities.This work indicates that plant species richness may have a bigger impact on plant productivity than soil particle heterogeneity.Further studies should consider multiple sets of plant species during longer time periods to unravel the potential mechanisms of soil heterogeneity and its interactions with the impacts of species richness on community yield and species coexistence.展开更多
The two-ponding depth （TPD） analysis procedure of single-ring infiltrometer data can yield invalid results, i.e., negative values of the field-saturated soil hydraulic conductivity or the matric flux potential, deno...The two-ponding depth （TPD） analysis procedure of single-ring infiltrometer data can yield invalid results, i.e., negative values of the field-saturated soil hydraulic conductivity or the matric flux potential, denoting failure of the two-level run. The objective of this study was to test the performance of the TPD procedure in analyzing the single-ring infiltrometer data of different types of soils. A field investigation carried out in western Sici]y, Italy, yielded higher failure rates （40%） in two clay loam soils than in a sandy loam soil （25%）. A similar result, i.e., fine-textured soils yielding higher failure rates than the coarse-textured one, was obtained using numerically simulated infiltration rates. Soil heterogeneity and reading errors were suggested to be factors determining invalid results in the field. With the numerical data, allowing a less generic definition of soil heterogeneity, invalid TPD results were occasionally obtained with the simultaneous occurrence of a high random variation （standard deviation ≥ 0.5） and a well developed structural correlation for saturated hydraulic conductivity （correlation length 〉 20 cm）. It was concluded that a larger number of replicated runs should be planned to characterize fine-textured soils, where the risk to obtain invalid results is relatively high. Large rings should be used since they appeared more appropriate than the small ones to capture and average soil heterogeneity. Numerical simulation appeared suitable for developing improved strategies of soil characterization for an area of interest, which should also take into account macropore effects.展开更多
基金supported by the Open Fund of Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Environment on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,Ministry of Education(KLBE2024002)a start-up fund from Lanzhou University(508000-561119213).
文摘Focal plants are considerably affected by their neighbouring plants,especially when growing in heterogeneous soils.A previous study on grasses demonstrated that soil heterogeneity and species composition affected plant biomass and above-and belowground allocation patterns.We now tested whether these findings were similar for forbs.Three forb species(i.e.Spartina anglica,Limonium bicolor and Suaeda glauca)were grown in pots with three levels of soil heterogeneity,created by alternatively filling resource-rich and resource-poor substrates using small,medium or large patch sizes.Species compositions were created by growing these forbs either in monocultures or in mixtures.Results showed that patch size×species composition significantly impacted shoot biomass,root biomass and total biomass of forbs at different scales.Specifically,at the pot scale,shoot biomass,root biomass and total biomass increased with increasing patch size.At the substrate scale,shoot biomass and total biomass were higher at the large patch size than at the medium patch size,both in resource-rich and resource-poor substrates.Finally,at the community scale,monocultures had more shoot biomass,root biomass and total biomass than those in the two-or three-species mixtures.These results differ from earlier findings on the responses of grasses,where shoot biomass and total biomass decreased with patch size,and more shoot biomass and total biomass were found in resource-rich than resource-poor substrates.To further elucidate the effects of soil heterogeneity on the interactions between neighbour plants,we advise to conduct longer-term experiments featuring a variety of functional groups.
