Carbon storage of the forest and its spatial pattern in Tibet,China

The raising concentration of atmospheric CO_2 resulted in global warming. The forest ecosystem in Tibet played an irreplaceable role in maintaining global carbon balance and mitigating climate change for its abundant original forest resources with powerful action of carbon sink. In the present study, the samples of soil and vegetation were collected at a total of 137 sites from 2001 to 2018 in Tibet. Based on the field survey of Tibet's forest resources and 8~(th) forest inventory data, we estimated the carbon storage and carbon density of forest vegetation(tree layer, shrub, grass, litter and dead wood) and soil(0-50 cm) in Tibet. Geostatistical methods combined with Kriging spatial interpolation and Moran's I were applied to reveal their spatial distribution patterns and variation characteristics. The carbon density of forest vegetation and soil in Tibet were 74.57 t ha~(-1) and 96.24 t ha~(-1), respectively. The carbon storage of forest vegetation and soil in Tibet were 344.35 Tg C and 440.53 Tg C, respectively. Carbon density of fir(Abies forest) was 144.80 t ha~(-1) with the highest value among all the forest types. Carbon storage of spruce(Picea forest) was the highest with 99.09 Tg C compared with other forest types. The carbon density of fir forest and spruce forest both increased with the rising temperature and precipitation. Temperature was the main influential factor. The spatial distribution of carbon density of forest vegetation, soil, and ecosystem in Tibet generally showed declining trends from western Tibet to eastern Tibet. Our results facilitated the understanding of the carbon sequestration role of forest ecosystem in the Tibet. It also implied that as the carbon storage potential of Tibet's forests are expected to increase, these forests are likely to serve as huge carbon sinks in the current era of global warming and climate change.     

三北工程区植被恢复对土壤风蚀的影响及植被恢复潜力研究

三北地区是我国重要的生态屏障,分析2000—2019年三北防护林体系建设工程（简称：三北工程）区植被恢复时空变化状况,厘定人类活动与气候要素对植被恢复的贡献,探究植被恢复对土壤风蚀影响,评估植被恢复潜力空间,可为三北防护林体系建设工程未来规划管理和科学施策提供参考。本文在选取植被覆盖度和植被净初级生产力表征植被恢复状况基础上,利用地面数据,结合模型模拟,定量评估了2000—2019年三北防护林体系建设工程区植被恢复程度及其对土壤风蚀的影响,并对植被恢复潜力进行探究。研究结果表明：① 2000—2019年植被恢复程度高、较高的面积,占总面积的35.29%和13.16%,主要分布在黄土高原区及北部区域和风沙区与东北华北平原农区的部分地区。人类活动与气候因素对植被恢复贡献率为10.45%和89.55%;② 土壤风蚀以轻度侵蚀和微度侵蚀为主,呈逐年下降趋势,剧烈侵蚀面积减少了66.45%,防风固沙服务得到进一步提升。植被恢复程度与土壤风蚀模数呈负相关关系,植被恢复程度较好有助于降低土壤风蚀模数;③ 三北工程区森林、草地和荒漠生态系统仍有8.16%的恢复潜力,内蒙古高原北部部分地区、哈顺戈壁北部和准噶尔盆地西北部及周边区域、黄土高原南部部分区域存在较大恢复潜力。     

Did Ecological Engineering Projects Have a Significant Effect on Large-scale Vegetation Restoration in Beijing-Tianjin Sand Source Region,China? A Remote Sensing Approach

