Classification of plant functional types based on the nutrition traits: a case study on alpine meadow community in the Zoigê Plateau

The ecological concept of Plant Functional Types(PFTs), which refers to the assemblage of plants with certain functional traits, has been introduced for the study of plant responses to the environment change and human disturbance. Taking the alpine meadow community in the Zoigê Plateau as a study case, this paper classified PFTs in terms of plant nutrition traits. The sequential results are as follows.(1) The main herbages in the Zoigê Plateau included 16 species in 5 families. Among the five families, Cyperaceae vegetation accounted for 81.37%of herbage area in total, while the remaining 4families occupied less than 20%. As for the species,Kobresia setchwanensis Hand.-Maizz. was dominant,accounting for 48.74% of the total area; while the remaining 51.26% was comprised of Polygonum viviparum L., Anaphalis fiavescens Hand.-Mazz.,Stipa aliena Keng and other species.(2) By using the Principal Component Analysis(PCA), the assessment of herbages nutrition was carried out based on the comprehensive multi-index evaluation model.Polygonum viviparum L. had the highest nutritional value score(1.43), and Stipa aliena Keng had the lowest(-1.40). Nutritional value of herbage species had a significantly positive correlation with altitude(P0.01) in the Zoigê Plateau.(3) Based on the nutritional values, herbages in the Zoigê Plateau could be grouped into 3 nutrition PFTs(high, medium and low) by using the Natural Breaks(Jenks) method.     

Landscape pattern evolution processes of alpine wetlands and their driving factors in the Zoige Plateau of China

Zoige Plateau wetlands are located in the northeastern corner of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.The landscape pattern evolution processes in the Zoige Plateau and their driving factors were identified by analyzing the dynamic changes in landscape modification and conversion and their dynamic rates of alpine wetlands over the past four decades.The results showed that the landscape conversion between wetlands and non-wetlands mainly occurred during the period from 1966 to 1986.The marsh wetland area converted from lake and river wetlands was larger because of swamping compared to other wetland landscapes.Meanwhile,the larger area of marsh wetlands was also converted to lake wetlands more than other types of wetlands.The modification processes mainly occurred among natural wetland landscapes in the first three periods.Obvious conversions were observed between wetland and nonwetland landscapes(i.e.,forestland,grassland,and other landscapes) in the Zoige Plateau.These natural wetland landscapes such as river,lake and marsh wetlands showed a net loss over the past four decades,whereas artificial wetland landscapes(i.e.,paddy field and reservoir and pond wetlands) showed a net decrease.The annual dynamic rate of the whole wetland landscape was 0.72%,in which the annual dynamic rate of river wetlands was the highest,followed by lake wetlands,while marsh wetlands had the lowest dynamic rate.The integrated landscape dynamic rate showed a decreasing trend in the first three periods.The changes in wetland landscape patterns were comprehensively controlled by natural factors and human activities,especially human activities play an important role in changing wetland landscape patterns.     

Effects of temperature,soil moisture,soil type and their interactions on soil carbon mineralization in Zoigê alpine wetland,Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Wetland stores substantial amount of carbon and may contribute greatly to global climate change debate. However, few researches have focused on the effects of global climate change on carbon mineralization in Zoigê al-pine wetland, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which is one of the most important peatlands in China. Through incubation ex-periment, this paper studied the effects of temperature, soil moisture, soil type (marsh soil and peat soil) and their in-teractions on CO2 and CH4 emission rates in Zoigê alpine wetland. Results show that when the temperature rises from 5℃ to 35℃, CO2 emission rates increase by 3.3-3.7 times and 2.4-2.6 times under non-inundation treatment, and by 2.2-2.3 times and 4.1-4.3 times under inundation treatment in marsh soil and peat soil, respectively. Compared with non-inundation treatment, CO2 emission rates decrease by 6%-44%, 20%-60% in marsh soil and peat soil, respec-tively, under inundation treatment. CO2 emission rate is significantly affected by the combined effects of the tempera-ture and soil type (p < 0.001), and soil moisture and soil type (p < 0.001), and CH4 emission rate was significantly af-fected by the interaction of the temperature and soil moisture (p < 0.001). Q10 values for CO2 emission rate are higher at the range of 5℃-25℃ than 25℃-35℃, indicating that carbon mineralization is more sensitive at low temperature in Zoigê alpine wetland.     

