Structural Characteristics of Lycium ruthenicum Community & Soil Properties on Different Types of Desert Rangeland in the Lower Reaches of Shiyang River

[Objectives] To study structural characteristics of Lycium ruthenicum community and soil properties on different types of desert rangeland in the lower reaches of Shiyang River, and provide theoretical basis for ecological protection and management in the lower reaches of Shiyang River. [Methods] One-way ANOVA analysis and correlation analysis were carried out with the aid of SPSS19.0 software for different types of desert rangeland soils. [Results](i) Among the communities surveyed, there are 31 species belonging to 9 families and 28 genera, including 12 shrub plants, 8 perennial herbs and 11 annual herbs. There are more single genus, occupying 50% of total genus. L. ruthenicum occupies an important position in the community with relatively higher importance value. It plays a dominated role in the community.(ii) In the soils with depths of 0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, 20-40 cm and 40-60 cm in different types of desert rangeland, the organic carbon contents in the saline alkali soil were the highest, with the values of 1.08%, 0.98%, 0.89% and 0.972%, respectively. Compared with that in sandy land, soil organic carbon in saline alkali land(0-10 cm) had the significant difference(P<0.05), available soil potassium in saline alkali land(except the depth of 20-40 cm) and the total phosphorus content in saline alkali land(0-10 cm) had the significant difference(P<0.05), the total soil nitrogen, alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, available phosphorus and the total potassium content had no significant difference(P>0.05). Soil organic carbon, available soil phosphorus in saline alkali land, total soil potassium on sand dune and total soil phosphorus in saline alkali land and gravel in different soil layers of the same type of desert rangeland had distinct aggregation effect.(iii) The soil microbial biomass in different types of desert rangeland displayed from high to low as saline alkali land > sandy land > fixed and semi fixed sandy land > gravel. The discrepancy of soil microbial biomass varied in different types of desert rangeland. The four soil enzyme activities in salinization was the highest. Soil invertase activity in saline alkali land in different soil layers were the highest. For different soil layers in the same type of desert rangeland, soil microbial biomass and invertase decreased gradually with the deepening of soil layer.(iv) There was a significant positive correlation between soil organic matter and microbial biomass carbon, microbial biomass nitrogen, phosphatase and sucrase(P<0.01), and a significant positive correlation with urease and catalase(P<0.05). Phosphorus content was significant positively correlated with urease, phosphatase and invertase(P<0.01), and positively correlated with microbial biomass carbon(P<0.05). Soil available potassium content was significant positively correlated with microbial and phosphatase(P<0.01). [Conclusions] The species of L. ruthenicum community and soil properties on different types of desert rangeland in the lower reaches of Shiyang River clearly shows that most species belong to a few families, and a few species belong to most families, and many species are single genus or single family. Soil organic carbon, soil available phosphorus, total phosphorus, soil microbial biomass and enzyme activity in salinization land had distinct surface aggregation effects, so salinization land provides excellent growth environment for the growth of L. ruthenicum, which is of great significance for the protection of L. ruthenicum population.