Method for restoring plant productivity in a semi-arid region

Abstract

The application relates to a semi-arid region plant productivity recovery method, relates to the field of ecological restoration technology, and aims to solve the problem that the existing semi-arid region rainfall unevenness leads to poor plant productivity recovery effect. Method: I. selecting a semi-arid region vegetation degradation land as a target recovery sample land, and conducting vegetation investigation; II. dividing the target recovery sample land into a plurality of independent restoration units, and forming a concave landform by digging potential pools in the independent restoration units; III. according to the vegetation investigation result, the landform is divided into xerophytic vegetation zones, hygrophytic vegetation zones and emergent vegetation zones in equal width from top to bottom according to slope, and vegetation configuration is conducted; IV. transplanting dominant vegetation, and supplying water according to the suitable growth water level of the configured plants. The application integrates micro-landform modification and vegetation configuration, the micro-landform modification creates a composite habitat, the growth requirements of different plants are met, after the plants are colonized, the plants can reproduce through seeds and rhizomes, the micro-landform modification is helpful for seed interception, compensation of a seed bank, and the plant productivity recovery is promoted.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of ecological restoration, and in particular to a method for restoring plant productivity in a semi-arid region. BACKGROUND

[0002] The stability of plant productivity is the basis for maintaining the function of terrestrial ecosystems. Due to the low rainfall, uneven seasonal distribution, and frequent occurrence of drought events in semi-arid regions, the ecosystem is fragile. At the same time, human activities have disturbed and damaged the natural environment (such as grazing), leading to regional plant degradation and a sharp decline in productivity. For example, in the western part of the Songnen Plain, in the late 1950s, the grass was lush and the vegetation was dense, with more than 80% of the area being grassland and wetland, and the area of salinization was mainly light salinization, covering only 1.08 million hectares. By 2000, due to grazing and human activities, the area of salinization in the western part of the Songnen Plain reached 2.57 million hectares, and the plants were severely degraded, with a significant loss of productivity.

[0003] Restoring plant productivity in semi-arid regions has received increasing attention. Current approaches to restoring plant productivity in semi-arid regions mainly include seed supply and plant transplanting. Seed supply is simple to operate, but seed germination rates are low in semi-arid soils. Plant transplanting has a higher effect on plant restoration than seed supply, but the uneven distribution of rainfall and frequent droughts in semi-arid regions result in a mismatch between rainfall and plant growth needs, leading to poor restoration results and making it difficult to achieve a coordinated improvement in productivity and diversity. Therefore, it is urgent to optimize the method for restoring plant productivity in semi-arid regions in light of the climatic characteristics of the region and to improve its stability and adaptability to the environment. SUMMARY

[0004] The present application is to solve the problem of poor plant productivity restoration in semi-arid regions due to uneven rainfall, and provides a method for restoring plant productivity in semi-arid regions.

[0005] The method for restoring plant productivity in semi-arid regions of the present application comprises the following steps:

[0006] Step 1: Select a degraded vegetation area in a semi-arid region as a target restoration plot, and conduct a vegetation survey of the target restoration plot in summer to investigate the dominant vegetation and its suitable habitat.

[0007] Step 2: In March of the following year, divide the target restoration plot into several independent restoration units, and in each independent restoration unit, dig a potential pool to form a concave topography with the following specific parameters: the center of the concave topography is 0.9-1.1 meters deep, the gentle slope is 3-5° and extends to the periphery, and in the shallow pool, 30-50 cm deep ditches are dug at intervals of 1 m to construct a gully network.

[0008] Step three: according to the vegetation investigation result of step one, the vegetation is configured into xerophytic vegetation zone, hygrophyte vegetation zone and emergent vegetation zone from top to bottom according to slope;

[0009] Step four: dominant vegetation is transplanted in mid May of the second year, and water supply is carried out according to the suitable growth water level of the configured plants from June to August.

[0010] Further, the vegetation coverage of the vegetation degradation land in the semi-arid region in step one is less than 20%.

[0011] Further, the investigation objects in step one include emergent plants, hygrophytes and xerophytes.

[0012] Further, the investigation method in step one adopts the line transect method, each line transect is 20 meters, 5 equidistant 1m*1m quadrats are set, and the dominant vegetation is determined according to the quadrat investigation result.

[0013] Further, the area of each independent repair unit in step two is 500-600m 2 .

[0014] Further, the density of emergent plants in step three is 5-10 plants / m 2 , the density of hygrophytes is 20-30 plants / m 2 , and the density of xerophytes is 30-50 plants / m 2 .

[0015] The beneficial effects of the present application are as follows:

[0016] The method fully considers the climate characteristics of the semi-arid region, integrates micro-topographic modification and vegetation configuration, creates a composite habitat by micro-topographic modification, meets the growth needs of different plants, and after the plant colonization, the plants can reproduce through seeds and rhizomes, and the micro-topographic modification is helpful for seed interception, compensation of seed bank and promotion of plant productivity recovery.

