title: [Correlation between desertification and variations of soil and surface vegetation in agriculture-pasture ecotone--a case study in Kangbao County, northern Hebei Province].
abstract: In the agriculture-pasture ecotone, due to its specific natural condition, the natural system is unstable, the self-regulation capability is weak, the equilibrium is easily broken, and hence the habitat is fairly vulnerable. During last 20 years, the increasing population and livestock, over-reclamation, over-grazing, over-deforesting, and other intensified negative human activities in this area resulted in surface soil coarsening, organic matter content in soil decreasing, vegetation coverage decreasing, community structure varying and degrading, and hence desertification of the land was aggravated. The results also proved that there was close correlation between desertification and the variations of soil and surface vegetation.
authors.affiliation: Research Center of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085.
authors.forename: Xuebin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.forename: Yunxia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jianzhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D002681:China; D003889:Desert Climate; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000032:analysis; D063245:Plant Development; D006109:Poaceae / Q000254:growth & development; D011188:Potassium / Q000032:analysis; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D010758:Phosphorus; D009584:Nitrogen; D011188:Potassium