ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Restoration Measures Supported Surface Soil
Carbon and Nitrogen Density in Alpine Grassland
of Sanjiangyuan Region, China
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1
Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology,
Chinese Academy of Science, Xining, Qinghai, China
2
Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
3
Qinghai Academy of Social Sciences, Xining, Qinghai, China
4
Qinghai Engineering Consulting Center, Xining, Qinghai, China
Submission date: 2019-10-09
Acceptance date: 2019-11-19
Online publication date: 2020-03-27
Publication date: 2020-05-12
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2020;29(5):3071-3083
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ABSTRACT
Soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) have different responses to different restoration measures. In this
paper, surface (0-30 cm) soil C and N densities under different restoration measures in the Sanjiangyuan
region were investigated and analyzed. The results showed that although there was no significant
difference between rest-grazing (RG) and normal grazing (NG) grassland, SOCD in RG increased by
10.15%, and total N density (TND) increased by 8.56% in the year of the experiment. Compared with
cropland, 8 years after Grain for Green (GFG), SOCD increased by 10.49-19.31%, SICD increased by
22.47-54.20%, and TND increased by 1.3-17.45%. Compared with HTT (extreme degradation-black soil
beach), 12 years after planting artificial grassland, SOCD increased by 43.97-77.21%, SICD increased by
89.19-716.22%, and TND increased by 49.16-71.40%. Conclusions: Differences in soil types and climatic
zones were responsible for the differences in soil C and N in different regions. Short-term grazing rest
in Sanjiangyuan region has a certain effect on soil fertility restoration. Implementing the GFG project
in the agro-pastoral ecotone improved soil fertility and, concurrently, moderate disturbance should be
carried out on the basis of increasing vegetation diversity. Artificial grassland planting on black soil
beach can improve soil quality, and moderate grazing disturbance in winter had the best immobilization
effect on SIC, while no disturbance in the whole year was beneficial to the accumulation of organic
matter. Both biological and abiotic factors have affected soil C and N content and density, but the degree
of the influence varied with geographic location.