Aiming for the restoration of degraded ecosystems, many ecological engineering projects have been implemented around the world. This study investigates the ecological engineering project effectiveness on vegetation restoration in the Beijing-Tianjin Sand Source Region(BTSSR) from 2000 to 2010 based on the rain use efficiency(RUE) trend in relation to the land cover. More than half of the BTSSR experienced a vegetation productivity increase from 2000 to 2010, with the increasing intensity being sensitive to the indicators chosen. A clear tendency towards smaller increasing areas was shown when using the net primary productivity(NPP, 51.30%) instead of the accumulated normalized difference vegetation index(59.30%). The short-term variation in the precipitation and intra-seasonal precipitation distribution had a great impact on the remote sensing-based vegetation productivity. However, the residual trends method(RESTREND) effectively eliminated this correlation, while incorporating the variance and skewness of the precipitation distribution increased the models′ ability to explain the vegetation productivity variation. The RUE combined with land cover dynamics was valid for the effectiveness assessment of the ecological engineering projects on vegetation restoration. Particularly, the result based on growing season accumulated normalized difference vegetation index(ΣNDVI) residuals was the most effective, showing that 47.39% of the BTSSR experienced vegetation restoration from 2000 to 2010. The effectiveness of the ecological engineering projects differed for each subarea and was proportional to the strength of ecological engineering. The water erosion region dominated by woodland showed the best restoration, followed by the wind-water erosion crisscross regions, while the wind erosion regions dominated by grassland showed the worst effect. Seriously degraded regions still cover more area in the BTSSR than restored regions. Therefore, more future effort should be put in restoring degraded land.     

What is the relationship between ecosystem services and urbanization? A case study of the mountainous areas in Southwest China

China is undergoing a rapid urbanization process, and urbanization will have a direct impact on regional ecosystems and affect regional ecosystem services. Considering the mountainous counties in Southwestern China as the research object, this study reveals the spatial clustering characteristics of four typical ecosystem services(food production, soil conservation, water yield and carbon sequestration)as well as the trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem services in different urbanized areas. At the same time, piecewise linear regression is used to determine the threshold of the influence of urbanization on ecosystem services. The results indicate that: 1) There are spatial autocorrelations among the four typical ecosystem services; with strong clustering characteristics, the positive correlation types are "clustered" locally; and with significant spatial heterogeneity, the negative correlation types are scattered and mainly appear in the highly urbanized area. 2) There are also remarkable differences in the relationship among various ecosystem services in different urbanized areas, and in particular, there are marked trade-offs between food production and carbon sequestration in the moderately urbanized area and the highly urbanized area. However, there are synergies between them in the lowly urbanized area. 3) With an increase in the compounded night light index(CNLI), water yield, carbon sequestration, food production and overall ecosystem services values present an increasing-decreasing trend, the soil conservation function value shows a decreasing-increasing trend.The response of water yield, carbon sequestration,food production, and overall ecosystem services to the compounded night light index(CNLI) has a threshold of 1.2642, 1.4833, 1.3388, 1.5146 and 1.2237,respectively. Based on the detected relationships between urbanization and ecosystem services, this study provides a theoretical reference for the selection of urbanization development models in key ecological functional areas.     

Root growth dynamics during recovery of tropical mountain forest in North-east India

Ever increasing pressures on tropical forests worldwide due to anthropogenic disturbances have greatly affected both above-and belowground functioning of these forests.While fine roots play major ecological roles in forests through assisting in nutrient and water uptake and returning elements to the soil environment,coarse roots play an important role in C sequestration.We studied changes in fine and coarse root biomass,production,turnover and carbon and nitrogen return to the soil in two regenerating forest stands(RFs)following stonemining that were 5 years(RF-5)and 15 years(RF-15)post-disturbance compared with a natural forest stand(NF)in Mizoram,North-east India.Fine(2mm)and coarse root(2-10 mm)biomass differed significantly among the forest stands and ranged from239(RF-5)to 415(NF)and 230(RF-5)to 436(NF)g m 2,respectively.Total root(fine+coarse)biomass increased during stand development but the proportion of very fine root(0.5 mm)to total root production decreased.Fine root biomass decreased with increasing soil depth.Fine and total root biomass showed strong seasonal correlations with soil moisture,more so than for rainfall and temperature,whereas these relationships were less clear for the coarse root biomass.The amount of N(25-55 kg ha~(-1))and C(1.9-3.6t ha~(-1))stored in root biomass increased with stand age with a corresponding increase in production and turnover of C and N to the soil.Disturbance to these tropical forests negatively affected root dynamics,influenced their spatiotemporal patterns,and reduced the production,amount and availability of nutrients returned to the soil along with a strong reduction in the root biomass carbon pool and sequestration in carbon residence time.We observed that root growth,especially fine roots,is dependent on abiotic variables,and plays a significant role in early stages of secondary succession by adding organic matter and nutrients through high turnover rates in these forests.     

