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Strategies to Improve Vegetation Restoration, Alleviate Land Degradation and Encourage...
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Strategies to Improve Vegetation Restoration, Alleviate Land Degradation and Encourage Sustainable Management in the Desert Ecosystem

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 7357

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Akash Tariq

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
Interests: plant eco-physiology; plant biochemistry; plant nutrition; abiotic stress; nutrients regulation and dynamics; growth and metabolism; ecological stoichiometry; plant stress; climate change
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Fanjiang Zeng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Science, Urumqi, China
Interests: desert plant ecology; plant–microbe interactions; plant nutrition
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Drylands, covering 41% of the Earth's surface, with nearly 15% affected by salinity, are home to 38% of the global population. Arid and semiarid landscapes occupy 25.8% of the Earth's land surface and support 18.5% of its population, harboring unique biological and cultural diversity. Despite their scientific and socio-economic significance, global awareness is lacking regarding the efforts required to protect and manage these regions.

The increasing aridity in global drylands due to climate change impacts ecosystem attributes such as nutrient cycling, plant productivity, and microbial communities. Arid lands have expanded in recent decades and are expected to continue growing due to poor management and changing climates. Climate warming, drought intensification, and population growth increase the risk of desertification and food insecurity in developing countries. This Special Issue aims to focus on strategies for vegetation restoration, combating land degradation, and encouraging sustainable management in desert ecosystems to mitigate these challenges and achieve Sustainable Development Goal 15.

Dr. Akash Tariq
Dr. Fanjiang Zeng
Guest Editors

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • drylands
  • desertification
  • land degradation
  • vegetation restoration
  • sustainable management

