Effects of straw checkerboard barriers on soil nutrients in water diversion project in the Gurbantunggut Desert

The temporal variation of soil nutrients in the area of straw checkerboard barriers in water diversion project in the Gurbantunggut Desert were investigated using conventional statistics to provide information for land management and control of environmental issues. The soil samples (0 to 40 cm) within the area of straw checkerboard barriers setting with different years were collected in July of 2011, and analysis was made on organic matter, available nitrogen, available phosphorus and available potassium. The results showed that the contents of soil nutrients were affected by straw checkerboard barriers and increased with the years of the straw checkerboard barriers, specially the increase of available nitrogen， available potassium is obvious. The positive feedback mechanism of straw checkerboard barriers for improving the soil quality was observed in this study which provide important scientific basis for the ecological restoration in water diversion project in the Gurbantunggut Desert.