Abstract
Rock fragments have a significant impact on soil hydrological processes and nutrient content. However, the specific relationship between them has not been studied on hillslopes engineered by fish-scale pits on rocky mountains. Therefore, the objective of this study is to explore the effects of rock fragments on soil water and nutrients content, as well as to assess the influence of artificial slope measures, in particular, the fish-scale pits on this relationship. A fish-scale pit slope (with fish-scale pits) and a natural slope (without fish-scale pits) are selected for the investigation. Each slope was further divided into top, middle, and bottom positions. Soil samples were collected using a grid sampling method. These samples were then analyzed to determine soil water content, total soil carbon, and nitrogen. Additionally, the assessment of rock fragments content and cover was conducted at the same sampling locations. The rock fragments were categorized into three groups based on rock fragments sizes: small rock fragments (5–20 mm), medium rock fragments (20–75 mm), and large rock fragments (> 75 mm). On both slopes, there is a consistent decrease in the mean coverage and content of rock fragments from the top to the bottom. In contrast, the mean soil water and nutrient content show an increase from the top to the bottom on both slopes. No significant relationship between the rock fragments and soil water is observed on the fish-scale pit slope. However, on the natural slope, rock fragments measuring less than 75 mm have a significant impact on the distribution of soil water and nutrients. As the content of rock fragments increases on the natural slope, there is a decrease in soil water and nutrient levels. There are specific thresholds for the influence of rock fragment coverage on soil water and nutrients. These thresholds are 10%, 4%, and 15% for small, medium, and total rock fragment coverage, respectively. When the rock fragment coverage is below the threshold, there is a decrease in soil water and nutrient levels as the coverage increases. Conversely, when the rock fragment coverage exceeds the threshold, there is an increase in soil water and nutrient levels with the coverage. Our conclusion is that the characteristics of rock fragments (such as size, content, coverage, and quantity) have an impact on the distributions of soil water and nutrients, but this influence is primarily observed on the natural slope. The effects of rock fragments on soil water and nutrients are weakened due to land preparation.
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This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41807174) and the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2021YFD1901005).
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Niu, C., Shi, Y., Fan, G. et al. Effect of Rock Fragments on Soil Water and Nutrient: a Case Study in Rocky Mountain Area of North China. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr 24, 716–731 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-023-01578-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-023-01578-9