Comparative analysis of soil functional indicators affected by forest, shrubland and grassland in a semi-arid ecosystem

IF 5.4 1区农林科学 Q1 GEOSCIENCES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Catena Pub Date : 2025-06-28 DOI:10.1016/j.catena.2025.109261

Yahya Kooch , Azam Nouraei , Zahra Mohmedi Kartalaei , Katayoun Haghverdi , Rosa Francaviglia

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Abstract

Soil plays a fundamental role in maintaining the health of ecosystems, especially in semi-arid mountainous regions, which are known as sensitive environments. These areas, consisting of forests, shrublands, and grasslands, are influenced by changes in vegetation cover that alter the soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties. Such changes impact soil microorganisms, enzymes, nutrient cycling, and ecosystem stability. However, the influence of different types of vegetation on soil characteristics in this type of landscape is not yet fully understood. To resolve this gap, the current study examined the influence of different land cover types (including forests, shrublands, and grasslands) on soil functional indicators, with a particular focus on fertility and biological properties, in northern Iran. It was proposed that (i) the existence of tree cover improves soil fertility and biological properties, creating concentrated areas (zones) of soil functional indicators, and (ii) the forest ecosystem, in comparison to shrubland and grassland vegetation types, exhibits superior storage of soil carbon and nitrogen. Therefore, three plots with a surface of one-hectare (quadrat area 100 m × 100 m; at a distance of 3–5 km from each other) were selected in each vegetation type, for a total of 36 soil samples (3 types of vegetation × 3 plots within each vegetation types × 4 soil samples). Based on principal component analysis (PCA), distinct differences were observed in the soil factors across the various vegetation types. Soil functional indicators followed a decreasing trend from forest to grassland to shrubland. The results indicated no significant variation in carbon stocks among the vegetation types (42–52 Mg ha⁻¹), while nitrogen stock was nearly twice in the forest (7.40 Mg ha⁻¹) compared to grassland (3.90 Mg ha⁻¹) and shrubland (3.62 Mg ha⁻¹). Our results revealed that earthworm populations, especially Lumbricus terrestris, are crucial in the accumulation of soil nitrogen across different vegetation types. Based on the results, it can be stated that in a semi-arid landscape, woody vegetation, particularly tree forests, can improve soil functional indicators that are also involved in soil functions (e.g., C and N stocks). Therefore, the sustainability of these ecosystems can be achieved through the presence of appropriate vegetation types.

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半干旱生态系统森林、灌丛和草地对土壤功能指标影响的比较分析

土壤在维持生态系统健康方面发挥着根本作用，特别是在被称为敏感环境的半干旱山区。这些地区由森林、灌丛和草地组成，受到植被覆盖变化的影响，从而改变了土壤的物理、化学和生物特性。这些变化影响土壤微生物、酶、养分循环和生态系统的稳定性。然而，不同类型的植被对这类景观土壤特征的影响尚未完全了解。为了解决这一差距，目前的研究审查了伊朗北部不同土地覆盖类型（包括森林、灌丛和草原）对土壤功能指标的影响，特别关注肥力和生物特性。结果表明：(1)树木覆盖的存在提高了土壤肥力和生物特性，形成了土壤功能指标的集中区（带）；(2)与灌丛和草地植被类型相比，森林生态系统具有更好的土壤碳氮储存能力。因此，三个地块的面积为1公顷(样方面积100 m × 100 m；每个植被类型选取3 ~ 5 km间距的样地，共36个土样（3种植被×每个植被类型内3个样地× 4个土样）。基于主成分分析（PCA），不同植被类型土壤因子存在显著差异。土壤功能指标从森林到草地再到灌丛呈递减趋势。结果表明，不同植被类型的碳储量差异不显著（42 ~ 52 Mg ha−1），而森林的氮储量（7.40 Mg ha−1）是草地（3.90 Mg ha−1）和灌丛（3.62 Mg ha−1）的近两倍。研究结果表明，蚯蚓种群，尤其是地蚓种群，在不同植被类型的土壤氮积累中起着至关重要的作用。结果表明，在半干旱景观中，木本植被，特别是乔木森林，可以改善土壤功能指标，这些指标也涉及土壤功能（如碳和氮储量）。因此，这些生态系统的可持续性可以通过适当植被类型的存在来实现。

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来源期刊

Catena 环境科学-地球科学综合

CiteScore

10.50

自引率

9.70%

发文量

816

审稿时长

54 days

期刊介绍： Catena publishes papers describing original field and laboratory investigations and reviews on geoecology and landscape evolution with emphasis on interdisciplinary aspects of soil science, hydrology and geomorphology. It aims to disseminate new knowledge and foster better understanding of the physical environment, of evolutionary sequences that have resulted in past and current landscapes, and of the natural processes that are likely to determine the fate of our terrestrial environment. Papers within any one of the above topics are welcome provided they are of sufficiently wide interest and relevance.