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[Objective] The Three Gorges Reservoir’s impoundment has speed up habitat fragmentation and patching in the water level fluctuation zone, and extreme habitat stress has seriously damaged the structure and function of vegetation. Clarifying the habitat status of the water level fluctuation zone of the Three Gorges Reservoir, proposing an adaptive vegetation restoration strategy, and reconstructing the comprehensive ecological function of damaged river corridor are of utmost importance for building regional ecological security pattern and ensuring water resources security of the Yangtze River Basin. [Methods] In response to the prominent issues of vegetation degradation and ecological function damage, we systematically analyzed multiple habitat conditions and their influence on riparian vegetation growth. Focusing on the basic requirements for ecological restoration of damaged river corridor along reservoir banks, a vegetation restoration pattern for construction of suitable microhabitats and optimization of vegetation functional pattern was explored. [Results] The habitat conditions of the water level fluctuation zone were jointly regulated by unique water level rhythm formed by reservoir, operation, climate condition during the exposed, soil erosion and sedimentation and soil environment, which presented a distinctive spatial heterogeneity pattern. Among these, inundation duration, emergence time, and inundation intensity by seasonal water fluctuation were the primary factors affecting plant reproduction and development, while soil erosion, sedimentation burial and soil substrates affected vegetation growth. [Conclusion] Accordingly, water level, site conditions and morphological-functional trait characteristics of various vegetation should be comprehensively considered when planning vegetation restoration in the water level fluctuation zone. Meanwhile, the high-quality stress-resistant species selection, site preparation measures for soil condition improvement, and the zonal optimization of vegetation patterns were beneficial for rebuilding the comprehensive ecological function of the water level fluctuation zone. This provided theoretical support and scientific basis for the ecological management of the water level fluctuation zone in the Three Gorges Reservoir.

[Objective] This study is aimed at comprehensively evaluating the soil quality of different vegetation restoration types in the mountainous areas of Beijing, and further identifying the key factors affecting soil quality, so as to provide data support for vegetation restoration and reconstruction in the region. [Methods] The study utilized various vegetation types, including Platycladus orientalis pure forest, Pinus tabulaeformis pure forest, P. orientalis-P. tabulaeformis mixed forest, P. orientalis coniferous and broadleaved mixed forest, P. tabulaeformis coniferous and broadleaved mixed forest, deciduous broad-leaved mixed forest, and non-forest land (CK), with similar stand conditions, as research objects. Fourteen soil physical and chemical indicators were measured to establish the total data set (TDS) for evaluating soil quality. Principal component analysis (PCA) and Pearson correlation analysis were employed to determine the minimum data set (MDS) for soil quality evaluation. Two scoring methods, linear (L) and non-linear (NL), were used to calculate the soil quality index (SQI) and a general linear model (GLM) was employed to identify key factors influencing soil quality. [Results] The bulk density and sand content decreased, while the content of soil nutrients such as organic matter, total nitrogen, total potassium, available nitrogen, and available potassium increased after the vegetation restoration compared with the non-forest land. The screened MDS indicators for soil quality evaluation in the study area were total nitrogen (TN), sand content, total potassium (TK), pH, and available water capacity (AWC). Under the four methods (SQI-LT, SQI-NLT, SQI-LM, and SQI-NLM), the SQI values of different vegetation restoration types were ranked as deciduous broadleaf mixed forest > P. orientalis coniferous and broadleaved mixed forest > P. tabulaeformis pure forest > P. tabulaeformis coniferous and broadleaved mixed forest > P. orientalis-P. tabulaeformis mixed forest > P. orientalis pure forest > non-forest land, and the soil quality significantly improved after vegetation restoration. The soil quality evaluation method of SQI-NLM exhibited better applicability in the mountainous areas of Beijing. Compared with non-forested land, the SQI-NLM of other vegetation restoration types improved by 64%, 48%, 45%, 36%, 33% and 27%, respectively. The GLM model accounted for 85.24% of the total variation in the soil quality index, with vegetation type explaining the largest proportion of the soil quality index (45.09%). [Conclusion] The selection of suitable vegetation restoration types is crucial for improving regional soil quality. In future vegetation restoration efforts, priority should be given to broad-leaved species in tree species selection. Additionally, the choice of silvicultural configuration should depend on the tree species, such as introducing native broad-leaved species into Platycladus orientalis pure forest to form a Platycladus orientalis coniferous and broadleaved mixed forest, or selecting Pinus tabulaeformis pure forest as the optimal silvicultural model.

Ecosystems and agroecosystems strongly influences the global warming by nitrogen oxide (N2O) emission. In a recent climate change scenario, nitrogen and carbon sequestration is obligatory under different land-use patterns. However, soil nitrogen elements and carbon content in the recover process of degraded environmental conditions on the Dingxi Loess Plateau has not been clearly understood. Thus, in this current study, we selected four representative land use patterns, including picea asperata (PA), which is based on forest land; Medicago sativa (MS), which is based on grassland; abandoned bare land (AL), which is based on abandoned land; and wheat field (WF), which is based on farmland, to study soil quality indicators and N2O greenhouse gas and relationships amongst environmental factors and N2O flux. Our results depicted that PA and MS significantly increased organic carbon (SOC), total phosphorous (TP), gravimetric water content (SWC), soil bulk density (BD), total nitrogen (TN), ammonium nitrogen (NH4+-N), and microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) whist decreased soil nitrate nitrogen (NO3--N) content and soil pH value over AL land-use pattern. However, WF land-use pattern showed reduced trend of above mention studied parameters than AL. Additionally, compared to AL, PA and MS significantly reduced the total soil N2O emissions, with reductions of 24.91% and 14.77% in 2021 and 29.08% and 17.53% in 2022, respectively. The WF significantly increased the total N2O emissions, increasing by 53.18% and 40.37% in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Moreover, environmental variables for instance aerial temperature, precipitation had significant correlation with soil N2O based on linear regression analysis, soil NO3--N and soil temperature had significant positive correlation with soil N2O flux while NH4+-N, BD, and SWC were negatively correlated with N2O flux. The Partial Least Squares Path Model (PLS-PM) indicates that soil temperature and soil moisture was the dominant factor for controlling soil N2O emissions followed by soil nutrients and land use patterns. Accordingly, in the context of vegetation restoration process of the study area, the proportion of forest land and grassland should be increase to cope with future climate change scenario. This research result can provide theoretical basis and technical support for scientific understanding and evaluation of soil N2O emission mechanisms and nitrogen sink functions under different land-use patterns in semi-arid region of China.

Study region: Two typical mountainous Haihe River Basins: The Xiaojue Basin and the Yehe River Basin Study focuses: The mountainous Haihe River Basin has suffered from a water crisis duo to large-scale restoration. Quantifying the hydrological impacts of vegetation restoration is necessary for local water management. In this study, we used the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) hydrological model, in combination with two vegetation restoration scenarios, to analyze the effects of vegetation restoration on runoff and its runoff components (surface runoff, baseflow, and total runoff) New hydrological insights for the region: Our results indicated a general decrease in surface runoff and an increase in baseflow as a result of vegetation restoration. At the seasonal timescale, total runoff and surface runoff decreases mainly concentrated in the flood season, and slightly increased in the non-flood season, and baseflow showed the opposite trend during the flood-season in the Xiaojue and Yehe River Basin. The magnitude of change in runoff components in the Yehe River Basin was higher than that in the Xiaojue Basin, and the Yehe River Basin has a larger water yield capability. This study advances our knowledge on the way in which vegetation affects runoff and offers recommendations for water resources management

Study region: Loess Plateau, China Study focus: The potential soil erosion has commonly been estimated using the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) under bare land conditions. In few studies, biogeochemical models have been employed to simulate natural vegetation dynamics and assess the effects of regional vegetation restoration on soil loss control. In this study, a biogeochemical Biome-BGC (BBGC) model was developed to simulate the potential vegetation dynamics. The soil erosion rate and erosion control indices under both the current land use/cover (A, ERI) and the potential vegetation conditions (A’, ERI’) were estimated using the RUSLE model and an index-based ecosystem service approach, respectively. The effects of vegetation restoration on erosion control services were ultimately evaluated. New hydrologic insights for the region: The BBGC model performed well in simulating the potential vegetation dynamics. The average annual soil retention increased by 84% after vegetation restoration since 1999. The increased erosion control services accounted for 62% of the Loess Plateau. Erosion control services increased to a high degree (ERI-ERI’ >0.4) in the southeast. Our results demonstrated that vegetation restoration effectively improved the erosion control services on the Loess Plateau. The results could provide a guidance in quantifying the regional effects of vegetation restoration on ecohydrological services and protecting the soil conservation function of watershed ecosystems.

