Evaluation of the efficiency of the imperative ecological remediation regarding tree growth, root development, and edaphic properties after Typhoon Hato (2017) in Zhuhai, China.

Chi Zhang,Lei Song,Wanhui Qian,Dong Xu ,Qing Zhao

doi:10.52586/4945

Abstract

Background: urban forest in coastal cities encounters multiple disturbances of frequent typhoon events caused by global change, under which ecological remediation can help to improve urban environment. We measured and analyzed the growth and ecosystem services of four newly-planted tree species in Zhuhai after Typhoon Hato (2017), aiming to evaluate the efficiency of the ecological remediation. Methods: National Meteorological Information Center of China supplied climate variables. From June 2018 to December 2019, we measured soil physical and chemical properties, above- and below-ground development regarding stem, tree height, and root growth of all the selected tree species. Results: Sl (Sterculia lanceolata Cav.), Ir (Ilex rotunda Thunb), Ss (Schima superba Gardn. et Champ.) could be more wind-resistant from the above-ground morphological perspective. For the below-ground process, Sl was the only tree species with continuous development, while Ir, Ss, and Es (Elaeocarpus sylvestris (Lour.) Poir.) decreased. Furthermore, Sl, Ir, and Ss maintained their investment in deep roots when Es had apparent deep root biomass reduction. The edaphic condition showed notable improvement in chemical properties rather than physical properties, especially for AN (available nitrogen), AK (available potassium), and SOM (soil organic matter). Conclusions: The ecological remediation in Zhuhai after Typhoon Hato (2017) was efficient, and in the future, tree species like Sl with advantages in root development and morphological profile were preferentially recommender for plantation in typhoon-affected areas.

Highlights

The last decade has witnessed robust evidence that global warming progressively affected human society and natural ecosystems, which increased the periodicity and intensity of extreme climate events such as heat waves, droughts, tornadoes, and hurricanes [1,2,3]
Elaeocarpus sylvestris (Lour.) Poir. (Es) had the most rapid growth of tree height for the whole period and reached 2.98 ± 0.61 m at 18 months (18M). It had the second-highest value of ground diameter (5.15 ± 0.78 cm) among the four tree species
We observed that Sterculia lanceolata Cav. (Sl) had the largest ground diameter (5.80 ± 0.39 cm), which mainly originated from its dramatic development from 12 months (12M) to 18M

Summary

Introduction

The last decade has witnessed robust evidence that global warming progressively affected human society and natural ecosystems, which increased the periodicity and intensity of extreme climate events such as heat waves, droughts, tornadoes, and hurricanes [1,2,3]. Extreme climate events, altering ecosystem structure and function well outside normal variability, attracted increasing attention as drivers of change in ecological and evolutionary communities [4,5,6]. Stocker et al (2019) [7] applied satellite retrievals of information on the earth’s surface to examine the ecological impacts of droughts on global terrestrial photosynthesis and primary production. It was predicted that El Nino Phenomenon associated with sea-level rise might lead to changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme coastal flood events in Latin America [9]. Researches developed predictive models to predict how to reduce wind damage in Austrian forests by analyzing remote sensing images [10]

Methods

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Discussion

Conclusion