Effects of landscape evolution stages on soil properties distribution in Yancheng National Nature Reserve, China

Abstract

A typical wetland in the core area of Yancheng National Nature Reserve was chosen as study area. Using three periods of remote sensing images in 1992, 2002 and 2011, different successional stages of landscape have been discerned. And then by employing a space-for-time substitution approach, related environmental factors of soil was analyzed. The analysis results showed that the landscape types and its successional time were the important factors that influenced the spatial distributions of soil characteristic. The detailed results revealed: (1) The Spartina marsh succession time was longer, more reduction effect of soil water and salt content, more with the accumulation effect on soil nutrients; (2) The Suaeda marsh succession time was longer, more accumulation of soil water and salt content, more with the weakening effect on soil nutrients; (3) The moisture, salinity of soil decreased more and more, soil nutrient increased more and more as the grass marsh existed longer time. This study could help us to evaluate the degradation of wetland and the effect of wetland restoration, as well as to help us to achieve the balance between utilization and reservation.