Characteristics of Soil Nutrient and Spatial Distribution on Riparian Zone Restored by Different Vegetation Restoration Methods at Wanzhou Section in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China

Riparian vegetation and water-level fluctuation are critical factors influencing soil nutrients and their spatial distribution. Taking Wanzhou section as a case study, the characteristics of soil nutrient and spatial distribution in riparian vegetation restored by different methods in the Three Gorges Reservoir area were uncovered by field investigation and chemical analysis of soil samples collected from the artificial and natural restoration plots, respectively. Results showed that restoration method had significant effect on soil nutrients. The content of soil nutrients in the artificial restoration plot was generally higher than that in the natural recovery plot indicating that artificial restoration promoted accumulation of soil nutrients in vegetation. Under the influence of the reverse seasonal water-level fluctuation, a special spatial distribution pattern that the riparian soil nutrients increased and then decreased with the increasing latitude appeared on the artificial restoration plot. The maximum content of soil nutrients occurred at the middle riparian part(altitude 165 m). However, soil organic matter and total nitrogen increased with the increasing of altitude gradient on the natural restoration plot, and reached the maximum at the upper riparian part(altitude 175 m). The spatial distribution pattern of soil nutrients resulted from the differentiation of water-level fluctuation disturbance and vegetation among altitude gradients. Restoration methods also affected the spatial distribution of soil nutrients as it influenced vegetation restoration. Appropriate tree and shrub species adapting to the disturbance of the reverse seasonal water-level fluctuation should be further introduced to the upper riparian part to promote the vegetation capacity of holding soil nutrients