Key factors influencing on vegetation restoration in the gullies of the Mollisols

Natural vegetation restoration (NVR) highly relates to the development of gully erosion, and is mainly determined by both the soil properties and species competition in the gullies. However, it is still not clear what are the key factors influencing on the vegetation restoration in the gullies with the poor soil properties (e.g. low soil organic matter and nutrients) under the special hydrological process (e.g. high runoff intensity and long flow duration). In this study, soil total organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), available nitrogen (AN), ammonium nitrogen (NH 4 + -N), nitrate nitrogen (NO 3 − -N), total phosphorus (TP), available phosphorus (AP), pH, soil moisture (SM) were investigated, and both regression and structural equation model analysis were used for detecting how soil properties and species competition influence the herbaceous plants restoration in the poor quality of Mollisols in gullies of Northeast China. The results show that, (1) influence of NH 4 + -N, AN, TN, pH on biomass was stronger in 0–10 cm than that in 10–20 cm soil depth, opposite was stronger in 10–20 cm than that in 0–10 cm soil depth for NO 3 − -N, SOC and SM ( P < 0.05). (2) NH 4 + -N, NO 3 − -N, AN, TN, SOC, pH, C:N were all negative, while SM was positive to plant biodiversity in soil layers ( P < 0.05). (3) SOM mainly mediates the TN and NH 4 + -N and then directly or indirectly influences on biodiversity and biomass, and P changed the species richness when AP >20 mg kg −1 in 10–20 cm soil depth. (4) Vegetation restoration was mainly determined by the dynamics of Elymus dahuricus Turcz. firstly, and then by Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel. at the early of vegetation restoration. Generally, the heterogeneity of SOC and SM in soil layers and AP in deep soil layer was the key factors determining NVR in the gullies of Mollisols watershed. At the end of paper, the NVR process in Moillosols in gullies was classified as four stages, and each stage was depicted in detail. • Influence of N, SOC and SM on plant biomass differed from plant biodiversity. • SOM mediates the N form and content and then influences on biomass and biodiversity. • SOC and SM in 0–20 cm soil layers mainly determine natural vegetation restoration. • P changed the species richness when AP >20 mg kg −1 in 10–20 cm soil depth. • Increasing Poaceae could be optimal method to accelerate early vegetation restoration.