Effects of grazing exclusion on plant productivity and soil carbon,nitrogen storage in alpine meadows in northern Tibet,China

Grazing exclusion is widely adopted in restoring degraded alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. However, its effectiveness remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of grazing exclusion on plant productivity, species diversity and soil organic carbon （SOC） and soil total nitrogen （STN） storage along a transect spanning from east to west of alpine meadows in northern Tibet, China. After six years of grazing exclusion, plant cover, aboveground biomass （AGB）, belowground biomass （BGB）, SOC and STN were increased, but species diversity indices declined. The enhancement of AGB and SOC caused by grazing exclusion was correlated positively with mean annual precipitation （MAP）. Grazing exclusion led to remarkable biomass increase of sedge species, especially Kobresia pygmaea, whereas decrease of biomass in forbs and no obvious change in grass, leguminous and noxious species. Root biomass was concentrated in the near surface layer （10 cm） after grazing exclusion. The effects of grazing exclusion on SOC storage were confined to shallow soil layer in sites with lower MAP. It is indicated that grazing exclusion is an effective measure to increase forage production and enhance soil carbon sequestration in the studied region. The effect is more efficient in sites with higher precipitation. However, the results revealed a tradeoff between vegetation restoration and ecological biodiversity. Therefore, carbon pools recover more quickly than plant biodiversity in the alpine meadows. We suggest that grazing exclusion should be combined with other measures to reconcile grassland restoration and biodiversitv conservation.     

Contrasting changes in above- and below-ground biomass allocation across treeline ecotones in southeast Tibet

Under conditions of a warmer climate, the advance of the alpine treeline into alpine tundra has implications for carbon dynamics in mountain ecosystems. However, the above- and below-ground live biomass allocations among different vegetation types within the treeline ecotones are not well investigated. To determine the altitudinal patterns of above-/below-ground carbon allocation, we measured the root biomass and estimated the above-ground biomass (AGB) in a subalpine forest, treeline forest, alpine shrub, and alpine grassland along two elevational transects towards the alpine tundra in southeast Tibet. The AGB strongly declined with increasing elevation, which was associated with a decrease in the leaf area index and a consequent reduction in carbon gain. The fine root biomass (FRB) increased significantly more in the alpine shrub and grassland than in the treeline forest, whereas the coarse root biomass changed little with increasing altitudes, which led to a stable below-ground biomass (BGB) value across altitudes. Warm and infertile soil conditions might explain the large amount of FRB in alpine shrub and grassland. Consequently, the root to shoot biomass ratio increased sharply with altitude, which suggested a remarkable shift of biomass allocation to root systems near the alpine tundra. Our findings demonstrate contrasting changes in AGB and BGB allocations across treeline ecotones, which should be considered when estimating carbon dynamics with shifting treelines.     

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.     

Effect of mixture sowing on biomass allocation in the artificially-planted pastures,Southeastern Tibetan

Artificial planting is an important measure to promote the restoration of degraded grassland and protect the ecological environment. The objectives of the current study were to investigate the allocation pattern between aboveground biomass(AGB) and belowground biomass(BGB) in different seeding types of artificially-planted pastures. We explored the variation in biomass and the relationship between above-and belowground biomass in four artificiallyplanted pastures with one species from Elymus nutans Griseb(EN, perennial), Elymus sibiricus Linn(ES, perennial), Medicago sativa Linn(MS, perennial), and Avena sativa Linn(AS, annual) and in six artificially-planted communities with mixtures of two species by seeding ratio 1:1 from the abovementioned grasses(EN + AS, MS + AS, EN + ES, MS + EN, MS + ES, AS + ES) in 2015 and 2016. The results showed that E. nutans is the most productive species with the highest biomass production among the single crops. MS + ES was the most productive group in 2015, while the group with the highest biomass production changed to AS + ES in 2016. AGB was positively correlated to BGB in the surface soil layer in the first year, but positively related to BGB in the subsoil layer in the second year. In the early stageof artificial grassland succession, plants allocated more biomass to aboveground parts, with a root to shoot(R/S) ratio of 1.98. The slope of the log-log relationship between AGB and BGB was 1.07 in 2016, which is consistent with the isometric theory. Different sowing patterns strongly affected the accumulation and allocation of biomass in artificiallyplanted grassland, E. sibiricus was the suitable plant in the alpine regions, which will be conducive to understanding vegetation restoration and plant interactions in the future.     

