Connectivity of post-fire runoff and sediment from nested hillslopes and watersheds

Wildfire increases the potential connectivity of runoff and sediment throughout watersheds due to greater bare soil, runoff and erosion as compared to pre-fire conditions. This research examines the connectivity of post-fire runoff and sediment from hillslopes (< 1.5 ha; n = 31) and catchments (< 1000 ha; n = 10) within two watersheds (< 1500 ha) burned by the 2012 High Park Fire in northcentral Colorado, USA. Our objectives were to: (1) identify sources and quantify magnitudes of post-fire runoff and erosion at nested hillslopes and watersheds for two rain storms with varied duration, intensity and antecedent precipitation; and (2) assess the factors affecting the magnitude and connectivity of runoff and sediment across spatial scales for these two rain storms. The two summer storms that are the focus of this research occurred during the third summer after burning. The first storm had low intensity rainfall over 11 hours (return interval <1–2 years), whereas the second event had high intensity rainfall over 1 hour (return interval <1–10 years). The lower intensity storm was preceded by high antecedent rainfall and led to low hillslope sediment yields and channel incision at most locations, whereas the high intensity storm led to infiltration-excess overland flow, high sediment yields, in-stream sediment deposition and channel substrate fining. For both storms, hillslope-to-stream sediment delivery ratios and area-normalised cross-sectional channel change increased with the percent of catchment that burned at high severity. For the high intensity storm, hillslope-to-stream sediment delivery ratios decreased with unconfined channel length (%). The findings quantify post-fire connectivity and sediment delivery from hillslopes and streams, and highlight how different types of storms can cause varying magnitues and spatial patterns of sediment transport and deposition from hillslopes through stream channel networks.     

Growing season evapotranspiration in boreal fens in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region: Variability and environmental controls

Current efforts to assess changes to the wetland hydrology caused by growing anthropogenic pressures in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region (AOSR) require well-founded spatial and temporal estimates of actual evapotranspiration (ET), which is the dominant component of the water budget in this region. This study assessed growing season (May–September) and peak growing season (July) ET variability at a treed moderate-rich fen and treed poor fen (in 2013–2018), open poor fen (in 2011–2014), and saline fen (in 2015–2018) using eddy covariance technique and a set of complementary environmental data. Seasonal fluctuations in ET were positively related to net radiation, air temperature and vapour pressure deficit and followed trends typical for the Boreal Plains (BP) and AOSR with highest rates in June–July. However, no strong effect of water table position on ET was found. Strong surface control on ET is evident from lower ET values than potential evapotranspiration (PET); the lowest ET/PET was observed at saline fen, followed by open fen, moderately treed fen, and heavily treed fen, suggesting a strong influence of vegetation on water loss. In most years PET exceeded precipitation (P), and positive relations between P/PET and ET were observed with the highest July ET rates occurring under P/PET ~1. However, during months with P/PET > 1, increased P/PET was associated with decreased July ET. With respect to 30-year mean values of air temperature and P in the area, both dry and wet, cool and warm growing seasons (GS) were observed. No clear trends between ET values and GS wetness/coldness were found, but all wet GS were characterized by peak growing seasons with high daily ET variability.     

Long-term hydrology and aquatic biogeochemistry data from H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest,Cascade Mountains,Oregon

The H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest (HJA) encompasses the 6400 ha Lookout Creek watershed in western Oregon, USA. Hydrologic, chemistry and precipitation data have been collected, curated, and archived for up to 70 years. The HJA was established in 1948 to study the effects of harvest of old-growth conifer forest and logging-road construction on water quality, quantity and vegetation succession. Over time, research questions have expanded to include terrestrial and aquatic species, communities and ecosystem dynamics. There are nine small experimental watersheds and 10 gaging stations in the HJA, including both reference and experimentally treated watersheds. Gaged watershed areas range from 8.5 to 6242 ha. All gaging stations record stage height, water conductivity, water temperature and above-stream air temperature. At nine of the gage sites, flow-proportional water samples are collected and composited over 3-week intervals for chemical analysis. Analysis of stream and precipitation chemistry began in 1968. Analytes include dissolved and particulate species of nitrogen and phosphorus, dissolved organic carbon, pH, specific conductance, suspended sediment, alkalinity, and major cations and anions. Supporting climate measurements began in the 1950s in association with the first small watershed experiments. Over time, and following the initiation of the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) grant in 1980, infrastructure expanded to include a set of benchmark and secondary meteorological stations located in clearings spanning the elevation range within the Lookout Creek watershed, as well as a large number of forest understory temperature stations. Extensive metadata on sensor configurations, changes in methods over time, sensor accuracy and precision, and data quality control flags are associated with the HJA data.     

