Journal of Hunan Ecological Science

【Objective】It is to explore the effects of different water harvesting afforestation techniques on soil water content, afforestation survival and retention rate, and plant height of Hippophae rhamnoides subsp. mongolica in the frontal zone of the northern slope of Tianshan Mountain, to evaluate the effect of the afforestation cost, and to screen out the optimal Hippophae rhamnoides subsp. mongolica afforestation technique, so as to provide technical references for artificial afforestation of this area. 【Method】The elite cultivar of Hippophae rhamnoides ‘xinji1’was used as the research object. A two-factor experimental design was employed, involving four levels of trench depth: H0 (0 cm), H1 (20 cm), H2 (40 cm), H3 (60 cm), and four soil moisture conservation measures: W0 ( bare land), W1 ( bentonite), W2 (weed control fabric), and W3 (bentonite + weed control fabric). 【Result】Horizontal furrow depth, water retention measures and the interaction of the two had significant effects on soil water content, affor- estation survival and retention rate and plant height; under the same water retention measures, as the depth of the horizontal furrow increased, the indexes were better, but the cost of silviculture increased; under the same depth of the horizontal furrow, the overall W3 treatment was the best, but the cost of sil- viculture was also the highest; through the method of the value of the subordinate function to synthesize the evaluation with the combination of the afforestation cost, the effect of each water harvesting and affor- estation technique was comprehensively evaluated by the affiliation function value method, with H2W3 treatment scoring the highest and H0W0 scoring the lowest. 【Conclusion】In this study, the best silvicul- tural technique for Hippophae rhamnoides subsp. mongolica was screened as H2W3 (40 cm depth + ben- tonite + mulching with weed control fabric) treatment.

northern slope of Tianshan Mountain; Hippophae rhamnoides subsp. mongolica; water har- vesting afforestation techniques; depth of horizontal trench; water conservation measures