Abstract
In the semiarid Horqin sandy land of northern China, establishment of artificial sand-fixing shrubs on desertified sandy lands is an effective measure to control desertification and improve the regional environment. Caragana microphylla Lam. and Artemisia halodendron Turcz. ex Bess. are two of the dominant native shrub species, which are adapted well to windy and sandy environments, and thus, are widely used in revegetation programs to control desertification in Horqin region. To assess the effects of artificially planting these two shrub species on restoration of desertified sandy land, soil properties and plant colonization were measured 6 years after planting shrubs on shifting sand dunes. Soil samples were taken from two depths (0–5 cm and 5–20 cm) under the shrub canopy, in the mid-row location (alley) between shrub belts, and from nonvegetated shifting sand dune (as a control). Soil fine fractions, soil water holding capacity, soil organic C and total N have significantly increased, and pH and bulk density have declined at the 0–5-cm topsoil in both C. microphylla and A. halodendron. At the 5–20 cm subsurface soil, changes in soil properties are not significant, with exception of bulk density and organic C concentration under the canopy of A. halodendron and total N concentration under the canopy of C. microphylla. Soil amelioration processes are initiated under the shrub canopies, as higher C and N concentrations were found under the canopies compared with alleys. At the same time, the establishment of shrubs facilitates the colonization and development of herbaceous species. A. halodendron proved to have better effects in fixing the sand surface, improving soil properties, and restoring plant species in comparison to C. microphylla.
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs00267-004-4083-x/MediaObjects/267_2004_4083_f1.gif)
![](http://media.springernature.com/m312/springer-static/image/art%3A10.1007%2Fs00267-004-4083-x/MediaObjects/267_2004_4083_f2.gif)
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature Cited
J. L. Charley N. E. West (1975) ArticleTitlePlant-induced soil chemical patterns in some shrub-dominated semi-desert ecosystems of Utah Journal of Ecology 63 945–963
Z. B. Dong X. M. Wang L. Y. Liu (2000) ArticleTitleWind erosion in arid and semiarid China: an overview Journal of Desert Research 20 134–139
P. F. Ffolliott G. J. Gottfried W. J. Rietveld (1995) ArticleTitleDryland forestry for sustainable development Journal of Arid Environments 30 143–152
W. G. Gee J. W. Bauder (1986) Particle-size analysis A. Klute (Eds) Methods of soil analysis, Part 1—Physical and mineralogical methods American Society of Agronomy/Soil Science Society of America Madison, Wisconsin 383–412
M. Holmgren M. Scheffer (2001) ArticleTitleEl Niño as a window of opportunity for the restoration of degraded arid ecosystems Ecosystems 4 151–159 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s100210000065
InstitutionalAuthorNameInstitute of Soil Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ISSCAS) (1978) Physical and chemical analysis methods of soils Shanghai Science Technology Press Shanghai 7–59
J. Li (1991) ArticleTitleDistribution of Artemisia halodendron and its status in plant succession Journal of Desert Research 11 53–60
S. G. Li Y. Harazono H. L. Zhao Z. Y. He X. L. Chang X. Y. Zhao T. H. Zhang T. Oikawa (2002) ArticleTitleMicrometeorological changes following establishment of artificially established Artemisia vegetation on desertified sandy land in the Horqin sandyland, China and their implication in regional environmental change Journal of Arid Environments 52 101–119
D. J. Mitchell M. A. Fullen I. C. Trueman W. Fearnehough (1998) ArticleTitleSustainability of reclaimed desertified land in Ningxia, China Journal of Arid Environments 39 239–251 Occurrence Handle10.1006/jare.1998.0396
H. T. Mun W. G. Whitford (1998) ArticleTitleChanges in mass and chemistry of plant roots during long-term decomposition on a Chihuahuan Desert watershed Biology and Fertility Soils 26 16–22 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s003740050336
D. W. Nelson L. E. Sommers (1982) Total carbon, organic carbon and organic matter A. L. Page (Eds) Methods of soil analysis, part 2. American Society of Agronomy (ASA) publ. no. 9 EditionNumber2 ASA, Madison Wisconsin 539–577
R. Öhlinger (1996) Maximum water-holding capacity F. Schinner R. Öhlinger E. Kandeler R. Margesin (Eds) Methods in soil biology Springer Berlin, Heidelberg, New York 385–386
W. H. Schlesinger J. A. Raikes A. E. Hartley A. F. Cross (1990) ArticleTitleOn the spatial pattern of soil nutrients in desert ecosystem Ecology 77 364–374
S. W. Shumway (2000) ArticleTitleFacilitative effects of a sand shrub on species growing beneath the shrub canopy Oecologia 124 138–148 Occurrence Handle10.1007/s004420050033
Y. Z. Su H. L. Zhao (2003) ArticleTitleSoil properties and plant species in an age sequence of Caragana microphylla plantations in the Horqin Sandy Land, north China Ecological Engineering 20 223–235
Y. Z. Su H. L. Zhao Y. L. Li J. Y. Cui (2004) ArticleTitleInfluencing mechanisms of several shrubs on soil chemical properties in semiarid Horqin Sandy Land, China Arid Land Research and Management 18 251–263 Occurrence Handle10.1080/15324980490451339
C. G. Tornquist F. M. Hons S. E. Feagley (1999) ArticleTitleAgroforestry system effects on soil characteristics of the Sarapiqi region of Costa Rica Agriculture, Ecosystem Environments 73 19–20
A. Wezel J. L. Rajot C. Herbrig (2000) ArticleTitleInfluence of shrubs on soil characteristics and their function in Sahelian agro-ecosystems in semi-arid Niger Journal of Arid Environments 44 383–398
Zhang T. H. 2003. Study on dynamic characteristics of water and its rational utilization in Horqin Sandy Land, China. Doctoral thesis from Chinese Academy of Science
T. H. Zhang H. L. Zhao S. G. Li F. R. Li Y. Shirato T. Ohkuro I. Taniyama (2004) ArticleTitleA comparison of different measures for stabilizing moving sand dunes in the Horqin Sandy Land of Inner Mongolia, China Journal of Arid Environments 58 202–213 Occurrence Handle10.1016/j.jaridenv.2003.08.003
Z. D. Zhu G. T. Chen (1994) Sandy desertification in China Science Press Beijing 250
Acknowledgments
This paper is supported by funds from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (40471083) and the knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Science (2003112, 2004110). The authors would like to thank the three anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions on improvement of the manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Su, Y.Z., Zhang, T.H., Li, Y.L. et al. Changes in Soil Properties After Establishment of Artemisia halodendron and Caragana microphylla on Shifting Sand Dunes in Semiarid Horqin Sandy Land, Northern China. Environmental Management 36, 272–281 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-004-4083-x
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-004-4083-x