Vegetation establishment improves topsoil properties and enzyme activities in the dry Aral Sea Bed, Kazakhstan

Abstract

Afforestation has been conducted for preventing desertification in the desiccated Aral Sea Bed. The present study aimed to investigate the changes in topsoil properties and enzyme activities owing to vegetation establishment. In August 2017, soils were sampled from degraded area devoid of vegetation (DA), areas afforested in 2002 (P1) and 2013 (P2), and naturally vegetated area (NA) in the northern part of the exposed Aral Sea Bed. Soil water content, pH, electrical conductivity, total N and organic C concentrations, exchangeable cation concentrations (K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, and Na+), available P (P2O5) concentration, cation exchange capacity, and enzyme activities (acid phosphate, N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, and β-glucosidase) were analyzed in the topsoil up to a depth of 10 cm. Soil water content, total N and organic C concentrations, K+ and Mg2+ concentrations, and enzyme activities were higher in P1 and NA than in DA. Moreover, no significant difference was found between P1 and NA in soil water content, total N and organic C concentrations, and some of the exchangeable cation concentrations. Our findings indicate that vegetation establishment increased the soil organic matter which is strongly associated with soil water content, organic C concentration, and overall soil fertility. The effects of plantation on soil amelioration are similar to those of natural vegetation in the long-term (15 years). Moreover, soil enzyme activities increased with rise in soil water content and total N and organic C concentrations in both vegetated areas (P1 and NA).

Keywords

• Aral Sea,desertification,enzyme activity,restoration,soil amelioration

Kazakistan’da kuruyan Aral Deniz Yatağında bitki örtüsü gelişiminin üst toprak özellikleri ve enzim aktivitelerini iyileştirmesi

Abstract

Kurumuş olan Aral Denizi Yatağında çölleşmeyi önlemek amacıyla ağaçlandırma yapılmıştır. Bu çalışma vejetasyon (bitkilendirme) çalışmasına bağlı olarak yüzey toprağı ve enzim aktivitelerindeki değişiklikleri araştırmak amacıyla yapıldı. Ağustos 2017’de, vejetasyondan yoksun çorak alandan (DA), 2002 (P1) ve 2013 (P2) yıllarında ağaçlandırılmış alanlardan ve Aral Deniz Yatağının kuzey bölümündeki doğal bitki oluşumuna sahip alandan (NA) toprak numuneleri alındı. Toprağın su içeriği, pH, elektrik iletkenliği, total N ve organik C seviyeleri, değiştirilebilir katyon seviyeleri (K+, Mg2+, Ca2+,ve Na+), mevcut P (P2O5) seviyesi, katyon değişim kapasiteleri ve enzim aktiviteleri (fosfat asit, N-asetilglukozaminidaz ve β-glukosidaz) yüzey toprağından 10 cm derinliğe kadar analiz edildi. Toprak su içeriği, total N ve organik C seviyeleri, K+ ve Mg2+ seviyeleri ve enzim aktivitelerinin P1 ve NA örneklerinde DA’ya göre daha yüksek olduğu görüldü.  Ayrıca P1 ve NA arasında topraktaki su içeriği, total N ve organik C seviyeleri ve bazı değiştirilebilir katyon seviyeleri açısından anlamlı bir fark bulunmadı.   Bulgularımıza göre vejetasyon çalışması, toprak su içeriği, organik C seviyesi ve genel toprak verimliliği ile oldukça ilişkili olan toprak organik maddesini artırdı. Toprağın iyileştirilmesinde bitkilendirmenin etkileri uzun dönemde (15 yıl) doğal vejetasyonun etkileriyle benzerdir. Ayrıca, toprağın enzim aktiviteleri toprağın su içeriği ve total N ve organik C seviyelerindeki artışla P1 ve NA numunelerinde yükselmiştir.

