Soil eco-hydrological characteristics of typical vegetation community in Yellow River Delta

Abstract

To study the eco-hydrological characteristics of typical vegetation community (Robinia pseudoacacia, Populus euramericana, Fraxinus chinensis) in lowlands of the Yellow River Delta, taking bare area as the control. Soil hydro-physical properties, soil water infiltration and soil water-storage capacity of three kinds of vegetation community were determined in field and laboratory. The results were showed that:1) Compared with bare area, soil hydro-physical properties, such as: soil density, porosity and void ratio, were much better than bare area, the improvement effect showed this order: R. pseudoacacia > P. euramericana > F. chinensis, and these indexes of 0∼20cm were better than that of 20∼50cm. 2) Exponentiation model could better reflect the soil infiltration course of different vegetation community in research area. Soil infiltration capacity in typical vegetation community was better than that in bare area, and the average penetration rate of R. pseudoacacia, P. euramericana, F. chinensis was 2.22, 1.78, 1.59 times, respectively, larger than that of bare area. 3) Characteristics of soil capillary, non-capillary porosity water-holding capacity, soil total absorption precipitation and effective precipitation showed this order: R. pseudoacacia > P. euramericana > F. chinensis > bare area, and soil water-holding capacity in 0∼20cm was better than that of 20∼50cm. Accordingly, we concluded that: Judging from soil hydro-physical properties, soil infiltration and water-holding capacity, R. pseudoacacia was better than P. euramericana, and F. chinensis was poor. Therefore, based on eco-hydrological characteristics and water conservation function, R. pseudoacacia and P. euramericana had better be planted in similar soil condition in lowlands of the Yellow River Delta.