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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2026, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (3): 52-67.DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025187

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Response of soil hydraulic properties to alpine swamp meadow degradation and sown grassland planting

Xiang LI1,2(), Hang LI4, Run-jie LI1,2,3(), Yong-kun ZHANG3()   

  1. 1.College of Civil and Water Resources Engineering,Qinghai University,Xining 810016,China
    2.Laboratory of Ecological Protection and High Quality Development of the Upper Yellow River,Xining 810016,China
    3.State Key Laboratory of Sanjiangyuan Ecology and Plateau Agriculture and Animal Husbandry,Qinghai University,Xining 810016,China
    4.State Key Laboratory of Simulation and Regulation of Water Cycle in River Basin,China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research,Beijing 100038,China
  • Received:2025-05-09 Revised:2025-06-25 Online:2026-03-20 Published:2026-01-19
  • Contact: Run-jie LI,Yong-kun ZHANG

Abstract:

In this research, natural, lightly degraded and heavily degraded marsh meadows, and artificially established sown grassland (established in 2018 by planting Poa crymophila on degraded meadows for ecological restoration) in Maqin County, Qinghai Province, were studied. Several key soil properties were measured, and the changes in soil hydraulic properties within the 0-30 cm soil layer, and factors driving the changes were analyzed. The results demonstrated that: 1) Biomass, soil porosity, organic carbon content, and total nitrogen content exhibited a trend of initial decrease and then increase with the degradation of alpine marsh meadows and the establishment of artificial sown grassland (P<0.05). 2) In the 0-20 cm soil layer, the ranking of soil water holding capacity, field capacity, wilting coefficient, and saturated water content was as follows: natural marsh meadow>artificially established sown grassland>heavily degraded marsh meadow. Saturated hydraulic conductivity in the 0-10 cm soil layer was significantly higher than that in the 10-30 cm soil horizon and decreased significantly with the degradation of alpine marsh meadows while increasing significantly with the establishment of artificially sown grassland (P<0.05). 3) Saturated hydraulic conductivity, saturated water content, and plant-available water content were significantly positively correlated with soil porosity, organic carbon content, and total nitrogen content (P<0.05), and significantly negatively correlated with soil pH (P<0.05). Partial least squares regression analysis revealed that the critical factors influencing soil hydraulic properties were soil porosity and organic carbon content. In conclusion, the degradation of alpine marsh meadows and the establishment of artificially sown grassland significantly altered soil hydraulic properties, with the most pronounced impact observed in the surface horizon (0-10 cm). The data indicate that surface soils are the most sensitive to degradation-induced changes; this is an important insight for managing the ecological restoration of alpine marsh meadows.

Key words: alpine marsh meadow, degradation, artificial grassland, soil water holding capacity, saturated hydraulic conductivity