Shrub encroachment accelerates the processes of moisture redistribution in alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau
Shrub encroachment in alpine meadows is rapidly occurring under global warming, significantly impacting the regulation of runoff, soil water retention and groundwater conservation. However, the dynamics of soil moisture redistribution following shrub encroachment are poorly understood. Here, the gro...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-02-01
|
| Series: | Geoderma |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016706125000345 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832557589465923584 |
|---|---|
| author | Lirong Zhao Kexin Li Ni Zhu Junmei Gao Jing Zhang Di Wang Xiaoli Wang Yanlong Wang Yushou Ma Yu Liu |
| author_facet | Lirong Zhao Kexin Li Ni Zhu Junmei Gao Jing Zhang Di Wang Xiaoli Wang Yanlong Wang Yushou Ma Yu Liu |
| author_sort | Lirong Zhao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Shrub encroachment in alpine meadows is rapidly occurring under global warming, significantly impacting the regulation of runoff, soil water retention and groundwater conservation. However, the dynamics of soil moisture redistribution following shrub encroachment are poorly understood. Here, the groundwater recharge and water uptake strategies of vegetation were explored through stable water isotope analysis to determine the mechanism of moisture redistribution on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau following shrub encroachment. The results indicated that the soil moisture content (SMC) of alpine shrublands (AS) increased significantly compared with that of alpine meadows (AM) and bare lands (BL), which resulted from a decrease in root biomass and an increase in capillary porosity. Furthermore, groundwater recharge from BL and AS was 4.17 and 3.30 times greater than that from AM (12 %), respectively, which was attributed to changes in soil porosity induced by the disappearance of mattic epipedons. In AS, Salix cupularis took up 57 % of the soil moisture from soil depth of 0–10 cm due to high root biomass, and this uptake level was significantly greater than that of Kobresia pygmaea (12 %). Overall, the soil moisture redistribution processes were markedly affected by changes in vegetation and soil parameters under shrub encroachment. These findings suggest that rapid shrub encroachment can accelerate rainfall infiltration and soil moisture dynamics, which can significantly influence hydrological processes on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-978032ac15dc4c7586820b1c8f0620c3 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1872-6259 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geoderma |
| spelling | doaj-art-978032ac15dc4c7586820b1c8f0620c32025-02-03T04:16:26ZengElsevierGeoderma1872-62592025-02-01454117196Shrub encroachment accelerates the processes of moisture redistribution in alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibetan PlateauLirong Zhao0Kexin Li1Ni Zhu2Junmei Gao3Jing Zhang4Di Wang5Xiaoli Wang6Yanlong Wang7Yushou Ma8Yu Liu9Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Qinling Ecological Intelligent Monitoring and Protection, School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710129, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, PR China; Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resource, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, PR ChinaInstitute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resource, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, PR ChinaQinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Adaptive Management on Alpine Grassland, Qinghai Academy of Animal and Veterinary Science, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, PR ChinaQinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Adaptive Management on Alpine Grassland, Qinghai Academy of Animal and Veterinary Science, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, PR ChinaQinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Adaptive Management on Alpine Grassland, Qinghai Academy of Animal and Veterinary Science, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, PR ChinaShaanxi Key Laboratory of Qinling Ecological Intelligent Monitoring and Protection, School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710129, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, PR China; Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resource, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, PR China; Corresponding author at: Institute of Soil and Water Conservation of Northwest A & F University, No 26, Xinong Road, Yangling, Shaanxi Province 712100, PR China.Shrub encroachment in alpine meadows is rapidly occurring under global warming, significantly impacting the regulation of runoff, soil water retention and groundwater conservation. However, the dynamics of soil moisture redistribution following shrub encroachment are poorly understood. Here, the groundwater recharge and water uptake strategies of vegetation were explored through stable water isotope analysis to determine the mechanism of moisture redistribution on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau following shrub encroachment. The results indicated that the soil moisture content (SMC) of alpine shrublands (AS) increased significantly compared with that of alpine meadows (AM) and bare lands (BL), which resulted from a decrease in root biomass and an increase in capillary porosity. Furthermore, groundwater recharge from BL and AS was 4.17 and 3.30 times greater than that from AM (12 %), respectively, which was attributed to changes in soil porosity induced by the disappearance of mattic epipedons. In AS, Salix cupularis took up 57 % of the soil moisture from soil depth of 0–10 cm due to high root biomass, and this uptake level was significantly greater than that of Kobresia pygmaea (12 %). Overall, the soil moisture redistribution processes were markedly affected by changes in vegetation and soil parameters under shrub encroachment. These findings suggest that rapid shrub encroachment can accelerate rainfall infiltration and soil moisture dynamics, which can significantly influence hydrological processes on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016706125000345Shrub encroachmentSoil moistureStable water isotopesGroundwater rechargeWater uptake strategies |
| spellingShingle | Lirong Zhao Kexin Li Ni Zhu Junmei Gao Jing Zhang Di Wang Xiaoli Wang Yanlong Wang Yushou Ma Yu Liu Shrub encroachment accelerates the processes of moisture redistribution in alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Geoderma Shrub encroachment Soil moisture Stable water isotopes Groundwater recharge Water uptake strategies |
| title | Shrub encroachment accelerates the processes of moisture redistribution in alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau |
| title_full | Shrub encroachment accelerates the processes of moisture redistribution in alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau |
| title_fullStr | Shrub encroachment accelerates the processes of moisture redistribution in alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau |
| title_full_unstemmed | Shrub encroachment accelerates the processes of moisture redistribution in alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau |
| title_short | Shrub encroachment accelerates the processes of moisture redistribution in alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau |
| title_sort | shrub encroachment accelerates the processes of moisture redistribution in alpine meadows on the qinghai tibetan plateau |
| topic | Shrub encroachment Soil moisture Stable water isotopes Groundwater recharge Water uptake strategies |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016706125000345 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lirongzhao shrubencroachmentacceleratestheprocessesofmoistureredistributioninalpinemeadowsontheqinghaitibetanplateau AT kexinli shrubencroachmentacceleratestheprocessesofmoistureredistributioninalpinemeadowsontheqinghaitibetanplateau AT nizhu shrubencroachmentacceleratestheprocessesofmoistureredistributioninalpinemeadowsontheqinghaitibetanplateau AT junmeigao shrubencroachmentacceleratestheprocessesofmoistureredistributioninalpinemeadowsontheqinghaitibetanplateau AT jingzhang shrubencroachmentacceleratestheprocessesofmoistureredistributioninalpinemeadowsontheqinghaitibetanplateau AT diwang shrubencroachmentacceleratestheprocessesofmoistureredistributioninalpinemeadowsontheqinghaitibetanplateau AT xiaoliwang shrubencroachmentacceleratestheprocessesofmoistureredistributioninalpinemeadowsontheqinghaitibetanplateau AT yanlongwang shrubencroachmentacceleratestheprocessesofmoistureredistributioninalpinemeadowsontheqinghaitibetanplateau AT yushouma shrubencroachmentacceleratestheprocessesofmoistureredistributioninalpinemeadowsontheqinghaitibetanplateau AT yuliu shrubencroachmentacceleratestheprocessesofmoistureredistributioninalpinemeadowsontheqinghaitibetanplateau |