[0017] The method has strong implementability, simple operation, rich plant sources and plant propagules, and also increases the suitability to the semi-arid region environment, the habitat has high elasticity, can continuously maintain relatively high productivity of plants, does not need subsequent management investment, and has wide application prospect in ecological restoration engineering. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 It is a micro-topographic modification schematic diagram in example 1;

[0019] Figure 2 It is a construction process photo of the micro-topographic modification in example 1;

[0020] Figure 3 It is a vegetation configuration schematic diagram in example 1;

[0021] Figure 4 Figure 2 is a top view of the comparison effect of independent restoration unit A and B in Example 1; wherein A is the restoration effect of independent restoration unit A; and B is the restoration effect of independent restoration unit B;

[0022] Figure 5 Figure 3 is a statistical chart of the change of plant productivity of independent restoration unit A and B in Example 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The technical solution of the present application is not limited to the following specific embodiments, but also includes any combination of the specific embodiments.

[0024] Specific embodiment one: the plant productivity recovery method in semi-arid regions in this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0025] Step one: select a vegetation degraded land in semi-arid regions as a target recovery plot, and conduct a vegetation investigation on the target recovery plot in summer, and investigate the dominant vegetation and its suitable habitat;

[0026] Step two: in March of the second year, divide the target recovery plot into several independent restoration units, and form a concave topography by digging potential pools in the independent restoration units, and the specific parameters are as follows: the center depth of the concave topography is 0.9-1.1 meters, and the gentle slope of 3-5° extends to the periphery, and a 30-50cm deep ditch is dug in the shallow pool at an interval of 1m to construct a gully network;

[0027] Step three: according to the vegetation investigation results in step one, the vegetation is configured according to the equal width from top to bottom of the slope, and the vegetation is configured into xerophytic vegetation zone, hygrophytic vegetation zone and emergent vegetation zone;

[0028] Step four: transplant the dominant vegetation in the middle of May of the second year, and supply water according to the suitable growth water level of the configured plants from June to August.

[0029] The plant productivity recovery method in semi-arid regions in this embodiment first investigates the plant resources in the target recovery area; then, according to the micro-topographic undulation characteristics of the land to be recovered, the land is divided into several independent restoration units, and a concave topography is formed by digging potential pools in the restoration units; according to the local plant investigation results, the vegetation is configured according to the equal width from top to bottom of the slope, and the vegetation is configured into xerophytic vegetation zone, hygrophytic vegetation zone and emergent vegetation zone; and finally, the plant cultivation and maintenance. This embodiment fully considers the climate characteristics of semi-arid regions, and the constructed compound habitat and plant configuration can effectively maintain the plant productivity. The technology of this embodiment has strong implementability, and has wide application prospects in ecological restoration engineering.

[0030] Specific embodiment two: the vegetation coverage of the vegetation degraded land in semi-arid regions in step one of this embodiment is less than 20%. The other steps and parameters are the same as those of specific embodiment one.

[0031] Specific embodiment three: the investigation object in step one of this embodiment includes emergent plants, hygrophytes and xerophytes. Other steps and parameters are the same as specific embodiment one or two.

[0032] Specific embodiment four: the investigation method in step one of this embodiment adopts the line transect method, each line transect is 20 meters, 5 equidistant 1m x 1m quadrats are set, and the dominant vegetation is determined according to the quadrat investigation results. Other steps and parameters are the same as one of specific embodiments one to three.

[0033] Specific embodiment five: in step two of this embodiment, the area of each independent repair unit is 500-600m 2 . Other steps and parameters are the same as one of specific embodiments one to four.

[0034] Specific embodiment six: in step three of this embodiment, the density of emergent plants is 5-10 plants / m 2 , the density of hygrophytes is 20-30 plants / m 2 , and the density of xerophytes is 30-50 plants / m 2 . Other steps and parameters are the same as one of specific embodiments one to five.

[0035] The following embodiments of the application will be described in detail. The following embodiments are implemented on the premise of the technical scheme of the application, and detailed implementation schemes and specific operation processes are given, but the protection scope of the application is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0036] Example 1:

[0037] The plant productivity recovery method in the semi-arid region of this embodiment includes the following steps:

[0038] Step one: select a semi-arid region, i.e. Tong'an Village in Da'an City, Baicheng, Jilin, a saline-alkali land with degraded vegetation as the target recovery sample plot, and carry out vegetation investigation of the target recovery sample plot in 2021. The line transect method is used to investigate the regional plant resources, each line transect is 20 meters, 5 equidistant 1m x 1m quadrats are set, and the dominant species is determined according to the quadrat investigation results.

[0039] The results show that the emergent plants in this region are mainly Acorus calamus, with a suitable water level of 50-100 cm; the hygrophytes are mainly Phragmites australis, with a suitable water level of 0-50 cm; and the xerophytes are mainly Puccinellia distans, with a soil water content of 15-20% for Puccinellia distans growth. The coverage of xerophytes is less than 20%, and hygrophytes and emergent plants only grow in nearby ditches, with single plant diversity.