Abstract Vegetation restoration in dryland regions may be a powerful way to control desertification and promote local habitat recovery. In these artificial revegetation systems, ecosystem processes and functioning are strongly determined by nitrogen (N) availability, while soil inorganic N (SIN) is the major available N form and is absorbed as a main N source for plants. However, SIN dynamics, their influencing factors, and their relative importance to the ecosystem of these N‐limited systems are not well understood. A field investigation was conducted to examine the monthly variations in SIN and its response to planting age and vegetation type in a typical artificial sand‐fixing system in northwestern China. The SIN content in topsoil (0–20 cm) during the growing season ranged from 7.10 to 95.65 mg kg−1, with a mean value of 27.14 mg kg−1. Soil nitrate N had a dominant role in determining SIN monthly dynamics, which showed a fluctuating trend with two peak values in early July and late August. SIN showed a significant increasing trend with the planting age of sand‐fixing vegetation, and it was highest for Nitraria sphaerocarpa (55.66 ± 5.76 mg kg−1), followed by Haloxylon ammodendron (29.81 ± 3.47 mg kg−1) and interspace (11.39 ± 1.13 mg kg−1). SIN displayed a hump‐shaped relationship with air temperature (R2 = 0.96, p

Solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation is a major carbon reduction technology that is rapidly developing worldwide. However, the impact of PV plant construction on subsurface microecosystems is currently understudied. We conducted a systematic investigation into the effects of small-scale light stress caused by shading of PV panels and sampling depth on the composition, diversity, survival strategy, and key driving factors of soil bacterial communities (SBCs) under two vegetation restoration modes, i.e., Euryops pectinatus (EP) and Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum (LC). The study revealed that light stress had a greater impact on rare species with relative abundances below 0.01% than on high-abundance species, regardless of the vegetation restoration pattern. Additionally, PV shadowing increased SBCs' biomass by 20-30% but had varying negative effects on the numbers of Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTU), Shannon diversity, abundance-based coverage estimator (ACE), and Chao1 richness index. Co-occurrence and correlation network analysis revealed that symbiotic relationships dominated the key SBCs in the LC sample plots, with Chloroflexi and Actinobacteriota being the most ecologically important. In contrast, competitive relationships were significantly increased in the EP sample plots, with Actinobacteriota having the most ecological importance. In the EP sample plot, SBCs were found to be more tightly linked and had more stable ecological networks. This suggests that EP is more conducive to the stability and health of underground ecosystems in vulnerable areas when compared with LC. These findings offer new insights into the effects of small-scale light stress on subsurface microorganisms under different vegetation restoration patterns. Moreover, they may provide a reference for optimizing ecological restoration patterns in fragile areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planting alfalfa is one of the biological measures to manage the Pisha stone area in the Yellow River Basin, where soil erosion is serious, and the ecosystem is extremely fragile. The characteristics and driving factors of plant-soil ecological stoichiometry during the planting process of the loess layer (LL) (0-90 cm) and Pisha stone layer (PSL) (90-180 cm) were studied to reveal the limiting factors of plant-soil nutrients and the driving mechanism of ecosystem evolution in this area. In this study, the correlation between the contents of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and their ratios in alfalfa and soil with different planting years (2, 5, 8, and 10 yr) was measured. Plant-soil C, N, and P stoichiometry characteristics were explored to analyze the influence mechanisms of fallow years and soil layers. The results showed that the changes of C, N, and P in alfalfa were similar to those of soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) in LL. Alfalfa C/N was significantly positively correlated with soil C/P and N/P. Alfalfa growth is limited by N in the early stages and P in the middle and late stages, which can provide a theoretical basis for vegetation restoration and soil erosion management in the Pisha stone region. This study investigated the stochastic properties of the alfalfa-soil continuum and its fluctuations with the planting year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frequent spontaneous combustion activities restrict ecological restoration of coal waste dumps after reclamation. Effective monitoring of vegetation restoration is important for ensuring land reclamation success and preserving the ecological environment in mining areas. Development of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology has enabled fine-scale vegetation monitoring. In this study, we focused on Medicago sativa L. (alfalfa), a representative herbaceous vegetation type, in a coal waste dump after reclamation in Shanxi province, China. The alfalfa aboveground biomass (AGB) was used as an indicator for assessing vegetation restoration. The objective of this study was to evaluate the capacity of UAV-based fusion of RGB, multispectral, and thermal infrared information for estimating alfalfa AGB using various regression models, including random forest regression (RFR), gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT), K-nearest neighbor (KNN), support vector regression (SVR), and stacking models. The main results are as follows: (i) UAV multi-source data fusion improved alfalfa AGB estimation accuracy, although the enhancement diminished with the increasing number of sensor types. (ii) The stacking model consistently outperformed RFR, GBDT, KNN, and SVR regression models across all feature fusion combinations. It achieved high accuracy with R2 of 0.86–0.88, RMSE of 80.06–86.87 g/m2, and MAE of 60.24–62.69 g/m2. Notably, the stacking model based on only RGB imagery features mitigated the accuracy loss from limited types of features, potentially reducing equipment costs. This study demonstrated the potential of UAV in improving vegetation restoration management of coal waste dumps after reclamation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we sought to determine the effects of different vegetation types on soil microorganisms in karst areas of China, and to examine the impacts of vegetation restoration on soil ecosystem function in these areas. For the purposes of the study, we used soil collected from typical vegetation types (coniferous forest, broad-leaved forest, and natural grassland) in mountainous karst areas of northern Guangdong, among which, we analyzed differences in soil physicochemical properties, bacterial community diversity, and functional composition. Results showed that in terms of bacterial community diversity, there were no significant differences among the different vegetation types' soil with the exception being those of coniferous forests, which were characterized by lower levels of evenness and phylogenetic diversity. The community composition of soil bacteria was differed significantly among the different vegetation types, and soil physicochemical parameters (pH value and the contents of water, ammonia salts, nitrate, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and organic matter) had a significant influence on the composition of the soil bacterial community. The pH value of grassland soil was close to neutral, and was significantly higher than that of the soils of coniferous forest and broad-leaved forest land. Similarly, grassland soil was characterized by higher contents of nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic matter. Results obtained based on functional annotation of prokaryotic taxa functional prediction revealed that chemoheterotrophic expression was highest in soils of different vegetation types. Nitrogen fixation was higher in nitrogen cycle-related functions, and there were significant differences in different types of soils, with total nitrogen, total phosphorus, pH value, and soil moisture being identified as the main environmental factors contributing to these differences. In conclusion, differences in vegetation restoration and ecological succession among forests and grasslands in karst areas may influence soil bacterial community structure and potential functions, and thus have differing effects on soil ecosystem functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology / Yingyong Shengtai Xuebao is the property of Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Guihaia is the property of Guihaia Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Ecological restoration projects have significantly increased global vegetation cover and reduced soil erosion. However, it is very challenging to clarify the complex soil erosion mechanisms of limestone and dolomite in the southwest karst region and to identify the key factors affecting erosion. The study site has a subtropical monsoon climate with precipitation concentrated during the rainy season from May to September. In this study, four plantation restoration measures with a recovery time of approximately 16 years were selected, which included arbor forest, orchard, grassland, and cropland (control). Soil physical–chemical properties and soil erodibility K values were used to evaluate the soil erosion characteristics. The results showed that both limestone and dolomite exhibited lower soil bulk density as well as higher capillary porosity, and soil water‐stable aggregates after revegetation. The limestone and dolomite K values were reduced by 12%–15% and 15%–17%, respectively. However, the K value of limestone was 17.9% higher than that of dolomite, indicating that dolomite exhibited a higher stability. Through redundancy analysis and structural equation modeling, revegetation was found to reduce soil erosion by influencing the soil particle composition. The silt was the key factor influencing soil erosion, accounting for 84.4% and 78.2% of the variation in the limestone and dolomite K values, respectively. These findings suggest that vegetation restoration enhances soil erosion resistance; however, the effectiveness of restoration is controlled by the lithology in the southwest karst region. These findings provide a reference for soil and water management and vegetation restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

