1.State Key Laboratory of Soil and Water Conservation and Desertification Control,College of Soil and Water Conservation Science and Engineering (Institute of Soil and Water Conservation),Northwest A&F University,Yangling,Shaanxi 712100,China
3.China Railway First Survey and Design Institute Group Co. ,Ltd. ,Xi'an 710043,China
4.Shaanxi Ansai Agricultural Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station,Institute of Soil and Water Conservation,Chinese Academy of;Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources,Yangling,Shaanxi 712100,China
5.Yunnan Provincial;Water Conservancy and Hydroelectric Survey Design and Research Institute,Kunming 650021,China
Objective To clarify the zonal characteristics of litter water-holding capacity in Robinia pseudoacacia forests and their response mechanisms to mixing patterns on the Loess Plateau. Methods Taking R. pseudoacacia forests on the Loess Plateau as the research subject, the litter was collected from a total of 31 sample plots of pure R. pseudoacacia forests (Rp) and mixed R. pseudoacacia forests [R. pseudoacacia×Platycladus orientalis (Rp×Po), R. pseudoacacia×Prunus sibirica (Rp×Ps), R. pseudoacacia×Pinus tabuliformis (Rp×Pt)] in the forest zone, forest-steppe zone and steppe zone to study litter water-holding capacity. Results 1) In all three vegetation zones, the maximum water-holding rate of litter in pure R. pseudoacacia forests (Rp) was higher than that in mixed R. pseudoacacia forests. In the steppe zone, Rp was 5.1% higher than Rp×Pt. In the forest-steppe zone, Rp was 5.6%, 5.3%, and 11.4% higher than Rp×Po, Rp×Ps, and Rp×Pt, respectively. In the forest zone, Rp was 11.6%, 11.5%, and 20.3% higher than Rp×Po, Rp×Ps, and Rp×Pt, respectively. Among these, Rp was the lowest in the steppe zone (147.88%), while the values in the forest-steppe zone (180.80%) and forest zone (170.31%) were relatively similar and higher. For Rp×Pt, the value was the highest in the forest-steppe zone (162.28%), while the values in the steppe zone (140.64%) and forest zone (141.60%) were similar and lower. 2) During the water absorption-evaporation process, the water-holding rate varied with time: it increased logarithmically during the absorption stage and decreased exponentially during the evaporation stage, with both change rates following a power function decay. 3) The effective water interception capacity of Rp and Rp×Pt was positively correlated with mean annual precipitation and mean annual temperature, and the capacity in the steppe zone was abruptly lower than that in the forest-steppe zone and forest zone. Regarding the optimal forest type within each vegetation zone, Rp in the steppe zone (7.17 t/hm²) was the highest, followed by Rp×Po in the forest-steppe zone (16.27 t/hm²) and Rp×Pt in the forest zone (17.45 t/hm²). 4) Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) revealed that climate and topography first directly affected vegetation, and then together with vegetation jointly influenced litter water-holding capacity. Topography could also directly affect the water-holding rate. Conclusion The effective interception capacity of litter in R. pseudoacacia forests on the Loess Plateau is positively correlated with precipitation and temperature. The optimal forest types for the steppe, forest-steppe, and forest zones are Rp, Rp×Po, and Rp×Pt, respectively. The results provide a theoretical basis for optimizing water conservation forests and assessing regional functions.
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