文摘Calamagrostis epigejos (L.) Roth. is a perennial grass with slender and long rhizome segments between interconnected neighbor ramets. To investigate the phenotypic plasticity in response to the heterogeneous soil water supply, ramet pairs of the species were subjected to heterogeneous water supply by which either mother ramets or daughter ramets were in high or low soil water supply, respectively, in the Maowusu (Mu Us) Sandy Land of Nei Mongol. The results showed that the phenotypic characteristics of the individual ramets of C epigejos were greatly influenced by the heterogeneous water supply. The ramets treated with high water supply significantly produced more new rhizomes and more offspring (ramets), and accumulated more shoot biomass, and allocated more biomass to their shoots than those treated with low water supply. In comparison with the daughter ramets in homogeneous soil water supply, phenotypic characteristics, in terms of new rhizome growth, the production of new offspring, and the biomass allocation pattern, of the daughter ramets within the pairs of the species were not significantly changed, no matter that high or low soil water supply to mother ramets. The phenotypic responses of mother ramets to soil water supply were similar to those of daughter ramets. From these results, it is inferred that the interconnected ramets of C epigejos response phenotypically to their local soil water rather than to the soil water experienced by the interconnected ramets. The interconnected ramets of C epigejos might be independent of each other in water relationship, although they are physically interconnected with rhizome segments. The physiological independence of interconnected ramets might facilitate the risk spreading and thus enhance the genet survivorship under the frequent drought stresses in Mu Us Sandland.
基金financed by the National Science Centre(Poland)(PRELUDIUM 14 project no.2017/27/N/ST10/00342)the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Poland,No.BM–4112/17 and BM–2120/18。
文摘Seven soil profiles developed on calcium carbonate–rich slope deposits in the Polish Carpathians were studied in order to:i)determine the micromorphological features of heterogeneous soils formed in a carbonate depositional environment,and ii)track primary and secondary calcium carbonate forms and their distribution in such stratified soils.Three cases of soils with different arrangements of calcium carbonate were distinguished,controlled mostly by slope processes.For instance,the increasing content and random distribution of angular and subangular rock fragments found in the overall soil matrix and the irregular coarse:fine size limit suggested different intensities of accumulation and mixing of soil material transported along the slope.Slope processes,together with the calcium carbonate content,mineralogical characteristics and texture influenced the type and arrangement of the bfabric pattern.The calcium carbonate distribution within the soils,besides the obvious inheritance from parent material,was governed by the translocation and mixing of deposits on slopes.The climatic conditions prevailing in the area favour the development of secondary forms of calcium carbonate.However,only three of the seven studied profiles contained pedogenic forms of calcium carbonate,yet they were distributed randomly.The occurrence,distribution and preservation of secondary carbonates depended on the content of primary calcium carbonate and soil features such as texture.The transported material down the slope may indicate a very low content of primary calcium or lack thereof,hence its pedogenic forms could not be created.
基金support from the Grant IG/AGR/SWAE/10/02 of the Sultan Qaboos University
文摘Interaction between soil pedogenesis, subsurface water dynamics, climate, vegetation and human ingenuity in a desert environment has been found to result in a unique ecohydrological system with an essentially three dimensional sedimentation structure in the bed of a recharge dam in Oman. A 3-D array of silt blocks sand- wiched by dry sand-filled horizontal and vertical fractures was studied in pot experiments as a model of a natural prototype. Pots are filled with a homogenous sand-silt mixture （control） or artificially structured （smart design, SD） soil substrates. Rhodes grass and ivy （Ipomea, Convolvulaceae） were grown in the pots during the hottest season in Oman. Soil moisture content （SMC） was measured at different depths over a period of 20 days without irrigation. SD preserved the SMC of the root zone for both ivy and grass （SMC of around 25%-30% compared to 〈10% for control, 3 days after the last irrigation）. Even after 20 days, SMC was around 18% in the SD and 7% in the control. This, similar to the case of a natural prototype, is attributed to the higher upward capillary movement of water in control pots and intensive evaporation. The capillary barrier of sand sheaths causes discontinuity in moisture mi- gration from the micro-pores in the silt blocks to sand pores. The blocks serve as capillarity-locked water buffers, which are depleted at a slow rate by transpiration rather than evaporation from the soil surface. This creates a unique ecosystem with a dramatic difference in vegetation between SD-pots and control pots. Consequently, the Noy-Meir edaphic factor, conceptualizing the ecological impact of 1-D vertical heterogeneity of desert soils, should be generalized to incorporate 3-D soil heterogeneity patterns. This agro-engineering control of the soil substrate and soil moisture distribution and dynamics （SMDaD） can be widely used by desert farmers as a cheap technique, with significant savings of irrigation water.