Crop residue incorporation and nitrogen fertilizer effects on greenhouse gas emissions from a subtropical rice system in Southwest China

Crop residue incorporation has been widely accepted as a way to increase soil carbon (C) sequestration and sustain soil fertility in agroecosystems. However, effect of crop residue incorporation on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in rice paddy soils remains uncertain. A field experiment was conducted to quantify emissions of CH₄ and N₂O and soil heterotrophic respiration (R_H) from a paddy rice field under five different crop residue treatments (i.e., 150 kg N ha^-1 of synthetic N fertilizer application only [NF], 150 kg N ha^-1 of synthetic N fertilizer plus 5.3 Mg ha^-1 wheat residue [NF-WR1], 150 kg N ha^-1 of synthetic N fertilizer plus 10.6 Mg ha^-1 wheat residue [NF-WR2], 75 kg N ha^-1 of synthetic N fertilizer plus 10.6 Mg ha^-1 wheat residue [50%NF-WR2] and 150 kg N ha^-1 of synthetic N fertilizer plus 21.2 Mg ha^-1 wheat residue [NF-WR3]) in southwest China. Our results showed that crop residue incorporation treatments (NF-WR1, NF-WR2, 50%NF-WR2, NF-WR3) significantly increased CH₄ emissions by at least 60%, but N₂O emissions were not enhanced and even suppressed by 25% in the NF-WR3 treatment as compared to the NF treatment. Soil R_H emissions were comparable among experimental treatments, while crop residue incorporation treatments significantly increased soil carbon sequestrations relative to the NF treatment. Overall, CH₄ emissions dominated total global warming potentials (GWP) across all experimental treatments. The average yieldscaled GWPs for the NF and NF-WR1 treatments were significantly lower than for the NF-WR2, 50%NFWR2 and NF-WR3 treatments. Given the comparable yield-scaled GWPs between the NF and NF-WR1 treatments, the NF-WR1 treatment could gain net carbon sequestration as compared with the NF treatment with net soil carbon loss. Our findings suggest that the NF-WR1 treatment should be an effective option to sustain rice production while mitigating GHG emissions from the rice field in China.     

Effect of geojute technique on density,diversity and carbon stock of plant species in landslide site of North West Himalaya

Mountainous regions of the globe experience landslides due to heavy rainfall and unplanned construction on slopes. Geojute is adopted globally as a landslide rehabilitation measure, but its impact on natural vegetation development is poorly understood. The present study was conducted to examine the impact of geojute application on vegetation restoration, ecology and carbon stock in a recently occurred landslide, during 2012. The results revealed that the geojute application improved the richness, diversity, density and basal area of plant species at the landslide site. Likewise, biomass production, carbon stock and carbon sequestration of plant species was observed significantly higher in geojute treatments compared to control (without geojute treatment). Moreover, significant improvement in soil moisture was recorded beneath the geojute treatments. Further, results showed that the geojute is highly effective in controlling soil erosion at the landslide site. The findings of this study revealed ecological and environmental benefits of geojute application in term of improvement in vegetation recovery processes, species diversity and carbon sequestration at the landslide site. The scientific outcome of this study can be helpful for planning the rehabilitation measures in landslide affected regions of the globe.     

