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Snow resisting capacity of Caragana microphylla and Achnatherum splendens in a typical steppe region of Inner Mongolia, China

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Abstract

Snow resisting capacity of vegetation is important for secondary distribution of water resources in seasonal snow areas of grassland because it affects the regeneration, growth and nutrient circulation of vegetation in grassland. This study investigated vegetation characteristics (canopy height, canopy length and crown width) of Caragana microphylla Lam. (shrub) and Achnatherum splendens (Trin.) Nevski. (herb), and snow morphologies (snow depth, snow width and snow braid length) in a typical steppe region of Inner Mongolia, China in 2017. And the influence of vegetation characteristic on snow resisting capacity (the indices of bottom area of snow and snow volume reflect snow resisting capacity) was analyzed. The results showed that snow morphology depends on vegetation characteristics of shrub and herb. The canopy height was found to have the greatest influence on snow depth and the crown width had the greatest influence on snow width. The canopy length was found to have little influence on morphological parameters of snow. When the windward areas of C. microphylla and A. splendens were within the ranges of 0.0–0.5 m2 and 0.0–8.0 m2, respectively, the variation of snow cover was large; however, beyond these areas, the variation of snow cover became gradually stable. The potential area of snow retardation for a single plant was 1.5–2.5 m2 and the amount of snow resistance was 0.15–0.20 m3. The bottom area of snow and snow volume (i.e., snow resisting capacity) of clumped C. microphylla and A. splendens was found to be 4 and 25 times that of individual plant, respectively. The results could provide a theoretical basis both for the estimation of snow cover and the establishment of a plant-based technical system for the control of windblown snow in the typical steppe region of Inner Mongolia.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41361012), and the Postgraduate Research and Innovation Funding Project of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (B2018111951).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Aeolian Physics and Desertification Control Engineering, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, College of Desert Control Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018, China

    Min Yan, Hejun Zuo, Haibing Wang & Gangtie Li

  2. Forestry College, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, 271018, China

    Zhi Dong

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  1. Min Yan
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  2. Hejun Zuo
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  3. Haibing Wang
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  4. Zhi Dong
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  5. Gangtie Li
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Correspondence to Hejun Zuo.

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Yan, M., Zuo, H., Wang, H. et al. Snow resisting capacity of Caragana microphylla and Achnatherum splendens in a typical steppe region of Inner Mongolia, China. J. Arid Land 12, 294–302 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40333-019-0021-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40333-019-0021-x

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