Effects of land use and cultivation time on soil organic and inorganic carbon storage in deep soils

The vertical distribution and exchange mechanisms of soil organic and inorganic carbon(SOC, SIC) play an important role in assessing carbon(C) cycling and budgets. However, the impact of land use through time for deep soil C(below 100 cm) is not well known. To investigate deep C storage under different land uses and evaluate how it changes with time, we collected soil samples to a depth of 500 cm in a soil profile in the Gutun watershed on the Chinese Loess Plateau(CLP); and determined SOC, SIC, and bulk density. The magnitude of SOC stocks in the 0–500 cm depth range fell into the following ranking: shrubland(17.2 kg m~(-2)) grassland(16.3 kg m~(-2)) forestland(15.2 kg m~(-2)) cropland(14.1 kg m~(-2)) gully land(6.4 kg m~(-2)). The ranking for SIC stocks were: grassland(104.1 kg m~(-2)) forestland(96.2 kg m~(-2)) shrubland(90.6 kg m~(-2)) cropland(82.4 kg m~(-2)) gully land(50.3 kg m~(-2)). Respective SOC and SIC stocks were at least 1.6-and 2.1-fold higher within the 100–500 cm depth range, as compared to the 0–100 cm depth range. Overall SOC and SIC stocks decreased significantly from the 5 th to the 15 th year of cultivation in croplands, and generally increased up to the 70 th year. Both SOC and SIC stocks showed a turning point at 15 years cultivation, which should be considered when evaluating soil C sequestration. Estimates of C stocks greatly depends on soil sampling depth, and understanding the influences of land use and time will improve soil productivity and conservation in regions with deep soils.     

CO2 emissions and their bearing on China＇s economic development： the long view

Greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions in China have aroused much interest, and not least in recent evidence of their reduction. Our intent is to place that reduction in a larger context, that of the process of industrialization. A lengthy time perspective is combined with a cross-sectional approachChina plus five other countries-and addressed through two general models. The findings are salutary. First, they suggest that a diversified economic structure is consistent with diminished intensity in energy use. Secondly, and the obverse of the first, they imply that a diversified energy structure promotes reductions in CO2 emissions. Finally, one is led inevitably to the conclusion that, together, the findings point to a path for countries to transform their economies while at the same time undertaking to drastically moderate their energy use, switching from a pattern of heavy carbon emissions to one in which lighter carbon emissions prevail. The implications of such findings for environmental management are enormous.     

Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora (Sw.) DC.), huisache (Acacia farnesiana (L.) Willd.) and catclaw (Mimosa biuncifera Benth.) and their effect on dynamics of carbon and nitrogen in soils of the semi-arid highlands of Durango Mexico

In the northern semiarid and arid part of Mexico, mesquite (Prosopis juliflora (SW.) DC.), huisache (Acacia farnesiana (L.) Willd.) and catclaw (Mimosa biuncifera Benth.), N₂-fixing trees or shrubs, dominate the landscape. It is unknown, however, how much the leaves of those shrubs contribute to dynamics of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in soil. We investigated this by adding leaves of each species to soil sampled under the canopy of mesquite, huisache, and catclaw and outside their canopy while monitoring production of carbon dioxide (CO₂), and dynamics of inorganic N (ammonium (NH₄⁺) and nitrate (NO₃⁻)) in an aerobic incubation. The (hemi)cellulose and N content of the catclaw leaves was lower and the lignin and polyphenol content was larger than in the mesquite and huisache leaves. If we considered no priming effect, then 41% of the C added with catclaw leaves, 47% with huisache leaves and 49% with mesquite leaves mineralized within 42 days. The addition of the leaves had little or no effect on N mineralized, and only 6% of organic N of the mesquite leaves was mineralized. It was found that catclaw, huisache and mesquite have a positive effect on the arid and semi-arid ecosystems as they increased soil organic matter and soil N content.     