三江源生态工程实施前后长江源区宏观生态状况变化分析

基于NDVI时空序列数据,利用GLOPEM-CEVSA模型,本文估算并分析了长江源区1997-2012年植被覆盖度及植被净初级生产力时空变化特征,并在此基础上评估了生态工程实施前、后长江源区宏观生态状况变化。结果表明：工程实施后,长江源区宏观生态状况显著好转,植被覆盖度及植被净初级生产力明显增加。从多年平均值来看,工程实施后,植被覆盖度好转区域面积占植被区总面积的72.10%,净初级生产力增加区域面积占植被区总面积的73.82%;从变化趋势来看,植被覆盖度好转区域面积净增加13.02%,植被净初级生产力好转区域面积净增加24.62%。工程实施前后相比,各流域宏观生态状况恢复程度具有差异,其中楚玛尔河源头植被覆盖度上升最明显,通天河流域植被净初级生产力上升最明显。长江源区宏观生态状况的好转受益于气候的湿润化及生态工程的共同影响,若要全面有效改善仍需持续努力。     

Regional variation in carbon sequestration potential of forest ecosystems in China

Enhancing forest carbon(C) storage is recognized as one of the most economic and green approaches to offsetting anthropogenic CO_2 emissions. However, experimental evidence for C sequestration potential(C_(sp)) in China's forest ecosystems and its spatial patterns remain unclear, although a deep understanding is essential for policy-makers making decisions on reforestation. Here, we surveyed the literature from 2004 to 2014 to obtain C density data on forest ecosystems in China and used mature forests as a reference to explore C_(sp). The results showed that the C densities of vegetation and soil(0–100 cm) in China's forest ecosystems were about 69.23 Mg C/ha and 116.52 Mg C/ha, respectively. In mature forests, the C_(sp) of vegetation and soil are expected to increase to 129.26 Mg C/ha(87.1%) and 154.39 Mg C/ha(32.4%) in the coming decades, respectively. Moreover, the potential increase of C storage in vegetation(10.81 Pg C) is estimated at approximately twice that of soil(5.01 Pg C). Higher C_(sp) may occur in the subtropical humid regions and policy-makers should pay particular attention to the development of new reforestation strategies for these areas. In addition to soil nutrients and environment, climate was an important factor influencing the spatial patterns of C density in forest ecosystems in China. Interestingly, climate influenced the spatial patterns of vegetation and soil C density via different routes, having a positive effect on vegetation C density and a negative effect on soil C density. This estimation of the potential for increasing forest C storage provided new insights into the vital roles of China's forest ecosystems in future C sequestration. More importantly, our findings emphasize that climate constraints on forest C sequestration should be considered in reforestation strategies in China because the effects of climate were the opposite for spatial patterns of C density in vegetation and soil.Enhancing forest carbon(C) storage is recognized as one of the most economic and green approaches to offsetting anthropogenic CO2 emissions. However, experimental evidence for C sequestration potential(Csp) in China's forest ecosystems and its spatial patterns remain unclear, although a deep understanding is essential for policy-makers making decisions on reforestation. Here, we surveyed the literature from 2004 to 2014 to obtain C density data on forest ecosystems in China and used mature forests as a reference to explore Csp. The results showed that the C densities of vegetation and soil(0–100 cm) in China's forest ecosystems were about 69.23 Mg C/ha and 116.52 Mg C/ha, respectively. In mature forests, the Csp of vegetation and soil are expected to increase to 129.26 Mg C/ha(87.1%) and 154.39 Mg C/ha(32.4%) in the coming decades, respectively. Moreover, the potential increase of C storage in vegetation(10.81 Pg C) is estimated at approximately twice that of soil(5.01 Pg C). Higher Csp may occur in the subtropical humid regions and policy-makers should pay particular attention to the development of new reforestation strategies for these areas. In addition to soil nutrients and environment, climate was an important factor influencing the spatial patterns of C density in forest ecosystems in China. Interestingly, climate influenced the spatial patterns of vegetation and soil C density via different routes, having a positive effect on vegetation C density and a negative effect on soil C density. This estimation of the potential for increasing forest C storage provided new insights into the vital roles of China's forest ecosystems in future C sequestration. More importantly, our findings emphasize that climate constraints on forest C sequestration should be considered in reforestation strategies in China because the effects of climate were the opposite for spatial patterns of C density in vegetation and soil.     