Keywords

• Aral Denizi,çölleşme,enzim aktivitesi,restorasyon,toprağın iyileştirilmesi

References

1. Breckle, S.W., Geldyeva, G.V., 2012. Dynamics of the Aral Sea in geological and historical times. In: Breckle, S.W., Wucherer, W., Dimeyeva, L., Ogar, N. (Eds.), Aralkum – A Man-Made Desert, Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, pp. 13-35.
2. Caldwell, B.A., 2005. Enzyme activities as a component of soil biodiversity: A review. Pedobiologia 49(6): 637-644.
3. Cao, C., Jiang, S., Ying, Z., Zhang, F., Han, X., 2011. Spatial variability of soil nutrients and microbiological properties after establishment of leguminous shrub Caragana microphylla Lam. Plantation on sand dune in the Horqin Sandy Land of Northeast China. Ecological Engineering 37(10): 1467-1475.
4. D’Odorico, P., Caylor, K., Okin, G.S., Scan, T.M., 2007. On soil moisture – vegetation feedbacks and their possible effects on the dynamics of dryland ecosystems. Journal of Geophysical Research 112: G04010.
5. Davidson, E.A., Janssens, I.A., 2006. Temperature sensitivity of soil carbon decomposition and feedbacks to climate change. Nature 440(7081): 165-173.
6. DeForest, J.L., 2009. The influence of time, storage temperature, and substrate age on potential soil enzyme activity in acidic forest soils using MUB-linked substrates and L-DOPA. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 41(6): 1180-1186.
7. Hbirkou, C., Martius, C., Khamzina, A., Lamers, J.P.A., Welp, G., Amelung, W., 2011. Reducing topsoil salinity and raising carbon stocks through afforestation in Khorezm, Uzbekistan. Journal of Arid Environments 75(2): 146-155.
8. Issanova, G., Abuduwaili, J., 2017. Dust storms in Central Asia and Kazakhstan: Regional division, frequency and seasonal distribution. In: Issanova, G., Abuduwaili, J, Aeolian Process as Dust Storms in The Deserts of Central Asia and Kazakhstan, Springer, Singapore, pp. 87-109.

