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Arid Land Geography ›› 2020, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (4): 1033-1040.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2020.04.18

• Biology and Pedology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Spatial and temporal variations of soil moisture and temperature of Picea Crassifolia forest in north piedmont of central Qilian Mountains

MA Jian1,2,3,4, LIU Xian-de1,2,3,4, LI Guang1, ZHAO Wei-jun2,3,4, WANG Shun-li2,3,4, JING Wen-mao2,3,4, MA Xue-e2,3,4   

  1. 1 College of Forestry,Gansu Agricultural University,Lanzhou 730070,Gansu,China;
    2 Academy of Water Resources Conservation Forests in Qilian Mountains of Gansu Province,Zhangye 734000,Gansu,China;
    3 International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Forest Ecological Monitoring and Assessment in Qilian Mountains,Gansu Province,Zhangye 734000,Gansu,China;
    4 Gansu Qilian Mountain Forest Ecosystem Observation and Research Station,Zhangye 734000,Gansu,China
  • Received:2019-07-23 Revised:2019-12-30 Online:2020-07-25 Published:2020-11-18

Abstract: This study analyzes the Picea crassifolia forest located at the altitude of 2 500 m to 3 300 m in the northern piedmont of the central Qilian Mountains,northwest China. Five automatic soil temperature and moisture monitoring systems were used to monitor this Picea crassifolia forest over a continuous three-year period. The paper seeks to explore the variations of soil moisture and temperature as well as interactions between soil moisture and temperature. Our results revealed as follows:(1) from 07:00 to 19:00,soil temperature showed an overall increasing trend. The average soil temperature was the lowest at 8:00,when it was 1.03℃. The average soil temperature was the highest at 18:00 when it was 1.32℃. Variations in soil moisture were small,with insignificant differences (P>0.05). (2) The cold period (January-April,November-December) and warm period (May-October) each account for six months out of the year,respectively. Soil temperature and moisture increased during each month before August,with the average temperature and moisture of soil increasing by 2.21℃ and 0.021 m3·m-3,respectively,each month. After August,the average soil temperature and moisture decreased by 3.12℃ and 0.017 m3·m-3,respectively,each month. (3) There was a negative correlation between soil temperature and elevation (R=0.81,P<0.05),whereas there was a binomial correlation between soil moisture and altitude (R=0.95,P<0.05). Following an increase in altitude,soil moisture first increased and then decreased. (4) There was a negative correlation between soil temperature and soil depth (P<0.05),while there was a linear positive correlation between soil moisture and soil depth (P<0.05). For each additional layer,the average soil temperature decreased by 0.142℃ and soil moisture increased by 0.009 m3·m-3. (5) There was a significant linear negative correlation between soil temperature and moisture in the Picea crassifolia forest studied (P<0.05).

Key words: soil temperature, soil moisture, variations, Picea crassifolia, Qilian Mountains