Mapping the vegetation distribution of the permafrost zone on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

In this paper,an updated vegetation map of the permafrost zone in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP) was delineated.The vegetation map model was extracted from vegetation sampling with remote sensing(RS) datasets by decision tree method.The spatial resolution of the map is 1 km×1 km,and in it the alpine swamp meadow is firstly distinguished in the high-altitude areas.The results showed that the total vegetated area in the permafrost zone of the QTP is 1,201,751 km~2.In the vegetated region,50,260 km~2 is the areas of alpine swamp meadow,583,909 km~2 for alpine meadow,332,754 km~2 for alpine steppe,and 234,828 km~2 for alpine desert.This updated vegetation map in permafrost zone of QTP could provide more details about the distribution of alpine vegetation types for studying the vegetation mechanisms in the land surface processes of highaltitude areas.     

Effects of degradation succession of alpine wetland on soil organic carbon and total nitrogen in the Yellow River source zone,west China

Wetland is an important carbon pool,and the degradation of wetlands causes the loss of organic carbon and total nitrogen.This study aims to explore how wetland degradation succession affects soil organic carbon(SOC)and total nitrogen(TN)contents in alpine wetland.A field survey of 180 soilsampling profiles was conducted in an alpine wetland that has been classified into three degradation succession stages.The SOC and TN contents of soil layers from 0 to 200 cm depth were studied,including their distribution characteristics and the relationship between microtopography.The results showed that SOC and TN of different degradation succession gradients followed the ranked order of Non Degradation(ND)>Light Degradation(LD)>Heavy Degradation(HD).SWC was positively correlated with SOC and TN(p<0.05).As the degree of degradation succession worsened,SOC and TN became more sensitive to the SWC.Microtopography was closely related to the degree of wetland degradation succession,SWC,SOC and TN,especially in the topsoil(0-30 cm).This result showed that SWC was an important indicator of SOC/TN in alpine wetland.It is highly recommended to strengthen water injection into the wetland as a means of effective restoration to reverse alpine meadow back to marsh alpine wetland.     

A remote sensing monitoring method for alpine grasslands desertification in the eastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

Alpine grassland is the typical vegetation in the eastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, which has important ecological service functions, and also supports the development of alpine stock farming. In recent years, under both the natural and human disturbance, alpine grasslands in this area have appeared to different degrees of desertification. A diagnosis of the desertification degree serves as the basis for grassland ecological restoration. This study constructs a comprehensive index based on remote sensing called alpine grassland desertification index(AGDI) to monitor the areas and degree of desertification. The most relevant indicators of desertification, namely, vegetation fraction, aboveground biomass, soil moisture, and land surface temperature, were selected to establish AGDI. The geographical detector is used to reselect and assess these indicators. The results show that the overall verification accuracy of AGDI is 82.05%. In particular, the accuracy of identifying severe desertification is the highest. Our study confirms that the desertification of alpine grasslands in the eastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau is characterized by fragmentation. Thus, Landsat-8 OLI data with a spatial resolution of 30 m is more suitable than MODIS data for alpine grasslands desertification monitoring. The research results can provide a methodological reference for monitoring desertification of alpine grasslands and other grassland regions in the world.     

