Effects of land use patterns on soil aggregate stability in Sichuan Basin, China--颗粒学报PARTICUOLOGY

Zhang, Z., Wei, C., Xie, D., Gao, M., & Zeng, X. (2008). Effects of land use patterns on soil aggregate stability in Sichuan Basin, China. Particuology, 6(3), 157–166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.partic.2008.03.001

Effects of land use patterns on soil aggregate stability in Sichuan Basin, China

Zhen Zhang ^a, Chaofu Wei ^a *, Deti Xie ^a, Ming Gao ^a, Xibai Zeng ^b

a College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
b lnstitute of Environment and Sustainable Development for Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China

10.1016/j.partic.2008.03.001

Volume 6, Issue 3, June 2008, Pages 157-166

Received 6 November 2007, Accepted 7 March 2008, Available online 14 May 2008.

E-mail: weicf@swu.edu.cn

Highlights

Abstract

Soil aggregate stability as a key indicator of soil structure, is a product of interactions between soil environment, management practices, and land use patterns. The objective of this study was to analyze the impact of various land use patterns on soil aggregate stability in Sichuan Basin of southwestern China. The dry- and water-stable aggregate size distributions were determined by manual dry sieving procedure and Yoder's wet sieving procedure, respectively, while microaggregates and its mechanical and chemical stabilities by Kachisky's method, oscillator method, and citrate-dithionate (C-D) reagent method, separately. The results indicated that fractal dimension and surface fractal dimension were useful indicators to reflect soil aggregate distribution. Land use patterns have an obvious influence on soil aggregate stability. In the study area, water stability, mechanical stability, and chemical stability followed the sequence, Barren land > forestland > orchard > cropland, and the original stability and collapse velocity were sensitive to soil properties and soil structure. The difference of aggregate stability under different land use patterns is mainly due to the intensity of human disturbance and cultivation. Improper land use patterns will lead to breakdown of unstable aggregates, producing finer and more-easily transportable particles and microaggregates. In the future, inappropriate cultivation and land use patterns should be changed to protect soil structure, to improve soil aggregate stability and soil fertility in Sichuan Basin.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Aggregate size distribution; Soil aggregate stability; Fractal dimension; Land use pattern; Purple soil; Sichuan Basin; China

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