【Objective】The study aimed to scientifically prevent and control the soil and water loss of grassland in the arid area of Northwest China and compare the runoff control effect of vegetation under different rainfall patterns.【Method】Based on the K-means classification method, 13 rainfall events in the study area were divided into three categories in the soil and water conservation runoff field of Tiechanggou in Yining city during the rainy season from 2021 to 2022. The characteristics of runoff and sediment yield of five natural vegetations（Zygophyllum xanthoxylon, Ceratoides latens, Seriphidium transillense, Alhagi sparsifolia, Sophora alopecuroides) and three artificial vegetations（Ulmus pumila, Amorpha fruticosa, Cynodon dactylon) were monitored. The law of runoff and sediment yield of vegetation under different rainfall patterns was discussed, and the influence of rainfall pattern and vegetation plot on runoff and sediment yield was analyzed by grey correlation degree. 【Result】（i) The dominant rainfall pattern of soil erosion in the ILi River Valley was（medium rainfall, short duration, medium rainfall intensity) B rainfall pattern, which contributed 53.5% to the runoff and sediment yield on the slope. The contribution rate of A rain type（low rainfall, long duration, low rainfall intensity) and C rain type（high rainfall, long duration, high rainfall intensity) was low.（ii) The runoff and sediment reduction benefit of natural vegetation was higher than that of artificial vegetation. The runoff and sediment reduction benefit of natural vegetation under A rain pattern was the best（87.3%-95.2%), and that of artificial vegetation under C rain pattern was the worst（39.2%-52.7%).（iii) Rainfall and average rainfall intensity significantly affected runoff depth and soil loss（P＜0.05). The order of grey correlation degree from large to small was S.transiliense ＞S.alopecuroides ＞Z.xanthoxylum ＞A.fruticose ＞A.sparsifolia ＞C.dactylon ＞U.pumila ＞C.latens.【Conclusion】Vegetation restoration in the ILi River Valley can effectively reduce soil erosion. Under different rainfall patterns, the benefits of natural vegetation in reducing runoff and sediment are better than those of artificial vegetation. The benefits of single vegetation in reducing runoff and sediment are related to its coverage. The research results provide a theoretical basis for land greening, land desertification and soil erosion control in the arid region of Northwest China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Coal Science & Technology (0253-2336) is the property of Coal Science & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Coal Science & Technology (0253-2336) is the property of Coal Science & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aims to investigate the impact of vegetation restoration on soil humus and aggregate stability within the karst region of Southwest China. This study focused on soils at five vegetation succession stages (abandoned land, grassland, shrub rangeland, shrubland, and secondary forest) in the typical karst region, and the aggregate stability was determined using wet sieving and the Le Bissonnais method. Simultaneously, the Pallo method and separation extraction were used to determine the humus composition, aiming to analyze the distribution of humus content in the soil aggregates and its effect on aggregate stability. The results revealed the following: (1) The mean weight diameter of soil aggregates significantly increased with vegetation restoration stages. Soil water-stable aggregates at each vegetation stage mainly included particles over 2 mm in size. (2) The humic acid and fulvic acid contents consistently increased with vegetation restoration, and the precipitation quotient value of the humification degree showed an increasing trend. At each vegetation restoration stage, the percentage of each humus component was, from highest to lowest, as follows: insoluble HM, fulvic acid, humic acid, clay-bound HM, and iron-bound HM. (3) Through stepwise regression analysis, humic acid content in >2 mm aggregates, fulvic acid and clay-bound HM contents in 1–2 mm aggregates, and insoluble HM content in <0.25 mm aggregates were the dominant factors affecting soil aggregate stability in the karst region. These results aim to provide novel insights for a more in-depth comprehension of the restoration and rehabilitation of vegetation within the karst region of Southwest China, thereby laying a robust foundation for scientific theories and further investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A powerful earthquake, particularly in mountainous regions, has the ability to trigger an immense number of landslides, resulting in severe damages. However, effectively assessing their recoveries in the years following the mainshocks has not yet been attempted due to the lack of continuously updated landslide inventories. Therefore, we proposed a novel detection framework utilizing time‐series Landsat images from 2000 to 2021, which enabled us to achieve a long‐term landslide inventory in the seismic zone for the first time. The response patterns of landslide development under different conditions were explored in detail. The restoration models were quantitatively established, revealing that the recoveries of post‐earthquake landslide activity and vital environmental indicators require a range from ∼5.29 to ∼25.00 years. This pioneering research is highly beneficial in comprehending the impact of earthquake‐induced hazards on short‐term land surface damage and long‐term ecological equilibrium. Plain Language Summary: The Wenchuan earthquake triggered tens of thousands of landslides and caused severe surface damages, leading to adverse impacts on the local environment in the following period. Therefore, we implemented an approach that combines change detection techniques with long‐term remote sensing images to track the landslide activities from 2000 to 2021. Consequently, continuous landslide maps have been produced, and the post‐earthquake landslide activities were analyzed under different conditions considering various factors. We also explored the restorations for the undisturbed landslides after the earthquake using important ecological indicators. The results suggest that the recovery of landslide activity and surface evapotranspiration was rapid. However, the regrowth and succession of damaged plants required a longer time. Moreover, it would take decades to fully restore the vegetation ecological function, which shatters our original impression on the persistence of post‐earthquake landslide impacts. Key Points: The inventories with over 21 years of continuous landslide activities prior to and following the Wenchuan earthquake were compiledApart from acknowledged attenuation, diverse environment exposed various evolutionary patterns of post‐earthquake landslide activityDamaged plant succession and ecological function restoration underwent lengthier durations than post‐seismic landslide stabilization [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coastal wetlands in the Yellow River Delta play a vital role in the ecological function of the area. However, the impact of primary restoration on microbial communities is not yet fully understood. Hence, this study aimed to analyze the bacterial and archaeal communities in the soil. The results indicated that Marinobacter and Halomonas were predominant in the bacterial community during spring and winter. On the other hand, Muribaculaceae and Helicobacter were prevalent during the core remediation of soil, while Inhella and Halanaerobium were predominant in non-vegetation-covered high-salinity soil. The bacterial Shannon index showed significant differences in vegetation-covered areas. For archaea, Salinigranum, Halorubrum, and Halogranum were dominant in vegetation areas, while Halolamina, Halogranum, and Halorubrum were prevalent in non-vegetation areas. The colonization of Suaeda salsa led to differences in the composition of bacteria (22.6%) and archaea (29.5%), and salt was one of the significant reasons for this difference. The microflora was more diverse, and the elements circulated after vegetation grounding, while the microbial composition in non-vegetation areas was similar, but there was potential competition. Therefore, vegetation restoration can effectively restore soil ecological function, while the microorganisms in the soil before restoration provide germplasm resources for pollutant degradation and antimicrobial development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The photovoltaic industry is developing rapidly because of its renewable energy and other advantages. However, the installation of this infrastructure may affect soil, vegetation, and carbon dynamics, making it is necessary to carry out vegetation restoration work at a plant's location in the later stages of its construction. For this reason, three types of artificial vegetation were selected (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica, Astragalus membra-naceus var. mongholicus and Medicago sativa) as research objects in an ecological photovoltaic power plant in Northern China, to study the changes in soil organic carbon storage (SOCS), carbon:nitrogen ratios (C:N) and C:phosphorus ratios (C:P) at different soil depths and for different vegetation types. Natural vegetation plots undisturbed by the construction of the power plant were used as a control. Seven years after revegetation, we found that the storage and content of soil organic carbon in all three artificial vegetation plots were notably lower compared to the control. Nevertheless, the soil's organic carbon content for Medicago sativa plots increased was significantly higher by 1.2 g·kg−1 compared to Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica and A. membranaceus var. mongholicus plots, while organic carbon storage increased significantly by 3.55 t·ha and 7.15 t·ha. SOCS, C:N, and C:P concentrations in the 0–20 cm soil layer exhibited a significantly higher value in comparison to those of the 20–40 cm soil layer. As the soil depth increased, all the concentrations declined gradually. Vegetation type and soil depth, as well as their interaction, had a significant impact on soil carbon storage, C:N, and C:P. The study area was restricted by the availability of P. In general, vegetation restoration is a beneficial ecological practice for soil restoration at photovoltaic power stations. It is believed that planting alfalfa can accelerate the improvement of soil carbon with an extension of vegetation recovery time. In order to restore the balance of nutrients for plants, it is necessary to avoid human interference at the later stage, and to supplement phosphorus as soon as possible to minimize phosphorus limitation at the later stage of vegetation growth, which is of great importance to increasing the likelihood of success in reclaiming disturbed land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] This study aimes to accurately evaluate the soil improvement benefits and to reveal the nutrient limitations under different vegetation types in the open-pit dump in the sandy loess area, so as to provide a theoretical basis to construct an efficient vegetation restoration model for ecological reconstruction and environmental improvement in this area. [Methods] The soils from ten kinds of vegetation restoration modes, belonging to three vegetation types of forest, shrub, and grass were selected as study samples, while the soil from the newly dumped land was selected as control. The ecological stoichiometric characteristics of soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and total phosphorus and their relationships were studied. [Results] The values of soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus for soil under different vegetation types of dump in sandy loess region varied between 0.62～18.60 g/kg, 0.09～0.36 g/kg and 0.04～0.21 g/kg, respectively. The values of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen in the forest land and shrub land were significantly greater than those in the newly dumped land(p≤0.05), and the values of total phosphorus in the arboreal land were significantly lower than those in the other three plots(p≤0.05). In the vertical section of soil layer, the soil nutrients of three types of planting cover enriched in the surface layer. The soil total nitrogen amount of shrub land was the highest in different soil layers, the mean soil organic carbon amount of arbor land was the highest, and the mean soil total phosphorus amount of grass land was the highest. There was no significant difference in soil C/N among different vegetation types(p＞0.05). Soil C/P and soil N/P were greatly affected by vegetation types, and all of them showed the order: new soil dumping of arbor land＞shrub land＞grass land＞new dump. In the vertical section of soil layer, soil C/N showed the increasing trend overall, and soil N/P firstly decreased and then increased with the increase of soil layer depth. Soil organic carbon was significantly positively correlated with soil C/N, C/P and N/P(p≤0.01). Soil total nitrogen was significantly positively correlated with soil C/P and N/P(p≤0.01), while soil total phosphorus was on the contrary. Soil N/P in arbor land was high, and vegetation growth was limited by the phosphorus amount. Soil N/P in grass land and shrub land was low, and vegetation growth was limited by the nitrogen amount. [Conclusion] It is suggested that grass and shrub should be planted at the early stage of vegetation restoration to improve soil surface nutrients; furthermore, nitrogen fertilizer should be applied appropriately. With the improvement of soil fertility, trees should be gradually planted and phosphorus fertilizer should be applied to enhance the reclamation effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Vegetation restoration can effectively improve multiple soil functions by altering soil microorganisms and physicochemical properties. However, dynamic variations in soil physicochemical properties, microbial communities, and possible pathways to control soil C and N cycles with vegetation restoration are not fully understood. Methods: Therefore, soil physicochemical properties, enzymatic activities, microbial communities, and key C and N cycling processes were investigated in the vegetation sequence on the Chinese Loess Plateau. Results: The results indicated that vegetation restoration had significant positive effects on soil nutrients, C and N cycling rates, and enzymatic activities. Bacterial richness increased significantly along the chronosequence, while fungal richness decreased, but microbial diversity showed less variation. There were no clear covariant trends between soil properties, microorganisms, and nutrient cycles with vegetation restoration. Bacterial and fungal communities were sculptured by similar soil physicochemical indices, which exert more influence on bacteria than on fungi. C cycles were directly and significantly affected by soil physicochemical properties and bacterial composition/richness, but not by fungal communities. N cycles were directly and significantly affected by soil physicochemical properties and fungal composition/richness/diversity, but not by bacterial communities. Furthermore, enzymatic activities were significantly related to C and N cycles, determined mainly by soil physicochemical properties. Soil physicochemical properties, but not microorganism, were key regulators of C and N cycles. Conclusion: Soil physicochemical properties can regulate C and N cycles directly or indirectly by shaping microorganisms or regulating enzymatic activities. The complicated interplay between soil properties, microorganisms, and their regulation of soil nutrient cycleS prevent a clear-cut synergy between the three factors during vegetation restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial necromass, an important and stable source of soil organic carbon (SOC), is an important index to evaluate the contribution of microorganisms to SOC transformation and accumulation. It is not clear about the accumulation of microbial necromass in deep soil layer and its contribution to SOC during the restoration process of Caragana korshinskii forests. Combined with the biomarker method, we investigated the carbon contents of bacterial, fungal, and microbial necromass in the soil profiles (0-100 cm) of C. korshinskii forests in 16, 28, and 38 years of restoration, with natural grassland as control. We further examined the contribution of microbial necromass to soil organic carbon. The results showed that: 1) Along the soil profile (0-100 cm), the contents of fungal neccrease in FNC/SOC, BNC/SOC, and MNC/SOC in the soil of C. korshinskii forests in 38 years of restoration, FNC/SOC and MNC/SOC generally showed an increasing trend followed by a decreasing trend in other plots, while BNC/SOC gradually decreased. 2) With the increases of restoration years, the contents of FNC, BNC, and MNC significantly decreased in C. korshinskii forests. FNC/SOC and MNC/SOC showed an overall increasing trend followed by a decreasing trend, while BNC/SOC gradually decreased. 3) The average contribution of microbial necromass carbon to SOC was highest in C. korshinskii forests in 28 years of restoration (35.0%), followed by C. korshinskii forests in 16 years of restoration (33.5%), natural grassland (31.0%), and C. korshinskii forests in 38 years of restoration (28.6%). In conclusion, when the restoration years of C. korshinskii forests are 16, the contents of microbial necromass carbon and their contributions to SOC are higher compared to natural grassland, which are beneficial for SOC sequestration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving soil fertility is one of the key approaches for ecological restoration of the wind-sand area in northwest Liaoning Province. Taking wind-sand area in northwest Liaoning Province as test object, we conducted a fertilization experiment with treatments of inorganic fertilizer (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers), organic fertilizer, combined application of organic and inorganic fertilizers, and organic fertilizer combined with a biologically organic matrix (γ-polyglutamic acid), and no fertilizer as control. We measured soil organic matter content and extractable cations concentrations, vegetation coverage, and biomass under different fertilization treatments and determine the suitable fertilization mode. The results showed that compared to the control, inorganic fertilizer rapidly increased vegetation coverage and biomass, but high levels of inorganic fertilizer (150 kg N ⋅ hm-2) led to soil acidification and Ca2+ leaching. Organic fertilizer increased soil organic matter content, exchangeable K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+ contents, as well as coverage and biomass vegetation, especially combined with γ-polyglutamic acid. Overall, the combination of low levels of inorganic fertilizer (50 kg N ⋅ hm-2) and moderate levels of organic fertilizer (30000 kg ⋅ hm-2) was the best fertilization practice for the rapid and stable restoration of grassland in wind-sand area. Moreover, the extra addition of γ-polyglutamic acid (60 kg ⋅ hm-2) could effectively improve soil fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetation restoration is the primary strategy employed for the purification and restoration of habitats in the Zhegao River wetlands. To investigate the changing characteristics of soil microbial biomass carbon/nitrogen (MBC/MBN) and soil enzyme activities in wetlands undergoing different vegetation restoration treatments, those involving reed and willow restoration were studied in 2014 (WR8) and 2021 (WR1), with a native vegetation wetland (NW) used as a control. This study examined changes in the MBC/MBN, sucrase (Suc), urease (Ure), and acid phosphatase (Acp) in these wetlands. The results indicated that during the restoration of Zhegao River wetlands, reed vegetation had a stronger positive effect on soil properties after one year of restoration than that of willow vegetation. After eight years, the effects of willow vegetation restoration were greater than those of reed vegetation restoration. The activities of MBC, MBN, Suc, Ure, and Acp in the reed and willow wetland soils for different years of vegetation restoration decreased with greater soil depth. Thus, reeds and willows have distinct contributions toward enhancing the ecological service functions of the Zhegao River wetlands for different restoration years, which provides a scientific basis for the selection and protection of ecological wetland restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use changes profoundly affect the equilibrium of soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions. With the current global climatic changes, it is vital to understand the influence of ecological restoration and conservation management on the dynamics of SOC under different land uses, especially in erosion-endangered Loess soils. Therefore, we investigated changes in SOC through a suit of labile fractions, namely: light fraction organic C (LFOC), heavy fraction organic C (HFOC), coarse particulate organic C (CPOC), fine particulate organic C (FPOC), and dissolved organic C (DOC), from two forests i.e., Robinia pseudoacacia (RP) and Platycladus orientalis (PO), with different ages, in comparison with farmland (FL). The SOC and STN contents significantly increased over 42 years in the RP forest where the contents of CPOC and FPOC were significantly higher than in the FL. Moreover, total SOC and its labile fractions, in the studied land use types, significantly correlated with soil CaCO3, pH, and STN contents, indicating their key roles in SOC sequestration. The results reported here from different vegetation with different ages provide a better understanding of SOC and STN alterations at different stages of vegetation restoration. Our findings suggest that long-term natural vegetation restoration could be an effective approach for SOC sequestration and soil conservation on the Loess soil.