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 1372 KB  
Communication
Changes in Plant Nitrogen Resorption During Restoration in Inner Mongolia, China
by Xiang Li, Takafumi Miyasaka and Hao Qu
Plants 2026, 15(8), 1203; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15081203 - 15 Apr 2026
Viewed by 345
Abstract
Tree and shrub planting is a widely used strategy to restore degraded semi-arid grasslands. Although nutrient resorption is a key adaptation to nutrient-limited environments, its dynamics at decadal scales remain poorly understood. In this study, we measured species-averaged nitrogen resorption efficiency (NRE) at [...] Read more.
Tree and shrub planting is a widely used strategy to restore degraded semi-arid grasslands. Although nutrient resorption is a key adaptation to nutrient-limited environments, its dynamics at decadal scales remain poorly understood. In this study, we measured species-averaged nitrogen resorption efficiency (NRE) at both community and functional group levels, together with soil nutrients, across 20- and 40-year shrub-planted sites and a 40-year tree-planted site in Inner Mongolia, China. At the community level, green and senesced leaf nitrogen (N) concentrations, NRE, and aboveground biomass did not differ significantly among sites. However, clear differences emerged at the functional group level: Poaceae exhibited higher NRE than forbs and lower senesced leaf N than both forbs and Fabaceae. As restoration progressed, Poaceae replaced forbs as the dominant group, coinciding with increased soil nutrient availability. Notably, NRE in Poaceae declined with increasing soil nutrients, suggesting a shift toward greater reliance on direct soil nutrient uptake. This shift, combined with the production of low-nitrogen litter by dominant Poaceae species, may ultimately slow soil nutrient accumulation. Our findings highlight the importance of functional group dynamics in regulating long-term nutrient resorption and cycling and suggest that managing Poaceae dominance could enhance long-term soil nutrient enrichment and biodiversity in restored semi-arid grasslands. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies to Improve Vegetation Restoration, Alleviate Land Degradation and Encourage Sustainable Management in the Desert Ecosystem)
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18 pages, 3379 KB  
Article
Niche, Interspecific Association and Community Stability of Understory Vegetation in Artificial Sand-Fixing Forests of the Mu Us Sandy Land
by Huricha Ao, Hongbin Xu, Yuqing Mi, Haibing Wang, Lei Zhang, Shengnan Zhang, Haiyan Gao and Siqi Li
Plants 2026, 15(2), 191; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15020191 - 7 Jan 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 473
Abstract
Understanding the community assembly mechanisms and stability of artificial sand-fixing forests is critical for the management of desert ecosystems. This study investigated the understory vegetation of four artificial sand-fixing shrub forests in the Mu Us Sandy Land to understand community assembly mechanisms and [...] Read more.
Understanding the community assembly mechanisms and stability of artificial sand-fixing forests is critical for the management of desert ecosystems. This study investigated the understory vegetation of four artificial sand-fixing shrub forests in the Mu Us Sandy Land to understand community assembly mechanisms and stability by analyzing niche characteristics, interspecific associations, and community stability. The results showed the following: (1) Lc (Leymus chinensis), Ee (Euphorbia esula), Gd (Grubovia dasyphylla), and Ch (Corispermum hyssopifolium) all have wide ecological niches and high importance values, serving as key species for maintaining community function. (2) The understory herbaceous plant communities of S. psammophila, A. ordosica and C. fruticosum exhibited low niche overlap, and the A. fruticosa understory herbaceous plant community showed high niche overlap. (3) The overall association of the understory herbaceous plant communities of S. psammophila, A. ordosica, and C. fruticosum is positive, while that of the understory herbaceous plant community of A. fruticosa is negative; the interspecific associations are weak, and the species show an independent distribution pattern. (4) Among the four understory herbaceous plant communities, the stability of the S. psammophila understory herbaceous plant community is relatively the highest, followed by A. ordosica and C. fruticosum understory herbaceous plant community, and the stability of A. fruticosa understory herbaceous plant community is the lowest. Furthermore, community stability was positively correlated with the variance ratio (VR) but negatively correlated with mean niche overlap. We recommend prioritizing S. psammophila and C. fruticosum for sand fixation and conserving key herbaceous species to optimize resource use and stabilize interspecific relationships. The novelty of this study lies in its integrated assessment of niche characteristics, interspecific associations, and community stability, and it primarily focused on the role of interspecific relationships. Future research should incorporate environmental drivers and shrub functional traits to disentangle the synergistic effects of biotic and abiotic factors, thereby providing a more robust scientific foundation for vegetation restoration in desert ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies to Improve Vegetation Restoration, Alleviate Land Degradation and Encourage Sustainable Management in the Desert Ecosystem)
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14 pages, 958 KB  
Article
Synergistic Effects of Partial Substitution of Sludge with Cattle Manure and Straw on Soil Improvement and Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica Growth in Horqin Sandy Land, China
by Dan Su, Meiqi Zhang, Yao Chang, Jie Bai, Guiyan Ai, Yanhui Peng, Zhongyi Pang and Xuekai Sun
Plants 2025, 14(13), 2067; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14132067 - 6 Jul 2025
Viewed by 831
Abstract
Afforestation with Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica in northern China is hindered by soil degradation. This study evaluated a ternary amendment combining sewage sludge (SS), cattle manure (CM), and maize straw (MS) to rehabilitate degraded sandy soils in the Horqin Sandy Land. Five treatments [...] Read more.
Afforestation with Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica in northern China is hindered by soil degradation. This study evaluated a ternary amendment combining sewage sludge (SS), cattle manure (CM), and maize straw (MS) to rehabilitate degraded sandy soils in the Horqin Sandy Land. Five treatments were tested: control (CK), SS (T1), SS + CM (T2), SS+MS (T3), and SS + CM + MS (T4). The ternary amendment (T4) achieved optimal outcomes: soil pH decreased from 8.02 to 7.79, organic carbon increased 2.5–fold, and total nitrogen (127%) and phosphorus (87.5%) were enhanced compared to CK. Pinus sylvestris exhibited a 65.6% greater basal diameter and 29.5% height increase under T4, while heavy metal concentrations (Cd: −54.6%, Cu: −35.1%, Pb: −12.2% and Zn: −27.6%) were reduced. These findings highlight a synergistic waste valorization strategy for dryland afforestation, balancing soil fertility improvement with ecological safety. Future studies should prioritize long-term microbial community dynamics and field-scale validation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies to Improve Vegetation Restoration, Alleviate Land Degradation and Encourage Sustainable Management in the Desert Ecosystem)
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13 pages, 1417 KB  
Article
Rhizosphere and Non-Rhizosphere Soil Microbial Communities in Alpine Desertified Grassland Affected by Vegetation Restoration
by Xuan Gao, Hongyu Qian, Rui Huang, Wangyi He, Haodong Jiang, Ao Shen, Zhi Li and Yufu Hu
Plants 2025, 14(13), 1925; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14131925 - 23 Jun 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1857
Abstract
