High rainfall variability in drylands complicates comparison in time of productivity and soil fertility, and their changes due to altered management. In order to determine the extent, kinetics, and mechanisms of soil and ecosystem recovery achievable in degraded loess plots in southern Israel, aboveground net primary production (ANPP) and soil quality in three fenced plots were analyzed between 2011 and 2017 for experimental confirmation of previously formulated hypotheses on the ecosystem recovery potential in this area. A degraded control plot [<20% biological productivity, marginal plant biodiversity, 50% reduced soil organic matter (SOM)] was analyzed in the same way to normalize annual growth rates in the protected plots. An abandoned ruminants' enclosure was chosen as a reference plot for maximum achievable values to estimate the duration to full ecosystem recovery. The protected loess areas displayed rapid full recovery of soil moisture measured at the end of the rainy season after 3 years already. Annual normalized ANPP increased 5‐fold within 6 years of protection to 3 Mg dry matter per hectare and year, or 60% of the locally achievable maximum ANPP. Herbaceous species numbers increased about 10‐fold in the protected plots as compared to the degraded control plot. Normalized soil carbon sequestration rates of ~5 Mg CO₂eq ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ were deduced from yearly normalized SOM changes. This methodology can be applied universally to determine the true biological production potentials of areas of unknown land degradation/rehabilitation state, and for assessing gains in ecosystem services achievable by restoration of degraded dry agroecosystems such as biodiversity, fodder production, and carbon sequestration.

中文翻译：

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放牧控制对以色列北部内盖夫长期退化的黄土农田中生态系统恢复，生物生产力提高和土壤碳固存的影响

干旱地区的高降雨多变性使比较生产力和土壤肥力的时间变得复杂，并且由于管理方式的改变而使它们发生变化。为了确定以色列南部退化的黄土地块可实现的土壤和生态系统恢复的程度，动力学以及机理，分析了2011年至2017年之间三个围栏地块的地上净初级生产力（ANPP）和土壤质量，以进行先前的实验确认就该地区的生态系统恢复潜力制定了假设。以相同的方式分析了退化的控制地块[<20％的生物生产力，边际植物生物多样性，50％的土壤有机质减少（SOM）]，以使受保护地块的年增长率正常化。被遗弃的反刍动物 选择围栏作为最大可实现值的参考图，以估计生态系统完全恢复的持续时间。受保护的黄土地区已经显示出在3年后的雨季结束时测得的土壤水分快速完全恢复。在保护期的6年内，每年标准化的ANPP增加了5倍，达到每公顷和每年3 Mg干物质，或当地可实现的最高ANPP的60％。与退化的对照地块相比，保护地块中的草本物种数量增加了约10倍。〜5 Mg CO的归一化土壤碳固存速率 在保护期的6年内，每年标准化的ANPP增加了5倍，达到每公顷和每年3 Mg干物质，或当地可实现的最高ANPP的60％。与退化的对照地块相比，保护地块中的草本物种数量增加了约10倍。〜5 Mg CO的归一化土壤碳固存速率 在保护期的6年内，每年标准化的ANPP增加了5倍，达到每公顷和每年3 Mg干物质，或当地可实现的最高ANPP的60％。与退化的对照地块相比，保护地块中的草本物种数量增加了约10倍。〜5 Mg CO的归一化土壤碳固存速率从每年标准化的SOM变化推导出₂ eq ha ^-1 yr ^-1。该方法可普遍用于确定未知土地退化/恢复状态的地区的真实生物生产潜力，并评估通过恢复退化的干燥农业生态系统（如生物多样性，饲料生产和碳固存）可实现的生态系统服务收益。