| The ecological environment in arid desert is extremely fragile. As the plant growth matrix, soil profoundly affected the turnover of water and nutrients and the vegetation dynamic in desert ecosystems. It is of extremely significance to understand the soil quality for plant growth and the restoration of vegetation. The experiment was conducted in three A. ordosica communities respectively and the data were analyzed by the classical statistical and geo-statistical methods. The research investigated the spatial patterns of soil moisture, the temporal stability of soil moisture and the variability of soil nutrients, finding the response of vegetation in A. ordosica community at the different succession stages. The results showed:(1) Surface soil water content showed certain temporal stabilities at the A. ordosica community. A single representative sampling location can be identified to accurately estimate the soil water content of whole zone. With the increase of vegetation cover, soil moisture temporal stability enhancements. The coefficient of variation(CV) have a negative relationship with soil moisture, while the standard deviation of soil moisture exhibited a convex upward pattern, the turning points were in 7%,4% in semi-fixed dunes and fixed dunes. (2) In the succession of shifting dunes to fixed dunes, soil moisture of A. ordosica community was gradually getting worse, meanwhile the spatial variability of soil moisture was increasing. In the revegetation process, A. ordosica community vegetation coverage, biomass and density gradually increased, while spatial variation of community characteristics decreased. The spatial distribution of soil moisture obviously characterized in a strip-like or patchy structure. Community vegetation of A. ordosica characteristics had significantly negative correlation with soil moisture in shifting dunes and fixed dunes.(3) There is a clear upward trend that carbon, nitrogen reserves higher in fixed dunes than the shifting dunes. However, available phosphorus, total phosphorus decreased in the revegetation process. Nitrogen, total nitrogen, organic carbon were significantly correlated to soil physical attributes. And total phosphorus, available phosphorus were affected by vegetation attributes.This paper investigates the temporal and spatial variability of soil moisture and nutrients of A. ordosica community in the Mu Us desert. The findings contribute to the scientific evaluation of soil conditions. It is of great significance to conduct vegetation restoration, providing theoretical basis to management and arrangement of desertification controls. |
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