Effect of grazing on soil physical properties and soil erodibility in semiarid grassland of the Northern Loess Plateau (China)

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)

ZHOU, Z.C.

Dep. of Tourism and Environmental Sciences, Shaanxi Normal Univ., Xi'an, Chine

GAN, Z.T.

Key Lab. of Disaster Survey and Mechanism Simulation of Shaanxi Province, Univ. of Arts and Sciences, Baoji, Chine

SHANGGUAN, Z.P.

State Key Lab. of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loes Plateau, Inst. of Soil and Water Conservation, CAS, Univ., Yangling, Chine

DONG, Z.B.

Dep. of Tourism and Environmental Sciences, Shaanxi Normal Univ., Xi'an, Chine

Description :
The AA. investigated whether grazing leads to deterioration of soil physical properties that subsequently increases topsoil erodibility. They sampled 3 sites (an ungrazed grassland, a continuously grazed grassland, and a track trampled by stock) on the northern Loess Plateau of China. The bulk density, water content, proportion of stable aggregates, infiltration rate, and resistance to scouring were determined for each soil sample. Soil physical properties played an important role in determining soil erodibility. Grazing and trampling by livestock therefore appear to cause deterioration of soil physical properties and to increase soil erodibility.

Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Catena (Giessen), issn : 0341-8162, 2010, vol. 82, n°. 2, p. 87-91, nombre de pages : 5, Références bibliographiques : 36 ref.

Date :
2010

Editeur :
Pays édition : Allemagne, Cremlingen-Destedt, Catena

Langue :
Anglais