Benefits of Soil and Water Conservation and Soil Moisture of Seabuckthorn Stands in Semi-Arid Hilly Region of Loess Plateau

摘要

There is a remarkable function on decreasing runoff and sediment in seabuckthorn and its mixed stands. Meanwhile, the effect of seabuckthorn and its mixed stands on soil and water conservation is different with change of their structure and patterns. The utilization of seabckthorn forest to soil water is more less in spring than that in rainy season as well as there is a definite recovery of soil water in the whole soil layer in the end of growing season. The age of seabuckthorn plantation has an influence on the using intensity of soil water and the 8 years old seabuckthorn plantation should be cut because of a soil dry-layer in the stand. Location of slope has remarkable effect on soil water of seabuckthorn woodlands. Average soil moisture of 500cm depth on the down slope is higher of 1.16% than that on the upper slope. Soil water status on northern slope is better than that on eastern slope. The utilization of Seabuckthorn plantation on soil water is more than the mixed stands of seabuckthorn with other tree species. Soil moisture of seabuckthorn woodland changes largely with the zones, soil moisture of seabuckthorn woodland in the depth of 350cm is low and the growth of seabuckthorn depends on the same year's rainfall in semi-arid region. Soil water of seabuckthorn woodland maintains perennial basic balance in semi-humid region.