Soil degradation: a global problem endangering sustainable development

Soil degradation, defined as lowering and losing of soil functions, is becoming more and more serious worldwide in recent decades, and poses a threat to agricultural production and terrestrial ecosystem. It is estimated that nearly 2 billion ha of soil resources in the world have been degraded, namely approximately 22% of the total cropland, pasture, forest, and woodland. Globally, soil erosion, chemical deterioration and physical degradation are the important parts amongst various types of soil degradation. As a natural process, soil degradation can be enhanced or dampened by a variety of human activities such as inappropriate agricultural management, overgrazing, deforestation, etc. Degraded soil means less food. As a result of soil degradation, it is estimated that about 11.9-13.4% of the global agricultural supply has been lost in the past five decades. Besides, soil degradation is also associated with off-site problems of sedimentation, climate change, watershed functions, and changes in natural habitats leading to loss of genetic stock and biodiversity. Therefore, it is essential to combat soil degradation at different levels and scales worldwide, not only for food security and ecological health, but also for the guarantee of global sustainable development.     

Theoretical basis and technical path for the regional all-for-one customization model of black soil granary

The black soil area in Northeast China serves as a “ballast” to ensure China’s food security. Unreasonable development and utilization lead to serious black soil degradation in some areas and affect regional food production and economic and social development. In the context of the intensification of the contradiction between food supply and demand worldwide, we should pay more attention to the overall situation of regional sustainable development and seek for systematic, scientific, and economic solutions. This study establishes a regional all-for-one customization model of black soil granary on the basis of the regional system of human-land relationship, customized and accurate management, agricultural system theory, and agricultural informatization with the guidance of integrated geography concept. The aim of this regional all-for-one customization model is to systematically diagnose the key problems and leading factors of black soil degradation and determine a solution that combines the commonness and individuality of black soil protection from the perspective of multiscale linkage, multifactor coupling, and multitechnology cooperation. The regional all-for-one customization model of black soil granary integrates the two perspectives of “regional” and “customization” into the protection and comprehensive utilization of black soil for the first time. It adopts zoning, grading, and classification as the main strategy and big data and artificial intelligence as the main technical approaches. This model constructs three strategies of different scales by combining the “satellite-air-ground-network” 3D monitoring system and the all-for-one customization platform driven by big data and artificial intelligence. First, the “implementing strategies by regions” are implemented at the regional scale to formulate the regional agricultural resource allocation scheme and agricultural zoning, which can provide strategies to protect and utilize black soil effectively. Second, the “determining strategies in accordance with villages” are implemented at the village scale to formulate a black soil protection and utilization model for different categories of villages, which can promote the organic integration of black soil protection and rural revitalization. Third, a “one strategy for one field” concept is applied at the field scale to provide accurate strategies for soil restoration and yield improvement in a fixed, quantitative, and regular manner. Multiscale integrated demonstration and scheme verification of the regional all-for-one customization model of black soil granary are conducted in Qiqihar City at three scales, namely, region, village, and field, to solve the key issues in black soil protection and utilization and form a replicable and popularized system solution, thereby providing a model for the sustainable development of Chinese and global black soil agriculture. The proposed regional all-for-one customization model of black soil granary has important theoretical and practical value in promoting the high-quality development of regional agriculture and rural revitalization, and provides a demonstration model of land protection and utilization for the black soil area in China and the whole world.     

黑土粮仓全域定制模式的理论基础与技术路径

东北黑土地是中国粮食生产的“压舱石”。不合理开发利用导致部分地区黑土地退化严重,影响局部区域粮食生产和经济社会发展。在全球范围内粮食供需矛盾加剧的背景下,亟需着眼于区域可持续发展战略全局,寻求系统性、科学性和经济性的解决方案。黑土粮仓全域定制模式以地理学综合思想为指导,系统诊断黑土地退化的关键问题与主导因素,构建多尺度联动、多要素耦合、多技术协同的黑土地保护共性与个性相结合的解决方案。该模式依托“星—空—地—网”立体监测系统,结合大数据与人工智能驱动的全域定制平台,构建3个不同尺度策略：① 市域尺度实施“分区施策”,制定服务于黑土保护的农业资源优化配置方案和全域农业区划方案等;② 村域尺度实施“依村定策”,制定不同类型村庄的黑土地保护利用模式;③ 地块尺度实施“一地一策”,提供黑土保护与种植管理等土壤修复和产量提升精准策略。在齐齐哈尔市开展“市域—村域—地块”多尺度的方案验证与集成示范,以破解黑土地保护与利用难题,形成可复制可推广的系统解决方案,为中国和全球黑土地农业的可持续发展提供示范样板。     

城市绿地土壤呼吸与土壤温度土壤水分的关系研究

采用LICOR-6400便携式光合作用仪连接6400-09土壤叶室,对山西大学校园内的三种绿地(黑麦草、紫叶小檗和日本黄杨)的土壤呼吸进行了一年的测定.结果表明:土壤呼吸速率具有较明显的季节变化,冬春季较低,盛夏秋初较高,最大值出现在8月,最低值出现在12月.土壤呼吸速率与0～10 cm深度的土壤温度关系显著,黑麦草、紫叶小檗和日本黄杨土壤温度变化分别解释土壤呼吸季节变化的57.3%、65.4%、46.6%(线性函数)和60.6%、71.3%、50.7%(指数函数);黑麦草地土壤呼吸与土壤水分的关系均为极显著(p<0.01);用土壤温度和土壤水分的复合方程可以解释土壤呼吸变化的52%～84%.黑麦草、紫叶小檗和日本黄杨的年土壤呼吸总量分别为1.246 kg C·m-2、1.822 kg C·m-2、1.806 kg C·m-2.     

自然湿地水质净化研究进展

自然湿地应用于水质净化具有重要的生态、经济价值,近年来得到了广泛的重视.对于引起水体富营养化的主要污染物质氮、磷.湿地去除它们的机理主要在于土壤、微生物、植物的相互协同作用,同时自然湿地的面积、结构、分布位置等条件对湿地的去污效果产生一定的影响.3种不同类别自然湿地--岸坡湿地、河流湿地以及泥沼湿地的水质净化研究进展各具特色,相互之间既有共同点,也有较大差异,共同点主要在于去污机理研究方面,而差异之处则源自彼此的研究历史及湿地特征.自然湿地水质净化研究今后可能的发展方向包括边界区影响研究、退化湿地水质净化功能恢复、流域尺度可持续发展规划和驱动因素作用下水质净化功能动态研究等方面.     

岩溶山区不同植被群落土壤生态系统特性研究

自然植被演替成为次生植被、人工林或人工开垦利用后,岩溶山地土壤物理性能退化;沙化现象明显;坡耕地土壤长时间持水供水性能、抗旱性能降低;土壤种子库中草本种子比例大,木本植物种子少,土壤种子库退化更严重。研究区土壤有机质和全N受植被类型和土地利用强度影响明显,坡耕地土壤有机质较林草地系统低,退耕还林还草后,土壤有机质含量稳定增加。与自然植被相比,人工林、次生林系统土壤有机质含量仍较低。从弃耕地→灌草坡→次生林地的演替过程中,土壤种子库生态优势度呈降低趋势,物种丰富度和多样性增加。研究结果认为,岩溶生态系统土地退化的实质是土壤作为水库、养分库和土壤种子库功能的差异退化。     

Understanding Agriculture Production and Food Security in Ethiopia from the Perspective of China

Food security and sustainable agricultural development are the hot issues of scientific research, especially after the population affected by hunger surprisingly increased in 2016. Long-lasting and recurrent famines caused by natural disasters and wars have afflicted Ethiopia. Unlike Ethiopia, which is still struggling to achieve food self-sufficiency, China managed to quickly become food self-sufficient at a rapid speed, despite the fact that it also faced the same challenges of famine over the last century. In the backdrop of differing environmental and socio-political challenges the two countries face, comparing the similarities and differences between the two countries will yield important lessons and insights for Ethiopia to follow to achieve food self-sufficiency. Here, the progress towards food security in Ethiopia and China is presented to quantitatively compare the gap of agricultural production between both countries. We found that food production in Ethiopia is heavily constrained by drought, soil degradation, climate change, out-dated agricultural production technologies, and poverty. According to these challenges, we examined corresponding responses in China to propose solutions for achieving food self-sufficiency in Ethiopia, given the realities of its unique national situation.     

Impact of land cover types on the soil characteristics in karst area of Chongqing

The 26 plots including natural forestland, secondary forestland, shrub-grassland, sloping cropland, artificial forest and abandoned field, were selected to discuss the impact of land cover on the soil characteristics in the three karst districts of Chongqing. The results showed that: (1) After the vegetation turned into secondary vegetation or artificial vegetation, or reclamation, soil physical properties would be degraded. In the surface-layer soil of sloping cropland, the contents of > 2 mm water-stable aggregates decreased obviously with apparent sandification. (2) The contents of soil organic matter and total nitrogen are controlled completely by vegetation type and land use intensity. The increasing trend is rather slow in the early days when over-reclamation is stopped and the land is converted to forest and pasture. (3) Herbaceous species increase and woody plants species decrease with the increase of land use intensity, therefore, the soil seed banks degrade more seriously. (4) The soil degradation index has been set up to describe the relative soil degradation degree under the conditions of different vegetation types. (5) Land cover has a significant effect on karst soil characteristics, land degradation in the karst ecosystem is essentially characterized by the different degradation of soil functions that serve as water banks, nutrient banks and soil seed banks.     

重庆喀斯特地区土地覆被类型对土壤特征的影响

1 Introduction The karst region of Southwest China, with Guizhou Province as the center, extends across Yunnan Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sichuan Province, Chongqing, western Hunan Province, Hubei Province, and Guangdong Province, coveri…     

Ethanol Fuels: Energy Balance, Economics, and Environmental Impacts Are Negative

Several studies suggest that the $1.4 billion in government subsidies are encouraging the ethanol program without substantial benefits to the U.S. economy. Large ethanol industries and a few U.S. government agencies, such as the USDA, support the production of ethanol. Corn-farmers receive minimal profits. In the U.S. ethanol system, considerably more energy, including high-grade fossil fuel, is required to produce ethanol than is available in the energy-ethanol output. Specifically about 29% more energy is used to produce a gallon of ethanol than the energy in a gallon of ethanol. Fossil energy powers corn production and the fermentation/distillation processes. Increasing subsidized ethanol production will take more feed from livestock production, and is estimated to currently cost consumers an additional $1 billion per year. Ethanol production increases environmental degradation. Corn production causes more total soil erosion than any other crop. Also, corn production uses more insecticides, herbicides, and nitrogen fertilizers than any other crop. All these factors degrade the agricultural and natural environment and contribute to water pollution and air pollution. Increasing the cost of food and diverting human food resources to the costly inefficient production of ethanol fuel raise major ethical questions. These occur at a time when more than half of the world's population is malnourished. The ethical priority for corn and other food crops should be for food and feed. Subsidized ethanol produced from U.S. corn is not a renewable energy source.     

干旱半干旱地区草原灌丛荒漠化及其 生物地球化学循环

干旱和半干旱地区草地生态系统木本植物入侵及其导致的草原灌丛化已经成为全球范 围普遍发生的现象, 是草地沙化和荒漠化的一个重要标志。干旱生态系统中, 此种类型的植被变 化将对区域和全球生物地球化学循环产生显著影响。过度放牧、区域气候干旱化和自然火过程是 导致灌丛入侵和发展的主要控制因子。草原灌丛化过程中, 草地生态系统分布较为均匀的土壤养 分及相关元素在水平和垂直方向发生分异, 关键生命元素C、N、P 、S 生物地球化学循环的变化 将对全球气候变化产生显著作用。全球气候变化与草原灌丛荒漠化之间存在潜在的反馈机制, 人 类扰动的影响将使这种反馈作用变得更加迅速和灵敏。     

苏打盐碱土地区不同土地利用类型的地表水分蒸渗特征

选择东北松嫩平原西部典型地区,采用FAO56方法和实际田间定期观测相结合,分析了当地旱田和碱斑地两种主要土地利用类型地表水分蒸散和入渗特征及其对土地盐碱化的影响。结果表明:对于玉米地这样相对蒸散量比较大的旱作农田来讲,水分亏缺和盐碱化主要发生在根层,而对表层土壤,即使在偏干旱年份,仍然有足够的水分入渗量来维持盐分平衡。碱斑地随着植被的破坏,总体上表层土壤蒸发和入渗量基本平衡,但是由于土壤水分蒸发过程中盐分浓度要比入渗过程中的盐分浓度大,表层土壤依然向盐碱化方向发展。采取适当的土地利用方式,建立耗水量与该地区降雨水平相适应的植被系统是控制区域土地盐碱化发展的关键。     

论固氮植物在山区农业持续发展中的应用

对固氮植物在山区的应用潜力及前景进行了讨论。固氮植物不仅可以用于改善土壤肥力和保持水土,还可以为山区提供大量的木本饲料在提高土壤肥力方面,详细阐明了应用多年生木本固氮植物提高土壤肥力的新原理和新思路论述了植物篱、生物梯田的水土保持作用、建立生物梯田的方法及其与传统人工梯田相比的优越性。认为发展多年生木本固氮植物在山区水土保持、坡耕地土壤肥力改善、荒坡荒山的治理、木本饲料和薪炭林的发展及在恢复山区退化生态系统方面都有着广阔的前景。     

干旱半干旱地区草原灌丛荒漠化及其 生物地球化学循环

干旱和半干旱地区草地生态系统木本植物入侵及其导致的草原灌丛化已经成为全球范 围普遍发生的现象， 是草地沙化和荒漠化的一个重要标志。干旱生态系统中， 此种类型的植被变 化将对区域和全球生物地球化学循环产生显著影响。过度放牧、区域气候干旱化和自然火过程是 导致灌丛入侵和发展的主要控制因子。草原灌丛化过程中， 草地生态系统分布较为均匀的土壤养 分及相关元素在水平和垂直方向发生分异， 关键生命元素C、N、P 、S 生物地球化学循环的变化 将对全球气候变化产生显著作用。全球气候变化与草原灌丛荒漠化之间存在潜在的反馈机制， 人 类扰动的影响将使这种反馈作用变得更加迅速和灵敏。     

天山北坡绿洲土壤有机碳和养分时空变异特征

本文以天山北坡三工河流域绿洲作为研究区,利用1982、1999和2003年土壤养分数据,应用地统计学方法,分析绿洲土壤有机碳和养分的时空变异特征。结果显示:研究区1982、1999和2003年土壤有机碳和养分具有显著的差异性。空间结构上,土壤有机碳和养分具有中等或较弱的空间自相关;受土壤类型、种植作物种类等的影响,研究区土壤有机碳具有较强的各向异性,但碱解氮、速效磷和速效钾各向异性较弱。Kriging和IDW插值分析表明,土壤有机碳和养分总体呈增加的趋势,绿洲土壤表现为“碳汇”,尤其在种植6年以上的多年生作物分布区,土壤“碳汇”趋势更加明显,说明以绿洲农业为主的人类活动基本合理,土壤质量正逐步改善。     

放射性碳同位素在土壤碳循环中的应用

文中介绍了放射性碳同位素方法在土壤碳循环中的应用,分析了在土壤有机质、土壤CO2气体研究中的主要方法和模型,并指出土壤有机质的放射性测定可以研究较长时间尺度的碳循环(十几年、几十年至更长时间尺度),而土壤CO2气体的放射性测定可以研究短期(季节变化和年变化)内碳的动态。放射性碳同位素用于土壤中细根周转时间的计算、土地利用变化等方面的研究成果及方法也在文中分别作了介绍和分析。最后提出了国内研究应加强的领域和未来利用放射性碳同位素方法研究土壤碳循环的重点研究方向和发展趋势。     

湿地景观变化过程与累积环境效应研究进展

湿地在流域中处于水陆交错的特殊过渡区域,是地表重要的景观覆盖类型和生态系统。湿地具有独特的水文、土壤和植被特征,在维护区域/流域生态平衡和环境稳定方面发挥巨大作用。湿地景观变化过程主要表现为景观格局和过程在时间和空间尺度上的相互作用过程。该过程对系统的能量流动、物质循环以及物种迁移产生作用,对地理环境也产生巨大环境效应。湿地景观变化与土地利用/覆盖变化紧密相关,与人类活动影响息息相联。至今,人类已把天然的湿地景观格局改变为受人类支配的土地利用格局。自然湿地景观格局的变化过程对湿地生态系统以及其他系统的生物多样性、初级生产力产生显著影响,对局地、区域及全球气候环境、水文环境、生物多样性等方面产生显著而深刻的影响。湿地景观变化是全球变化研究的重要内容,尤其对认识全球气候变化、土地利用/覆盖变化和生物多样性变化的区域响应具有重大意义。     

气候变化和物候变动对东北黑土区农业生产的协同作用及未来粮食生产风险

东北黑土区是中国重要的粮食生产基地,也是中国气候变化最敏感的地区之一。然而,气候变化背景下东北黑土区气候及物候变化对农业生产力的综合影响并不清晰,未来农业生产风险评估的定量化程度不够,风险等级制定缺乏依据。本文借助遥感产品、气候资料和模拟数据等资料,综合运用多元线性回归、相关分析及干旱危险性指数等方法,探究东北黑土区作物物候动态及其气候响应特征,辨识气候与物候变化对农业生产的复合效应及未来可能风险。结果表明：① 2000—2017年东北黑土区29.76%的区域作物生长季开始期呈显著延后趋势,16.71%的区域作物生长季结束期呈提前态势,生长季开始期受气温的影响范围广,且滞后时间长;生长季结束期与前期气候变化关系更加密切,且带状差异性响应格局尤其明显。② 气候变化和物候期改变对作物生产的解释能力较生长季同期气候变化的解释能力增加了70.23%,解释面积扩大了85.04%。③ RCP8.5情景下东北黑土区粮食总产量呈现上升趋势,粮食生产风险表现出“南增北减”的演变特征,风险区面积不断扩大,全球温升2.0 ℃时,松嫩黑土亚区南部粮食减产量可能达到10%。研究有助于深入认识气候—物候—作物生产的关联机理及未来粮食生产风险,对制定气候变化应对策略,保障国家粮食安全具有重要意义。     

A method to obtain soil-moisture estimates over bare agricultural fields in arid areas by using multi-angle RADARSAT-2 data

Soil moisture is an important parameter for agriculture, meteorological, and hydrological studies. This paper focuses on soil-moisture estimation methodology based on the multi-angle high-and low-incidence-angle mode RADARSAT-2 data obtained over bare agricultural fields in an arid area. Backscattering of the high-and low-incidence angles is simulated by using AIEM(advanced integral equation model), with the surface-roughness estimation model built based on the simulated data. Combining the surface-roughness estimation model with the backscattering model of the low-incidence-angle mode, a soil-moisture estimation method is put forward. First, the natural logarithm(ln) of soil moisture was obtained and then the soil moisture calculated. Soil moisture of the study area in Dunhuang, Gansu Province, was obtained based on this method; a good agreement was observed between the estimated and measured soil moisture. The coefficient of determination was 0.85, and the estimation precision reached 4.02% in root mean square error(RMSE). The results illustrate the high potential of the approach developed and RADARSAT-2 data to monitor soil moisture.     

基于MODIS数据新疆土壤干旱特征分析

干旱是一种常见的自然灾害,严重影响着新疆的农业生产。利用中分辨率成像光谱仪MODIS影像MOD11A2数据和MOD13A2数据,数字高程模型(DEM)对Ts进行了纠正,提取归一化植被指数(NDVI)和地表温度(Ts)构建NDVI-Ts特征空间,并依据特征空间计算的温度植被干旱指数(TVDI)作为监测土壤湿度指标,反演了新疆2013年5、6、7三个月每16 d的土壤湿度。较好地反映地表图层土壤湿度,分析了新疆土壤湿度的时空分布特征,新疆北部地区土壤湿度高于南部,西部的土壤湿度高于东部,且土壤湿度由西北向东南逐步减小,依次表现为湿润>正常>轻旱>中旱>重旱>极旱;由5月到7月土壤湿度不断增大,这与新疆降水量分布和实地土壤含水率十分吻合,监测结果可信,能够为决策部门防旱抗旱提供有力的信息支持。