[Evolvement of soil quality in salt marshes and reclaimed farmlands in Yancheng coastal wetland].
Through vegetation investigation and soil analysis, this paper studied the evolvement of soil quality during natural vegetation succession and after farmland reclamation in the Yancheng coastal wetland of Jiangsu Province. Along with the process of vegetation succession, the soil physical, chemical, and biological properties in the wetland improved, which was manifested in the improvement of soil physical properties and the increase of soil nutrient contents, microbial biomass, and enzyme activities. Different vegetation type induced the differences in soil properties. Comparing with those in salt marshes, the soil salt content in reclaimed farmlands decreased to 0.01 - 0.04%, the soil microbial biomass and enzyme activities increased, and the soil quality improved obviously. The soil quality index (SQI) in the wetland was in the order of mudflat (0.194) < Suaeda salsa flat (0.233) < Imperata cylindrica flat (0.278) < Spartina alterniflora flat (0.446) < maize field (0.532) < cotton field (0.674) < soybean field (0.826), suggesting that positive vegetation succession would be an effective approach in improving soil quality.
Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China. dazhaxie217@163.com
Zhi-Gang
ZG
Mao
Xiao-Hong
XH
Gu
Jin-E
JE
Liu
Li-Juan
LJ
Ren
Guo-Xiang
GX
Wang
D002681:China; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000254:growth & development*; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D011786:Quality Control; D012492:Salts / Q000032:analysis; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis*; D053833:Wetlands
D012492:Salts; D012987:Soil