Valuation of lake and marsh wetlands ecosystem services in China

Wetlands are highly productive natural ecosystems, providing valuable goods and services. There is growing interest in transferring ecosystem service value from the existing wetlands studied to other wetlands ecosystems at a large geographic scale. The benefit transfer method uses the known values from wetlands to predict the value of other wetland sites. This methodology requires only limited time and resources. The present study calculated the value of the ecological services provided by lake and marsh wetlands in China in terms of biodiversity indices, water quality indices and economic indices. Basic data on wetlands were obtained through remote sensing images. The results show that: 1) The total ecosystem service value of the lake and marsh wetlands in 2008 was calculated to be 8.1841 × 1010 United States Dollars(USD), with the marsh and lake wetlands contributing 5.6329 × 1010 and 2.5512 × 1010 USD, respectively. Values of marsh ecosystem service were concentrated in Heilongjiang Province(2.5516 × 1010 USD), Qinghai Province(1.2014 × 1010 USD), and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region(1.1884 × 1010 USD). The value of the lakes were concentrated in Tibet Autonomous Region(6.223 × 109 USD), Heilongjiang(5.810 × 109 USD), and Qinghai(5.500 × 109 USD). 2) Waste treatment and climate regulation services contributed to 26.29% and 24.74% respectively, of the total ecosystem service value of the marsh wetlands. Hydrological regulation and waste treatment contributed to 41.39% and 32.75%, respectively, of the total ecosystem service value of the lake wetlands. 3) The total ecological service value of the lake and marsh wetlands was 54.64% of the total service value of natural grassland ecosystems and 30.34% of the total service value of forests ecosystems in China.     

Rangeland privatization and its impacts on the Zoige wetlands on the Eastern Tibetan Plateau

The high Zoige Basin （Ruoergai Plateau） on the eastern Tibetan Plateau is a fault depression formed during intensive uplifting of the Tibetan Plateau. The wetland is globally important in biodiversity and is composed of marshes, bogs, fens, wet meadows and shallow water interspersed with low hills and sub-alpine meadows. Most of the Zoige wetlands have long been one of the most important grazing lands in China. Recent rangeland policy has allowed grazing, and usable wetland areas have been being legally allocated to individuals or groups of households on a long-term lease basis. Privatizafion of the wetland has impacted the Zoige wetlands in aspects of hydrologic condition, landscape and biodiversity. The uneven spatial distribution of water resources onprivatelands has led to the practice of extracting ground water, which has decreased the perched water table in Zoige. Fencing off the rangelands and grazing on expanding sand dunes have affected landscapes. Variation in the water table has led to the changes in vegetation diversity, resulting in the changes in wildlife and aquatic diversities and ecosystem processes. Making use all year round of the pasture that was previously grazed only in summer has shrunk the daily activity space of wildlife, and the newly erected fences blocked the movement of wild animals looking for food in the snow to lower and open areas. To maintain the favorable conditions of the Zoige wetland ecosystem, the author suggests that, in addition to biophysical research and implementation of conservation practices, there is an immediate need to initiate an integrated management program, increase public awareness of wetland functions and provide better training for the local conservation staff.     

Degradation significantly decreased the ecosystem multifunctionality of three alpine grasslands: evidences from a large-scale survey on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Owing to the joint effects of ecosystem fragility,anthropogenic disturbance and climate change,alpine grasslands(alpine meadow,alpine steppe and alpine desert)have experienced serious degradation during the past several decades.Grasslands degradation has severely affected the delivery of ecosystem multifunctionality(EMF)and services,and then threatens the livelihood of local herdsmen and ecological security of China.However,we still lack comprehensive insights about the effects of degradation and climatic factors on EMF of alpine grasslands,especially for alpine desert ecosystem.Therefore,we applied a large-scale field investigation to answer this question.Our results suggested grassland degradation significantly decreased the belowground ecosystem multifunctionality(BEMF)and EMF of alpine grasslands and aboveground ecosystem multifunctionality(AEMF)of alpine meadow,while did not reduce the AEMF of alpine steppe and desert.Except for the insignificant difference between degraded steppe and degraded desert in AEMF,the alpine meadow showed the highest AEMF,BEMF and EMF,alpine steppe ranked the second and alpine desert was the lowest.AEMF,BEMF and EMF of health alpine grasslands were strongly affected by mean annual precipitation(MAP)(19%-51%)and mean annual temperature(MAT)(9%-36%),while those of degraded meadow and degraded desert were not impacted by precipitation and temperature.AEMF and BEMF showed a synergistic relationship in healthy alpine grasslands(12%-28%),but not in degraded grasslands.Our findings emphasized the urgency of implementing the feasible ecological restoration project to mitigate the negative influences of grassland degradation on EMF of alpine ecosystems.     