基金supported by the Joint Funds of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U1138303)
文摘How common reed （Phragmites australis Trin. ex Steud.） colonization correlates to soil heterogeneity and environmental determinants remains unclear in arid areas. We conducted a field investigation and soil sampling in 100 plots along Keriya River Basin to uncover the relationship between common reed and heterogeneous soils. Reed colonization variables and its soil properties were measured and recorded for the analysis of their relationship using Pearson correlation and redundancy analysis methods. The comparison results of common reed characteris- tics among 100 plots showed that common reeds performed strong tolerance and ecophysiological plasticity to edaphic stresses. Common reed colonization was tightly connected to soil heterogeneity according to the correla- tion analysis between its colonization characteristics and soil properties. Common reed colonization got feedbacks on soil properties as well, including the increase of soil organic matter and the alleviation of salt uplifting. The main limiting environmental determinant of common reed colonization was soil salt, followed by pH and soil water content.
基金Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources for the support of this study
文摘Accessibility to organic carbon(OC) budget is required for sustainable agricultural development and ecosystem preservation and restoration. Using geostatistical models to describe and demonstrate the spatial variability of soil organic carbon(SOC) will lead to a greater understanding of this dynamics. The aim of this paper is to present the relationships between the spatial variability of SOC and the topographic features by using geostatistical methods on a loess mountain-slope in Toshan region, Golestan Province, northern Iran. Hence, 234 soil samples were collected in a regular grid that covered different parts of the slope. The results showed that such factors as silt, clay, saturated moisture content, mean weighted diameter(MWD) and bulk density were all correlated to the OC content in different slope positions, and the spatial variability of SOC more to slope positions and elevations. The coefficient of variation(CV) indicated that the variability of SOC was moderate in different slope positions and for the mountain-slope as a whole. However, the higher variability of SOC(CV = 45.6%) was shown in the back-slope positions. Also, the ordinary cokriging method for clay as covariant gave better results in evaluating SOC for the whole slope with the RMSE value 0.2552 in comparison with the kriging and the inverse distance weighted(IDW) methods. The interpolation map of OC for the slope under investigation showed lowering SOC concentrations versus increasing elevation and slope gradient. The spatial correlation ratio was different between various slope positions and related to the topographic texture.
基金The research is supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province(Grant No.1908085QE242)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Grant No.JZ2021HGTB0097)the Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)(Grant No.51908175).The financial support is gratefully acknowledged.
文摘Soil slope stability in seasonally frozen regions is a challenging problem for geotechnical engineers.The freezethaw process of soil slope caused by the temperature fluctuation increases the difficulty in predicting the slope stability because the soil property is influenced by the freeze-thaw cycle.In addition,the frozen soil,which has ice crystal,ice lens and experienced freeze-thaw process,could present stronger heterogeneity.Previous research has not investigated the combined effect of soil heterogeneity and freeze-thaw cycle.This paper studies the influence of soil heterogeneity on the stability of frozen soil slope under freeze-thaw cycles.The local average subdivision(LAS)is utilized to model the soil heterogeneity.A typical slope geometry has been chosen and analysed as an illustrative example and the strength reduction method is used to calculate the factor of safety(FOS)of slope.It has been found that when the temperature is steady,the FOS of the frozen soil slope is influenced by the spatial variability of the thermal conductivity,but the influence is not significant.When the standard deviation and the SOF of the thermal conductivity increase,the mean of the FOS is equal to the FOS of the homogeneous case and the standard deviation of the FOS also increases.After the frozen soil goes through freeze-thaw process,the FOS of the frozen soil slope decreases due to the reduction in the cohesion and the internal friction angle caused by the freeze-thaw cycles.Furthermore,the decreasing ratio of the FOS becomes more scattered after the 5th freeze-thaw cycle compared to that of the FOS after the 1st freeze-thaw cycle.The larger variability of the FOS could induce inaccuracy in the prediction of the frozen soil slope stability.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China,Grant Number:42107077Young Scholar Development Project of the Ecological Society of China,Grant Number:2020Talent Introduction Project of Yunnan University,Grant Number:CZ22623101.
