Changes in soil nutrients and carbon properties in relation to grassland salinization

• Published in: IOP conference series. Earth and environmental science Vol. 186; no. 3; pp. 12050 - 12054
• Main Authors: Zhao, Xuemao, Zhong, Yao, Pan, Chengchen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 11.10.2018
• Subjects: Aridity; Biomass; Carbon; Carbon sequestration; Endemic plants; Grasslands; Nitrogen; Nutrients; Organic carbon; Organic phosphorus; Organic soils; Phosphorus; Plant communities; Plant diversity; Plant populations; Plant species; Potassium; Salinity; Salinity effects; Salinization; Soil nutrients; Soil properties; Soil salinity; Soils; Species diversity; Species richness; Vegetation cover
• ISSN: 1755-1307; 1755-1315; 1755-1315
• DOI: 10.1088/1755-1315/186/3/012050

Soil salinization is one of the most serious problems in arid and semiarid zones. In this study, we estimated the relationship between aboveground plant communities and belowground soil nutrients and soil carbon storage and salinity in grasslands in the middle reaches of Hexi Corridor, China. Four types of salinized grasslands including lightly, moderately, heavily, and severely salinized grasslands were selected. Aboveground biomass, plant species richness and diversity of plant community decreased significantly with salinity increasing. Salinization resulted in significantly increase in soil available phosphorus, and decrease in soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, available nitrogen, total potassium. No significant difference in total phosphorus was observed. Our results indicate that ecosystem functions such as aboveground biomass, vegetation cover, and some nutrients accumulation in soils are disturbed by salinity. However, we still appeal to protect the naturally salinized grasslands for not only their conservation of endemic and rare plants and animals.