Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Changes in soil macrofaunal community composition under selective afforestation in shifting sand lands in Horqin of Inner Mongolia, northern China

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Ecological Research

Abstract

Large-scale afforestation programs have had some beneficial effects on reducing severity of dust storms and controlling desertification in arid and semi-arid regions. However, the influences of selective afforestation on soil arthropod community are largely unknown in desertified ecosystems. Soil macrofaunal communities, soil physico-chemical properties, and herb vegetation were investigated in afforested shrublands and woodlands (both approximately 30 years old post-afforestation), which were compared to shifting sand lands in Horqin, northern China. In the shrublands, environmental parameters (soil and vegetation properties) indicated a significant improvement of soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and herbaceous density and cover, in comparison to the woodlands and shifting sand lands. The improved shrubland habitat maintained significantly higher soil macrofaunal abundance and group richness together with higher diversity compared with the woodlands and shifting sand lands. There were no significant differences in soil macrofaunal diversity between the woodlands and shifting sand lands. The results suggest that shrubs can facilitate macrofaunal assemblies and improve soil and vegetation properties when planted in shifting sand lands. Shrub afforestation is beneficial for the restoration of shifting sand lands, and is recommended for management of artificial plantations in these sandy ecosystems.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andersen AN, Hoffmann BD, Müller WJ, Griffiths AD (2002) Using ants as bioindicators in land management: simplifying assessment of ant community responses. J Appl Ecol 39:8–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ayal Y (2007) Trophic structure and the role of predation in shaping hot desert communities. J Arid Environ 68:171–187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blaum N, Seymour C, Rossmanith E, Schwager M, Jeltsch F (2009) Changes in arthropod diversity along a land use driven gradient of shrub cover in savanna rangelands: identification of suitable indicator. Biodivers Conserv 18:1187–1199

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen BH, Hao YG, Chen YF (2003) Research on climate ecological effect evaluation of regional protection forest system in Wulanbuhe Desert. For Res 16:63–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Doblas-Miranda E, Sánchez-Piñero F, González-Megías A (2009) Different microhabitats affect soil macroinvertebrate assemblages in a Mediterranean arid ecosystem. Appl Soil Ecol 41:329–335

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guan HB, Guo L, Liu YJ (1999) The vertical distribution, seasonal dynamics and community diversity of soil animal in Horqin sandy land. J Desert Res 19 s:110–114

    Google Scholar 

  • Jiang DM, Li Q, Liu FM, Jiang Y, Liang WJ (2007) Vertical distribution of soil nematodes in an age sequence of Caragana microphylla plantations in the Horqin Sandy Land, Northeast China. Ecol Res 22:49–56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kennedy N, Brodie E, Connolly J, Clipson N (2004) Impact of lime, nitrogen and plant species on bacterial community structure in grassland microcosms. Environ Microbiol 6:1070–1080

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li FR, Zhao LY, Zhang H, Zhang TH, Shirato Y (2004) Wind erosion and airborne dust deposition in farmland during spring in Horqin sand land of eastern Inner Mongolia, China. Soil Till Res 75:121–130

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu RT, Zhao HL, Zhao XY, Drake S (2009) Soil macrofaunal response to sand dune conversion from mobile dune to fixed dune in Horqin sand land, Northern China. Eur J Soil Biol 45:417–422

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu RT, Zhao HL, Zhao XY, Drake S (2011) Facilitative effects of shrubs in shifting sand on soil macro-faunal community in Horqin sand land of Inner Mongolia, Northern China. Eur J Soil Biol 47:316–321

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lobry de Bruyn LA (1999) Ants as bioindicators of soil function in rural environments. Agric Ecosyst Environ 74:425–441

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Noemí Mazía C, Chaneton EJ, Kitzberger T (2006) Small-scale habitat use and assemblage structure of ground-dwelling beetles in a Patagonian shrub steppe. J Arid Environ 67:177–194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pen-Mouratov S, Rodriguez-Zaragoza S, Steinberger Y (2008) The effect of Cercidium praecox and Prosopis laevigata on vertical distribution of soil free-living nematode communities in the Tehuacán Desert, Mexico. Eco Res 23:973–982

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pérez FL (1992) The influence of organic matter addition by caulescent Andean rosettes on surficial soil properties. Geoderma 54:151–171

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salamon JA, Zaitsev A, Gärtner S, Wolters V (2008) Soil macrofaunal response to forest conversion from pure coniferous stands into semi-natural montane forests. Appl Soil Ecol 40:491–498

