Linking Vegetation Diversity and Soils on Highway Slopes: A Case Study of the Zhengzhou–Xinxiang Section of the Beijing–Hong Kong–Macau Highway

The rapid development of highways has caused a series of ecological problems, the restoration of which is an important part of highway construction. However, most related studies have focused only on the early stages of slope restoration. The present study investigated the Zhengzhou–Xinxiang section...

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Main Authors: Wei Cao, Niuniu Zhu, Zhenyu Meng, Chenxi Lv, Yue Chen, Guojie Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-09-01
Series:Forests
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/14/9/1863
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author Wei Cao
Niuniu Zhu
Zhenyu Meng
Chenxi Lv
Yue Chen
Guojie Wang
author_facet Wei Cao
Niuniu Zhu
Zhenyu Meng
Chenxi Lv
Yue Chen
Guojie Wang
author_sort Wei Cao
collection DOAJ
description The rapid development of highways has caused a series of ecological problems, the restoration of which is an important part of highway construction. However, most related studies have focused only on the early stages of slope restoration. The present study investigated the Zhengzhou–Xinxiang section of the Beijing–Hong Kong–Macau Highway, which has been restored over more than 20 years, examining nine representative vegetation communities within this section and investigating their species diversity and soil physicochemical properties. Redundancy analysis and the grey correlation degree model were used to determine the relationship and coupling mechanism between vegetation diversity and soil physiochemical properties. The results showed some differences in the diversity of different vegetation communities and soil physicochemical properties; vegetation diversity was mainly influenced by organic material, total and available nitrogen, total and available phosphorus, slope, available potassium, and soil bulk density. Overall, environmental factors had a strong correlation with the Simpson dominance index and a weak correlation with the species richness index. The degree of coordination between vegetation community diversity and the soil coupling of the road slope remained on low and medium levels. Artificial vegetation restoration can regulate water and fertilizer resources and promote the restoration of highway slope vegetation.
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spelling doaj.art-43bf7cb008664e9290f297acf68276712023-11-19T10:47:06ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072023-09-01149186310.3390/f14091863Linking Vegetation Diversity and Soils on Highway Slopes: A Case Study of the Zhengzhou–Xinxiang Section of the Beijing–Hong Kong–Macau HighwayWei Cao0Niuniu Zhu1Zhenyu Meng2Chenxi Lv3Yue Chen4Guojie Wang5Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003, ChinaHenan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003, ChinaHenan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003, ChinaHenan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003, ChinaHenan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003, ChinaDepartment of Plant Science, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16802, USAThe rapid development of highways has caused a series of ecological problems, the restoration of which is an important part of highway construction. However, most related studies have focused only on the early stages of slope restoration. The present study investigated the Zhengzhou–Xinxiang section of the Beijing–Hong Kong–Macau Highway, which has been restored over more than 20 years, examining nine representative vegetation communities within this section and investigating their species diversity and soil physicochemical properties. Redundancy analysis and the grey correlation degree model were used to determine the relationship and coupling mechanism between vegetation diversity and soil physiochemical properties. The results showed some differences in the diversity of different vegetation communities and soil physicochemical properties; vegetation diversity was mainly influenced by organic material, total and available nitrogen, total and available phosphorus, slope, available potassium, and soil bulk density. Overall, environmental factors had a strong correlation with the Simpson dominance index and a weak correlation with the species richness index. The degree of coordination between vegetation community diversity and the soil coupling of the road slope remained on low and medium levels. Artificial vegetation restoration can regulate water and fertilizer resources and promote the restoration of highway slope vegetation.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/14/9/1863highwayslopespecies diversitysoil physicochemical propertiesrestoration coupling coordination
spellingShingle Wei Cao
Niuniu Zhu
Zhenyu Meng
Chenxi Lv
Yue Chen
Guojie Wang
Linking Vegetation Diversity and Soils on Highway Slopes: A Case Study of the Zhengzhou–Xinxiang Section of the Beijing–Hong Kong–Macau Highway
Forests
highway
slope
species diversity
soil physicochemical properties
restoration coupling coordination
title Linking Vegetation Diversity and Soils on Highway Slopes: A Case Study of the Zhengzhou–Xinxiang Section of the Beijing–Hong Kong–Macau Highway
title_full Linking Vegetation Diversity and Soils on Highway Slopes: A Case Study of the Zhengzhou–Xinxiang Section of the Beijing–Hong Kong–Macau Highway
title_fullStr Linking Vegetation Diversity and Soils on Highway Slopes: A Case Study of the Zhengzhou–Xinxiang Section of the Beijing–Hong Kong–Macau Highway
title_full_unstemmed Linking Vegetation Diversity and Soils on Highway Slopes: A Case Study of the Zhengzhou–Xinxiang Section of the Beijing–Hong Kong–Macau Highway
title_short Linking Vegetation Diversity and Soils on Highway Slopes: A Case Study of the Zhengzhou–Xinxiang Section of the Beijing–Hong Kong–Macau Highway
title_sort linking vegetation diversity and soils on highway slopes a case study of the zhengzhou xinxiang section of the beijing hong kong macau highway
topic highway
slope
species diversity
soil physicochemical properties
restoration coupling coordination
url https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/14/9/1863
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