Variation characteristics of plant composition and soil particle size with stand age in Hedysarum scoparium plantations on eastern edge of Tengger Desert
Objective This study aims to clarify the relationship between plant diversity and soil particle size in Hedysarum scoparium plantations of different stand ages, thereby providing scientific support for vegetation construction and soil management in the region. Methods Taking the Hedysarum scoparium plantations of different stand ages established in the eastern Tengger Desert as the research object, the plant diversity and soil change characteristics of Hedysarum scoparium shrub plantations of different stand ages (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 years old) were studied by using the methods of field sampling and laboratory analysis, and the relationship between soil particle size and plant community diversity was analyzed. Results (1) The soil particles in the Hedysarum scoparium plantations of different stand ages were mainly composed of fine sand and medium sand, accounting for 30.62%~61.81% and 23.83%~51.09%, respectively. With increasing stand age, the distribution of soil particles became finer, the degree of dispersion decreased, and the particle size distribution tended to be nearly symmetrical. The soil fractal dimension showed the highest correlation with clay-silt content, with an R2 of 0.837. (2) There were a total of 18 genera, 7 families, and 22 species of plants across 5 plots of different stand ages. With increasing stand age, the plant diversity indices showed a pronounced increasing trend. (3) In the Hedysarum scoparium plantations of different stand ages, clay-silt content and very fine sand content were both significantly positively correlated with the fractal dimension (p<0.01), with correlation coefficients of 0.36 and 0.83, respectively. The kurtosis showed a highly significant positive correlation with the Margalef richness index and Shannon-Wiener diversity index (p<0.01), with correlation coefficients of 0.39 and 0.26, respectively. Conclusion The Hedysarum scoparium plantations of different stand ages can increase plant diversity indices and alter soil particle size content, with a positive correlation observed between fine sand content and plant diversity. Furthermore, ecological restoration measures in the region can provide a scientific basis for desertification prevention and control in other sandy areas and plant restoration in arid areas.
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