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Journal of Arid Land
Journal of Arid Land  2024, Vol. 16 Issue (2): 298-313    DOI: 10.1007/s40333-024-0006-2
Research article     
Formation and ecological response of sand patches in the protection system of Shapotou section of the Baotou-Lanzhou railway, China
DUN Yaoquan1,2, QU Jianjun1,3,*(), KANG Wenyan4, LI Minlan1,2, LIU Bin4, WANG Tao1, SHAO Mei1,2
1Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
2University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
3College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710100, China
4Zhongwei Works Section of China Railway Lanzhou Bureau Group Company Limited, Zhongwei 755000, China
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Abstract  

The development of bare patches typically signifies a process of ecosystem degradation. Within the protection system of Shapotou section of the Baotou-Lanzhou railway, the extensive emergence of bare sand patches poses a threat to both stability and sustainability. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the morphology, dynamic changes, and ecological responses associated with these sand patches. Therefore, we analyzed the formation and development process of sand patches within the protection system and its effects on herbaceous vegetation growth and soil nutrients through field observation, survey, and indoor analysis methods. The results showed that sand patch development can be divided into three stages, i.e., formation, expansion, and stabilization, which correspond to the initial, actively developing, and semi-fixed sand patches, respectively. The average dimensions of all sand patch erosional areas were found to be 7.72 m in length, 3.91 m in width, and 0.32 m in depth. The actively developing sand patches were the largest, and the initial sand patches were the smallest. Throughout the stage of formation and expansion, the herbaceous community composition changed, and the plant density decreased by more than 50.95%. Moreover, the coverage and height of herbaceous plants decreased in the erosional area and slightly increased in the depositional lobe; and the fine particles and nutrients of soils in the erosional area and depositional lobe showed a decreasing trend. In the stabilization phases of sand patches, the area from the inlet to the bottom of sand patches becomes initially covered with crusts. Vegetation and 0-2 cm surface soil condition improved in the erosional area, but this improvement was not yet evident in the depositional lobe. Factors such as disturbance, climate change, and surface resistance to erosion exert notable influences on the formation and dynamics of sand patches. The results can provide evidence for the future treatment of sand patches and the management of the protection system of Shapotou section of the Baotou-Lanzhou railway.

Key words： railway protection system      sand patch      morphology      vegetation characteristic      soil property     
Received: 31 August 2023      Published: 29 February 2024
Corresponding Authors: *QU Jianjun (E-mail: qujianj@lzb.ac.cn)
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DUN Yaoquan
QU Jianjun
KANG Wenyan
LI Minlan
LIU Bin
WANG Tao
SHAO Mei
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DUN Yaoquan, QU Jianjun, KANG Wenyan, LI Minlan, LIU Bin, WANG Tao, SHAO Mei. Formation and ecological response of sand patches in the protection system of Shapotou section of the Baotou-Lanzhou railway, China. Journal of Arid Land, 2024, 16(2): 298-313.

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http://jal.xjegi.com/10.1007/s40333-024-0006-2     OR     http://jal.xjegi.com/Y2024/V16/I2/298