利用稳定同位素(15N)示踪技术研究浮游藻类氮素吸收速率特征

浮游藻类对溶解态氮的吸收同化是湖泊氮生物循环和水体富营养化发生机制探讨的关键环节。本文通过~(15)N稳定同位素添加实验以铜绿微囊藻(Microcystis aeruginosa)、海链藻(Thalassiosira sp.)、卡德藻(Tetraselmis sp.)、剧毒卡尔藻(Karlodinium veneficum)以及盐水隐藻(Rhodomonas salina)为研究对象,从浮游藻类氮素吸收时间、营养盐基质以及藻种差异三个方面研究五种藻类对铵氮(NH_4~+-N)、硝氮(NO_3~--N)、尿素氮(Urea-N)三种形态氮的吸收特征。研究发现:(1)浮游藻类对三种形态氮的吸收均在1h时吸收速率最高,其氮素吸收过程为快速吸收。(2)浮游藻类优先吸收还原态氮,其中NH_4~+-N吸收速率最高,当培养周期为1d和4d时浮游藻类对NH_4~+-N吸收速率的均值分别为4.05和4.15μmol/(L·h);浮游藻类对Urea-N吸收相对偏好系数为25.18—713.42,表现出对小分子溶解态有机氮的特定偏好性。(3)不同藻种对氮素吸收具有不同特征,其中,剧毒卡尔藻对三种形态氮的吸收速率均为最高,而铜绿微囊藻的吸收速率均为最低;不同藻种不同培养时间氮素吸收速率差异与浮游藻类生长周期等特性有关。不同浮游藻类对不同形态氮素表现出吸收特异性,对水体氮负荷和浮游藻类水华优势种形成将产生重要影响。     

基于GIS的盐城国家级自然保护区生态安全评价（英文）

本研究利用遥感和GIS技术,分析盐城自然保护区1983–2018年的景观格局变化,建立了基于区域自然-社会-经济复合生态系统安全格局的评价指标体系,分析了生态安全变化的空间特征和成因。结果表明,1983–2018年由于人类活动加剧,研究区内景观格局变化强烈,从以自然景观为主发展到自然景观与人工景观并存。在整体生态安全方面,目前保护区的生态安全状况不容乐观,从保护区丹顶鹤的生存状态看,保护区总体上还是适宜丹顶鹤栖息的,但由于人类活动的增加以及政策的调整,丹顶鹤的栖息地呈现破碎化并向核心区和缓冲区等局部区域聚集。我们应从管理、政策制定以及当地居民的环境保护意识上增加宣传和投入,并相应减少保护区内人类活动的强度。     

桂林-阳朔地区DEM地形特征与岩性相关性分析及分类研究

地形地貌是岩性解译的重要信息,地形因子作为描述DEM数字曲面几何特征的定量指标参数,可用来定量化表达不同岩性所在地区地形地貌特征。本文以桂林-阳朔地区为研究区,研究地形因子数学、地质意义,建立岩性与地形因子组合间的定量关联,进而实现岩石类型划分。本文基于ASTERGDEM提取坡度、起伏度等12个地形因子,在分析各个地形因子地质意义基础上,通过聚类分析及方差分析的多元统计分析方法,研究各岩性地形因子特性及其关联性,建立研究区岩性之间的定量差异;此外,利用因子分析方法研究岩性分类过程中的主导因素,确定适宜岩性分类方法以实现定量化岩性分类。实验结果表明：不同岩性、不同地形地貌的地形因子（组合）之间具有显著差异,基于因子分析得到的宏观地形复杂度指数（MTI）以及微观曲率指数（MCI）对岩石类型的分类精度达77.36%。研究表明,地形复杂度等地形因子可用于岩性分类,采用因子分析方法可获取反映地形地貌宏观、微观特征的定量指标,且岩性分类效果良好。     