[0040] Step two: in March 2022, according to the micro-topographic modification schematic diagram (such as Figure 1 ), micro-topographic modification is carried out, and the construction process photos are as follows Figure 2. First, the target restoration plot is investigated to determine the micro-topographic features of the target restoration area. Two independent restoration units A and B are selected, and the area of each independent restoration unit is 500 m 2 In the independent restoration unit A, a concave landform is formed by digging a potential pool. The specific parameters are as follows: the center of the concave landform is about 1 meter deep, and the gentle slope is 3-5° extending to the periphery. A 50 cm deep ditch is dug in the shallow pool at an interval of 1 m to construct a gully network, Figure 1 The ellipse in the figure is the boundary of the concave landform, and the curve on the right represents the 50 cm deep ditch dug at an interval of 1 m, which forms a gully network. The independent restoration unit B is a control treatment, and only the gully network is constructed, that is, a 50 cm deep ditch is dug at an interval of 1 m in the independent restoration unit B.

[0041] Step three: Based on the vegetation survey results in step one, the concave landform is divided into an xerophytic vegetation zone, a hygrophytic vegetation zone, and a emergent vegetation zone from top to bottom according to the slope of the concave landform. The xerophytic vegetation zone is planted with Puccinellia distans, the hygrophytic vegetation zone is planted with Phragmites australis, and the emergent vegetation zone is planted with Acorus calamus. The vegetation configuration scheme is shown in Figure 3 .

[0042] In mid-May 2022, the target plant seedlings / propagules and seeds were transplanted. In the independent restoration unit A, the density of Acorus calamus was 5 plants / m 2 , the density of Phragmites australis was 20 plants / m 2 , and the density of Puccinellia distans was 30 seeds / m 2 . In the independent restoration unit B, only Puccinellia distans seeds were sown, and the density was 30 seeds / m 2 .

[0043] From June to August 2022, further water management was carried out on the Acorus calamus, Phragmites australis, and Puccinellia distans propagules or seeds in the independent restoration unit A and the independent restoration unit B. According to the field investigation results, the water depth of the emergent vegetation zone was controlled at 60 cm. The xerophytic vegetation zone was covered with straw curtains to improve seed germination rate. When the Puccinellia distans seeds were all germinated, the straw curtains were stacked into ridges to prevent wind. In August, the straw curtains were removed.

[0044] In September 2024, the plant restoration effect was monitored, as shown in Figure 4 . It can be seen that according to the method of the present application, the plant coverage in the independent restoration unit A area reaches more than 90% after two years, while the plant coverage in the independent restoration unit B which only adopts the gully network and seed supply restoration method is only 10%-20%.

[0045] In September 2024, the plant productivity of the independent restoration unit A and the independent restoration unit B was simultaneously determined, as shown in Figure 5The biomass of the independent repair unit A is 560 g per square meter and the biomass of the independent repair unit B is 72 g per square meter after the treatment according to the method of the present application. The method of the present application can significantly improve the plant productivity and help to restore the plant productivity of the degraded land in the semi-arid region.

Claims

1. A method for restoring plant productivity in semi-arid regions, characterized in that, The method includes the following steps: Step 1: Select vegetation degradation areas in semi-arid regions as target restoration plots. Conduct vegetation surveys on the target restoration plots in summer to investigate dominant vegetation and its suitable habitats. Step 2: In March of the second year, the target restoration plot was divided into several independent restoration units. Within each independent restoration unit, a sinkhole was dug to form a concave topography. The specific parameters are: the depth of the center of the concave topography is 0.9-1.1 meters, the gentle slope is 3-5° and extends outwards. Within the shallow sinkhole, ditches 30-50 cm deep were dug at 1m intervals to construct a ditch network. Step 3: Based on the vegetation survey results in Step 1, divide the slope into three equal-width zones from top to bottom: xerophytic vegetation zone, hygrophytic vegetation zone, and emergent vegetation zone, and configure the vegetation accordingly. Step 4: Transplant the dominant vegetation in mid-May of the second year, and replenish the water source from June to August according to the suitable water level for the plant's growth. The subjects of investigation in step one include emergent plants, wetland plants, and xerophytes.

2. The method for restoring plant productivity in semi-arid areas according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vegetation cover of the semi-arid vegetation-degraded areas mentioned in Step 1 is <20%.

3. The method for restoring plant productivity in semi-arid areas according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step one, the survey method used was the transect method, with each transect being 20 meters long. Five equidistant 1m×1m quadrats were set up, and the dominant vegetation was determined based on the quadrat survey results.

4. The method for restoring plant productivity in semi-arid areas according to claim 3, characterized in that, In step two, the area of ​​each independent repair unit is 500-600 m². 2 .

5. The method for restoring plant productivity in semi-arid areas according to claim 4, characterized in that, In step three, the density of emergent plants is 5-10 plants / m². 2 20-30 wetland plants / m² 2 30-50 xerophytic plants / m² 2 .

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