Testing research for assessing suitability of multi-species of trees introduced in habitats in hilly and gully areas of Loess Plateau

Abstract

To enrich resource of species, 105 arbor species (25 genera, 15 families) were introduced to the hilly and gully areas on Loess Plateau. By acclimation and selection, more than 90 tree species (12 genera, 8 families) were identified as fine species, including trees suitable for sloping fields such as Pinus sylvestri var mongolica, Pinus tabulaeformis, Platycladus orientalis, and Robinia pseudoacacia, trees suitable for gully bottoms such as Populus davidiana, Populus diversifolia, and Salix cheilophila and non-timber trees such as Prunus armeniaca, Ziziphus jujuba and Prunus persica. For those fine trees, habitat conditions and regularity of requirement of water and fertilizers were studied and then habitat ranges were given. From research results, it could be seen that Robinia pseudoacacia consumed more water, but it could improve the content of organic matters in soil; by contrast, Pinus tabulaeformis and Platycladus orientalis consumed less water and were suitable for dry sloping fields; species of apricot were suitable for sunny or semi-shady sloping fields with good conditions of water and fertilizer; species of pear were suitable for both shady sloping fields and sunny sloping fields; species of Chinese date were suitable for sunny sloping fields.