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Chinese Agricultural Science Bulletin ›› 2024, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (32): 62-67.doi: 10.11924/j.issn.1000-6850.casb2024-0212

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Effects of Planting Various Forage Grass on Restoration of Vegetation and Soil Fertility in Rocky Desertification Area in Yunnan

QIAO Lu(), WANG Qi(), DUAN Liwu, ZHANG Yuwen   

  1. Yunnan Forestry Technological College, Kunming 650024
  • Received:2024-03-21 Revised:2024-08-18 Online:2024-11-15 Published:2024-11-12

Abstract:

Various forage planting patterns are introduced to attempt to rehabilitate rocky desertification grassland so that suitable vegetation patterns can be selected for ecosystem functioning restoration. Six different planting modes were conducted experimentally at the typical rocky desertification areas with three different levels of degradation in Yanshan County, southeast of Yunnan Province. The six modes were Lolium perenne monoculture, Festuca ovina monoculture, Setaria anceps monoculture, intercropping of Festuca ovina and Crotalaria pallida, intercropping of Setaria anceps and Trifolium repens, and intercropping of Setaria anceps and Medicago sativa. The results showed that (1) a variety of vegetation and soil traits increased significantly after rehabilitation, which included above- and under- ground biomass, gross cover, soil organic matter, total phosphorus, available phosphorus and available potassium. (2) There were significant differences among six modes in soil water content, water utilization efficiency, gross cover, above-ground biomass, under-ground biomass and the ratio of above-ground biomass to under-ground biomass. Lolium perenne monoculture had the highest soil water content, water utilization efficiency, above-ground biomass and the ratio of above-ground biomass to under-ground biomass, while intercropping of Setaria anceps and Medicago sativa and intercropping of Festuca ovina and Crotalaria pallida had got highest gross cover and under-ground biomass respectively. Planting forages had a remarkably positive effect on vegetation and soil restoration at target region. However, intercropping patterns had not explicit superiority over monoculture, and each pattern acted distinctively.

Key words: rocky desertification, planting forage, vegetation, soil, ecological restoration