Soil water carrying capacity of vegetation in the northeast of Ulan Buh Desert, China

Abstract

The dynamic change of soil water as a function of leaf area index and the soil water deficit value, prerequisites for assuring the survival of plants, were simulated. We established a dynamic soil water model based on a theory of water balance, the characteristics of the environment, and the physiological ecology of the plants in the Ulan Buh Desert, northwestern China. We estimated the soil water carrying capacity of the vegetation in our study area of the desert. The results showed that the proportion of soil evaporation in the total amount of precipitation was greater than 60% in the wandering and semifixed sands and 44.8% in the fixed sand. When the leaf area index was less than 1.7 m²/m², the soil water deficit was maintained at a low level, but when the leaf area index continued to increase, the soil water deficit increased rapidly as well. In consequence, we come to the conclusion that the leaf area index of the soil water carrying capacity of the vegetation is 1.7 m²/m² in our study area.

Key words： Ulan Buh Desert; soil water deficit; soil water carrying capacity of vegetation; leaf area index

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the Natural National Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 30230290).

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