Aboveground Biomass and Water Storage Allocation in Alpine Willow Shrubs in the Qilian Mountains in China

The aboveground biomass allocation and water relations in alpine shrubs can provide useful information on analyzing their ecological and hydrological functions in alpine regions. The objectives of this study were to compare the aboveground biomass allocation, water storage ratio and distribution between foliage/woody components,and to investigate factors affecting aboveground biomass allocation and water storage ratio in alpine willow shrubs in the Qilian Mountains, China. Three experimental sites were selected along distance gradients from the riverside in the Hulu watershed in the Qilian Mountains. The foliage, woody component biomass, and water allocation of Salix cupularis Rehd.and Salix oritrepha Schneid. shrubs were measured using the selective destructive method. The results indicated that the foliage component had higher relative water and biomass storage than the woody component in the upper part of the crown in individual shrubs. However, the woody component was the major biomass and water storage component in the whole shrub level for S. cupularis and S.oritrepha. Moreover, the foliage/woody component biomass ratio decreased from the top to the basal level of shrubs. The relative water storage allocation was significantly affected by species types, but was not affected by sites and interaction between species and sites. Meanwhile, relative water storage was affectedby sites as well as by interaction between sites and species type.     

Impacts of warming on root biomass allocation in alpine steppe on the north Tibetan Plateau

Biomass is an important component of global carbon cycling and is vulnerable to climate change. Previous studies have mainly focused on the responses of aboveground biomass and phenology to warming, while studies of root architecture and of root biomass allocation between coarse and fine roots have been scarcely reported in grassland ecosystems. We conducted an open-top-chamber warming experiment to investigate the effect of potential warming on root biomass and root allocation in alpine steppe on the north Tibetan Plateau. The results showed that Stipa purpurea had significantly higher total root length, root surface area and tips than Carex moocroftii. However,there were no differences in total root volume, mean diameter and forks for the two species. Warming significantly increased total root biomass(27.60%), root biomass at 0–10 cm depth(27.84%) and coarse root biomass(diameter 0.20 mm, 57.68%) in the growing season(August). However, warming had no significant influence on root biomass in the non-growing season(April). Root biomass showed clear seasonalvariations: total root biomass, root biomass at 0–10 cm depth and coarse root biomass significantly increased in the growing season. The increase in total root biomass was due to the enhancement of root biomass at 0–10 cm depth, to which the increase of coarse root biomass made a great contribution. This research is of significance for understanding biomass allocation, carbon cycling and biological adaptability in alpine grassland ecosystems under future climate change.     

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.     

The Response of Vegetation Biomass to Soil Properties along Degradation Gradients of Alpine Meadow at Zoige Plateau

Alpine grassland of the Tibetan Plateau has undergone severe degradation, even desertification. However, several questions remain to be answered, especially the response mechanisms of vegetation biomass to soil properties. In this study, an experiment on degradation gradients was conducted in an alpine meadow at the Zoige Plateau in 2017. Both vegetation characteristics and soil properties were observed during the peak season of plant growth. The classification and regression tree model(CART) and structural equation modelling(SEM) were applied to screen the main factors that govern the vegetation dynamics and explore the interaction of these screened factors. Both aboveground biomass(AGB) and belowground biomass(BGB) experienced a remarkable decrease along the degradation gradients. All soil properties experienced significant variations along the degradation gradients at the 0.05 significance level. Soil physical and chemical properties explained 54.78% of the variation in vegetation biomass along the degradation gradients. AGB was mainly influenced by soil water content(SWC), soil bulk density(SBD), soil organic carbon(SOC), soil total nitrogen(STN), and pH. Soil available nitrogen(SAN), SOC and p H, had significant influence on BGB. Most soil properties had positive effects on AGB and BGB, while SBD and p H had a slightly negative effect on AGB and BGB. The correlations of SWC with AGB and BGB were relatively less significant than those of other soil properties. Our results highlighted that the soil properties played important roles in regulating vegetation dynamics along the degradation gradients and that SWC is not the main factor limiting plant growth in the humid Zoige region. Our results can provide guidance for the restoration and improvement of degraded alpine grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau.     