京津风沙源区生态环境时空变化的遥感监测分析

本文利用由遥感影像解译获得的土地利用数据和MODIS NDVI产品,采用空间转移矩阵、最大值合成法、均值法和一元线性回归模拟等方法,分析了2000年以来京津风沙源区生态环境变化的时空特征.结果表明:(1)2000-2005年京津风沙源区耕地开垦、林草地减少的趋势有所减缓,但区域气候变化趋于干旱,水域面积明显减少,草地退...     

Age-related changes of carbon accumulation and allocation in plants and soil of black locust forest on Loess Plateau in Ansai County,Shaanxi Province of China

The effects of reforestation on carbon(C) sequestration in China′s Loess Plateau ecosystem have attracted much research attention in recent years. Black locust trees(Robinia pseudoacacia L.) are valued for their important use in reforestation and water and soil conservation efforts. This forest type is widespread across the Loess Plateau, and must be an essential component of any planning for C sequestration efforts in this fragile ecological region. The long-term effects of stand age on C accumulation and allocation after reforestation remains uncertain. We examined an age-sequence of black locust forest(5, 9, 20, 30, 38, and 56 yr since planting) on the Loess Plateau to evaluate C accumulation and allocation in plants(trees, shrubs, herbages, and leaf litter) and soil(0–100 cm). Allometric equations were developed for estimating the biomass of tree components(leaf, branch, stem without bark, bark and root) with a destructive sampling method. Our results demonstrated that black locust forest ecosystem accumulated C constantly, from 31.42 Mg C/ ha(1 Mg = 10~6 g) at 5 yr to 79.44 Mg C/ha at 38 yr. At the ′old forest′ stage(38 to 56 yr), the amount of C in plant biomass significantly decreased(from 45.32 to 34.52 Mg C/ha) due to the high mortality of trees. However, old forest was able to accumulate C continuously in soil(from 33.66 to 41.00 Mg C/ha). The C in shrub biomass increased with stand age, while the C stock in the herbage layer and leaf litter was age-independent. Reforestation resulted in C re-allocation in the forest soil. The topsoil(0–20 cm) C stock increased constantly with stand age. However, C storage in sub-top soil, in the 20–30, 30–50, 50–100, and 20–100 cm layers, was age-independent. These results suggest that succession, as a temporal factor, plays a key role in C accumulation and re-allocation in black locust forests and also in regional C dynamics in vegetation.     

Trade-offs and Synergies of Ecosystem Services in Karst Area of China Driven by Grain-for-Green Program

As an important means regulating the relationship between human and natural ecosystem,ecological restoration program plays a key role in restoring ecosystem functions.The Grain-for-Green Program(GFGP,One of the world’s most ambitious ecosystem conservation set-aside programs aims to transfer farmland on steep slopes to forestland or grassland to increase vegetation coverage)has been widely implemented from 1999 to 2015 and exerted significant influence on land use and ecosystem services(ESs).In this study,three ecological models(In VEST,RUSLE,and CASA)were used to accurately calculate the three key types of ESs,water yield(WY),soil conservation(SC),and net primary production(NPP)in Karst area of southwestern China from 1982 to 2015.The impact of GFGP on ESs and trade-offs was analyzed.It provides practical guidance in carrying out ecological regulation in Karst area of China under global climate change.Results showed that ESs and trade-offs had changed dramatically driven by GFGP.In detail,temporally,SC and NPP exhibited an increasing trend,while WY exhibited a decreasing trend.Spatially,SC basically decreased from west to east;NPP basically increased from north to south;WY basically increased from west to east;NPP and SC,SC and WY developed in the direction of trade-offs driven by the GFGP,while NPP and WY developed in the direction of synergy.Therefore,future ecosystem management and restoration policy-making should consider trade-offs of ESs so as to achieve sustainable provision of ESs.     

