Journal
ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY
Volume 54, Issue 3, Pages 653-662Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s00254-007-1130-y
Keywords
biological soil crust; dune stabilization; the Horqin Sand Land; topsoil
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This study was undertaken at Horqin Sand Land, Inner Mongolia, Northern China. Field samples of biological soil crusts (BSCs) and underlying topsoil (0-5 cm under BSC) were taken in areas of different dune stabilization stages, and their physicochemical properties were analyzed, including particle size distribution, bulk density, organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus, electrical conductivity (EC), pH, and CaCO3 content. The results revealed that semi-mobile dunes, semi-fixed dunes and fixed dunes had developed a physical crust, algae crust and moss crust, respectively. The thickness, hardness, water content, fine fraction and nutrient contents of BSCs were gradually increasing along the dune stabilization gradient. Meanwhile, BSC establishment and development enhanced the bulk density, silt and clay content, and nutrients of the topsoil under it, in an increasing tend from semi-mobile dune to fixed dune. Organic matter concentrations and other nutrients in the 0-5 cm topsoil layer under BSCs were significantly higher compared to unconsolidated soil (control). Moreover, there were strong significant positive correlations between topsoil and BSCs' organic matter, total nitrogen, available nitrogen, available phosphorus, CaCO3, and < 0.05 mm particle content, suggesting that BSCs have an influence on some of the properties of the underlying topsoil.
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