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Soil gravels and plant species configuration control vegetation restoration in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
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  • jinxing Zhou,
  • Yonggang You,
  • Xinliang Wu,
  • Lihe Han,
  • Yapei Lu,
  • Ansa Rebi,
  • Qian Dong,
  • Lina Wang,
  • Pengcheng Zhang
jinxing Zhou
Beijing Forestry University
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Yonggang You
Beijing Forestry University

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Xinliang Wu
Beijing Forestry University
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Lihe Han
Beijing Forestry University
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Yapei Lu
Beijing Forestry University
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Ansa Rebi
Beijing Forestry University
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Qian Dong
Beijing Forestry University
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Lina Wang
Beijing Forestry University
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Pengcheng Zhang
Beijing Forestry University
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Abstract

Soil gravel content strongly affects ecological restoration; however, the response and mechanism of plant traits to soil gravel content under the sensitive and fragile natural environment of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau remains unclear. Herein, soils with three gravel content (10%, 30%, 50%) in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau were selected, and three plant species ( one indigenous specie of Elymus dahuricus (Ed), and two introduced ones of Festuca elata ( Fe) and Medicago sativa ( Ms)) were used in seven planting patterns with different proportions ( Fe, Ed, Ms, Fe + Ed (1:1), Fe+ Ms (2:1), Ed + Ms (2:1), Fe+ Ed+ Ms (2:2:1)). Plant traits, phytochemical properties and soil stoichiometric characteristics were measured to explore the interactive effects of soil gravels and plant species on vegetation restoration. Average plant height, coverage, shoot biomass and total biomass were most affected by plant species (F=277~611, p<0.01), followed by gravel content (F=90~195, p<0.01) and their interaction (F=5~51, p<0.05); root biomass was most affected by gravel content (F=130, p<0.01). Among plant species, shoot and root biomass, total biomass overall decreased in the order of Fe+Ed+Ms˃Fe˃Fe+Ms˃Fe+Ed˃Ms˃Ms+Ed˃Ed. Plant total biomass, shoot biomass, root biomass and shoot/root ratio among different soils overall decreased in the order of low˃ high˃ medium gravel contents. All plant species were restricted by soil nitrogen except for Ed and Ed+ Ms (N:P>14). In addition, average plant height, coverage, shoot biomass and total biomass were separately negatively and positively correlated with bulk density and total porosity (r=-0.88~-0.96 and 0.78~0.91, p<0.05), so did for total nitrogen, total phosphorus, organic carbon, C:N and N:P of shoot fraction and rhizosphere soils (|r|=0.69~0.97, p<0.05), indicating that gravel content affects plant growth through bulk density and nutrients. Therefore, optimizing the configuration of soil properties (mainly nitrogen and compactness) and plant species (isecologic niche plants) is an effective strategy for ecological restoration in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
19 Sep 2023Submitted to Land Degradation & Development
20 Sep 2023Submission Checks Completed
20 Sep 2023Assigned to Editor
23 Sep 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
23 Sep 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
06 Oct 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
26 Oct 20231st Revision Received
26 Oct 2023Submission Checks Completed
26 Oct 2023Assigned to Editor
26 Oct 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
27 Oct 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
14 Nov 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
16 Nov 20232nd Revision Received
16 Nov 2023Submission Checks Completed
16 Nov 2023Assigned to Editor
16 Nov 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending