PreprintArticleVersion 1This version is not peer-reviewed
Changes in Soil Composition over Different Tillage Years and their Cascading Effects on Arthropod Diversity Regulation in Gravel-Sand Mulching Watermelon Fields in the Desert Steppe of Northwest China
Version 1
: Received: 1 July 2024 / Approved: 1 July 2024 / Online: 1 July 2024 (15:02:39 CEST)
How to cite:
Zhang, H. X.; Cao, Z. Y.; Sun, W.; Wang, Y.; Ban, L.; Zhang, R.; Wei, S. Changes in Soil Composition over Different Tillage Years and their Cascading Effects on Arthropod Diversity Regulation in Gravel-Sand Mulching Watermelon Fields in the Desert Steppe of Northwest China. Preprints2024, 2024070070. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.0070.v1
Zhang, H. X.; Cao, Z. Y.; Sun, W.; Wang, Y.; Ban, L.; Zhang, R.; Wei, S. Changes in Soil Composition over Different Tillage Years and their Cascading Effects on Arthropod Diversity Regulation in Gravel-Sand Mulching Watermelon Fields in the Desert Steppe of Northwest China. Preprints 2024, 2024070070. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.0070.v1
Zhang, H. X.; Cao, Z. Y.; Sun, W.; Wang, Y.; Ban, L.; Zhang, R.; Wei, S. Changes in Soil Composition over Different Tillage Years and their Cascading Effects on Arthropod Diversity Regulation in Gravel-Sand Mulching Watermelon Fields in the Desert Steppe of Northwest China. Preprints2024, 2024070070. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.0070.v1
APA Style
Zhang, H. X., Cao, Z. Y., Sun, W., Wang, Y., Ban, L., Zhang, R., & Wei, S. (2024). Changes in Soil Composition over Different Tillage Years and their Cascading Effects on Arthropod Diversity Regulation in Gravel-Sand Mulching Watermelon Fields in the Desert Steppe of Northwest China. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.0070.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Zhang, H. X., Rong Zhang and Shuhua Wei. 2024 "Changes in Soil Composition over Different Tillage Years and their Cascading Effects on Arthropod Diversity Regulation in Gravel-Sand Mulching Watermelon Fields in the Desert Steppe of Northwest China" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202407.0070.v1
Abstract
Arthropods, the most abundant group in ecosystems, play crucial roles in human production. Soil physicochemical properties reflect soil health and are linked to arthropods through cascading effects. Gravel-sand mulching, commonly practiced in dry farming regions, initially aids in water retention and temperature regulation. However, long-term cultivation can lead to land degradation and habitat fragmentation. This study aimed to investigate field systems using multiple comparison, linear, and nonlinear correlation analyses to explore the effects of different tillage durations on soil properties and arthropod diversity under gravel-sand mulching. Results indicate that arthro-pod diversity was lower while the fields maintained better soil fertility than the desert steppe. Both soil fertility and arthropod diversity declined significantly with increased years of cultivation. Mantel tests revealed no significant response of desert steppe arthropods to the altered soil properties of gravel-sand mulched fields. However, the Generalized Additive Model analysis indicated significant linear correlations between arthropod occurrence and total nitrogen (positive), available phosphorus, and water content (negative). Arthropod abundance showed significant nonlinear correlations with total potassium, alkali hydrolyzable nitrogen, and organic matter (OM), with OM changes having the most pronounced impact. Thus, gravel-sand mulching can maintain soil fertility over time but at the expense of local arthropod diversity.
Biology and Life Sciences, Agricultural Science and Agronomy
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