[Objective] The effects of plant fiber sand barriers, cattle and sheep dung barriers, and sand barriers comprised of cattle and sheep dung combined with plant fiber were studied in order to create effective sand barriers for the restoration of desertified grassland in the alpine area at Maqu County, Gansu Province. [Methods] Sand barriers made of plant fiber, cattle and sheep dung, and cattle and sheep dung combined with plant fiber were installed in the alpine area at Maqu County. Plant and soil characteristics in the grassland before and after installing the sand barriers were compared. [Results] ① Sand barriers made of cattle and sheep dung, and made of cattle and sheep dung combined with plant fiber produced good effects with regard to vegetation restoration. The average plant community cover grew from 7.28% to 48.21% and 58.29%, respectively, and the number of species increased from 4 to 11. Plants grew taller, increasing from an average of 6.67 cm to 35.17 cm and 30.70 cm, respectively. Average plant dry weight increased from 4.46 g/m2 to 81.17 g/m2 and 80.70 g/m2, respectively. The plant dieback rate dropped from 9.55% to 7.0% and 6.80%, respectively; ② Cattle and sheep dung sand barriers as well as cattle and sheep dung sand barriers combined with plant fiber greatly boosted soil nutrients at the 5 cm depth. Total nitrogen increased from 0.154 g/kg to 0.370 g/kg and 0.491 g/kg, respectively. Soil alkaline hydrolyzed nitrogen rose from 4.78 mg/kg to 13.99 mg/kg and 19.78 mg/kg, respectively. Available phosphorus increased from 1.64 mg/kg to 5.54 mg/kg and 6.20 mg/kg, respectively. Available potassium increased from 21.07 mg/kg to 55.37 mg/kg and 56.90 mg/kg, respectively. [Conclusion] Considering the vegetation restoration effects, costs, and degradation factors, cattle and sheep dung sand barriers are the ideal technique for vegetation restoration of desertified grassland in alpine area of Maqu County.