The rhizosphere serves as a critical interface for plant–soil–microorganism interactions. Rhizosphere soil refers to the soil directly adhering to root surfaces, while non-rhizosphere soil denotes the surrounding soil not in direct contact with roots. This study investigated the characteristics of soil microbial community [...] Read more.
The rhizosphere serves as a critical interface for plant–soil–microorganism interactions. Rhizosphere soil refers to the soil directly adhering to root surfaces, while non-rhizosphere soil denotes the surrounding soil not in direct contact with roots. This study investigated the characteristics of soil microbial community structure, diversity, and enzyme activity dynamics in both rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils of Salix cupularis (shrub) across different restoration periods (4, 8, 16, and 24 years) in alpine sandy lands on the eastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, with unrestored sandy land as control (CK), while analyzing relationships between soil properties and microbial characteristics. Results demonstrated that with increasing restoration duration, activities of sucrase, urease, alkaline phosphatase, and catalase in Salix cupularis rhizosphere showed increasing trends across periods, with rhizosphere enzyme activities consistently exceeding non-rhizosphere levels. Bacterial Chao1 and Shannon indices followed similar patterns to enzyme activities, revealing statistically significant differences between rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere soils after 8 and 24 years of restoration, respectively. Dominant bacterial phyla ranked by relative abundance were Actinobacteria > Proteobacteria > Acidobacteria > Chloroflexi > Gemmatimonadetes. The relative abundance of Actinobacteria exhibited highly significant positive correlations with carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and enzyme activity indicators, indicating that Salix cupularis restoration promoted improvements in soil physicochemical properties and nutrient accumulation, thereby enhancing bacterial community diversity and increasing Actinobacteria abundance. These findings provide fundamental data for restoration ecology and microbial ecology in alpine ecosystems, offering a scientific basis for optimizing ecological restoration processes and improving recovery efficiency in alpine sandy ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies to Improve Vegetation Restoration, Alleviate Land Degradation and Encourage Sustainable Management in the Desert Ecosystem)
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17 pages, 3083 KB  
Article
Allocation Patterns and Strategies of Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Densities in Three Typical Desert Plants
by Guangxing Zhao, Akash Tariq, Zhaobin Mu, Zhihao Zhang, Corina Graciano, Mengfei Cong, Xinping Dong, Jordi Sardans, Dhafer A. Al-Bakre, Josep Penuelas and Fanjiang Zeng
Plants 2025, 14(11), 1595; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14111595 - 23 May 2025
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1385
Abstract
The densities of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus (C-N-P) reflect the adaptation and response of desert plants to hyper-arid environments. However, the allocation strategies for biomass and C-N-P densities among various plant life forms remain poorly understood. This study involved the collection of samples [...] Read more.
The densities of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus (C-N-P) reflect the adaptation and response of desert plants to hyper-arid environments. However, the allocation strategies for biomass and C-N-P densities among various plant life forms remain poorly understood. This study involved the collection of samples representing both aboveground and belowground biomass (to depths of 200 cm) from three desert plant species—both herbaceous and shrubby—and evaluating their C-N-P densities. The investigation focused on the distribution strategies and drivers influencing total C-N-P densities within the plant–soil system. The results indicated that the biomass of the shrub Tamarix ramosissima (8.88 ± 1.22 kg m−2) was significantly greater than that of the herbaceous plants Alhagi sparsifolia (0.96 ± 0.15 kg m−2) and Karelinia caspia (0.72 ± 0.09 kg m−2). The total C density among the three species was observed as follows: T. ramosissima (9.26 ± 0.99 kg m−2) > A. sparsifolia (6.21 ± 0.85 kg m−2) > K. caspia (6.18 ± 1.12 kg m−2). Notably, no significant differences were detected in the total N and P densities across the species. Additionally, for A. sparsifolia and K. caspia, the roots exhibited greater biomass and C-N-P densities. Further analysis revealed that soil pools accounted for 56.34–95.10% of total C density, 90.39–98.63% of total N density, and 99.86–99.97% of total P density in the plant–soil system. The order of total C-N-P densities was established as C > P > N, decoupling total P density from other environmental factors. Total C and N densities in the three plant species were predominantly influenced by soil physicochemical properties, with biotic factors and microbial biomass playing secondary roles. This study improves the understanding of C-N-P densities strategies of dominant vegetation for restoration and sustainable management in hyper-arid deserts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies to Improve Vegetation Restoration, Alleviate Land Degradation and Encourage Sustainable Management in the Desert Ecosystem)
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13 pages, 1545 KB  
Article
Life History Strategies of the Winter Annual Plant Echinops gmelinii (Asteraceae) in a Cold Desert Population
by Yanli Wang, Xinrong Li and Jiecai Zhao
Plants 2025, 14(2), 284; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14020284 - 20 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1620
Abstract
Echinops gmelinii Turcz. is a winter annual species of the Asteraceae family, distributed in sandy areas of northern China, and is crucial for wind avoidance and sand fixation. To understand the inter- and intra-annual population dynamics of E. gmelinii in its cold desert [...] Read more.
Echinops gmelinii Turcz. is a winter annual species of the Asteraceae family, distributed in sandy areas of northern China, and is crucial for wind avoidance and sand fixation. To understand the inter- and intra-annual population dynamics of E. gmelinii in its cold desert habitats, we conducted long- and short-term demographic studies to investigate the timing of germination, seedling survival, soil seed bank and seed longevity of natural populations on the fringe of the Tengger Desert. Cypselae (seeds) of E. gmelinii can germinate in both July and August, but this process is heavily affected by precipitation amount and timing. Early emerging seedlings died rapidly under the high temperature and drought stress, before completing their life cycle. Later emerging seedlings could survive to complete their life cycle due to more suitable conditions for plant growth. In short, seedling survival dynamics were affected by precipitation distribution, and the survival rates were low (<4%). In addition, we found that the high seed production (1328 seeds·m−2) of E. gmelinii depended mainly on the production of seeds by individuals rather than high plant density (35 individuals·m−2). The contribution of newly ripened seeds and soil seed banks to seedlings emergence was 57.7% and 42.3%, respectively. Thus, only a small amount of the newly matured seeds was depleted during the year. Only 23.6% of the annual seeds germinated, and the remainder accumulated in a persistent soil seed bank (seed longevity was ≥2 y). The amount and timing of precipitation distribution were the key factors affecting the population dynamics of E. gmelinii in our study area. This species can cope with the uncertain precipitation patterns though a “cautious” germination strategy, varying the timing of germination and forming a persistent soil seed bank. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strategies to Improve Vegetation Restoration, Alleviate Land Degradation and Encourage Sustainable Management in the Desert Ecosystem)
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