ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Structural Stability and Erodibility of Soil in an Age Sequence of Artificial
Robinia pseudoacacia on a Hilly Loess Plateau
Qiang Li1,2, Guobin Liu1,3, Zheng Zhang3, Dengfeng Tuo3, Xiaorong Miao2
1State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau,
Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, CAS and MWR,
Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, P.R. China
2Yulin University, Yulin, 719000, Shaanxi, P.R. China
3State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dry land Farming, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation,
Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University,
Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, P.R. China
Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, CAS and MWR,
Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, P.R. China
2Yulin University, Yulin, 719000, Shaanxi, P.R. China
3State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dry land Farming, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation,
Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University,
Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, P.R. China
Submission date: 2015-12-13
Final revision date: 2016-03-25
Acceptance date: 2016-03-29
Publication date: 2016-07-22
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2016;25(4):1595–1601
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
To assess the erosion resistance of soils beneath Robinia pseudoacacia (Robinia), soil anti-scouribility
(AS) and its relevant structural properties in an age sequence of 4-, 11-, 24-, 37-, and 43-year-old Robinia,
lands and one adjacent cropland (CK) were studied through a simulated flow scouring experiment
on a hilly Loess Plateau. Soils from the six-stage Robinia planting were hypothesized to differ in their
resistance to scouring, and these differences are believed to be related to differences in their soil physical
properties. The results showed that:
1) Robinia planting significantly reduced sediment compared with CK. Changes in the sediment over scouring time were best described by a negatively exponential function.
2) Compared with CK, the average soil bulk density beneath Robinia significantly decreased by 14.5% in the surface (0-20 cm) soil layer and non-significantly by 5.7 and 3.3% in the middle (20-40 cm) and lower (40-60 cm) soil layers, respectively. Soil aggregate content and shear strength increased while soil disintegration rate decreased significantly in the three soil layers with Robinia stages. Mean 6.8, 1.6, and 0.2 times were increased in soil AS.
3) Linear regression equations between soil AS and the soil structural properties were well fitted in the surface and middle soil layers. Soil aggregate content and root biomass were the key factors, which contributed 71.0 and 90.8% to the reinforcement of soil AS beneath Robinia in the hilly Loess Plateau.
1) Robinia planting significantly reduced sediment compared with CK. Changes in the sediment over scouring time were best described by a negatively exponential function.
2) Compared with CK, the average soil bulk density beneath Robinia significantly decreased by 14.5% in the surface (0-20 cm) soil layer and non-significantly by 5.7 and 3.3% in the middle (20-40 cm) and lower (40-60 cm) soil layers, respectively. Soil aggregate content and shear strength increased while soil disintegration rate decreased significantly in the three soil layers with Robinia stages. Mean 6.8, 1.6, and 0.2 times were increased in soil AS.
3) Linear regression equations between soil AS and the soil structural properties were well fitted in the surface and middle soil layers. Soil aggregate content and root biomass were the key factors, which contributed 71.0 and 90.8% to the reinforcement of soil AS beneath Robinia in the hilly Loess Plateau.
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