Land use conversion critically affects soil structure and associated functions. This study investigated variations in soil structure and hydropedological characteristics across different land use types, that is, uncultivated, cultivated, and abandoned land under an arid condition. Water‐stable aggregates in the uncultivated land were 15.4%–37.1% of those in the cultivated and abandoned lands at depths of 0–60 cm. Reclamation of the uncultivated land enhanced soil aggregate stability, while prolonged tillage led to the loss of binding organic matter, breakdown of large aggregates and decrease in aggregate stability. The mean weight diameter of aggregates at 0–40 cm depth in the cultivated land was 39.0% lower than in the abandoned land. The volume fraction of micropores (< 100 μm) in the cultivated soils was 3.7%–39.7% of that in the uncultivated soils, whereas macropores (> 1000 μm) was 1.4–1.8 times greater. Following the abandonment, soil pore diversity recovered and a hierarchical structure developed. In the abandoned land, the volume fraction of micropores (< 100 μm) was 2.4–18.9 times that of the cultivated lands, while macropores (> 1000 μm) constituted 81.4%–93.9% of those in the cultivated lands. The permeability and longitudinal dispersivity of soils in the cultivated land were significantly lower than in the uncultivated and abandoned lands, particularly at deeper soil layers. The increase in large pores in the abandoned land, important for water movement and solute transport, resulted in an order‐of‐magnitude rise in both permeability and longitudinal dispersivity compared with the cultivated lands. Overall, the abandoned land showed potential for rehabilitation from the perspectives of soil aggregates and pore structure. The findings may provide reference for land reclamation and management in arid regions.

中文翻译：

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土地利用转换对干旱区土壤结构和水文土壤功能的影响


土地利用转换对土壤结构和相关功能产生重大影响。本研究调查了不同土地利用类型（即干旱条件下未开垦、耕地和废弃土地）的土壤结构和水培特征的变化。未耕地中的水稳定团聚体为 0–60 cm 深度耕地和撂荒地中水稳性团聚体的 15.4%–37.1%。开垦未开垦的土地增强了土壤团聚体的稳定性，而长时间的耕作导致结合有机物的损失、大团聚体的分解和团聚体稳定性的降低。耕地 0—40 cm 深度团聚体的平均重量直径比撂荒地低 39.0%。耕作土壤中微孔的体积分数 （< 100 μm） 是未耕作土壤的 3.7%–39.7%，而大孔 （x3E 1000 μm） 的体积分数是未耕作土壤的 1.4–1.8 倍。废弃后，土壤孔隙多样性恢复，分层结构形成。在撂荒地中，微孔的体积分数 （< 100 μm） 是耕地的 2.4–18.9 倍，而大孔 （> 1000 μm） 占耕地的 81.4%–93.9%。耕地土壤的渗透性和纵向分散性显著低于未开垦和撂荒地，尤其是在较深的土壤层。与耕地相比，撂荒土地中大孔隙的增加对水的运动和溶质运输很重要，导致渗透性和纵向分散性都增加了一个数量级。总体而言，从土壤团聚体和孔隙结构的角度来看，撂荒地显示出恢复的潜力。 研究结果可为干旱区土地复垦和管理提供参考。