The effects of different types of vegetation restoration on wind erosion prevention: a case study in Yanchi

Abstract

Improving wind erosion prevention in the key ecological zones of sand fixation are closely linked to human welfare in China and Northern Eurasia. In this research, we studied the sand transport rate (STT), soil water content (SWC), and retention rate of the wind erosion prevention services (RR) in five experimental zones in Yanchi Country, including bare sandy land (BL), and four restoration zones with different types of vegetation restoration approaches, including artificial restored grassland with low-coverage (AGL), artificial restored grassland with high-coverage (AGH), artificial shrub land (AS), and naturally restored grassland (NG). The results showed that: (1) From 2006 to 2018, the STTs of the four restoration zones were lower than those of BL, and those of the AS were much lower than those of AGL, AGH, and NG; (2) in the rainy season, the SWCs of AS, NG, AGH, AGL, and BL were 3.01%, 2.80%, 2.79%, 2.68%, and 2.41% respectively. In the dry season, the SWCs of NG, BL, AGH, AHL, and AS were 2.86%, 2.93%, 3.00%, 3.08%, and 3.20%, respectively. The differences in the SWCs between the two seasons of BL were the largest (0.52%), while those of NG were the lowest (0.06%); (3) the annual average RRs in AS, AGH, NG, and AGL were 74.41%, 69.41%, 69.28%, and 61.64%, respectively, while the annual change of the RR in the NG was the smallest. This study reveals the effects of different types of vegetation restoration on wind erosion prevention in Yanchi country, thereby providing a scientific basis for policymakers to engage in effective vegetation restoration and formulate ecological protection policies.