湍流度随高度的变化及其对城市宏观地形的依赖

分别构建广州主建成区垂直比例尺为1﹕2 000、1﹕1 000和1﹕500的3个建筑物模型，利用大型边界层风洞，在西北和东南两风向下，基于中性流模拟分析了复杂城市地形下湍流度随高度的变化及其对宏观地形的依赖。结果表明：风廓线指数α与不同高度的湍流度之间的关系密切，利用现有模型，根据4类粗糙度边界层和不同垂直比例尺，可确定相应的湍流度随高度变化模型的主要系数，预测精度高。城市地形下最大湍流度面发育在0~0.2 h之间狭窄的范围内。用湍流度形态指数β来表征湍流度随高度的变化，无论城市屋脊还是平坦地形，随着风程区的延伸，廓线的指数α升高，湍流度形态指数β降低。表明同一高度湍流度值具有由迎风区、丘顶区向背风区增高，沿风程逐渐增大的规律，对地形部位和风程的依赖性强，与来流翻越简单地形时的特征一致。     

Effects of current climate,paleo-climate,and habitat heterogeneity in determining biogeographical patterns of evergreen broad-leaved woody plants in China

Journal of Geographical Sciences - Understanding biogeographic patterns and the mechanisms underlying them has been a main issue in macroecology and biogeography, and has implications for...     

Spatial patch structure and adaptive strategy for desert shrub of Reaumuria soongorica in arid ecosystem of the Heihe River Basin

In many arid ecosystems, vegetation frequently occurs in high-cover patches interspersed in a matrix of low plant cover. However, theoretical explanations for shrub patch pattern dynamics along climate gradients remain unclear on a large scale. This context aimed to assess the variance of the Reaumuria soongorica patch structure along the precipitation gradient and the factors that affect patch structure formation in the middle and lower Heihe River Basin (HRB). Field investigations on vegetation patterns and heterogeneity in soil properties were conducted during 2014 and 2015. The results showed that patch height, size and plant-to-patch distance were smaller in high precipitation habitats than in low precipitation sites. Climate, soil and vegetation explained 82.5% of the variance in patch structure. Spatially, R. soongorica shifted from a clumped to a random pattern on the landscape towards the MAP gradient, and heterogeneity in the surface soil properties (the ratio of biological soil crust (BSC) to bare gravels (BG)) determined the R. soongorica population distribution pattern in the middle and lower HRB. A conceptual model, which integrated water availability and plant facilitation and competition effects, was revealed that R. soongorica changed from a flexible water use strategy in high precipitation regions to a consistent water use strategy in low precipitation areas. Our study provides a comprehensive quantification of the variance in shrub patch structure along a precipitation gradient and may improve our understanding of vegetation pattern dynamics in the Gobi Desert under future climate change.

     

Local meteoric water lines describe extratropical precipitation

Stable water isotopes δ¹⁸O and δ²H are used to investigate precipitation trends and storm dynamics to advance knowledge of precipitation patterns in a warming world. Herein, δ¹⁸O and δ²H were used to determine the relationship between extratropical cyclonic precipitation and local meteoric water lines (LMWLs) in the eastern Ohio Valley and the eastern United States. Precipitation volume weighted and unweighted central Ohio LMWLs, created with samples collected during 2012–2018, showed that temperature had the greatest effect on precipitation isotopic composition. HYSPLIT back trajectory modelling showed that precipitation was primarily derived from a mid-continental moisture source. Remnants of major hurricanes were collected as extratropical precipitation during the 2012–2018 sampling period in central Ohio. Extratropical precipitation samples were not significantly different from the samples that created the central Ohio LMWL. Six additional LMWLs were derived from United States Geological Survey (USGS) Atmospheric Integrated Research Monitoring Network (AIRMoN) samples collected in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Tennessee, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Oxford, Ohio. Meteoric water lines describing published samples from Superstorm Sandy, plotted with these AIRMoN LMWLs, showed isotopic composition of Superstorm Sandy precipitation was commonly more depleted than the average isotopic composition at the mid-latitude locations. Meteoric water lines describing the Superstorm Sandy precipitation were not significantly different in slope from LMWLs generated within 300 km of the USGS AIRMoN site. This finding, which was observed across the eastern Ohio Valley and eastern United States, demonstrated a consistent precipitation δ²H–δ¹⁸O relationship for extratropical cyclonic and non-cyclonic events. This work also facilitates the analysis of storm development based on the relationship between extratropical event signature and the LMWL. Analysis of extratropical precipitation in relation to LMWLs along storm tracks allows for stronger development of precipitation models and understanding of which climatic and atmospheric factors determine the isotopic composition of precipitation.