文摘Physical soil crust(PSC),a key component of surface soil structure,exists extensively in loess areas.PSC is considered to have a significant effect on soil detachment processes.However,the long-term effects and the corresponding mechanisms of PSC on soil detachment by overland flow are still not well understood,especially in natural environments.To investigate temporal variation in soil erosion resistance and the underlying factors during PSC formation,an 8×8-m soil plot was exposed to natural conditions in the Loess Plateau over a 524-day period spanning two rainy seasons and a winter between them.A flume test was conducted to determine soil detachment capacity(Dc)under six designed flow shear stress levels(5.66-22.11 Pa)using crusted(SC)and non-crusted(NSC)soil samples at different PSC development stages.Subsequently,two soil erosion resistance parameters,rill erodibility(K_(r))and critical shear stress(τ_(c)),were calculated.Over time,in the SC and NSC treatments,K_(r)decreased from 0.516 to 0.120 s m^(-1)and 0.521 to 0.223 s m^(-1),respectively,whileτ_(c)increased from 0.49 to 4.42 Pa and 0.26-2.46 Pa,respectively.Variation in soil erosion resistance was rapid in the first one to two months,and then slowed down,with slight fluctuations afterwards.In the SC treatment,K_(r)was 42%lower andτ_(c)was 67%greater than those in the NSC treatment.Soil properties changed greatly for both treatments.SCT increased from 0 to 7.09 mm in the SC treatment.Coh increased from 2.91 to 9.04 kPa and 3.01-4.78 kPa in SC and NSC treatments,respectively.Both soil erosion resistance parameters could be well predicted by SCT and Coh in the SC treatment(R^(2)≥0.82),while their best predictor was Coh in the NSC treatment(R^(2)≥0.90).The results demonstrate that PSC formation enhances soil erosion resistance in the soil detachment process in the loess region under natural conditions.Our study revealed the important role and complexity of PSC in the process of soil erosion,and provided theoretical and data support for accurate understanding and prediction of soil erosion.
文摘The analysis of the bearing capacity of strip footings sited near an excavation is critical in geotechnics.In this study,the effects of the geometrical features of the excavation and the soil strength properties on the seismic bearing capacity of a strip footing resting on an excavation were evaluated using the lower and upper bounds of the finite element limit analysis method.The effects of the setback distance ratio(L/B),excavation height ratio(H/B),soil strength heterogeneity(kB/cu),and horizontal earthquake coefficient(kh)were analyzed.Design charts and tables were produced to clarify the relationship between the undrained seismic bearing capacity and the selected parameters.
基金The research reported herein was jointly supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 40145020, 40275023, 49794030, the National Key Program for Developing Basic Sciences under Grant Nos. G1998040905 and 2001CB309404,
文摘Surface runoff is mainly generated by two mechanisms, infiltration excess (Horton) runoff and saturation excess (Dunne) runoff; and the spatial variability of soil properties, antecedent soil moisture, topography, and rainfall will result in different surface runoff generation mechanisms. For a large area (e.g., a model grid size of a regional climate model or a general circulation model), these runoff generation mechanisms are commonly present at different portions of a grid cell simultaneously. Missing one of the two major runoff generation mechanisms and failing to consider spatial soil variability can result in significant under/over estimation of surface runoff which can directly introduce large errors in soil moisture states over each model grid cell. Therefore, proper modeling of surface runoff is essential to a reasonable representation of feedbacks in a land-atmosphere system. This paper presents a new surface runoff parameterization with the Philip infiltration formulation that dynamically represents both the Horton and Dunne runoff generation mechanisms within a model grid cell. The parameterization takes into account the effects of soil heterogeneity on Horton and Dunne runoff. The new parameterization is implemented into the current version of the hydrologically based Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) land surface model and tested over one watershed in Pennsylvania, USA and over the Shiguanhe Basin in the Huaihe Watershed in China. Results show that the new parameterization plays a very important role in partitioning the water budget between surface runoff and soil moisture in the atmosphere-land coupling system, and has potential applications on large hydrological simulations and land-atmospheric interactions. It is further found that the Horton runoff mechanism should be considered within the context of subgrid-scale spatial variability of soil properties and precipitation.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(90102015,30170161 and 30670385)Cooperation Project of International in China and Greece(05-46).
