Toward sustainable soil and water resources use in China's highly erodible semi-arid loess plateau

The water–wind crisscross region of the Loess Plateau in China is comprised of 17.8 million hectares of highly erodible soil under limited annual rainfall. This requires a sustainable water balance for the restoration of dryland ecosystems to reduce and manage soil erosion. In this region, alfalfa has been one of the main legumes grown to minimize soil erosion. However, alfalfa yields were significantly lower in years of reduced rainfall suggesting that high water use and deep rooting alfalfa make it an unsustainable crop due to the long-term decline in soil water storage and productivity. Our objectives in this study were to evaluate the soil water balance of Loess Plateau soils during vegetative restoration and to evaluate practices that prevent soil desiccation and promote ecosystem restoration and sustainability. Field observations of soil moisture recovery and soil erosion were carried out for five years after alfalfa was replaced with different crops and with bare soil. Soil water content changes in cropland, rangeland, and bare soil were tracked over several years, using a water balance approach. Results indicate that growing forages significantly reduced runoff and sediment transport. A forage–food–crop rotation is a better choice than other cropping systems for achieving sustainable productivity and preventing soil erosion and desiccation. However, economic considerations have prevented its widespread adoption by local farmers. Alternatively, this study recommends consideration of grassland crops or forest ecosystems to provide a sustainable water balance in the Loess Plateau of China.