Vegetation succession process induced by reforestation in erosion areas

Abstract

Reforestation is one of the most important and efficient measures of water and soil conservation. Based on field investigations in the Shangyang Soil Conservation and Reforestation Station in Huizhou, Guangdong Province, China, we studied the variation in vegetation development, vegetation succession processes and soil erosion. The regional vegetation consists mainly of monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forests (MEBF). The area was deforested and became a denuded hill area with extremely high soil erosion in the 1960s and 1970s. Then, the area was closed in order to allow recovery of the vegetation. Under natural conditions the vegetation development and succession processes were slow during which soil erosion and strong sunshine and evaporation slowed down the development of the vegetation. About 25 years later, the vegetation cover was still merely 35% or so. The dominant vegetation types were heliophilous herbage and shrubs which formed a poorly developed shrub-herbage community and erosion remained high. In contrast, reforestation with selected tree species dramatically speeded up the vegetation succession process. About 12 years after reforestation, vegetation cover of the Acacia auriculiformis plantations in the Shangyang Station was 90% and erosion was under control. After 23 years, understory vegetation, consisting of indigenous species, had developed in the plantations. The planted trees and naturally developing herbage, shrubs, bamboo, local trees and liana formed a complex vegetation community in three layers. It will take 60 years for the vegetation to succeed from bare land to a secondary growth forest under natural conditions. Reforestation may speed up the vegetation succession process. The time may be reduced to 20 years. Reforestation is the most effective measure of vegetation restoration and erosion control in this area.

References

1. Guo X M Nu D K Liu Y Q Du T Z Xiao S Z Ye X H 2002 The vegetation restoration and reconstruction of differenttypes of degraded barren ecosystem in JiangxiActa Ecol Sin22(6)878884 (in Chinese)
2. Liao A Z Zhang S G Deng L Yao S X Tan Z W Yu H S Ji X N Zhou L M 1997 Soil and water resources appraisementin the soil and water loss area in Dongjiang watershed - taking Shangyangexperimental area as an exampleRes SoilWater Conserv4(3)7889 (in Chinese)
3. Liu S Z Ao H X He D Q Xia H P 1998 Preliminary study on the restoration of subtropical monsoon evergreenbroad-leaved forest in Wuhua county, Guangdong provinceJ Trop Subtrop Bot6(1)5764 (in Chinese)
4. Peng S L 1996 Forest Community Dynamics in Lower Subtropical ChinaBeijingSciencePress (in Chinese)
5. Wang X K Fang D 2000 Study on themechanism and its efficiency of vegetative measures on water and soilerosion controlJ Sichuan Univ (Eng SciEd)32(2)1316 (in Chinese)
6. Wang Z Y Huang G H Wang G Q Gao J 2004 Modeling of vegetation-erosion dynamics in watershed systemsJ Environ Eng-ASCE7792800. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)0733‐9372(2004)130:7(792)
7. Wang Z Y Wang G Q Gao J 2003 An ecological dynamics model of vegetationevolution in erosion areaActa Ecol Sin23(1)98105 (in Chinese)
8. Wang Z Y Wang G Q Li C Z Wang F X 2005 A preliminary study on vegetation-erosion dynamics and its applicationsSci China (Series D)48(5)689700. doi:10.1360/03yd0074
9. Xie B P Niu D K Yang X F 2001 Preliminary study on vegetation degenerationand restoration on eroded red soil in South JiangxiJiangxi For Sci Tech27(6)49 (in Chinese)
10. Zhang Z K 1998 Study on natural recovery of vegetation on man-made bareslopeBull Soil Water Conserv18(1)2628 (in Chinese)
11. Zhou L M Deng L 2004 Plant communityevolution in an area rehabilitated for soil and water conservationBull Soil Water Conserv24(4)3839 (in Chinese)
12. Zhuang X Y Corlett R T 1997 Forest andforest succession of Hong Kong, ChinaJTrop Ecol14857866 (in Chinese)
13. Zhuang X Y Qiu M L 1998 An investigationof floristic diversity of three types of plantations in Hong KongJ Trop Subtrop Bot6(3)196202 (in Chinese)