文摘Many studies have focused on soil nutrient heterogeneity and islands of fertility in arid ecosystems. However, few have been conducted on an oasis-desert transitional zone where there is a vegetation pattern changing from shrubs to annual herbs. The goal of the present study was to understand vegetation and soil nutrient heterogenity along an oasis-desert transitional zone in northwestern China. Three replicated sampling belts were selected at 200 m intervals along the transitional zone. Twenty-one quadrats （10 x 10m） at 50m intervals were located along each sampling belt. The vegetation cover was estimated through the quadrats, where both the soil under the canopy and the open soil were sampled simultaneously. The dominated shrub was Haloxylon ammodendron in the areas close to the oasis and Nitraria tangutorum dominated the areas close to the desert. In general, along the transitional zone the vegetation cover decreased within 660 m, increased above 660 m and decreased again above 1 020 m （close to the desert）. The soil nutrients （organic matter, total N, NO3^- and NH4^＋） showed significant differences along the zone. The soil nutrients except the soil NH4^＋ under the canopy were higher than those in open soil, confirming ＂islands of fertility＂ or nutrient enrichment. Only a slight downward trend of the level of ＂islands of fertility＂ for soil organic matter appeared in the area within 900 m. Soil organic matter both under canopy and in interspace showed a positive correlation with the total vegetation cover, however, there was no significant correlation between the other soil nutrients and the total vegetation cover. We also analyzed the relationship between the shrubs and annuals and the soil nutrients along the zone. Similarly, there was no significant correlation between them, except soil organic matter with the annuals. The results implied that annual plants played an important role in soil nutrient enrichment in arid ecosystem.
基金This research was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(TD-JC-2013-1)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31570413,31500331).
文摘Aims Clonal plant species have the potential for high relative performance in heterogeneous environments,and this might increase the com-petitive ability and invasiveness of introduced clonal plant species.It was hypothesized that clonal species whose performance responds more to heterogeneity of a resource have higher competitive ability in habitats where this resource is more heterogeneous and that this relationship is stronger when other resources are less limiting.Methods To test these hypotheses,the perennial clonal herb Alternanthera philoxeroides,which is invasive in China,was grown alone or with each of four clonal perennial,co-occurring herbs native to China,i.e.Alternanthera sessilis,Cynodon dactylon,Hemarthria altissima and Wedelia chinensis.Plants were given homogeneous or het-erogeneous soil substrate crossed with low and high levels of soil moisture.Important Findings Effects of heterogeneity on the accumulation of mass and ramets and on competitive effect and response of A.philoxeroides differed between native species and interacted with effects of soil moisture.A.philoxeroides reduced the final total mass or ramet number of the native species except A.sessilis,and the negative competitive effects on H.altissima and C.dactylon were more pronounced in heterogeneous than in homogeneous soil.Competitive response of A.philoxeroides was more negative to A.sessilis than to the other native species.Across native species,the competitive response of A.philoxeroides was more negative in heterogeneous than in homo-geneous soils at low moisture level,but the reverse was true at high moisture level.Results do not consistently support either hypoth-esis,but do suggest that competitive ability can be partly explained by individual species traits such as size,and that some competi-tive effects and responses are emergent properties of interspecific interactions.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2019YFC0507704)the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Science(XDA20100102)Yongjie Liu holds a start-up fund from Lanzhou University(508000-561119213).
