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Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions ›› 2016, Vol. 8 ›› Issue (4): 343-349.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1226.2016.00343

• ARTICLES • Previous Articles    

Effects of artificial vegetation arrangement and structure on the colonization and development of biological soil crusts

Yang Zhao, Peng Zhang, YiGang Hu, Lei Huang   

  1. Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
  • Received:2016-02-26 Revised:2016-04-28 Published:2018-11-23
  • Contact: Yang Zhao, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences. No. 320, West Dongggang Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China. E-mail:zhaoyang66@126.com E-mail:zhaoyang66@126.com
  • Supported by:
    This work was sponsored by the National Natural Scientific Foundation of China (41501270 and 41530746) and Foundation for Excellent Youth Scholars of Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

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Abstract: The colonization and development of biological soil crusts (BSCs) are rarely discussed when investigating vegetation restoration with difference arrangement and structure of anthropogenically damaged areas in semi-arid regions. The present study analyzes the relationships among coverage, height and density of woody vegetation and coverage and thickness of BSCs on the surface mine dumpsite in Heidaigou, China. Results showed that PR (Prunus sibirica L.), PT (Pinus tabulaeformis Carr.) and PPr (P. tabulaeformis Carr., P. sibirica L.) types had the highest coverage of total BSCs, which were 76.8%, 75.9% and 78.9%, respectively and PR showed the thickest BSCs of 4.41 mm. There was a significant correlation between coverage and thickness of BSCs and coverage and height of woody vegetation as a unimodal curve. Our findings suggest that a single woody plant species and low level coverage and height (no more than 30% and 300 cm, respectively) of woody plants may be able to create suitable conditions for facilitating BSCs restoration on the surface of mine dumpsites. The effects of vegetation arrangement and structure on BSCs colonization and development should be considered in reconstructing and managing woody vegetation in disturbed environments, such as surface mine dumpsites in semi-arid areas.

Key words: vegetation coverage, mine dumping site, re-vegetation, woody vegetation

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