Hydrological Properties of Soil and Litter Layers of Four Forest Types Restored in the Gully Erosion Area of Latosol in South China
Litter and soil play an important role in influencing hydrological processes and the global water cycle. Artificial afforestation, as a part of vegetation restoration, was constructed in the gully erosion areas of latosol with the objective to prevent erosion. Variations in the hydrological properti...
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Forests |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/14/2/360 |
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| author | Zhihua Tu Suyi Chen Zexian Chen Dongshuo Ruan Wei Zhang Yujie Han Lin Han Kang Wang Yanping Huang Jinhui Chen |
| author_facet | Zhihua Tu Suyi Chen Zexian Chen Dongshuo Ruan Wei Zhang Yujie Han Lin Han Kang Wang Yanping Huang Jinhui Chen |
| author_sort | Zhihua Tu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Litter and soil play an important role in influencing hydrological processes and the global water cycle. Artificial afforestation, as a part of vegetation restoration, was constructed in the gully erosion areas of latosol with the objective to prevent erosion. Variations in the hydrological properties in soils that have undergone vegetation restoration from gully erosion are not well understood. In this study, we examine the variations in the litter thickness and mass, soil structure and porosity, and hydrological properties of four forest types (eucalyptus–grass forest, bamboo–grass forest, acacia–grass forest, and shrub–grass forest). The results show that the total litter thickness varied from 1.71 to 3.74 cm and was highest in the acacia–grass forest. The total litter mass for the acacia–grass forest, 3.49 ± 0.06 t·ha<sup>−1</sup>, was significantly higher than that for the other forest types. The mass of the undecomposed litter (UL) layer was significantly lower than that of the semi-decomposed litter (SL). (2) The maximum water-retention capacity (<i>W<sub>max</sub></i>) and effective water-retention capacity (<i>W<sub>eff</sub></i>) of the SL layer were greater than those of the UL layer. The <i>W<sub>max</sub></i> and <i>W<sub>eff</sub></i> for the acacia–grass forest were markedly larger than those of the eucalyptus–grass, bamboo–grass, and shrub–grass forests. The water absorption rates of the SL and UL layers were highest during the onset of the immersion experiment, declined exponentially with time, and declined rapidly in the first 2 h. (4) The soil bulk density ranged from 1.46 g·cm<sup>−3</sup> to 1.54 g·cm<sup>−3</sup>, and the total porosity ranged from 32.06% to 37.13%. The soil bulk density increased with the increasing soil depth, while the total porosity decreased gradually. The soil water-holding capacity of the soil layer of 0–60 cm in the acacia–grass forest (301.76 t·ha<sup>−1</sup>) was greater than that of the other forest types. A comprehensive evaluation of the water conservation capacity by the entropy weight method showed that the water conservation capacity was greatest in the acacia–grass forest. The higher water-holding capacity of the acacia–grass forest may be more effective in enhancing rainfall interception, minimizing splash erosion, and decreasing surface runoff. Here, the results indicate that acacia–grass forest restoration can mitigate soil erosion by favoring soil and water conservation, improving the environment in the gully erosion area of latosol. |
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| spelling | doaj.art-e59327d8dd1a4a17abc8719841e3cfb02023-11-16T20:34:54ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072023-02-0114236010.3390/f14020360Hydrological Properties of Soil and Litter Layers of Four Forest Types Restored in the Gully Erosion Area of Latosol in South ChinaZhihua Tu0Suyi Chen1Zexian Chen2Dongshuo Ruan3Wei Zhang4Yujie Han5Lin Han6Kang Wang7Yanping Huang8Jinhui Chen9Key Laboratory of Genetics and Germplasm Innovation of Tropical Special Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants, Ministry of Education, School of Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, ChinaKey Laboratory of Genetics and Germplasm Innovation of Tropical Special Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants, Ministry of Education, School of Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, ChinaKey Laboratory of Genetics and Germplasm Innovation of Tropical Special Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants, Ministry of Education, School of Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, ChinaKey Laboratory of Genetics and Germplasm Innovation of Tropical Special Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants, Ministry of Education, School of Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, ChinaKey Laboratory of Genetics and Germplasm Innovation of Tropical Special Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants, Ministry of Education, School of Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, ChinaKey Laboratory of Genetics and Germplasm Innovation of Tropical Special Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants, Ministry