Assessment of the Ecosystem Service Function of Sandy Lands at Different Times Following Aerial Seeding of an Endemic Species
Lei Zhang,
Guangyu Hong,
Zhuofan Li,
Xiaowei Gao,
Yongzhi Wu,
Xiaojiang Wang,
Pingping Wang and
Jie Yang
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Lei Zhang: School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China
Guangyu Hong: Inner Mongolia Academy of Forestry Sciences, Hohhot 010010, China
Zhuofan Li: Inner Mongolia Academy of Forestry Sciences, Hohhot 010010, China
Xiaowei Gao: Inner Mongolia Academy of Forestry Sciences, Hohhot 010010, China
Yongzhi Wu: Inner Mongolia Academy of Forestry Sciences, Hohhot 010010, China
Xiaojiang Wang: Inner Mongolia Academy of Forestry Sciences, Hohhot 010010, China
Pingping Wang: Inner Mongolia Academy of Forestry Sciences, Hohhot 010010, China
Jie Yang: School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China
Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 4, 1-14
Abstract:
Desertification is a global and pressing environmental problem in the course of environmental changes, and considerable efforts have been made to restore these degraded ecosystems. Aerial seeding has been widely used to accelerate ecological restoration around the world. However, few efforts have been made to assess the ecosystem service function after aerial seeding has occurred. In this study, we analyzed variations in the ecosystem service function after varying periods of elapsed time after aerial seeding of Hedysarum laeve Maxim. (14a, 30a and 38a) in the Mu Us Sandy Land, China. We also assessed the carbon sequestration ability, biodiversity, soil properties, wind-break and sand-fixation ability on a typical windward slope. We found that the overall assessment value of ecosystem services had generally increased with the elapsed time after aerial seeding. Additionally, the assessment values increased as the slope position moved downwards. Moreover, we observed a gradual replacement of H. laeve by Artemisia ordosica Krasch and grass species with the increase in elapsed years after aerial seeding, indicating a positive succession towards locally native vegetation. Compared with the local natural vegetation, our results suggest that the practice of aerial seeding stimulated vegetation restoration without the need for follow-up field interventions, and the practice of aerial seeding might fit more ecosystems with similar vegetation degradation problems.
Keywords: ecosystem services; restoration; analytic hierarchy process (AHP); aerial seeding; biodiversity; positive succession; Hedysarum laeve Maxim. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:4:p:902-:d:137310
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