Abstract
Suitable soil structure and nutrient security are important for plant growth and development. The fractal dimension of soil, along with the distribution of physical and chemical properties and their interactions, plays an important role in studying the stability of soil structures and water and fertilizer cycles. As a sustainable management model, intercropping has positive benefits for erosion control, the spatial optimization of resources, and improving system productivity. The effects of four intercropping methods on the fractal dimension and physicochemical properties of soil were investigated by intercropping Salvia miltiorrhiza with forage and S. miltiorrhiza with forest under typical karst rock desertification habitats in Guizhou. The results showed that the soil nutrient content when intercropping was significantly higher than that of monoculture. The organic carbon content of soil grown under forest is higher than other treatments, and there was a non-significant change in soil water content when intercropping compared with monoculture. The soil fine-grained matter when intercropping was significantly higher than that of monoculture, while the soil fractal dimension showed a tendency to become larger with an increase in fine-grained matter. Intercropping planting, due to its component types and spatial and temporal configurations, leads to differences in soil water and fertilizer interactions, which can be combined with other ecological restoration measures to optimize the composite model and jointly promote the restoration and development of ecologically fragile areas.
Highlights
Karst rock desertification is a land degradation process that occurs in subtropical humid and semi-humid areas, belonging to a special type of desertification [1,2]
Through intercropping planting in areas with coarse soil particles in karst rocky desertification, we found that the ground cover gradually increased, dead leaves accumulated and plant leaves were retained at different levels, the atmospheric precipitation was effectively absorbed by plants, and the retained water increased, increasing the soil water holding capacity
Intercropping planting occupies an important position in the stone desertification agroforestry ecosystem by reasonably utilizing the ecological functions of different vegetation and coordinating the relationship between crops and the environment
Summary
Karst rock desertification is a land degradation process that occurs in subtropical humid and semi-humid areas, belonging to a special type of desertification [1,2]. Intercropping and compound agroforestry management is advocated by the majority of scholars, which realizes the diversification of cropping systems and achieves a high efficiency of resource utilization, which has various effects on preventing soil erosion, protecting biodiversity, improving soil fertility, and protecting the ecological environment [8]. It is one of the important measures for solving the problems of food, environmental, and economic development in countries or regions with relatively scarce resources [9]. Scientific measures to prevent and control stone desertification have been effective for a long time, the way in which to effectively build the integrity of community structures, enhance the stability and service function of ecosystems, balance the relationship between the ecological environment and economic development, and control stone desertification are still key to future work [11]
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