Soil erodibility as impacted by vegetation restoration strategies on the Loess Plateau of China

Abstract

AbstractNear soil surface characteristics change significantly with vegetation restoration, and thus, restoration strategies likely affect soil erodibility. However, few studies have been conducted to quantify the effects of vegetation restoration strategies on soil erodibility in regions experiencing rapid vegetation restoration. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of vegetation restoration strategies on soil erodibility, reflected by soil cohesion (Coh), penetration resistance (PR), saturated conductivity (Ks), number of drop impacts (NDI), mean weight diameter of soil aggregates (MWD), and soil erodibility K factor on the Loess Plateau. One slope farmland and five 25‐year‐restored lands covered by old world bluestem, korshinsk peashrub, shrub sophora, sea‐buckthorn, and black locust were selected as test sites. The old world bluestem was restored via natural succession, while the other four lands were restored by artificial planting. A comprehensive soil erodibility index (CSEI) was produced by a weighted summation method to quantify the effects of vegetation restoration strategies on soil erodibility completely. The results showed that Coh, Ks, NDI, and MWD of the five restored lands were greater than those of the slope farmland. However, the PR and K of the five restored lands were less than those of the slope farmland. CSEI varied greatly under different restoration strategies, from 1 to 0.214. Compared with the control, these indices decreased on average by 68.2%, 78.6%, 72.7%, 75.8%, and 62.8% for old world bluestem, korshinsk peashrub, shrub sophora, sea‐buckthorn, and black locust, respectively. The variation in soil erodibility was significantly influenced by biological crust thickness, bulk density, organic matter content, plant litter density, and root mass density. Shrub‐lands via artificial planting, especially korshinsk peashrub, were considered the most effective restoration strategies to reduce soil erodibility on the Loess Plateau. The results are helpful for selecting vegetation restoration strategies and asking their benefits in controlling soil erosion. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.