干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Various soil surface components, such as trees, shrubs and biological crusts, and human recreational activities, e.g., barbecues and trampling by visitors, may divide the area of the urban park into smaller fragments/microenvironments, differentiated by their microenvironmental conditions, which may differ in soil and vegetation characteristics. The spatial changes in the soil and vegetation characteristics and their causes were investigated in an urban park located south of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Israel. The area of the park is 0.5 km(2), including groves, a lake, lawns, and rest areas. Soil was sampled in nine microenvironments, of which seven were within the park: under Ceratonia siligua trees (CsU), under Ficus sycomorus trees (FiU), rest area between tables under F. sycomorus (FiB), rest area under tables under F. sycomorus (FiT), open area with bare soil (OaS), open area with biological crust cover (OaC), and open area covered by herbaceous vegetation (OaV). Two more microenvironments, planar and sloping open areas (CoP and CoS, respectively) in the vicinity of the park, were used as the controls. Electrical conductivity, concentrations of soluble ions (Mg2+, Ca2+, Na+, K+ and HCO3-), pH, contents of organic carbon, calcium carbonate and moisture, and grain size distribution were determined. In addition, herbaceous vegetation cover, number and diversity of herbaceous vegetation species were measured. It was found that soil properties and herbaceous vegetation characteristics varied within the park. Soil organic carbon, electrical conductivity, soluble salts, penetration depth, and vegetation characteristics were affected by human activities, mainly in the rest area between the tables. In contrast, the above characteristics were affected by natural factors mainly in the rest of the microenvironments, which were subjected to low levels of anthropogenic intervention. The heterogeneous structure of the park, as represented by the various microenvironments, offered new habitats and promoted the preservation of natural vegetation.