The ecological effects of planting Apocynum venetum in the plain desert of the Altay Region, Xinjiang Province

doi:10.11686/cyxb20140206

Abstract

Abstract: Climate change and inappropriate human activities such as over grazing and cultivation has led to plant degradation and reduction in ecosystem service function in the Altay Region, Xinjiang Province, China. How to effectively restore the degraded ecosystem and improve the ecosystem service function have become key points for resource protection and land use management. To restore the environment and prevent vegetation degradation, a silvopasture ecosystem was constructed by planting Apocynum venetum in the plain desert. Based on field sampling and in situ measurements, this study compared several important ecosystem service functions such as carbon sequestration and resistance to wind and water erosion in the plain desert using A. venetum planted in 2010 and 2011. Compared with the original plain desert, the A. venetum silvopasture ecosystem significantly increased the leaf net photosynthetic rate and water use efficiency for both plots planted in 2010 and 2011. Planting A. venetum in the plain desert significantly increased the plant carbon density (340% and 460% for 2010 and 2011 respectively compared with the plain desert), which was largely due to the promotion effect of planting A. venetum on the community growth. The total carbon density increased by 23% and 21%, wind erosion modulus decreased by 70.87% and 88.72%, and soil water erosion value decreased by 13.50% and 18.33% in A. venetum plots planted in 2010 and 2011 respectively compared with plain desert. Our results suggested that the construction of silvopasture ecosystem in the plain desert could improve the community structure, increase water use efficiency and carbon sequestration potential, and enhance the resistance to wind and water erosion in the study area. Planting A. venetum could bring both large ecological and economic benefits for the study area.

CLC Number:

PING Xiao-yan, LIN Chang-cun, BAI Yu, LIU Qi-tang, LU Xin-shi. The ecological effects of planting Apocynum venetum in the plain desert of the Altay Region, Xinjiang Province[J]. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 2014, 23(2): 49-58.

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