Clipping Alters the Response of Biomass Production to Experimental Warming: A Case Study in an Alpine Meadow on the Tibetan Plateau,China

Predicting how human activity will influence the response of alpine grasslands to future warming has many uncertainties.In this study, a field experiment with controlled warming and clipping was conducted in an alpine meadow at three elevations(4313 m, 4513 m and 4693 m) in Northern Tibet to test the hypothesis that clipping would alter warming effect on biomass production.Open top chambers(OTCs) were used to increase temperature since July,2008 and the OTCs increased air temperature by approximately 0.9o C ~ 1.8o C during the growing in2012.Clipping was conducted three times one year during growing season and the aboveground parts of all live plants were clipped to approximately 0.01 m in height using scissors since 2009.Gross primary production(GPP) was calculated from the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer GPP algorithm and aboveground plant production was estimated using the surface-measured normalized difference vegetation index in 2012.Warming decreased the GPP, aboveground biomass(AGB) and aboveground net primary production(ANPP) at all three elevations when clipping was not applied.In contrast, warming increased AGB at all three elevations, GPP at the two lower elevations and ANPP at the two higher elevations when clipping was applied.These findings show that clipping reduced the negative effect of warming on GPP, AGB and ANPP, suggesting that clipping may reduce the effect of climate warming on GPP, AGB and ANPP in alpine meadows on the Tibetan Plateau, and therefore, may be a viable strategy for mitigating the effects of climate change on grazing and animal husbandry on the Tibetan Plateau.     

Soil organic carbon contents,aggregate stability,and humic acid composition in different alpine grasslands in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Alpine grassland soils on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau store approximately 33.5 Pg of organic carbon(C) at 0–0.75 m depth and play an important role in the global carbon cycle.We investigated soil organic C(SOC),water-soluble organic C(WSOC),easily oxidizable organic C(EOC),humic C fractions,aggregate-associated C,aggregate stability,and humic acid(HA) composition along an east-west transect across Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,and explored their spatial patterns and controlling factors.The contents of SOC,WSOC,EOC,humic C fractions and aggregate-associated C,the proportions of macroaggregates(2-0.25) and micro-aggregates(0.25-0.053 mm),and the aggregate stability indices all increased in the order alpine desert alpine steppe alpine meadow.The alkyl C,O-alkyl C,and aliphatic C/aromatic C ratio of HA increased as alpine desert alpine meadow alpine steppe,and the trends were reverse for the aromatic C and HB/HI ratio.Mean annual precipitation and aboveground biomass weresignificantly correlated with the contents of SOC and its fractions,the proportions of macro- and microaggregates,and the aggregate stability indices along this transect.Among all these C fractions,SOC content and aggregate stability were more closely associated with humic C and silt and clay sized C in comparison with WSOC,EOC,and macro- and microaggregate C.The results suggested that alpine meadow soils containing higher SOC exhibited high soil aggregation and aggregate stability.Mean annual precipitation should be the main climate factor controlling the spatial patterns of SOC,soil aggregation,and aggregate stability in this region.The resistant and stable C fractions rather than labile C fractions are the major determinant of SOC stocks and aggregate stability.     

Variation in carbon,nitrogen and phosphorus partitioning between above- and belowground biomass along a precipitation gradient at Tibetan Plateau

Precipitation is a potential factor that significantly affects plant nutrient pools by influencing biomass sizes and nutrient concentrations. However, few studies have explicitly dissected carbon(C), nitrogen(N) and phosphorus(P) pools between above- and belowground biomass at the community level along a precipitation gradient. We conducted a transect(approx. 1300 km long) study of Stipa purpurea community in alpine steppe on the Tibet Plateau of China to test the variation of N pool of aboveground biomass/N pool of belowground biomass(AB/BB N) and P pool of aboveground biomass/P pool of belowground biomass(AB/BB P) along a precipitation gradient. The proportion of aboveground biomass decreased significantly from mesic to drier sites. Along the belt transect, the plant N concentration was relatively stable; thus, AB/BB N increased with moisture due to the major influences by above- and belowground biomass allocation. However, P concentration of aboveground biomass decreased significantly with increasing precipitation and AB/BB P did not vary with aridity because of the offset effect of the P concentration and biomass allocation. Precipitation gradients do decouple the N and P pool of a S. purpurea community along a precipitation gradient in alpine steppe. The decreasing of N:P in aboveground biomass in drier regions may indicate much stronger N limitation in more arid area.     

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.     

Biomass carbon storage and its sequestration potential of afforestation under natural forest protection program in China

Based on the data from China′s Seventh Forest Inventory for the period of 2004–2008, area and stand volume of different types and age-classes of plantation were used to establish the relationship between biomass density and age of planted forests in different regions of the country. Combined with the plantation area in the first-stage of the Natural Forest Protection(NFP) program(1998–2010), this study calculated the biomass carbon storage of the afforestation in the first-stage of the program. On this basis, the carbon sequestration potential of these forests was estimated for the second stage of the program(2011–2020). Biomass carbon storage of plantation established in the first stage of the program was 33.67 Tg C, which was majority accounted by protection forests(30.26 Tg C). There was a significant difference among carbon storage in different regions, which depended on the relationship of biomass carbon density, forest age and plantation area. Under the natural growth, the carbon storage was forecasted to increase annually from 2011 to 2020, reaching 96.03 Tg C at the end of the second-stage of the program in 2020. The annual growth of the carbon storage was forecasted to be 6.24 Tg C/yr, which suggested that NFP program has a significant potential for enhancing carbon sequestration in plantation forests under its domain.     

Changes in the depths of seasonal freezing and thawing and their effects on vegetation in the Three-River Headwater Region of the Tibetan Plateau

Frozen ground degradation plays an important role in vegetation growth and activity in high-altitude cold regions. This study estimated the spatiotemporal variations in the active layer thickness(ALT) of the permafrost region and the soil freeze depth(SFD) in the seasonally frozen ground region across the Three Rivers Source Region(TRSR) from 1980 to 2014 using the Stefan equation, and differentiated the effects of these variations on alpine vegetation in these two regions. The results showed that the average ALT from 1980 to 2014 increased by23.01 cm/10 a, while the average SFD decreased by 3.41 cm/10 a, and both changed intensively in the transitional zone between the seasonally frozen ground and permafrost. From 1982-2014, the increase in the normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI)and the advancement of the start of the vegetation growing season(SOS) in the seasonally frozen ground region(0.0078/10 a, 1.83 d/10 a) were greater than those in the permafrost region(0.0057/10 a,0.39 d/10 a). The results of the correlation analysis indicated that increases in the ALT and decreases in the SFD in the TRSR could lead to increases in the NDVI and advancement of the SOS. Surface soil moisture played a critical role in vegetation growth in association with the increasing ALT and decreasing SFD. The NDVI for all vegetation types in the TRSR except for alpine vegetation showed an increasing trend that was significantly related to the SFD and ALT. During the study period, the general frozen ground conditions were favorable to vegetation growth, while the average contributions of ALT and SFD to the interannual variation in the NDVI were greater than that of precipitation but less than that of temperature.     

IMPACT OF ROAD CONSTRUCTION ON VEGETATION ALONGSIDE QINGHAI-XIZANG HIGHWAY AND RAILWAY

Based on the field investigation in August 2001 and August 2002, digital China Vegetation Map in 2001 and Qinghai-Xizang(Tibet) Plateau Vegetation Regionalization Map in 1996, vegetation characteristics along two sides of Qinghai-Xizang highway and railway are studied in this paper. Meanwhile, the impact of Qinghai-Xizang highway and railway constructions on the vegetation types are analyzed using ARCVIEW. ARC/1NFO and PATCH ANALYSIS. It was found that: 1) Qinghai-Xizang highway and railway span 9 latitudes, 12 longitudes and 6 physical geographic regions (East Qinghai and Qilian mountain steppe region, Qaidam mountain desert region,South Qinghai-Xizang alpine meadow steppe region. Qiangtang alpine steppe region, Golog-Nagqu alpine shrubmeadow region and South Xizang mountain shrub steppe region); 2) the construction of Qinghai-Xizang highway and railway destroyed natural vegetation and landscape, especially in 50m-wide buffer regions along both sides of the roads, it was estimated that the net primary productivity deceased by about 30 504.62t/a and the gross biomass deceased by 432 919.25-1 436 104.3t. The losing primary productivity accounted for 5.70% of the annual primary productivity within lkm-wide buffer regions (535 005.07-535 740.11t/a), and only 0.80%-0.89% of that within 10km-wide buffer regions (3 408 950.45-3 810 480.92t/a). The losing gross biomass was about 9.47%-17.06% of the gross biomass within lkm-wide buffer regions (7 502 971.85-25 488 342.71t), and only 1.47%-2.94% of that within 10km-wide buffer regions (43 615 065.35-164 150 665.37t).     

