Sloping Land Use Affects Soil Moisture and Temperature in the Loess Hilly Region of China

Abstract

Revealing the characteristics of soil moisture and temperature under typical sloping land uses in the loess hilly region is of great significance for the efficient and sustainable use of sloping land resources. In this study, the soil moisture content in the 0–160 cm soil layer and the soil temperature in the 0–100 cm soil layer under soybean sloping field, maize terraced field, jujube orchard, and grassland were continuously observed during the 2014 and 2015 growing seasons (May to October). Traditional statistical analysis and wavelet fractal dimension method were used to study the characteristics and complexity of soil moisture and temperature changes under different sloping land uses. The main findings are as follows: (1) Maize terraced field obtained high soil moisture content in the 0–160 cm soil layer, showing the outstanding effect of soil moisture conservation, especially in the drought growing season. Maize terraced field minimized the changing amplitude (Ka), variation degree (Cv), and active layer of soil moisture in the 0–160 cm soil layer and the Ka and Cv of soil temperature in the 0−100 cm soil layer. The maize terraced field had the minimum fractal dimensions of soil moisture and temperature both in normal precipitation and drought growing seasons, indicating that the maize terraced field minimized the complexity of soil moisture and temperature changes. (2) The jujube orchard obtained the minimum soil moisture content in the 0−160 cm soil layer, and greatly increased the Ka, Cv, and active layer of soil moisture both in normal precipitation and drought growing seasons. The jujube orchard obtained the maximum soil temperature in the 0–100 cm soil layer, and greatly increased the Ka and Cv of soil temperature. The jujube orchard also had the maximum fractal dimensions of soil moisture and temperature, indicating that soil moisture and temperature changes in jujube orchard were the most complex. (3) Compared to jujube orchard, soybean sloping field and grassland increased soil moisture content, reduced the Ka and Cv of soil moisture and temperature, and weakened the complexity of soil moisture and temperature changes. (4) The analysis results of the complexity of soil moisture and temperature changes under the experimental sloping land uses based on the wavelet fractal dimension method were consistent with the traditional statistical analysis results, indicating that it is feasible to evaluate the complexity of soil moisture and temperature changes under the typical sloping land uses in the loess hilly region by using wavelet fractal dimension method. In summary, terraced fields were conducive to improving soil moisture content and maintaining the stability of soil moisture and temperature. It is recommended that the project of changing sloping fields into terraced fields should be popularized in the loess hilly region to effectively utilize limited natural precipitation. In order to prevent the jujube orchard from degenerating and dying due to long-term drought and water shortage, effective water management measures need to be taken to achieve the sustainable development of dry farming jujube orchard.