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Title: EROSION SOIL QUALITY FACTORS AND INDICATORS IN LOESS PLATEAU OF CHINA

Author
item XU, MINGXIANG - ISWC, CHINESE ACADEMY SCI
item ZHAO, YUNGE - ISWC, CHINESE ACADEMY SCI
item LIU, GUOBIN - ISWC, CHINESE ACADEMY SCI
item Wilson, Glenn

Submitted to: Soil Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/3/2006
Publication Date: 4/1/2006
Citation: Xu, M., Zhao, Y., Liu, G., Wilson, G.V. 2006. Erosion soil quality factors and indicators in Loess Plateau of China. Soil Science, 171(5): 400-413.

Interpretive Summary: Loess soils in the United States and throughout the world are known for their historically high soil erosion rates. No where in the world is soil erosion a more serious problem than in the Loess Plateau of China. Characterization of soil quality can be used to assess the effects of land use and soil conservation practices on erosion control. Guidance for selection of soil properties that can serve as indicators of soil quality in this highly erosive environment at the watershed or regional scale is needed. This paper identified groups, called factors, of soil properties that describe soil quality, determined the impact of land use on these soil factors, and provided guidance on selection of soil properties from within these factors. The research was conducted on a typical Loess Plateau site in northern Shaanxi province of China. Soil samples were collected in five catchments with 10 different landuse types. Soil quality factors were identified from measurement of 32 soil chemical, physical and biological properties. The five most important soil quality factors identified were organic matter, soil texture, phosphorus, porosity and microstructure. The organic matter, texture, phosphorus and microstructure factors differed significantly among land use types, however, the soil texture factor made a negligible contribution compared to the other factors. The following eight individual soil properties were identified as key indicators of soil quality: organic matter content, infiltration rate, anti-scourability, CEC, invertase, water stable aggregates, available phosphorous, and micro-aggregates. These properties are recommended for characterization of these loess soils for land use management to control soil erosion.

Technical Abstract: Nowhere in the world is soil erosion as serious as in the Loess Plateau region of China. Appropriate indicators for an integrated assessment of soil quality in this highly erosive environment at the watershed or regional scale are not available. Our objectives were: (i) to identify regional-scale erosion soil quality factors; (ii) to determine the impact of land use on these soil factors and indicators; and (iii) to select soil attributes within these factors that can be used as soil quality indicators to assess effects of land use or soil conservation practices on erosion at the regional scale. The research was conducted on a typical Loess Plateau in northern Shaanxi province of China, which covers an area of 707km2. Soil samples were taken in five catchments with 10 different types of landuse. Through factor and discriminant analyses, combined with sensitivity analysis, soil quality factors and soil quality indicators were identified from 32 soil chemical, physical and biological attributes. Five soil quality factors were identified: organic matter, texture, phosphorus, porosity and microstructure. Except for the porosity factor, the other four factors differed significantly among land use types. The soil texture factor provided a negligible contribution compared with the soil organic, phosphorus and microstructure factors. The results indicated that soil available phosphorus, anti-scourability, K10, labile organic matter, organic matter and urease were highly sensitive indicators for soil quality assessment and were the main target indicators for soil quality restoration and management. Soil biological indicators exhibited high to middle sensitivity to land use changes. Eight soil quality indicators including organic matter, K10, anti-scourability, CEC, invertase, MWD, available phosphorous, and MICMWD were consequently identified as significant contributors. Organic matter, K10, and anti-scourability were key indicators of soil quality for the hilly Loess Plateau of China.