青藏高原生态系统固碳释氧价值动态测评

本文旨在定量评价青藏高原生态系统的固碳释氧价值及其动态变化,为改善区域生态环境提供参考。基于MODIS/NDVI数据,利用光能利用率模型测算净第一性生产(NPP)物质量,并通过光合作用方程式换算成固定CO₂和释放O₂的物质量,以此为基础,采用造林成本法和工业制氧法对青藏高原固碳释氧价值量进行估算。结果表明:2000年、2005年和2010年固定CO₂的价值分别为384.36×10⁹元、393.23×10⁹元和356.41×10⁹元,释放O₂的价值分别为408.31×10⁹元、415.02×10⁹元和378.61×10⁹元。2000-2005年固碳释氧价值增加了15.58×10⁹元,2005-2010年下降了73.23×10⁹元,而2000-2010年下降了57.65×10⁹元。固碳释氧价值在空间上呈现出从东南向西北递减的趋势,这与青藏高原的水热条件分布基本一致。在价值构成中,草原>森林>草甸>其它类型>灌丛>农田。2000-2010年青藏高原生态系统固碳释氧价值呈现减小趋势,表明近年来气候变化和人类活动导致青藏高原的生态环境出现了退化趋势。     

巴丹吉林最高沙山区CO2浓度与昼夜变化规律

为查明沙漠区CO₂浓度和对大气CO₂的影响以及在全球碳循环中的作用,利用红外CO₂监测仪,在2009年5月对全球最高大的巴丹吉林诺尔图东大沙山等进行了17个钻孔CO₂浓度的昼夜观测。结果表明,巴丹吉林大沙山不同观测点CO₂浓度差异较大,各观测点CO₂浓度变化在0.01%~0.075％之间;夜间沙层CO₂浓度低,白天CO₂浓度高;CO₂浓度昼夜变化明显,从早7时到次日7时1~5m各深度CO₂浓度均呈现由低到高再到低的变化规律;在24h内,沙层CO₂浓度变化存在4个转折点,分别出现在凌晨5时、11时、18时和21时左右。在沙层水分一定的条件下,昼夜温度变化是造成沙层CO₂浓度昼夜规律变化的主要原因,两者呈正相关关系;含水量较高的沙层CO₂浓度明显高于含水量较低的沙层;5m深度以上沙层CO₂浓度均高于地表空气CO₂浓度,表明极端干旱的高大沙山区是CO₂的来源区,也指示环境恶劣的裸露高大沙山区微生物活动产生的沙层CO₂浓度仍然超过了大气CO₂浓度。     

Neighborhood-scale urban form,travel behavior,and CO2 emissions in Beijing: implications for low-carbon urban planning

With an increasing awareness of global climate change, the effect of urban spatial organization, at both city and neighborhood scales, on urban CO₂ emission reduction has attracted much scholarly and practical attention. Using Beijing as a case study, this article examines the extent to which neighborhood-scale urban form may contribute to reduction of travel-related CO₂ emissions in the context of rapid urbanization and spatial transformation. We derive complete travel-activity records of 1,048 residents from an activity diary survey conducted in 2007. Analysis using structural equation models finds that residents living in a neighborhood with higher land use mix, public transit accessibility, and more pedestrian-friendly street design tend to travel in a “low-carbon” manner and emit less CO₂ in daily travel, even controlling for residential and travel preferences. This article offers empirical evidence that sheds light on debates about policy measures to facilitate China’s transition toward sustainable and low-carbon urban development.     

Influence of environmental, root, and stand parameters on soil surface CO2 efflux in a Populus euphratica of desert forest in extreme arid region

Spatial variation in soil surface CO2 efflux was measured in a stand of Populus euphratica in the Ejina Oasis of desert riparian forest in the extreme arid region in northwestern China from April 2007 through October 2007.Measurements were taken with a gas-exchange analyzer linked to a soil-respiration chamber.The mean soil CO2 efflux in the stand was 2.71 μmol/(m2·s) during the growing season and 1.38 μmol/(m2·s) in the nongrowing season.The seasonal maximum (end of May through early June) andminimum (October) CO2 efflux were 3.38 and 0.69 μmol/(m2·s),respectively.The diurnal fluctuation of CO2 efflux was relatively small (< 20 percent),with theminimum appearing around 05:00 and the maximum around 15:00.Linear regression analysis showed soil-surface CO2 efflux to be most highly correlated with soil temperature (R2=0.435) and soil moisture (R2=0.213).When all variables were considered simultaneously,only soil temperature (R2=0.378),soil moisture (R2=0.147),and root volume density (R2=0.021) explained a significant amount of variance in soil surface CO2 efflux.Stand volumes were not correlated with soil CO2 efflux on our sites.