Abstract:

In order to provide scientific basis for evaluating water conservation benefit and allocating stand structure，the cumulated mass (CM) and maximal water holding capacity (MWHC) of litter layers，and soil water storage capacity and infiltration capability of different coniferous plantations in the different ecological restoration stages were examined in the subalpine region of western Sichuan.The results showed that CM increased with the increased age of plantation，and it was in the order of 70a spruce plantation(F)>40a spruce plantation(C)>40a sprucelarch plantation(E)>55a spruce plantation(B)>40a larch plantation(D)>birch forests(BF)>25a sprucelarch plantation(A)> shrub forest(SH)> bare land(BL).MWHC showed a similar pattern.With the increment of soil depth，the soil bulk density increased and organic matter content and noncapillary porosity decreased，whereas pH，capillary porosity and total porosity showed no significant change.In the layer of 0~30 cm，the soil noncapillary waterstorage capacity were 3632~7037 t/hm2，and in the order of E>C>F>SF>D>BF>B>A>BL；maximum waterstorage capacity were 12294~23154 t/hm2，and in the order of SF>D>F>E>A>B>BF>C>BL.In the layer of 0~20 cm，soil initial infiltration rate were 08~2595 mm/min，and in the order of C>D>E>BF>B>SF>F>A>BL；soil solid infiltration rate were 055~425 mm/min，and in the order of BF>E>SF>A>B>F>D>C>BL.There were great significant correlations(〖WTBX〗P〖WTBZ〗<001) between the indexes of infiltration characteristics，soil buck density，the organic matter content and noncapillary porosity，whereas solid infiltration rate was inversely correlated with CM significantly (〖WTBX〗P〖WTBZ〗<005).〖