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

Year 2018, Volume: 68 Issue: 1, 1 - 6, 01.01.2018

Jiae An Seongjun Kim Hanna Chang Asia Khamzina Yowhan Son

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

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