Response of biomass spatial pattern of alpine vegetation to climate change in permafrost region of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,China

Alpine ecosystems in permafrost region are extremely sensitive to climate changes.To determine spatial pattern variations in alpine meadow and alpine steppe biomass dynamics in the permafrost region of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,China,calibrated with historical datasets of above-ground biomass production within the permafrost region's two main ecosystems,an ecosystem-biomass model was developed by employing empirical spatialdistribution models of the study region's precipitation,air temperature and soil temperature.This model was then successfully used to simulate the spatio-temporal variations in annual alpine ecosystem biomass production under climate change.For a 0.44°C decade-1 rise in air temperature,the model predicted that the biomasses of alpine meadow and alpine steppe remained roughly the same if annual precipitation increased by 8 mm per decade-1,but the biomasses were decreased by 2.7% and 2.4%,respectively if precipitation was constant.For a 2.2°C decade-1 rise in air temperature coupled with a 12 mm decade-1 rise in precipitation,the model predicted that the biomass of alpine meadow was unchanged or slightly increased,while that of alpine steppe was increased by 5.2%.However,in the absence of any rise in precipitation,the model predicted 6.8% and 4.6% declines in alpine meadow and alpine steppe biomasses,respectively.The response of alpine steppe biomass to the rising air temperatures and precipitation was significantly lesser and greater,respectively than that of alpine meadow biomass.A better understanding of the difference in alpine ecosystem biomass production under climate change is greatly significant with respect to the influence of climate change on the carbon and water cycles in the permafrost regions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.     

Geomorphic-centered classification of wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Western China

In this paper a geomorphic-centered system was proposed for classifying the wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in western China, where the flora comprises primarily grasses. Although the geomorphic properties (e.g., elevation and morphology) of wetlands form the primary criteria of classification, this system also takes hydrological processes into implicit consideration. It represents an improvement over the hydrogeomorphic perspective as the relative importance of the two components (wetness and landform) of wetlands is clearly differentiated. This geomorphic-centered perspective yields insights into the hydrogeomorphic dynamics of plateau wetlands while indicates their vulnerability to change and degradation indirectly. According to this geomorphic-centered perspective, all plateau wetlands fall into one of the seven types of alpine, piedmont, valley, terrace, floodplain, lacustrine, and riverine in three elevational categories of upland, midland, and lowland. Upland (alpine and piedmont) wetlands with the steepest topography are the most sensitive to change whereas midland (floodplain, terrace and valley) wetlands are less vulnerable to degradation owing to a high water reserve except terrace wetlands. They have a dry surface caused by infrequent hydrological replenishment owing to their higher elevation than the channel. Low lying (lacustrine and riverine) wetlands are the most resilient. The geomorphic-centered perspective developed in this paper provides a framework for improving recognition and management of wetlands on the Plateau. Resilient wetlands can be grazed more intensively without the risk of degradation. Fragile and vulnerable wetlands require careful managementto avoid degradation.     

Impact of Wetland Change on Local Climate in Semi-arid Zone of Northeast China

Wetlands are sensitive to climate change, in the same time, wetlands can influence climate. This study analyzed the spatio-temporal characteristics of wetland change in the semi-arid zone of Northeast China from 1985 to 2010, and investigated the impact of large area of wetland change on local climate. Results showed that the total area of wetlands was on a rise in the study area. Although natural wetlands(marshes, riparians and lakes) decreased, constructed wetlands(rice fields) increased significantly, and the highest increase rate in many places exceeded 30%. Anthropogenic activities are major driving factors for wetland change. Wetland change produced an impact on local climate, mainly on maximum temperature and precipitation during the period of May–September. The increase(or decrease) of wetland area could reduce(or increase) the increment of maximum temperature and the decrement of precipitation. The changes in both maximum temperature and precipitation corresponded with wetland change in spatial distribution. Wetland change played a more important role in moderating local climate compared to the contribution of woodland and grassland changes in the study area. Cold-humid effect of wetlands was main way to moderating local climate as well as alleviating climatic warming and drying in the study area, and heterogeneity of underlying surface broadened the cold-humid effect of wetlands.     