of Education, School of Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, ChinaKey Laboratory of Genetics and Germplasm Innovation of Tropical Special Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants, Ministry of Education, School of Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, ChinaKey Laboratory of Genetics and Germplasm Innovation of Tropical Special Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants, Ministry of Education, School of Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, ChinaKey Laboratory of Genetics and Germplasm Innovation of Tropical Special Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants, Ministry of Education, School of Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, ChinaKey Laboratory of Genetics and Germplasm Innovation of Tropical Special Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants, Ministry of Education, School of Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, ChinaLitter and soil play an important role in influencing hydrological processes and the global water cycle. Artificial afforestation, as a part of vegetation restoration, was constructed in the gully erosion areas of latosol with the objective to prevent erosion. Variations in the hydrological properties in soils that have undergone vegetation restoration from gully erosion are not well understood. In this study, we examine the variations in the litter thickness and mass, soil structure and porosity, and hydrological properties of four forest types (eucalyptus–grass forest, bamboo–grass forest, acacia–grass forest, and shrub–grass forest). The results show that the total litter thickness varied from 1.71 to 3.74 cm and was highest in the acacia–grass forest. The total litter mass for the acacia–grass forest, 3.49 ± 0.06 t·ha<sup>−1</sup>, was significantly higher than that for the other forest types. The mass of the undecomposed litter (UL) layer was significantly lower than that of the semi-decomposed litter (SL). (2) The maximum water-retention capacity (<i>W<sub>max</sub></i>) and effective water-retention capacity (<i>W<sub>eff</sub></i>) of the SL layer were greater than those of the UL layer. The <i>W<sub>max</sub></i> and <i>W<sub>eff</sub></i> for the acacia–grass forest were markedly larger than those of the eucalyptus–grass, bamboo–grass, and shrub–grass forests. The water absorption rates of the SL and UL layers were highest during the onset of the immersion experiment, declined exponentially with time, and declined rapidly in the first 2 h. (4) The soil bulk density ranged from 1.46 g·cm<sup>−3</sup> to 1.54 g·cm<sup>−3</sup>, and the total porosity ranged from 32.06% to 37.13%. The soil bulk density increased with the increasing soil depth, while the total porosity decreased gradually. The soil water-holding capacity of the soil layer of 0–60 cm in the acacia–grass forest (301.76 t·ha<sup>−1</sup>) was greater than that of the other forest types. A comprehensive evaluation of the water conservation capacity by the entropy weight method showed that the water conservation capacity was greatest in the acacia–grass forest. The higher water-holding capacity of the acacia–grass forest may be more effective in enhancing rainfall interception, minimizing splash erosion, and decreasing surface runoff. Here, the results indicate that acacia–grass forest restoration can mitigate soil erosion by favoring soil and water conservation, improving the environment in the gully erosion area of latosol.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/14/2/360vegetation restorationhydrological propertieslitter layersoil layerlatosol region |
| spellingShingle | Zhihua Tu Suyi Chen Zexian Chen Dongshuo Ruan Wei Zhang Yujie Han Lin Han Kang Wang Yanping Huang Jinhui Chen Hydrological Properties of Soil and Litter Layers of Four Forest Types Restored in the Gully Erosion Area of Latosol in South China Forests vegetation restoration hydrological properties litter layer soil layer latosol region |
| title | Hydrological Properties of Soil and Litter Layers of Four Forest Types Restored in the Gully Erosion Area of Latosol in South China |
| title_full | Hydrological Properties of Soil and Litter Layers of Four Forest Types Restored in the Gully Erosion Area of Latosol in South China |
| title_fullStr | Hydrological Properties of Soil and Litter Layers of Four Forest Types Restored in the Gully Erosion Area of Latosol in South China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hydrological Properties of Soil and Litter Layers of Four Forest Types Restored in the Gully Erosion Area of Latosol in South China |
| title_short | Hydrological Properties of Soil and Litter Layers of Four Forest Types Restored in the Gully Erosion Area of Latosol in South China |
| title_sort | hydrological properties of soil and litter layers of four forest types restored in the gully erosion area of latosol in south china |
| topic | vegetation restoration hydrological properties litter layer soil layer latosol region |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/14/2/360 |
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