9. Jackson, R.B., Jobbágy, E.G., Avissar, R., Roy, S.B., Barrett, D.J., Cook, C.W., Farley, K.A., le Maitre, D.C., McCarl, B.A., Murray, B.C., 2005. Trading water for carbon with biological carbon sequestration. Science 310(5756): 1944-1947.
10. Jin, Q., Wei, J., Yang, Z.L., Lin, P., 2017. Irrigation-induced environmental changes around the Aral Sea: An integrated view from multiple satellite observations. Remote Sensing 9(9): 900, doi: 10.3390/rs9090900
11. Jobbágy, E.G., Jackson, R.B., 2001. The distribution of soil nutrients with depth: Global patterns and the imprint of plants. Biogeochemistry 53(1): 51-77.
12. Jobbágy, E.G., Jackson, R.B., 2004. The uplift of soil nutrients by plants: Biogeochemical consequences across scales. Ecology 85(9): 2380-2389.
13. Khamzina, A., Lamers, J.P.A., Martius, C., 2016. Above- and belowground litter stocks and decay at a multi-species afforestation site on arid, saline soil. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems 104(2): 187-199.
14. Kizito, F., Dragila, M., Sène, M., Lufafa, A., Diedhiou, I., Dick, R.P., Selker, J.S., Dossa, E., Khouma, M., Badiane, A., Ndiaye, S., 2006. Seasonal soil water variation and root patterns between two semi-arid shrubs co-existing with Pearl millet in Senegal, West Africa. Journal of Arid Environments 67(3): 436-455.
15. Li, C., Li, Y., Ma, J., 2011. Spatial heterogeneity of soil chemical properties at fine scales induced by Haloxylon ammodendron (Chenopodiaceae) plants in a sandy desert. Ecological Research 26(2): 385-394.
16. Micklin, P., 2014. The Aral Sea. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.
17. Nilsson, S.I., Miller, H.G., Miller, J.D., 1982. Forest growth as a possible cause of soil and water acidification: An examination of the concepts. Oikos 39(1): 40-49.
18. Pachikin, K., Erokhina, O., Funakawa, S., 2014. Soils of Kazakhstan, their distribution and mapping. In: Mueller, L., Saparov, A., Lischeid, G. (Eds.), Novel Measurement and Assessment Tools for Monitoring and Management of Land and Water Resources in Agricultural Landscapes of Central Asia, Springer, Cham, pp. 519-533.
19. Park, K.H., Qu, Z.Q., Wan, Q.Q., Ding, G.D., Wu, B., 2013. Effects of enclosures on vegetation recovery and succession in Hulunbeier steppe, China. Forest Science and Technology 9(1): 25-32.
20. Qi, Y., Yang, F., Shukla, M.K., Pu, J., Chang, Q., Chu, W., 2015. Desert soil properties after thirty years of vegetation restoration in northern Shaanxi province of China. Arid Land Research and Management 29(4): 454-472.
21. Salt, D.E., Smith, R.D., Raskin, I., 1998. Phytoremediation. Annual Review of Plant Physiology and Plant Molecular Biology 49(1): 643-668.
22. Schachtsiek, T., Lamers, J.P.A., Khamzina, A., 2014. Early survival and growth of six afforestation species on abandoned cropping sites in irrigated drylands of the Aral Sea Basin. Arid Land Research and Management 28(4): 410-427.
23. Shirato, Y., Taniyama, I., Zhang, T.H., 2004. Changes in soil properties after afforestation in Horqin Sandy Land, North China. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 50(4): 537-543.
24. Sileshi, G., Akinnifesi, F.K., Ajayi, O.C., Chakeredza, S., Kaonga, M., Matakala, P.W., 2007. Contributions of agroforestry to ecosystem services in the miombo eco-region of eastern and southern Africa. African Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 1(4): 68-80.
25. Singh, G., Singh, N.T., Abrol, I.P., 1994. Agroforestry techniques for the rehabilitation of degraded salt-affected lands in India. Land Degradation and Rehabilitation 5(3): 223-242.
26. Singh, K., Pandey, V.C., Singh, B., Singh, R.R., 2012a. Ecological restoration of degraded sodic lands through afforestation and cropping. Ecological Engineering 43: 70-80.
27. Singh, K., Singh, B., Singh, R.R., 2012b. Changes in physico-chemical, microbial and enzymatic activities during restoration of degraded sodic land: Ecological suitability of mixed forest over monoculture plantation. Catena 96: 57-67.
28. Sinsabaugh, R., Hill, B.H., Shah, J.J.F., 2009. Ecoenzymatic stoichiometry of microbial organic nutrient acquisition in soil and sediment. Nature 462(7274): 795-798.
29. Steinweg, J.M., Dukes, J.S., Paul, E.A., Wallenstein, M.D., 2013. Microbial responses to multi-factor climate change: Effects on soil enzymes. Frontiers in Microbiology 4: 146.
30. Van Der Heijden, M.G.A., Bardgett, R.D., Van Straalen, N.M., 2008. The unseen majority: Soil microbes as drivers of plant diversity and productivity in terrestrial ecosystems. Ecology Letters 11(3): 296-310.
31. Van, D.T., Lee, D.K., Van, T.H., 2005. Rehabilitation of the native tree species in the forest plantations and denuded hills of Namlau commune in Sonla province, Vietnam. Forest Science and Technology 1(1): 51-58.
32. Walkley, A., Black, I.A., 1934. An examination of the Degtjareff method for determining soil organic matter, and a proposed modification of the chromic acid tiltration method. Soil Science 37(1): 29-38.
33. Waltham, T., Sholji, I., 2001, The demise of the Aral Sea – an environmental disaster. Geology Today 17(6): 218-228.
34. Yüksek, T., Yüksek, F., 2011. The effects of restoration on soil properties in degraded land in the semi-arid region of Turkey. Catena 84(1): 47-53.
35. Zhang, Y.G., Xu, Z.W., Jiang, D.M., Jiang, Y., 2013. Soil exchangeable base cations along a chronosequence of Caragana microphylla plantation in a semi-arid sandy land, China. Journal of Arid Land 5(1): 42-50.