Revealing storage-area relationship of open water in ungauged subalpine wetland — Napahai in Northwest Yunnan, China

Mountains and plateaus in Southwest China contain many subalpine and alpine wetlands, with significant hydroecological functions. But ungauged or poorly gauged conditions limit the study and understanding of hydrological regimes of these wetland types. This study selects an ungauged subalpine wetland-Napahai in Northwest Yunnan, China-as a case for developing a practical approach to revealing its storage-area relationship of open water. A Trimble R8 GNSS (Global Navigation Satellites Systems) RTK (Real-time Kinematic system) and sonar fathometer were used to survey fine-resolution elevation data and generate a digital elevation model of the Napahai Wetland. Forty-four Landsat images from 1987 to 2011 were collected, and the Normalized Difference Water Index was used to classify open water features in the area. The area of open water in Napahai was calculated for each phase. With these data and a developed conceptual model, the storage of open water for each phase was estimated using ArcGIS tools. Both storage and area of open water showed significant intra-annual and inter-annual variations. In the rainy season, the monthly change of average storage of open water in Napahai showed about 1-2 months lag behind mean monthly rainfall. The storage-area relationship of open water was well fit by a power function equation (R 2 ≈0.91, n=44). This study indicates that if detailedelevations are available for similarly ungauged subalpine wetlands in Southwest China, researchers can use this practical approach to estimate multi- temporal areas and storages and reveal the storage-area relationship of open water in the wetlands. The study provided valuable information of this case wetland for optimizing its hydro-ecological managements and a new method to wetland researchers and managers for the hydrological study of similarly ungauged wetland complex.     

Denitrification potential of marsh soils in two natural saline-alkaline wetlands

Little information is available on denitrification potential of marsh soils in natural saline-alkaline wetlands. The denitrification potentials of an open wetland in the floodplain(Erbaifangzi wetland) and a closed wetland(Fulaowenpao wetland) in backwater areas in Jilin Province of Northeast China were monitored by an anaerobic incubation at 30℃ for 25 days. Our results showed that the relative denitrification index(RDI) increased gradually with incubation time, and showed a rapid increase in the first 5 days of incubation. The RDI values declined quickly from surface soils to subsurface soils and then kept a small change in deeper soils along soil profiles over the incubation time. Denitrification proceeded much faster in the top 20 cm soils of open wetland than in the closed wetland, whereas no significant differences in RDI values were observed in deeper soils between both wetlands. The RDIs were significantly negatively correlated with bulk density and sand content, while a significantly positive correlation with clay content, soil organic matter, total nitrogen and phosphorous. The maximum net NO–3-N loss through denitrification in 1 m depth were higher in the open wetland than the closed wetland with higher soil pH values. Future research should be focused on understanding the influencing mechanisms of soil alkalinity.     

The influence of seasonal snow on soil thermal and water dynamics under different vegetation covers in a permafrost region

