文献类型：期刊文献

英文题名：Environmental changes in Yellow River Delta with terrace construction and agricultural cropping

作者：He, Dongxiao[1] Chu, Jianmin[2,3,4] Yang, Hongxiao[1]

第一作者：He, Dongxiao

通信作者：Yang, HX[1]

机构：[1]Qingdao Agr Univ, Qingdao, Peoples R China;[2]Chinese Acad Forestry, Res Inst Forestry, Beijing, Peoples R China;[3]Natl Forestry & Grassland Adm, Key Lab Tree Breeding & Cultivat, Beijing, Peoples R China;[4]Natl Forestry & Grassland Adm, Res Ctr Coastal Forestry, Beijing, Peoples R China

年份：2021

卷号：9

外文期刊名：PEERJ

收录：;Scopus(收录号：2-s2.0-85119334893);WOS:【SCI-EXPANDED(收录号:WOS:000719472100002)】；

基金：This study was funded by Qingdao Agricultural University and Fundamental Research Funds of CAF (CAFYBB2020SZ001-3). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

语种：英文

外文关键词：Delta; Saline land; Land use; Soil fertility; Sustainable agriculture; Land degradation

摘要：Background: Crude flats in delta areas are often saline-alkaline and unsuitable for agricultural cropping. In the 1990s, people residing in the Yellow River delta constructed terraces on the flats for agricultural development. Herein, we investigated environmental changes resulting from this agricultural development and evaluated whether the current land use is effective and sustainable. Methods: We sampled soil and weeds from croplands, terrace slopes, and crude flats within the delta terrace landscape. The measured soil properties included soil salinity, pH, total N, total P, and organic matter in different lands and soil layers: 0-10, 10-20, and 20-30 cm. The surveyed weed characteristics were the biomass of roots and rhizomes, species composition, life form, cover and height. These indices were statistically verified by different land types and soil layers. Results: Soil salinity in the terrace crop lands was found to have reduced to <4 g.kg(-1), whereas in the crude flats, remained >6 g.kg(-1). Soil pH in the terrace croplands was surprisingly increased to >9 ; meanwhile, organic matter content decreased drastically, which is significantly different from that observed in the case of terrace slopes and crude flats. Total N and P content in the terrace crop lands were seemingly unchanged on averages but at the depths >20 cm, they reduced unavoidably. Plant underground organs were relatively scarcer in the croplands than in the other lands. Weeds grew well on the terrace slopes but were insufficient in the croplands. Overall, terrace construction is effective for developing coastal saline flats for agricultural use, but the traditional land use in the Yellow River delta has caused chronic soil degradation that is against a sustainable productive industry.