CCa-based analysis of relationship between soil environment and vegetation restoration in semi-arid areas of Northwest China

Based on Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) and Partial Canonical Correspondence Analysis (PCCA), this paper analyzed the relationship between soil environment and vegetation restoration in semi-arid areas of Northwest China, and quantified the contribution of each soil environmental factors on vegetation restoration. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) In the natural process of vegetation restoration in arid and semi-arid areas, the order of soil environmental factors which affect species was soil quality>; length of restoration period>; terrain>; soil seed bank, at the large spatial scale, length of vegetation restoration period and soil quality were the main environmental factors affect vegetation succession; (2) the main soil quality indicators which affect the vegetation succession of loess hilly regions were soil MWD, organic carbon density, organic nitrogen density, and alkaline phosphatase activity, etc.