Effect of ecological restoration techniques on vegetation and soil CO2 discharge of Songnen saline-alkali grassland, China

Abstract

In this paper, aiming at current saline-alkali grassland degeneration situation in Songnen plain, the application of different interference level of grassland vegetation restoration techniques such as fencing, deep loosening, shallow-plowing, reseeding and artificial grass in ecological restoration were studied, the monitoring results showed that, various restoration techniques had pronounced promoter actions on saline-alkali grassland vegetation restoration, and greatly improved the coverage, height, and productivity of vegetation. At the same time, human disturbance had improved soil structure, and increased vegetation litter, leading to the enhancement of soil respiration and increase in CO2 discharge flux. However, due to the increment rate of vegetation carbon fixation amount was much higher than the increment rate of soil CO2 discharge flux, the implementation of ecological restoration techniques enhanced carbon “sink” function of saline-alkali grassland, and with the increasing intensity of human disturbance in ecological restoration techniques, this increasing trend was even more evident.