Fig. 1 Overview of the study area. (a), location of the study area and sampling sites; (b), protection system composition; (c), distribution of sampling sites in 2021; (d) sand patches; (e) sand patches treated with straw checkerboard barriers.
Fig. 2 Images of three types of sand patches. (a), initial sand patches; (b), actively developing sand patches; (c), semi-fixed sand patches. The solid black line is the boundary of the sand patch erosional area, and the dotted black line is the boundary of sand patch depositional lobe. IN, initial sand patches; IC, initial sand patch control area; AE, actively developing sand patch erosional area; AD, actively developing sand patch depositional lobe; AC, actively developing sand patch control area; SE, semi-fixed sand patch erosional area; SD, semi-fixed sand patch depositional lobe; SC, semi-fixed sand patch control area. The abbreviations are the same as in the following figures.
Type of sand patch Number Length (m) Width (m) Depth (m)
Max Min Mean Max Min Mean Max Min Mean
Initial 20 6.60 2.7 4.07 3.13 1.30 1.95 0.32 0.06 0.18
Actively developing 66 26.04 3.2 9.16 16.60 1.27 4.63 0.97 0.14 0.37
Semi-fixed 14 11.90 2.5 6.19 6.80 1.60 3.30 0.46 0.17 0.28
Total 100 26.04 2.2 7.72 16.60 1.27 3.91 0.97 0.06 0.32
Table 1 Morphological parameters of different types of sand patches
Fig. 3 Relationships among length, width, and depth of the erosion zones of different types of sand patches
Fig. 4 Plant community density (a), height (b), coverage (c), and diversity (d-f) in different groups of sand patches. Bars represent standard errors. Different lowercase letters indicate significant difference among different groups of sand patches at P<0.05 level.
Species IN IC AE AD AC SE SD SC
Setaria viridis (Linn.) Beauv. 30.78 24.31 17.38 25.74 21.16 19.00 37.11 21.14
Chloris virgata Sw. 0.31 20.54 - 0.27 13.31 - - 21.46
Eragrostis minor Host 10.63 10.07 4.37 3.91 31.79 1.29 5.53 11.71
Psammochloa villosa (Trin.) Bor 3.02 6.67 5.96 7.38 8.01 9.29 6.53 7.91
Salsola ruthenica Iljin 19.00 16.49 5.02 6.01 4.74 6.18 7.14 13.97
Bassia dasyphyll (Fisch. et C. A. Mey.) Kuntze 14.17 11.57 5.11 9.38 7.31 9.25 9.34 8.81
Corispermum patelliforme Iljin 2.38 - 38.11 16.28 0.17 28.00 14.59 1.89
Agriophyllum squarrosum (Linn.) Moq. - - 10.77 6.72 - - - -
Echinops gmelina Turcz. 14.72 7.64 4.27 14.94 3.64 11.32 12.88 6.50
Artemisia blepharolepis Bge. 4.99 2.46 9.00 2.76 3.55 15.68 6.88 6.60
Potentilla bifurca Linn. - 0.24 - - 0.93 - - -
Allium mongolicum Regel - - - 6.60 5.40 - - -
Table 2 Importance values of each species in different groups of sand patches
Fig. 5 Soil particle size distribution at 0‒2 (a), 2‒5 (b), and 5‒10 (c) cm depths in different groups of sand patches
Fig. 6 Soil nutrient content in different groups of sand patches at 0‒2, 2‒5, and 5‒10 cm depths. (a), SOC (soil organic carbon); (b), TN (total nitrogen); (c), TP (total phosphorus); (d), TK, (total potassium); (e), AN (available nitrogen); (f), AP (available phosphorus); (g), (d), AK, (available potassium). Bars represent standard errors. Different lowercase letters within the same soil depth indicate significant differences among different groups of sand patches at P<0.05 level.
Fig. 7 Comparison of soil water content between actively developing sand patches and crust area. (a), soil water content in the actively developing sand patches and daily precipitation; (b), soil water content under crust area; (c), soil water content at 0‒5, 5‒10, and 10‒20 cm depths in the actively developing sand patches and crust area in September 2019. Different lowercase letters within the same soil depth indicate significant difference between sand patches and crust area at P<0.05 level.
Fig. 8 Crust breakage under different types of disturbance. (a), crust destruction under heavy precipitation, forming small erosion trench; (b and c), mechanical damage to crusts caused by digging of rabbits and rats; (d), cracks in crust and topsoil layers by gravity; (e), crust destruction by human trampling; (f), surface disturbance by vehicle transportation.
Observation period
(dd/mm/yyyy‒dd/mm/yyyy)		 Maximum depth of erosion (cm) Minimum depth of accumulation (cm) Average depth of erosion (cm) Average depth of accumulation (cm)
28/11/2020‒01/06/2021 9.7 4.0 2.3 1.5
01/06/2021‒14/09/2021 6.3 3.5 2.2 1.5
14/09/2021‒25/12/2021 1.6 5.2 0.8 1.4
28/11/2020‒25/12/2021 13.3 6.2 4.0 3.2
Table 3 Surface changes in an actively developing sand patch
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