Seasonal snow is one of the most important influences on the development and distribution of permafrost and the hydrothermal regime in surface soil. Alpine meadow, which constitutes the main land type in permafrost regions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, was selected to study the influence of seasonal snow on the temperature and moisture in active soil layers under different vegetation coverage. Monitoring sites for soil moisture and temperature were constructed to observe the hydrothermal processes in active soil layers under different vegetation cover with seasonal snow cover variation for three years from 2010 to 2012. Differences in soil temperature and moisture in areas of diverse vegetation coverage with varying levels of snow cover were analyzed using active soil layer water and temperature indices. The results indicated that snow cover greatly influenced the hydrothermal dynamics of the active soil layer in alpine meadows. In the snow manipulation experiment with a snow depth greater than 15 cm, the snow cover postponed both the freeze-fall and thawrise onset times of soil temperature and moisture in alpine LC （lower vegetation coverage） meadows and of soil moisture in alpine HC （higher vegetation coverage） meadows; however, the opposite response occurred for soil temperatures of alpine HC meadows,where the entire melting period was extended by advancing the thaw-rise and delaying the freeze-fall onset time of the soil temperature. Snow cover resulted in a decreased amplitude and rate of variation in soil temperature, for both alpine HC meadows and alpine LC meadows, whereas the distinct influence of snow cover on the amplitude and rate of soil moisture variation occurred at different soil layers with different vegetation coverages. Snow cover increased the soil moisture of alpine grasslands during thawing periods. The results confirmed that the annual hydrothermal dynamics of active layers in permafrost were subject to the synergistic actions of both snow cover and vegetation coverage.     

Phosphorus speciation in wetland sediments of Zhujiang (Pearl) River Estuary, China

Phosphorus fractions and adsorption-release characteristics of sediments in the Zhujiang(Pearl) River estuary wetland were investigated.Results showed that the total phosphorus(TP) content in surface sediments ranged from 648.9 mg/kg to 1064.0 mg/kg;inorganic phosphorus(IP) was the major fraction of TP and ranged from 422.5 mg/kg to 643.9 mg/kg.Among the inorganic phosphorus,the main fractions were phosphorus bound to Al and Fe(Fe/Al-P),and calcium-bound phosphorus(Ca-P),accounting for 23%–42% and 21%–67% of IP,respectively.The vertical distribution of TP contents were significantly positive correlated with organic phosphorus(Org-P) and Fe/Al-P contents.The bio-available phosphorus contents in vertical sediments varied from 128.6 mg/kg to 442.9 mg/kg,mainly existed in Fe-Al/P fraction,and increased from the bottom to top sediments.The transport of phosphorus in sediment-water interface was controlled by the soil characteristics.The active Fe and Al content was considered as the main factor that determines adsorption capacity in vegetated marsh wetland.The P buffering capacity of the sediments in vegetated marsh wetland was greater than that in mudflat wetland.The potential risk of eutrophication in the study area is high.Reducing terrestrial phosphorus discharge and preventing the sediment Fe/Al-P release to the interstitial water are the possible solutions to reduce the risk of eutrophication in estuary wetlands,and planting vegetation in estuary wetland can also reduce the release of phosphorus in surface sediment.     

Improving remote sensing-based net primary production estimation in the grazed land with defoliation formulation model

Remote sensing(RS) technologies provide robust techniques for quantifying net primary productivity(NPP) which is a key component of ecosystem production management. Applying RS, the confounding effects of carbon consumed by livestock grazing were neglected by previous studies, which created uncertainties and underestimation of NPP for the grazed lands. The grasslands in Xinjiang were selected as a case study to improve the RS based NPP estimation. A defoliation formulation model(DFM) based on RS is developed to evaluate the extent of underestimated NPP between 1982 and 2011. The estimates were then used to examine the spatiotemporal patterns of the calculated NPP. Results show that average annual underestimated NPP was 55.74 gC·m~(-2)yr~(-1) over the time period understudied, accounting for 29.06% of the total NPP for the Xinjiang grasslands. The spatial distribution of underestimated NPP is related to both grazing intensity and time. Data for the Xinjiang grasslands show that the average annual NPP was 179.41 gC·m~(-2)yr~(-1), the annual NPP with an increasing trend was observed at a rate of 1.04 gC·m~(-2)yr~(-1) between 1982 and 2011. The spatial distribution of NPP reveals distinct variations from high to low encompassing the geolocations of the Tianshan Mountains, northern and southern Xinjiang Province and corresponding with mid-mountain meadow, typical grassland, desert grassland, alpine meadow, and saline meadow grassland types. This study contributes to improving RS-based NPP estimations for grazed land and provides a more accurate data to support the scientific management of fragile grassland ecosystems in Xinjiang.     

