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Wind erosion prevention characteristics and key influencing factors of bryophytic soil crusts

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Abstract

Aims

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are generally considered to reduce wind erosion, however, the extent of reductions is highly dependent on the vegetation type, soil moisture status, and their interactions in the field. The interrelationships between these factors or their combined effects are relatively unknown. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the contributions of the crust coverage (CC), associated with the soil moisture content (SMC), and the vegetation coverage (VC) to reduce wind-erosion and to provide a basis for the effective management of BSCs.

Methods

We used an orthogonal design and large-scale wind tunnel simulations to determine the erosion-resistance characteristics of BSCs, and the effects of soil moisture content (SMC), vegetation coverage (VC) and crust coverage (CC) on its wind erosion reductions.

Results

Our results showed that 1) the medium SMC + low CC + high VC were the most effective contributors in decreasing the wind erosion modulus; 2) the high SMC + medium CC + low VC primarily reduced the sand-transport rate; 3) the medium SMC + high CC + low VC, with the smallest aeolian sand-flow structure index, resulted in the lowest level of aeolian sand-flow saturation; 4) the high SMC + high CC + medium VC exhibited the highest threshold wind velocity; and 5) the VC and CC were found to have significant effects on the surface roughness, but the SMC did not.

Conclusions

BSCs should be strongly protected during dry and windy seasons in the spring and winter because of their value in reducing wind erosion. The BSC may be moderately disturbed during wet and weak wind seasons in the summer or autumn to ameliorate soil moisture conditions, especially in the sites with high vegetation coverage, without exacerbating wind erosion. Management that carefully considers the timing and disturbance of BSCs will help to determine the sustainable balance between the “protection” and “destruction” of BSCs and their effective use in reducing wind erosion.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the NSFC (National Natural Science Foundation of China, 41071192), the Chinese Universities Scientific Fund (Grant no. 2014YQ006), and the Foundation of State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau (K318009902-1405). The preparation of this paper was supported by the 111 Project (B12007). Professor Zhibao Dong and engineer Aiguo Zhao of the CAREERI, CAS, provided substantial assistance during this study. Professor Xinrong Li of CAREERI, CAS facilitated our field sampling and living conditions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China

    Chongfeng Bu, Ying Zhao, Chunlei Zhao, Peng Zhang & Shufang Wu

  2. Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, 26 Xinong Road, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China

    Chongfeng Bu & Yongsheng Yang

  3. Department of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Robert Lee Hill

  4. College of Water Resources and Architectural Engineering, Northwest A & F University, 23 Weihui Road, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China

    Shufang Wu

Authors
  1. Chongfeng Bu
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  2. Ying Zhao
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  4. Chunlei Zhao
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  5. Yongsheng Yang
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  6. Peng Zhang
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  7. Shufang Wu
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Correspondence to Chongfeng Bu, Ying Zhao or Shufang Wu.

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Bu, C., Zhao, Y., Hill, R.L. et al. Wind erosion prevention characteristics and key influencing factors of bryophytic soil crusts. Plant Soil 397, 163–174 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-015-2609-z

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