岩溶碳循环及碳汇效应研究与展望

碳酸盐岩风化是全球碳循环的重要组成部分, 具有大气与土壤CO₂汇效应, 受生态系统因子驱动与全球变化影响, 岩溶地区碳汇具有地表和地下双碳汇特征。简要介绍岩溶碳循环与全球变化关系, 论述岩溶碳汇的相关科学问题和主要进展, 分析岩溶增汇潜力与土地利用变化, 进一步提出基于岩溶关键带理念的碳酸盐岩风化过程概念模型。碳酸盐岩风化产生的碳汇可能是全球碳循环"遗漏碳汇"的贡献者, 同时具有缓解土壤CO₂向大气释放的作用, 进而成为全球碳循环模型中"土地利用变化项"(E_LUC)的重要调节者(减源效应)。碳酸盐岩风化过程能快速响应短时间尺度变化环境因子, 是岩溶关键带中连接生物、水文与地球化学过程的核心驱动机制。岩溶碳循环可理解为是土壤-生态系统碳循环的延伸或横向组成部分, 共同组成岩溶地区完整的陆地浅表层碳循环系统。碳酸盐岩风化对大气CO₂浓度上升的负反馈效应, 石漠化治理与生态修复工程的持续推进, 蕴藏着巨大的岩溶固碳增汇潜力。应加强土壤CO₂季节及其区域变化监测与研究, 构建基于土壤CO₂与流域水化学指标相关性的反向模型, 为估算区域碳汇本底、评估年际碳汇增量与潜力提供更加清晰且有效的岩溶增汇方案与途径。      

Response of Soil Moisture to Rainfall Event in Black Locust Plantations at Different Stages of Restoration in Hilly-gully Area of the Loess Plateau,China

Precipitation plays an important role in the water supplies that support ecological restoration by sustaining large-scale artificial plantations in arid and semiarid regions, especially black locust(Robinia pseudoacacia) plantations(RP plantations), which are widely planted due to R. pseudoacacia being an excellent pioneer species. Characterizing the response of soil moisture to rainfall events at different stages of restoration is important for assessing the sustainability of restoration in RP plantations. In this study, we quantified the response of soil moisture to rainfall events at different years of restoration(15, 20 and 30 yr) representing different restoration stages in RP plantations in a typical hilly-gully area, i.e., the Yangjuangou Catchment, of the Loess Plateau, China. Over the growing season(June to September) of 2017, smart probes were placed at nine depths(10, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 150, and 180 cm below the soil surface) to obtain volumetric soil water information at 30-min intervals in the three RP plantations. The advance of the wetting front was depicted, and the total cumulative water infiltration was measured. Soil moisture was mainly replenished by eight heavy rainfall events(mean rainfall amount = 46.3 mm), accounting for 88.7% of the rainfall during the growing season. The mean soil moisture content profiles of RP plantations at the three restoration stages were ordered as 30-yr(14.07%) 20-yr(10.12%) 15-yr(8.03%), and this relationship displayed temporal stability. Soil moisture was primarily replenished by rainfall at the 0-60 cm soil depth, and soil moisture remained stable below the 100-cm soil depth. The rainfall regime influenced the advancement of the wetting front. Here, a single rainfall event of 30 mm was the rainfall threshold for infiltration into the 60-cm soil layer. The total infiltration time ranged from 310.5-322.0 h, but no significant differences were found among RP plantations at different restoration stages. Young and old RP plantations had more total infiltration(more than 228.2 mm) and deeper infiltration depths(80-100 cm) than middle-aged plantations. The RP plantation at the intermediate restoration stage exhibited minimal total infiltration(174.2 mm) and a shallow infiltration depth(60 cm) due to the soil physical structure of the plot, which may have limited rain infiltration. More stand conditions that may affect infiltration should be considered for priority afforestation areas.     