[Objective] The changes in herbaceous plant diversity and the factors influencing those changes after revegetation at a gully head were studied in order to provide a relevant foundation for the assessment of the benefits of soil and water conservation in the loess tableland. [Methods] Herbaceous plant diversity at a gully head was measured and soil property indexes related to the topsoil (0—10 cm and 10—25 cm) were determined by selecting grassland gully heads with vegetation restoration periods of 5, 13, 18, and 22 years in the Baicao Tableland. Farmland was used as the control. [Results] The Patrick richness index initially increased with increasing number of vegetation restoration years, and then stabilized. The Shannon-Wiener index showed a continuously increasing trend, and the Shannon-Wiener index values in 18 and 22 years of vegetation restoration were greater than at 13 years of restoration. However, the differences were not significantly different. The Pielou evenness index exhibited a fluctuating trend of increasing, and then decreasing, then increasing again, reaching a maximum value (0.89) in 22 years of recovery. The soil bulk density in both the 0—10 cm and 10—25 cm layers reached a minimum value in 22 years of recovery, with significant decreases of 13.1% and 17.8%, respectively, compared with values observed for farmland (p

Vegetation restoration is an effective measure to cope with global climate change and promote soil carbon sequestration. However, during vegetation restoration, the turnover and properties of carbon within various aggregates change. The effects of plant source carbon input on surface soil and subsurface soil may be different. Thus, the characteristics of carbon components in aggregates are affected. Therefore, the research object of this study is the Robinia pseudoacacia forest located in 16–47a of the Loess Plateau, and compared with farmland. The change characteristics of organic carbon functional groups in 0–20 cm, 20–40 cm, and 40–60 cm soil layers were analyzed by Fourier near infrared spectroscopy, and the relationship between the chemical structure of organic carbon and the content of organic carbon components in soil aggregates was clarified, and the mechanism affecting the distribution of organic carbon components in soil aggregates was revealed in the process of vegetation restoration. The results show the following: (1) The stability of surface aggregates is sensitive, while that of deep aggregates is weak. Vegetation restoration increased the surface soil organic carbon content by 1.97~3.78 g·kg−1. (2) After vegetation restoration, the relative contents of polysaccharide functional groups in >0.25 mm aggregates were significantly reduced, while the relative contents of aromatic and aliphatic functional groups of organic carbon were significantly increased. The opposite is true for aggregates smaller than 0.25 mm. (3) With the increase in soil depth, the effect of litter on organic carbon gradually decreased, while the effect of root input on the accumulation of inert carbon in deep soil was more lasting.

Understanding the effects of short-term artificial revegetation on preventing soil degradation in erosion gullies of black soil areas is essential to choosing the most suitable species of vegetation for controlling the development of erosion gullies. A field experiment with short-term artificial revegetation with herbaceous species (Medicago sativa L., Glycyrrhiza pallidiflora Maxim., Elytrigia repens (L.) Desv. ex Nevski, Rheum palmatum L., Asparagus officinalis L., Trifolium repens L., Bromus inermis Leyss., Elymus dahuricus Turcz.) and a runoff scouring test were conducted in a typical erosion gully in a black soil area. Soil erosion, physicochemical characteristics, and shoot/root characteristics were measured to evaluate the effects of short-term artificial revegetation. Short-term artificial revegetation significantly decreased (p < 0.05) sediment yield by 91.1% ± 7.2% compared with that of bare soil. Soil total nitrogen (TN), total potassium (TP), available phosphorus (AP), cation exchange capacity (CEC), water-stable aggregates > 0.25 mm (WR0.25), and aggregate mean weight diameter (MWD) and mean geometric diameter (GWD) were significantly correlated with vegetated treatments, indicating they were factors sensitive to short-term artificial revegetation. Except for total potassium (TK), the other soil characteristics decreased in vegetated treatments. In addition to increasing TK, vegetated treatments also increased soil available nitrogen (AN)/TN ratios in the short term. The overall effects of different herbaceous species on soil and water conservation, soil quality, and vegetation growth were evaluated, and Trifolium repens L. is the most suitable for preventing soil degradation in an erosion gully. The results of this study will provide a reference for the restoration and protection of the ecological environment in black soil areas with gully erosion.

Fenced enclosures, a proven strategy for restoring degraded grassland, have been widely implemented. However, recent climate trends of warming and drying, accompanied by increased extreme rainfall, have heightened soil erosion risks. It is crucial to assess the long-term effectiveness of fenced enclosures on grassland restoration and their impact on soil physicochemical properties and water infiltration capacity. This study investigated the effects of enclosure duration on soil organic matter, aggregate composition and stability, and infiltration capacity in Yunwu Mountain Grassland Nature Reserve, comparing grasslands with enclosure durations of 2, 14, 30, and 39 years. Results showed that grasslands enclosed for 14, 30, and 39 years had infiltration rates increased by 20.66%, 152.03%, and 61.19%, respectively, compared to those enclosed for only 2 years. After 30 years of enclosure, soil quality reached its optimum, with the highest root biomass, soil organic matter, aggregate stability, and a notably superior infiltration rate. The findings suggest that long-term fenced enclosures facilitate grassland vegetation restoration and enhance soil infiltration capacity, with the most significant improvement observed at the 30-year enclosure milestone, followed by a gradual decline in this effect.

The Chinese government has implemented numerous ecological policies in Qinghai Province aimed at protecting and restoring the natural ecosystem. Yet, amid global climate change, the precise effects of these policies on ecological improvement remain ambiguous. There is an urgent need for a comprehensive evaluation of the effects of these policies at a regional scale and an analysis of the changes in policy implementation stages to optimize the strategic direction of regional ecological policies. In this study, using mathematical statistics and spatial analysis, we analysed the spatial and temporal characteristics of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in Qinghai Province from 2000 to 2023. Further, by systematically reviewing ten major ecological policies currently or previously implemented in the region, we explored the response of vegetation restoration to these policies through both horizontal and vertical evaluations by reasonably delineating the policy study sub-zones. The study identified distinct stages of policy implementation—regreening, stabilizing, and natural recovery—and correlated these stages with the efficacy of policy impacts. Our findings indicate significant vegetation coverage improvements across Qinghai Province over the past two decades, with all ecological policies positively influencing the environment. The main contribution of this study is that it comprehensively evaluates the impact of multiple ecological policies on vegetation restoration at the regional scale, providing a reference for the formulation and adjustment of subsequent ecological policies.

Governments and society increasingly are demanding that industrial projects result in a net positive impact (NPI) on biodiversity. Impacts are commonly measured in terms of losses and gains of area and quality of vegetation, where quality refers to how closely a site matches the condition of native vegetation in its undisturbed state. Existing vegetation quality frameworks share a number of limitations, including little or no replication, uncertain scope of inference, vulnerability to bias, and inability to measure error. Here we present the Vegetation Quality Assessment (VQA) framework, a sampling-based extension of Quality Hectares that measures vegetation quality in terms of overlap between the probability distributions of ecological indicators at a project site and in undisturbed (benchmark) vegetation of the same kind. Distribution overlap incorporates natural variation at the landscape scale and provides an intuitive measure of quality that varies between 0 and 1. Indicators are measured using a stratified-random sampling design that minimizes bias and supports inference at the scale of the project landscape. Confidence limits of quality and quality hectares are determined by bootstrapping; power and minimum sample sizes are estimated by Monte Carlo simulation. Multiple assessments track losses and gains of quality hectares and enable accurate accounting of progress to NPI. The VQA framework can be implemented using a variety of vegetation sampling methods, allowing existing vegetation databases to be leveraged as sources of data. We conclude by demonstrating the application of VQA at several mining operations in the Elk Valley of southeastern British Columbia, Canada.

Oil and gas development produces a large amount of abandoned drilling mud, which may be a source of pollution but may also be a potential resource. A quadrat sampling method was used in the Changqing Oilfield to investigate the plant community characteristics inside and outside abandoned drilling mud pits at different completion times. The importance value of plant showed that the natural succession of plant communities in the abandoned drilling mud pool could be divided into three stages: (1) 4–8 years after the completion of the well, Leymus secalinus, Calamagrostis epigeios with the importance values of more than 100, were dominant species in the initial construction stage; (2) 9–13 years after the succession, the intense competition stage of the plant community, although the importance value of plant inside the mud pit had decreased, it was still higher than the importance value of plant outside the mud pool. The importance values of L. secalinus and Artemisia scoparia outside the mud pool were 62.5 and 52.5, while those in the mud pool were 95 and 75, respectively; (3) 23–28 years after the succession, the gradual stabilization stage of the plant community, the importance value of plant was lower than that in the mud pool. Leymus secalinus, C. epigeios and A. scoparia could be used for phytoremediation of abandoned drilling soil for their higher importance values. Changes of Shannon–Wiener index, Pielou index, Community ecological dominance and vegetation biomass showed that the mud pit was suitable for the recovery and growth of the dominant species, improved the diversity of plant communities inside the mud pit compared with the stable plant community outside the mud pit. Abandoned drilling mud increased the content of nitrogen, potassium and trace elements in plants. While the variation coefficient of heavy metal content in plants inside and outside the mud pit was large, but the content of heavy metals in plants was within the normal range. Abandoned drilling mud has the potential for resource utilization on the premise of ensuring soil quality and safety. This study provides information on the comprehensive treatment, resource utilization, disposal economics and environmental safety of abandoned drilling mud.

Accurate ecological water regulation to achieve the optimal coupling between ecological water supply and vegetation water demand is the key challenge for ecological conservation in arid regions. Previous studies have mainly focused on the relationship between vegetation and specific water supply methods in arid regions. However, there has been limited attention to the maximum thresholds of Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) and area for vegetation protection and restoration under limited water conditions.Therefore, this study targets the mainstream of the Tarim River and conducts a systematic analysis of the maximum thresholds of EVI and area for vegetation protection and restoration under water constraints. Firstly, vegetation change patterns were discriminated using logistic and Gaussian functions. The results indicated that with enhanced watershed water resources management, both vegetation EVI and Evapotranspiration (ET) showed an increasing trend, which was projected to continue in the future. Based on the discrimination of vegetation change patterns, this study innovatively defined regions with linear, logarithmic, logical, and Gaussian patterns as area expansion zones requiring priority in ensuring ecological water supply, and regions with exponential patterns as quality improvement zones for improving vegetation restoration quality.By extracting vegetation EVI and ET indicators and constructing copula function in the two zones, the joint distribution function revealed that under water constraints, the range of natural vegetation expansion area-EVI threshold in the Tarim River was 17959.02 (EVI: 0.137) ∼ 18279.75 (EVI: 0.137) km2. The maximum threshold of vegetation EVI in the quality improvement zone was 0.223. Under current conditions, the average vegetation EVI in the area expansion zone was 0.137 (stable level), indicating a threshold for natural vegetation restoration of 0.137. During normal water years, besides increasing vegetation EVI to the threshold of natural vegetation restoration, the area could still expand by 665.06 ∼ 985.79 km2, corresponding to a vegetation area threshold of 17959.02 ∼ 18279.75 km2. In wet water years, the natural vegetation area could expand by 5172.53 ∼ 5493.26 km2, with a vegetation area threshold of 22466.49 ∼ 22787.22 km2.

Background The change in the soil carbon bank is closely related to the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and the vegetation litter input can change the soil organic carbon content. However, due to various factors, such as soil type, climate, and plant species, the effects of vegetation restoration on the soil vary. Currently, research on aggregate-associated carbon has focused on single vegetation and soil surface layers, and the changes in soil aggregate stability and carbon sequestration under different vegetation restoration modes and in deeper soil layers remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the differences and relationships between stability and the carbon preservation capacity (CPC) under different vegetation restoration modes and to clarify the main influencing factors of aggregate carbon preservation. Methods Grassland (GL), shrubland (SL), woodland (WL), and garden plots (GP) were sampled, and they were compared with farmland (FL) as the control. Soil samples of 0–40 cm were collected. The soil aggregate distribution, aggregate-associated organic carbon concentration, CPC, and stability indicators, including the mean weight diameter (MWD), fractal dimension (D), soil erodibility (K), and geometric mean diameter (GMD), were measured. Results The results showed that at 0–40 cm, vegetation restoration significantly increased the >2 mm aggregate proportions, aggregate stability, soil organic carbon (SOC) content, CPC, and soil erosion resistance. The >2 mm fractions of the GL and SL were at a significantly greater proportion at 0–40 cm than that of the other vegetation types but the CPC was only significantly different between 0 and 10 cm when compared with the other vegetation types (P 2 mm aggregates showed a significant positive correlation with the CPC, MWD, and GMD (P

Purple soils are greatly representative of ecologically fragile soils in southern China, yet the impact of vegetation restoration processes on the nitrogen (N) availability in purple soil ecosystems is still unclear. In this study, the soil nutrient content, available N fractions (including microbial biomass N (MBN), ammonium N (NH4+-N), nitrate N (NO3−-N), and total dissolved N (TDN)), and enzyme activities (including urease (URE), nitrate reductase (NR), and nitrite reductase (NIR)) involved in N mineralization and immobilization were investigated across the three vegetation-restoration measures: Camellia oleifera monoculture, Camellia oleifera ryegrass intercropping, and Camellia oleifera intercropping with weeds. The results showed that the Camellia oleifera monoculture mode considerably enhanced the accumulation and availability of soil N and modified the proportion of available N fractions in arable land situated on purple soil slopes, compared to the intercropping mode, the physical, chemical, and microbiological properties of soil demonstrated more pronounced effects due to the Camellia oleifera monoculture vegetation-restoration measures. However, soil nutrient loss is faster on set-aside land and in crop monocultures, and intercropping restoration measures are more beneficial for soil and water conservation under timely fertilization conditions. The soil URE, NR, and NIR activities and MBN content in the Camellia oleifera monoculture model were significantly higher than in the control check sample. Soil N transformation occurs through the combined influence of chemical and biological processes. The relationships between the activities of the three soil enzymes studied and the contents of various components of soil nutrients and effective N displayed significant differences. Notably, URE had a highly significant positive correlation with TOC. There is a strong positive correlation between NR and TN, NIR and TDN, NO3−-N, and NH4+-N. Our findings suggest that vegetation restoration improved the soil N availability and its enzyme activities in purple soils, making an essential contribution to the restoration and sustainability of purple soil ecosystem functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] The aim of this study is to explore the impacts of different vegetation types and restoration processes on soil and water loss on steep slopes, to find the vegetation types that can better control soil and water loss on steep slopes, and then to provide theoretical guidance. [Methods] Based on the long-term observation data of rainfall, LAI（leaf area index）, surface runoff and soil erosion in 9 runoff plots from 2008 to 2021, conducted in the Wangdonggou watershed of the Loess Plateau, the changes of surface runoff and soil erosion with vegetation restoration in different vegetation types were studied using one-way ANOVA method and linear regression method. [Results] There were significant differences in the impacts of different vegetation types on reducing runoff and sediment on steep slopes. The annual average surface runoff and soil erosion modulus under Platycladus orientalis were significantly higher than those of other vegetation types（p＜0.05）, without significant differences among the other 8 vegetation types（p＞0.05）. The average annual runoff and erosion modulus under Bothriochloa ischaemum and Hippophae rhamnoides were at a low level. With the restoration of vegetation, the LAI of each vegetation type increased gradually, the surface runoff and soil loss decreased significantly, and the declining trends of different vegetation types were different. Comparatively, the decreasing rates of surface runoff and soil loss under Platycladus orientalis were significantly greater than those under other vegetation types（p＜0.05）. In 2021, the surface runoff and soil erosion modulus under Bothriochloa ischaemum, Hippophae rhamnoides, Hippophae rhamnoides×Robinia pseudoacacia and Robinia pseudoacacia were lower than those under other vegetation types. The surface runoff and soil erosion modulus of each vegetation type were linearly related（p＜0.01）, and the coefficient of the linear function represented the soil loss per unit of surface runoff, reflected the ability of vegetation to control soil erosion. [Conclusion] Among the 9 vegetation types, the impact of Bothriochloa ischaemum was the largest. The vegetation restoration measures in grasses, shrubs and mixed forests were better to reduce soil erosion on steep slopes of the Loess Plateau than pure arbor forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] Elucidating the influence of long-term returning farmland to forest, shrubland, and grassland on soil hydrophysical properties on the Loess Plateau is conducive to improving soil hydrology research and providing a theoretical basis for the subsequent ecological restoration of the Loess Plateau. [Methods] Through sampling analysis and double-ring infiltrometer test, the soil hydrophysical properties such as soil organic matter, bulk density, porosity, soil moisture and infiltration capacity of different vegetation restoration types were analyzed. [Results] Vegetation restoration had a significant impact on soil physical properties（p＜0.05）, and the resulting changes were most obvious in the 0—40 cm soil layer. The content of organic matter, porosity and the stability of water-stable aggregates significant increased, the soil bulk density decreased significantly. Converting farmland to forest, shrubland, and grassland enhanced soil infiltration capacity. Compared with farmland, the initial infiltration of Suide and Shenmu grassland increased by 50% and 31%, respectively; the stable infiltration rates of grassland, shrubs and forest in Suide area increased by 76%, 11% and 19%, respectively; those in Shenmu area increased by 53%, 128% and 58%, respectively. Soil stable infiltration and average infiltration were significantly negatively correlated with bulk density（p＜0.05）, and significantly positively correlated with total porosity, capillary porosity（p＜0.05） and organic matter content（p＜0.05）. [Conclusion] Vegetation restoration has a significant effect on soil hydrophysical properties, soil infiltration performance has been significantly improved, and organic matter content, bulk density and porosity have significant effects on infiltration performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] Explore the evolving relationship between the chemical stoichiometry of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in plants and soil during the process of vegetation restoration on desertified land, and gain a deeper understanding of the vegetation restoration mechanism of Pinus sylvestris fixed sand forest. [Methods] This study compared the semi-fixed sand land in the Mu Us sandy land in Yulin as a control, and the species diversity, as well as the dynamic changes and interactive effects of C, N, and P contents and its stoichiometry in the vegetation (leaves, litter, fine roots) and soil was analyzed under 25～56-year-old Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica plantation during the restoration process. [Results] (1) The average content of C, N, and P in the plant tissues of Pinus sylvestris is expressed as follows: leaves＞litter＞fine roots. The stoichiometric ratio among C, N and P was as follows: litter＞fine roots＞leaves. (2) Compared with the semi-fixed sand land, significant changes in the content of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) were observed in the plant tissues and soil of Pinus sylvestris after vegetation restoration. From the 25 yeas to the 56 yeas of restoration, the content of C in litter and soil significantly increased by 14.9% and 61.5%, respectively, while N content increased significantly by 55.0% and 52.4%, respectively. (3) As the restoration time increases, the C∶N ratios of litter and fine roots, as well as the C∶P and N∶P in leaf and fine root, all showed significant decreases. Meanwhile, the leaf C∶N ratio and the litter C∶P and N∶P ratios exhibited significant increases. (4) There was a significant positive correlation between the C content in litter and soil, the content of N and P in fine roots and soil, and the C∶P ratios between plant tissues and soil. (5) The restoration time of vegetation has the greatest total effect on the content of C, N and P in the soil by indirectly affecting the biomass of litter and the root mass of undergrowth vegetation. [Conclusion] The increase in soil C content during vegetation restoration in the Pinus sylvestris forest of Yulin sandy area was closely related to the input of litter. The increase in soil N and P content was mainly related to the nutrient uptake of fine roots. The C∶P ratio is a key stoichiometric ratio that affected the nutrient exchange between plants and soil in Pinus sylvestris forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of the study is to assess how afforestation may affect soil pH at the global scale. Methods: Using 2642 paired observations from 451 peer-reviewed publications, we assessed the effects and driving factors of afforestation on soil pH. Results: We found that (1) afforestation significantly decreased soil pH by an average of 0.07 unit, but its effects varied with different afforestation patterns, with soil pH significantly decreased by 0.16 and 0.08 unit following shrub and tree afforestation, respectively, but increased by 0.37 unit following afforestation with trees, shrubs, and grass; (2) afforestation effects were significantly affected by plantation type, mycorrhizal association, and land use type, with higher negative effects following conifer (than broadleaved) afforestation, ectomycorrhiza (ECM) species (than arbuscular mycorrhiza [AM] species or species associated with both AM and ECM fungi) afforestation, and afforestation in non-mining (than mining) lands, respectively; (3) species richness and phosphorous effects size positively impacted afforestation effects, but stand age, initial soil pH, and the effect sizes of soil organic carbon, available nitrogen, and available phosphorous showed negative impacts; and (4) among the moderator variables showed significant impacts on afforestation effects, effect size of soil available nitrogen and mycorrhizal association were the most important. Conclusion: Our results showed that afforestation may lead to soil acidification, but its negative effects can be reversed into positive if the afforestation was carried out with the combinations of trees, shrubs, and grasses. These results will help us to better understand the interactions between plant and soil following afforestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In the Loess Plateau, gaining insights into the water storage and soil retention functions of diverse vegetation types, especially, in the semi‐arid watersheds is crucial for identifying the key factors necessary to ensure sustainable development and achieve land degradation neutrality. In this study, five different land use types such as forest, shrub, artificial grass, and natural grasslands were surveyed from 2014 to 2020. Meanwhile, bare land was also used as a control plot. The trade‐off between erosion mitigation and water consumption indicator was quantified based on the ecosystem services perspective benefits. Our results showed that there are significant differences among different land use types (p < 0.05): natural grassland > shrubs > artificial grassland > forests. Vegetation restoration was able to change the soil particle size distribution, increasing clay and silt content, and decreasing sand particles. During the growing season, surface soil water storage decreased in all land use types coinciding with the higher decrease in the control plot. The change in surface water storage in the forest was the most stable, with a decrease of 0.13 mm. The trade‐off between erosion mitigation and water consumption indicator was less than 0 for all vegetation types, which indicates a synergistic effect on soil conservation and water storage benefit. Our results demonstrated that shrubs can register the most balanced benefit of water storage and soil preservation. This is a solid basis for the selection of specific vegetation types and the optimization of the watershed landscape in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, characterized by vulnerable areas due to aridification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil quality is a very important indicator used to assess ecosystem restoration states in terms of vegetation recovery and establishment. Evaluating the soil quality of different vegetation restoration types in mountainous areas of Beijing and identifying their influencing factors would provide a scientific basis and be helpful for vegetation restoration in the future. Six vegetation types (or communities), including Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco pure forest (POP), Pinus tabulaeformis Carr. pure forest (PTP), Platycladus orientalis–Pinus tabulaeformis mixed forest (PPM), Platycladus orientalis coniferous and broadleaved mixed forest (POCB), Pinus tabulaeformis coniferous and broadleaved mixed forest (PTCB), deciduous broadleaved mixed forest (DBMF), and one area of non-afforested land (NF), with similar stand conditions were selected and fourteen factors of soil physical and chemical characteristics were measured and used to establish a total data set (TDS), while a minimum data set (MDS) was obtained by using the principal component analysis (PCA) and Pearson correlation analysis methods. Two scoring methods, linear (L) and non-linear (NL), were used to calculate the soil quality index (SQI), and the key factors influencing soil quality by vegetation were identified by a general linear model (GLM), PCA, and correlation analysis. The results showed that: (1) The screened MDS indicators which showed good relationships with the SQIs in the study areas were total nitrogen (TN), sand content, total potassium (TK), pH, and available water capacity (AWC). The SQI–NLM method has better applicability. (2) The contribution rates of vegetation to different soil factors accounted for 28.644% (TN), 21.398% (sand content), 24.551% (TK), 16.075% (pH), and 9.332% (AWC). (3) TN showed a positive relationship with all vegetation types; the content of TN in PTCB and DBMF was obviously larger than in the other types in the 0–10 cm layer; PPM, PTCB, and POCB affected the sand content, which showed negative correlativity; and DBMF showed positive correlativity with AWC. The mechanism of how different species affect TN, sand content, and AWC should be focused on and taken into consideration in further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Smoke is one of the fire-related cues that can alter vegetation communities' compositions, by promoting or excluding different plant species. For over 30 years, smoke-derived compounds have been a hot topic in plant and crop physiology. Research in this field was initiated in fire-prone areas in Australia, South Africa and some countries of both Americas, mostly with Mediterranean-type climates. Then, research extended to regions with moderate climates, like Central European countries; this was sometimes determined by the fact that in those regions, extensive prescribed or illegal burning (swailing) occurs. Hence, this review updates information about the effects of smoke compounds on plant kingdoms in different regions. It also focuses on research advances in the field of the physiological effects of smoke chemicals, mostly karrikins, and attempts to gather and summarize the current state of research and opinions on the roles of such compounds in plants' lives. We finish our review by discussing major research gaps, which include issues such as why plants that occur in non-fire-prone areas respond to smoke chemicals. Have recent climate change and human activities increased the risk of wildfires, and how may these affect local plant communities through physiologically active smoke compounds? Is the response of seeds to smoke and smoke compounds an evolutionarily driven trait that allows plants to adapt to the environment? What can we learn by examining post-fire smoke on a large scale? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Elucidating the mechanisms of understory vegetation response to forest management practices is critical to the impact of soil nutrient cycling. However, as common management practices, how thinning leading to the restoration of understory vegetation affects soil biochemical properties and microbial-mediated belowground processes and their main drivers remains unclear. Methods: We investigated the differences of 16 S rRNA, nifH gene abundance, diversity and composition of vegetation restoration using a 5-year in situ experiment including Pinus massoniana-dominated forests (CK), virgin Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations (CF) and C. lanceolata plantations that have undergone a cycle of cutting and replanting (CS) in southern China. Results: We found that understory vegetation restoration improved some soil physicochemical properties (e.g., AP) and enzyme activity. The abundance of nifH were higher in CF than in CK or CS. As a result of vegetation restoration, α-diversity of soil diazotrophic communities significantly increased in CF. These communities were clustered into different groups based on the forest type. The number of potential keystone species of diazotrophs was highest in CF, including several beneficial taxa (e.g., Paraburkholderia and Pelomonas). Most of the bacterial functional groups related to soil nitrogen cycling were also significantly elevated in CF, such as nitrogen fixers. Partial least squares path modelling (PLS-PM) further showed that soil diazotrophic communities were clearly shaped by soil nutrient content. Conclusions: Overall, these results highlight the effects of vegetation restoration on soil diazotrophic communities and clarify the contributions of potential for improving edaphic conditions in areas of southern China with acidic red soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the developmental program outlined in United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15 (Life on Land) and the to effectively address the challenge of biodiversity decline while mitigating the adverse effects of climate change, particularly drought, on terrestrial forest ecosystems, a fundamental reorientation of global forest restoration paradigms is warranted. It is imperative to move beyond a narrow emphasis on expanding forest area and instead prioritize the enhancement of biodiversity and functional attributes within these ecosystems. However, the differential response mechanisms of forest ecosystem functional communities and main plant functional types (PFTs) to environmental factors, especially soil and topography, remains unclear, especially at plant level. Here, we divided the functional communities of 93 sites in the study area into seven groups through Two‐way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN), and studied the different functional communities, namely dynamic succession, species richness, and PFT compositional differences. We also analyzed the various PFTs and functional community response mechanisms to soil and topographic factors using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The main results were as follows: (1) With the successional stages of PFTs, vegetation diversity across multiple functional communities inceased, tree and shrub proportions and importance increased, while herbs decreased. (2) From the arid and barren areas (i.e., G2), to the humid and fertile areas (i.e., G6 and G7), various compositional PFT differences, and their responses to soil and topographic factors, were found, namely, xerophytic, annual and biennial species gradually changed to mesophytic, hygrophytic, and perennial species (richness increased 6.94 ~ 27.33%, important value (IV) increased 8.73 ~ 29.45%) for shrubs and herbs. (3) Functional communities in various successional stages display distinct sensitivities to soil and topographic factors, as evidenced by a notable increase in the richness and IV of deciduous broad‐leaved tree species, rendering their communities more responsive to SOC and AS, whereas evergreen coniferous trees (e.g., Pinus tabuliformis Carr.) were sensitive to altitude (AL) and exhibited a tendency to transition from plantations to natural secondary forests predominantly at higher altitudes (above 1200 m). Our findings suggest that site conditions influence scenarios, and that different PFT responses and adjustments to soil and topography factors affect whole functional community dynamic succession processes, which can profoundly impact forest ecosystem function predictions based on PFT changes in the Loess Plateau of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fire is a common natural disturbance in forest ecosystems and plays an important role in subsequent vegetation patterns. Based on the spatial sequence method, adopted as an alternative to the time successional sequence method, we selected burned areas in different locations in the Anning River Basin, which encompasses typical dry valleys. Quadrat surveys and quantitative classification were used to identify and classify the vegetation and distribution pattern and to carry out environmental interpretation during the natural restoration process after a forest fire. The results showed the following: (1) in the early stage of natural recovery after a forest fire disturbance, the vegetation community could be divided into seven community types, and Quercus guyavaefolia H. Leveille (Qg) was the dominant species in the community; (2) the vegetation samples could be divided into five ecological types, and the classification and distribution pattern of community types in this region changed most notably with altitude; and (3) a detrended correspondence analysis could be used to accurately classify vegetation community types, while a detrended canonical correspondence analysis could reveal the relationships between species and environmental factors. This study provides a scientific basis for guiding the restoration of ecosystem structural stability and biodiversity in burned areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is of great significance to clarify the ecologically chemical stoichiometric characteristics of plant-litter-soil in vegetation restoration process for elucidating the nutrient cycling law and soil nutrient management of karst ecosystem. The carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents of leaves, litter and soil and their stoichiometry were determined in loquat (Eribotrya japonica) plantations in a karst plateau canyon after 3, 6, 10 and 15 years of restoration. The homeostasis characteristics of leaf N, P, and N:P with the change in soil nutrients during restoration were revealed. The results showed that leaf C, N, and P contents initially increased and then decreased with increasing years of restoration at the same sampling time. The contents of nutrients in soil and litter varied with increasing restoration years, with the highest values mostly appearing in May and July. This could be due to greater moisture in May and July, which helps with nutrient absorption and transformation. The leaf N:P ratio of loquat with different restoration years was 35.76-47.39, with an average of 40.06. Therefore, loquat leaves may experience P limitation in the growth process. The relationships between N, P and N:P in leaves and soil indexes could be simulated by a homeostasis model. Except for the weak sensitivity of loquat leaf N in 10 years, the other indexes and treatments had a certain homeostasis. Plants maintain homeostasis by regulating physiological responses in vivo in response to soil nutrient changes, indicating that loquat has good adaptability in karst desertification environments, but attention should focus on the management of soil P in the field as part of the vegetation restoration process. Therefore, in future research, we should combine the soil water and fertilizer conditions of different growing seasons in karst rocky desertification areas and provide scientific field management to ensure that the results of rocky desertification management can play a role in rural revitalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]