Eco-compensation of wetlands in Yellow River Delta of Shandong Province, China

Wetlands play an important ecological role and provide many functions for people,yet wetlands are cur-rently decreasing and deteriorating.The ability to calculate an economic value for the loss of wetlands is becoming in-creasingly important for policy makers.In this study,remote sensing,field investigations,department visits,and other methods were used to survey wetland types,assess wetland area changes,and calculate wetland economic value.Mar-ket value loss and ecological function value loss,caused by reduction of wetland area and environmental pollution were calculated using commonly accepted methods of market valuation,ecological valuation,environmental protection investment cost analysis,and outcome parameters.According to market value loss and ecological function value loss,preliminarily fund allocation for wetland and ecological compensation was calculated.This will provide an important reference for future Yellow River Delta eco-compensation studies.     

Analysis of dynamics and driving factors of wetland landscape in Zoige, Eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Zoige Wetland is one of the largest plateau wetlands in the world. This paper provides a dynamic analysis of spatial and temporal patterns of the wetland in Zoige, Eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, supported by ERDAS8.7 and ArcGIS9.0. It is the first comparative analysis of a system of rapidly changing wetland with landscape patterns in Zoige, using 3 classified landsat Thematic Mapper images of 1977, 1994 and 2001. The classified images were used to generate wetland distributing maps, and shape index （S）, diversity index （H）, dominance index （D）, evenness index （E）, fragmentation index （F） and fractal dimension （Fd） were calculated and analyzed spatiotemporally across pure grazing area in Zoige for each landscape type and in different periods （before 1977, during 1977-1994 and 1994-2001）, as well as the driving forces of natural and anthropogenic. The study shows that for a comprehensive understanding of the shapes and trajectories of the shrinking and desertificated land expansion of the wetland, a spatiotemporal landscape metrics analysis in different periods is an improvement than only with landscape changing rates. This type of analysis can also be used to infer underlying social, economic, and political processes that drive the observed wetland forms. The results indicate that wetland patterns can be changed over relatively short periods of time. The total area of lake reduced by 164.86 km^2, grassland extended by 141.74 km^2, semi-marsh extended by 105.94 km^2, marsh reduced by 86.00 km^2 the number of landscape patches reduced by 56, and their average area decreased by 2.68 km^2, the successions within lake, marsh, semi-marsh and grassland were found obviously. S decreased stepwise： D and F increased but H decreased： The changing rate after 1994 was 2.3 to 2.9 times greater than that before. The change of the wetland landscape patterns resulted in the interaction between socio-ceenomic and natural forces of positive and negative aspects; and natural factors affected as assistant aspect. Some important human activities in this period led to the change of the landscape patterns in this region directly. Some measurements made by government and NGO delayed the converting process partly.     

Comparison of Meiofaunal Abundance in Two Mangrove Wetlands in Tong'an Bay,Xiamen, China

To compare meiofaunal community in the two mangrove wetlands in Tong'an Bay, Xiamen, China, and probe the response of meiofauna to high organic matter, sampling was carried out in Fenglin and Xiang'an mangrove wetlands in the bay. The results showed that the Ne/Co ratio(nematode to benthic copepod) and organic matter in Fenglin mangrove wetland were higher than those in Xiang'an mangrove wetland. The meiofaunal abundance in Fenglin mangrove was all lower than that in Xiang'an mangrove wetland in summer, autumn and spring, while the meiofaunal abundance in Fenglin mangrove was higher than that in Xiang'an mangrove wetland in winter. Two-way ANOVA results showed that the meiofaunal abundance and nematode abundance were significantly different between regions, seasons and region×season. With all the results in the present study, we confirmed that the positive response of meiofaunal and nematode abundance were only detected for medium organic matter contents according to the Xiang'an wetland's level, and that the distribution of meiofaunal abundance would be influenced by sand content. Higher copepod abundance and lower N/C value usually suggest better environmental quality.