Distribution of soil carbon in different grassland types of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Accurate estimate of soil carbon storage is essential to reveal the role of soil in global carbon cycle. However, there is large uncertainty on the estimation of soil organic carbon (SOC) storage in grassland among previous studies, and the study on soil inorganic carbon (SIC) is still lack. We surveyed 153 sites during plant peak growing season and estimated SOC and SIC for temperate desert, temperate steppe, alpine steppe, steppe meadow, alpine meadow and swamp, which covered main grassland in the Qinghai Plateau during 2011 to 2012. The results showed that the vertical and spatial distributions of SOC and SIC varied by grassland types. The SOC amount mainly decreased from southeast to northwest, whereas the SIC amount increased from southeast to northwest. The magnitude of SOC amount in the top 50 cm across grassland types ranked by: swamp > alpine meadow > steppe meadow > temperate steppe > alpine steppe > temperate desert, while the SIC amount showed an opposite order. There was a great deal of variation in proportion of SOC and SIC among different grassland types (from 55.17 to 94.59 for SOC and 5.14 to 44.83 for SIC). The total SOC and SIC storage was 5.78 Pg and 1.37 Pg, respectively, in the top 50 cm of soil in Qinghai Province. The mixed linear model revealed that grassland types was the predominant factor in spatial variations of SOC amount while grassland types and soil pH accounted for those of SIC amount. Our results suggested that the community shift of alpine meadow towards alpine grassland induced by climate warming would decrease carbon sequestration capacity by 6.0 kg C m².     

Climatic and geographic factors affect ecosystem multifunctionality through biodiversity in the Tibetan alpine grasslands

Ecosystem multifunctionality(EMF), the simultaneous provision of multiple ecosystem functions, is often affected by biodiversity and environmental factors. We know little about how the interactions between biodiversity and environmental factors affect EMF. In this case study, a structural equation model was used to clarify climatic and geographic pathways that affect EMF by varying biodiversity in the Tibetan alpine grasslands. In addition to services related to carbon, nitrogen, and water cycling, forage supply, which is related to plantproductivity and palatability, was included in the EMF index. The results showed that 72% of the variation in EMF could be explained by biodiversity and other environmental factors. The ratio of palatable richness to all species richness explained 8.3% of the EMF variation. We found that air temperature, elevation, and latitude all affected EMF, but in different ways. Air temperature and elevation impacted the aboveground parts of the ecosystem, which included plant height, aboveground biomass, richness of palatable species, and ratio of palatable richness to all species richness. Latitude affected EMF by varying both aboveground and belowground parts of the ecosystem, which included palatable speciesrichness and belowground biomass. Our results indicated that there are still uncertainties in the biodiversity–EMF relationships related to the variable components of EMF, and climatic and geographic factors. Clarification of pathways that affect EMF using structural equation modeling techniques could elucidate the mechanisms by which environmental changes affect EMF.     