城乡一体,共建生态文明——北京周边地区的碧水、蓝天、绿化工程

为落实绿色奥运的承诺,北京市与京津冀周边地区,以及内蒙古自治区、山西、山东等省(区),通力合作,城乡一体,调整产业结构及布局。推行资源节约、节能减排,优化环境,加强了保障能源、水源的基础设施;采取防尘、防沙、净化大气质量的工程措施。生态修复,成效显著。     

草地覆盖度变化对生态系统防风固沙服务的影响分析——以内蒙古典型草原区为例

锡林郭勒盟为我国北方典型草原区,草地的退化与恢复影响生态系统的防风固沙服务功能。为了便于制定区域生态恢复的防治措施,实现草地生态系统的可持续发展与防治土壤风蚀危害,本文基于气象、遥感数据,运用RWEQ(Revised Wind Erosion Equation)模型,结合锡林郭勒盟的草地覆盖度变化对20世纪90年代以来的防风固沙服务功能的时空变化趋势进行了定量评估,并分析了草地覆盖度变化对防风固沙服务功能的影响。研究表明:锡林郭勒盟土壤风蚀以微度和轻度侵蚀为主,主要集中在植被盖度较高、降水相对较多,风场强度相对较低的东部、中部和南部地区;中度以上区域主要集中在西部的荒漠草原区与浑善达克沙地区,且侵蚀面积随侵蚀强度的增加而递减;防风固沙服务功能量的分布趋势与土壤风蚀模数的分布趋势基本一致;防风固沙服务功能保有率的分布特征与植被盖度的分布特征基本一致,表现为由西北到东南逐渐增加的趋势;在气候暖干化背景下,受京津风沙源治理工程实施的影响,以微度和轻度侵蚀为主的草地覆盖度减小区转为以微度和轻度为主的覆盖度增加区,轻度和中度以上侵蚀为主的草地覆盖度减小区转为基本持衡区;草地覆盖度的降低与增加对土壤风蚀的加剧和抑制作用明显,大部分地区的防风固沙服务功能保有率的下降(提升)与风蚀季节草地覆盖度的减小与提升呈显著正相关(r0.6,p0.05)。     

Impacts of Drought and Human Activity on Vegetation Growth in the Grain for Green Program Region,China

The Chinese government adopted six ecological restoration programs to improve its natural environments. Although these programs have proven successful in improving local environments, some studies have questioned their performance when regions suffer from drought. Whether we should consider the effects of drought on vegetation change in assessments of the benefits of ecological restoration programs is unclear. Therefore, taking the Grain for Green Program(GGP) region as a study area, we estimated vegetation growth in the region from 2000–2010 to clarify the trends in vegetation and their driving forces. Results showed that: 1) vegetation growth increased in the GGP region during 2000–2010, with 59.4% of the area showing an increase in the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI). This confirmed the benefits of the ecological restoration program. 2) Drought can affect the vegetation change trend, but human activity plays a significant role in altering vegetation growth, and the slight downward trend in the NDVI was not consistent with the severity of the drought. Positive human activity led to increased NDVI in 89.13% of areas. Of these, 22.52% suffered drought, but positive human activity offset the damage in part. 3) Results of this research suggest that appropriate human activity can maximize the benefits of ecological restoration programs and minimize the effects of extreme weather. We therefore recommend incorporating eco-risk assessment and scientific management mechanisms in the design and management of ecosystem restoration programs.     

Change of Soil Organic Carbon after Cropland Afforestation in ′Beijing-Tianjin Sandstorm Source Control′ Program Area in China