文摘Aims Seed germinations react to their local growing conditions,but the impacts of soil heterogeneity on seed germinations are not well known.Methods Effects of three-dimensional soil heterogeneity on seed germinations of grasses species were explored,where two levels of such soil heterogeneity were created via alternatively filling nutrient-poor and nutrientrich substrate in pot in all directions.Patch sizes of the two heterogeneity levels are around 7.5 and 15 cm,respectively.Fifty seeds of each of the grasses species(Lolium perenne and Elymus nutans)were set either in these heterogeneous soils or in petri dishes with distilled water.Seed germinations of these species were daily recorded.Important Findings We found that pots with smaller patches had relatively lower germination rate,which is con sistent with our expectati on that shorter distance between nutrient-rich and nu trient-poor patches in pots with smaller patches allows plants to reduce their germination rates and delay their germination,in order to reduce the negative impacts of the strong variation of soil resources in these pots.Our results also revealed that pots with smaller patches yielded more heterogeneous seed germination,i.e.seed germinations highly diverged among these pots.These findings highlight that the realistic three-dimensional design can improve our understanding of seed germination as driven by soil spatial heterogeneity.
基金Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(TD-JC-2013-1)NSFC(31570413).
文摘Aims Soil heterogeneity is ubiquitous in many ecosystems.We hypothesized that plant communities with higher species richness might be better adapted to soil heterogeneity and produce more biomass than those with lower richness.This is because there is niche differentiation among species and different species can complement each other and occupy a broader range of niches when plant species richness is high.However,no study has tested how soil particle heterogeneity affects the yield of plant communities,and whether such effects depend on the spatial scale of the heterogeneity and the species richness within the communities.Methods In a greenhouse experiment,we sowed seeds of four-species or eight-species mixtures in three heterogeneous treatments consisting of 32,8 or 2 patches of both small(1.5 mm)and large quartz(3.0 mm)particles arranged in a chessboard manner and one homogeneous treatment with an even mixture of small and large quartz particles.Important Findings Biomass production was significantly greater in the communities with high species richness than those with low species richness.However,soil particle heterogeneity or its interactions with patch scale or species richness did not significantly affect biomass production of the experimental communities.This work indicates that plant species richness may have a bigger impact on plant productivity than soil particle heterogeneity.Further studies should consider multiple sets of plant species during longer time periods to unravel the potential mechanisms of soil heterogeneity and its interactions with the impacts of species richness on community yield and species coexistence.
基金Supported by the Progetto CISS,Regione Sicilia,Italy and the Project of Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.CXJQ120109)
文摘The two-ponding depth （TPD） analysis procedure of single-ring infiltrometer data can yield invalid results, i.e., negative values of the field-saturated soil hydraulic conductivity or the matric flux potential, denoting failure of the two-level run. The objective of this study was to test the performance of the TPD procedure in analyzing the single-ring infiltrometer data of different types of soils. A field investigation carried out in western Sici]y, Italy, yielded higher failure rates （40%） in two clay loam soils than in a sandy loam soil （25%）. A similar result, i.e., fine-textured soils yielding higher failure rates than the coarse-textured one, was obtained using numerically simulated infiltration rates. Soil heterogeneity and reading errors were suggested to be factors determining invalid results in the field. With the numerical data, allowing a less generic definition of soil heterogeneity, invalid TPD results were occasionally obtained with the simultaneous occurrence of a high random variation （standard deviation ≥ 0.5） and a well developed structural correlation for saturated hydraulic conductivity （correlation length 〉 20 cm）. It was concluded that a larger number of replicated runs should be planned to characterize fine-textured soils, where the risk to obtain invalid results is relatively high. Large rings should be used since they appeared more appropriate than the small ones to capture and average soil heterogeneity. Numerical simulation appeared suitable for developing improved strategies of soil characterization for an area of interest, which should also take into account macropore effects.