Effects of afforestation on carbon storage in Boyang Lake Basin, China

By using field survey data from the sixth forest inventory of Jiangxi Province in 2003, the biomass and carbon storage for three studied species （Pinus massoniana, Cunninghamia lanceolata, and Pinus elliottii） were estimated in Taihe and Xingguo counties of Boyang Lake Basin, Jiangxi Province, China. The relationship between carbon density and forest age was analyzed by logistic equations. Spatio-temporal dynamics of forest biomass and carbon storage in 1985-2003 were also described. The results show that total stand area of the three forest species was 3.10 × 10^5 ha, total biomass 22.20 Tg, vegetation carbon storage 13.07 Tg C, and average carbon density 42.36 Mg C/ha in the study area in 2003. Carbon storage by forest type in descending order was： P. massoniana, C. lanceolata and P. elliottii. Carbon storage by forest age group in descending order was： middle stand, young stand, near-mature stand and mature stand. Carbon storage by plantation forests was 1.89 times higher than that by natural forests. Carbon density of the three species increased 8.58 Mg C/ha during the study period. The carbon density of Taihe County was higher in the east and west, and lower in the middle. The carbon density of Xingguo County was higher in the northeast and lower in the middle. In general, the carbon density increased with altitude and gradient. Afforestation projects contribute significantly to increasing stand area and carbon storage. Appropriate forest management may improve the carbon sequestration capacity of forest ecosystems.     

Impacts of Land Cover Changes on Ecosystem Carbon Stocks Over the Transboundary Tumen River Basin in Northeast Asia

Understanding the effects of land cover changes on ecosystem carbon stocks is essential for ecosystem management and environmental protection, particularly in the transboundary region that has undergone marked changes. This study aimed to examine the impacts of land cover changes on ecosystem carbon stocks in the transboundary Tumen River Basin (TTRB). We extracted the spatial information from Landsat Thematic Imager (TM) and Operational Land Imager (OLI) images for the years 1990 and 2015 and obtained convincing estimates of terrestrial biomass and soil carbon stocks with the InVEST model. The results showed that forestland, cropland and built-up land increased by 57.5, 429.7 and 128.9 km², respectively, while grassland, wetland and barren land declined by 24.9, 548.0 and 43.0 km², respectively in the TTRB from 1990 to 2015. The total carbon stocks encompassing aboveground, belowground, soil and litter layer carbon storage pools have declined from 831.48 Tg C in 1990 to 831.42 Tg C in 2015 due to land cover changes. In detail, the carbon stocks decreased by 3.13 Tg C and 0.44 Tg C in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) and Russia, respectively, while increased by 3.51 Tg C in China. Furthermore, economic development, and national policy accounted for most land cover changes in the TTRB. Our results imply that effective wetland and forestland protection policies among China, North Korea, and Russia are much needed for protecting the natural resources, promoting local ecosystem services and regional sustainable development in the transnational area.     

Vegetation traits and soil properties in response to utilization patterns of grassland in Hulun Buir City,Inner Mongolia,China

Numerous studies have focused on vegetation traits and soil properties in grassland, few of which concerned about effects of human utilization patterns on grassland yet. Thus, this study hypothesized that human disturbance （e.g., grazing, mowing and fencing） triggered significant variation of biomass partitioning and carbon reallocation. Besides, there existed some differences of species diversity and soil fertility. To address these hypotheses of grassland with diverse utilization patterns in Hulun Buir City, Inner Mongolia, China, we sampled in situ about aboveground biomass （AGB） and belowground biomass （BGB） to evaluate their biomass allocation. Species diversity and soil properties were also investigated. Subsequently, we discussed the relationship of species diversity with environmental conditions, using data collected from 23 sites during the ecological project period of Returning Grazing Lands to Grasslands （RGLG） program. The results were as follows： 1） both AGB and BGB were lower on grazing regime than those on fencing and mowing, but the ratio of root-to-shoot （R/S） was higher on grazing regime than the other two utilization patterns; 2） neither of evenness and Simpson Index was different significantly among all grassland utilization patterns in desert, typical, and meadow grassland at 0.05. In meadow grassland, species richness of fencing pattern was significantly higher than that of grazing pattern （p 〈 0.05）; 3） both of soil organic carbon content and soil available phosphorous content were increased significantly on fencing pattern than grazing pattern （p 〈 0.05） in desert grassland, and mowing patterns increased the soil nutrients （soil organic carbon, soil total phosphorous, soil available phosphorous, and soil total nitrogen） significantly compared with grazing patterns （p 〈 0.05） in typical grassland. However, there were no significant differences among utilization patterns in meadow grassland. In conclusion, both of AGB and BGB were increased s