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saul-Tcherkas V, Steinberger Y (2009) Temporal and shrub adaptation effect on soil microbial functional diversity in a desert system. Eur J Soil Sci 60:871–882

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schon NL, Mackay AD, Minor MA, Yeates GW, Hedley MJ (2008) Soil fauna in grazed New Zealand hill country pastures at two management intensities. Appl Soil Ecol 40:218–228

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seeber J, Seeber GUH, Langel R, Scheu S, Meyer E (2008) The effect of macro-invertebrates and plant litter of different quality on the release of N from litter to plant on alpine pastureland. Biol Fertil Soils 44:783–790

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seeber J, Langel R, Meyer E, Traugott M (2009) Dwarf shrub litter as a food source for macro-decomposers in alpine pastureland. Appl Soil Ecol 41:178–184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stockton PH, Gillette DA (1990) Field measurement of the sheltering effect of vegetation on erodible land surface. Land Degrad Rehabil 2:77–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Su YZ, Zhao HL (2003) Soil properties and plant species in an age sequence of Caragana microphylla plantations in the Horqin Sandy Land, North China. Ecol Eng 20:223–235

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takeda H, Abe T (2001) Templates of food–habitat resources for the organization of soil animals in temperate and tropical forests. Ecol Res 16:961–973

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ter Braak CJF, Šmilauer P (1998) Canoco 4-reference manual and user’s guide to Canoco for Windows: software for canonical community ordination, version 4. Microcomputer Power, Ithaca

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas F, Folgarait P, Lavelle P, Rossi JP (2004) Soil macrofaunal communities along an abandoned rice field chronosequence in Northern Argentina. Appl Soil Ecol 27:23–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang XM, Zhang CX, Hasi E, Dong ZB (2010) Has the Three-North Forest Shelterbelt Program solved the desertification and dust storm problems in arid and semi-arid China? J Arid Environ 74:13–22

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wardle DA, Bardgett RD, Klironomos JN, Setälä H, van der Putten WH, Wall DH (2004) Ecological linkages between aboveground and belowground biota. Science 304:1629–1633

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Whitford WG (2000) Keystone arthropods as webmasters in desert ecosystems. In: Coleman DC, Hendrix PF (eds) Invertebrates as webmasters in ecosystems. CABI Publishing, London, pp 25–42

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Yin WY (2001) Pictorial keys to soil animals of China. Science Press, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao ZW, Li SQ, Zhang BQ, Gan TL (1999) Effects of “Three North” protective forest engineering in Gansu and strategies for sustainable development. J Desert Res 19:191–194

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao HL, Zhao XY, Zhou RL, Zhang TH, Drake S (2005) Desertification processes due to heavy grazing in sandy rangeland, Inner Mongolia. J Arid Environ 62:309–319

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao HL, Cui JY, Zhou RL, Zhang TH, Zhao XY, Drake S (2007a) Soil properties, crop productivity and irrigation effects on five croplands of Inner Mongolia. Soil Till Res 93:346–355

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao HL, Zhou RL, Su YZ, Zhang TH, Zhao LY, Drake S (2007b) Shrub facilitation of desert land restoration in the Horqin sand land of Inner Mongolia. Ecol Eng 31:1–8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao XY, Luo YY, Wang SK, Huang WD, Lian J (2010) Is desertification reversion sustainable in northern China? A case study in Naiman county, part of a typical agro-pastoral transitional zone in Inner-Mongolia, China. Global Environ Res 14:63–70

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the anonymous reviewers for their critical review and comments on drafts of this manuscript. This study was financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41101050), projects of the National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2009CB421303) and National Science and Technology Support Program (2011BAC07B03). We would like to thank Christine Verhille at the University of British Columbia for her assistance with English language and grammatical editing of the manuscript. We also thank Doc. Yuqiang Li (School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA) for the English corrections.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory for Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Northwestern China of Ministry of Education, Ningxia University, 489 Helanshan West Road, Yinchuan, 750021, China

    Ren Tao Liu

  2. Naiman Desertification Research Station, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 260 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Ha Lin Zhao & Xue Yong Zhao

Authors
  1. Ren Tao Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ha Lin Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Xue Yong Zhao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ren Tao Liu.

About this article

Cite this article

Liu, R.T., Zhao, H.L. & Zhao, X.Y. Changes in soil macrofaunal community composition under selective afforestation in shifting sand lands in Horqin of Inner Mongolia, northern China. Ecol Res 28, 1–8 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-012-0982-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-012-0982-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation