Response of soil moisture and temperature to grazing intensity in a Leymus chinensis steppe, Inner Mongolia

verfasst von

Ying Zhao, Stephan Peth, Agnieszka Reszkowska, Lei Gan, Julia Krümmelbein, Xinhua Peng, Rainer Horn

Abstract

Long-term monitoring of soil properties reveals site-specific ecosystem shifts in soil processes due to land use and climate changes. This paper aims to study the effects of physical landscape changes associated with grazing on soil thermal and moisture regime at the plot scale in a semiarid Leymus chinensis steppe of Inner Mongolia, China. The investigated sites were subjected to three grazing intensities: ungrazed since 1979 (UG79), moderately grazed only in winter time (WG), and heavily grazed (HG). At each plot, we recorded the soil moisture and temperature over a 6-year period that spanned between June 2004 and September 2009 and experienced a large range in precipitation (162 to 362 mm). Based on these monitoring data, we divided a year into four hydric periods: (1) growing period (late April to August); (2) transitional period from summer to winter (September-October); (3) winter time (November-first March); and (4) transitional period from winter to summer (March-April). In general, soil moisture in grazed sites was lower than in the ungrazed site, particularly for the 30-50 cm soil layer. Seasonal fluctuation of the soil moisture, due to variable precipitation and atmospheric demands, was most significant in the topsoil (0-10 cm) and was less pronounced in deeper soil. Regardless of hydric seasons, soil moisture was significantly influenced by grazing intensity, whereas soil temperature was slightly influenced. With increasing grazing intensity, soil water storage decreased remarkably. Consequently, grazing reduced plant available water and therefore grassland productivity, which are linked to a great extent with the trampling-induced soil structure change and soil moisture regime.

Externe Organisation(en)

Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU)
Brandenburgische Technische Universität Cottbus - Senftenberg (BTU)
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)

Typ

Artikel

Journal

Plant and soil

Band

340

Seiten

89-102

Anzahl der Seiten

14

ISSN

0032-079X

Publikationsdatum

03.2011

Publikationsstatus

Veröffentlicht

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Bodenkunde, Pflanzenkunde

Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung

SDG 13 – Klimaschutzmaßnahmen, SDG 15 – Lebensraum Land

Elektronische Version(en)

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-010-0460-9 (Zugang: Unbekannt)