Effects of Long-Term Fenced Enclosure on Soil Physicochemical Properties and Infiltration Ability in Grasslands of Yunwu Mountain, China

Yuanyuan Qu, Qinxuan Wu, Ojimamdov Habib Darmorakhtievich, Junfeng Wang, Xiuzi Ren, Xiaohong Chai, Xuexuan Xu () and Feng Du ()
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Yuanyuan Qu: College of Grassland Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China
Qinxuan Wu: College of Grassland Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China
Ojimamdov Habib Darmorakhtievich: Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China
Junfeng Wang: College of Grassland Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China
Xiuzi Ren: College of Grassland Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China
Xiaohong Chai: College of Grassland Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China
Xuexuan Xu: Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China
Feng Du: Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 10, 1-16

Abstract: Fenced enclosures, a proven strategy for restoring degraded grassland, have been widely implemented. However, recent climate trends of warming and drying, accompanied by increased extreme rainfall, have heightened soil erosion risks. It is crucial to assess the long-term effectiveness of fenced enclosures on grassland restoration and their impact on soil physicochemical properties and water infiltration capacity. This study investigated the effects of enclosure duration on soil organic matter, aggregate composition and stability, and infiltration capacity in Yunwu Mountain Grassland Nature Reserve, comparing grasslands with enclosure durations of 2, 14, 30, and 39 years. Results showed that grasslands enclosed for 14, 30, and 39 years had infiltration rates increased by 20.66%, 152.03%, and 61.19%, respectively, compared to those enclosed for only 2 years. After 30 years of enclosure, soil quality reached its optimum, with the highest root biomass, soil organic matter, aggregate stability, and a notably superior infiltration rate. The findings suggest that long-term fenced enclosures facilitate grassland vegetation restoration and enhance soil infiltration capacity, with the most significant improvement observed at the 30-year enclosure milestone, followed by a gradual decline in this effect.

Keywords: vegetation restoration; soil infiltration capacity; aggregate stability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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