Soil Moisture Status in Jiangxigou in the South of Qinghai Lake

Based on determinations of soil moisture content and particle size,the features of soil moisture content,dried soil layer,the suitability of grassland development,soil reservoir and so on were studied in the south of the Qinghai Lake in the Eastern Tibetan Plateau.The results indicate that the soil moisture content increased with depth.Permanently dried soil layer developed at the depth of about 1 m.Soil layers were increasingly dry with depth;weakly dried soil layer shifted to moderately dried soil layer from upper to lower parts of soil profiles,which could be related to the warming and drying climate and low precipitation.Although during rainy year the moisture contents of the upper soil profile were significantly higher,the dried soil layers could not receive enough water to restore in this area.The soil texture of the South Qinghai Lake was similar to silty soils found in the Loess Plateau.However,the soil was shallow,resulting in soil reservoir of poor adjustment ability.The dried soil layer and poor soil reservoir suggested that grassland vegetation consuming less moisture are more preferable than forests in this area.