Land use change is one of the major factors that affect soil organic carbon(SOC) variation and global carbon balance. However, the effects of land use change on SOC are always variable. In this study, using a series of paired-field experiments, we estimated the effects of revegetation types and environmental conditions on SOC stock and vertical distribution after replacement of cropland with poplar(Populus tomentosa) and korshinsk peashrub(Caragana korshinskii) in three climate regions(Chifeng City, Fengning City and Datong City of the ′Beijing-Tianjin Sandstorm Source Control′(BTSSC) program area. The results show that SOC sequestration rate ranges from 0.15 Mg/(ha·yr) to 3.76 Mg/(ha·yr) in the soil layer of 0–100 cm in early stage after cropland afforestation in the BTSSC program area. The SOC accumulation rates are the highest in Fengning for both the two vegetation types. Compared to C. korshinskii, P. tomentosa has greater effects on SOC accumulation in the three climate regions, but significantly greater effect only appears in Datong. The SOC density increases by 20%–111% and 15%–59% for P. tomentosa and 9%–63% and 0–73% for C. korshinskii in the 0–20 cm and 20–100 cm soil layers, respectively. Our results indicate that cropland afforestation not only affects SOC stock in the topsoil, but also has some effects on subsoil carbon. However, the effect of cropland afforestation on SOC accumulation varied with climate regions and revegetation types. Considering the large area of revegetation and relatively high SOC accumulation rate, SOC sequestration in the BTSSC program should contribute significantly to decrease the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere.     

Assessment of ecological importance of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau based on ecosystem service flows

Assessments of ecological importance based on static indexes that do not consider service flows frequently underestimate the importance of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as a "source". On the basis of natural environmental characteristics, this study selected six type of ecosystem services for evaluation, including water retention, soil retention, carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, sandstorm prevention, and tourism. According to the attributes of each ecosystem service flow, we calculated the flow length and traffic accessibility indexes, using Arc GIS hydrological module and kernel functions separately, to comprehensively analyse the ecological importance levels of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Results showed that after considering the service flows, the ecologically important zone shifted to the core area of the Three River Source Region, such as Zadoi County located in the Tanggula Mountains. The area of extreme importance is mainly distributed in the Yarlung Zangbo River basin, Tanggula Mountains, Hengduan Mountains, and Qilian Mountains, which accounts for 31.7% of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, providing approximately 60% of the ecosystem services and having extremely high protection efficiency and protection value. By introducing ecosystem service flow indexes, this study confirmed the ecological importance of core source areas such as the Tanggula Mountains, weakened the space bias caused by not considering the spatial transfer of ecosystem services, and provided technical support for optimizing ecological protection strategies and coordinating regional development.     

Carbon sequestration in forest vegetation of Beijing at sublot level

Based on forest inventory data (FID) at sublot level,we estimated the carbon sequestration in forest vegetation of Beijing,China in 2009.In this study,the carbon sequestration in forest vegetation at sublot level was calculated based on net biomass production (ΔB) which was estimated with biomass of each sublot and function relationships between ΔB and biomass.The biomass of forested land was calculated with biomass expansion factors (BEFs) method,while those of shrub land and other forest land types were estimated with biomass,coverage and height of referred shrubs and shrub coverage and height of each sublot.As one of special forested land types,the biomass of economic tree land was calculated with biomass per tree and tree number.The variation of carbon sequestration in forest vegetation with altitude,species and stand age was also investigated in this study.The results indicate that the carbon sequestration in forest vegetation in Beijing is 4.12 × 106 tC/yr,with the average rate of 3.94 tC/(ha·yr).About 56.91% of the total carbon sequestration in forest vegetation is supported by the forest in the plain with an altitude of < 60 m and the low mountainous areas with an altitude from 400 m to 800 m.The carbon sequestration rate in forest vegetation is the highest in the plain area with an altitude of < 60 m and decreased significantly in the transitional area from the low plain to the low mountainous area with an altitude ranging from 200 m to 400 m due to intensive human disturbance.The carbon sequestration of Populus spp.forest and Quercus spp.forest are relatively higher than those of other plant species,accounting for 25.33% of the total.The carbon sequestration in vegetation by the forest of < 40 years amounts to 45.38% of the total.The carbon sequestration rate in forest vegetation peaks at the stand age of 30–40 years.Therefore,it would be crucial for enhancing the capability of carbon sequestration in forest vegetation to protect the forest in Beijing,to limit human disturbance in the transitional area from the plain to the low mountain area,and to foster the newly established open forest.