Influence of understory removal, thinning and P fertilization on N2fixation in a mature mesquite (Prosopis glandulosavar.glandulosa) stand

The natural abundance¹⁵N/¹⁴N method was used to estimate the influence of silvicultural and P fertilization treatments on N accretion, N₂fixation and N partitioning among tissues in a mature mesquiteProsopis glandulosavar.glandulosastand in Texas. The silvicultural treatments consisted of understory removal, herbicide treatment of brushy resprouts, thinning trees to single stems and 100 kg ha⁻¹P fertilization. The trees had a mean basal diameter of 17·8 cm with 8 to 35 cm range. The stand was slow growing with the increase in dry matter ranging from 0·465 Mg ha⁻¹year⁻¹to 0·701 Mg ha⁻¹year⁻¹for the 8 years after the treatments were applied. N accretion after 8 years ranged from 3·1 kg ha⁻¹year⁻¹to 4·4 kg ha⁻¹year⁻¹.Due to the range in δ¹⁵N of the leaves, twigs, branches and trunk, we used the weighted (by biomass) average δ¹⁵N per tree in calculations of the percent N derived from N₂fixation (%Ndfa). There was considerable variability in δ¹⁵N of the reference plants, i.e. from 3·3 to 5·9. In contrast there was low variability in the background δ¹⁵N of nearby soils (7·0±1·0). As the total above-ground biomass δ¹⁵N of a grass grown outside the influence of mesquite (7·8±0·58) had the same δ¹⁵N as the soil (7·5±1·0), we used the grass outside the influence of mesquite and the weighted tree mean δ¹⁵N to calculate % of N derived from N₂fixation.The decrease in intraspecific competition by thinning multistemed trees to single stemmed trees was the only treatment that significantly (p= 0·0001) increased growth. Interspecific competition, i.e. understory removal, did not increase growth. There were no significant differences in total N production or N fixation among treatment means. The most striking result was the highly positive correlation between tree δ¹⁵N and total N per tree and biomass per tree (R²= 0·90,F= 164·4, df. = 18, mean square error (MSE) = 0·155,p= 0·0001). This implies that the younger trees colonizing infertile soils relied more heavily on N₂fixation than larger trees which accumulated 1200 kg ha⁻¹more N under their canopies. The percentage N derived from N₂fixation ranged from 63 to 73% in the various treatments. Despite the high percentage of N derived from N₂fixation, the N₂fixation of the stand was very low, i.e. 1·98 to 2·80 kg N ha⁻¹year⁻¹, due to the low growth of the stand. We believe that comparisons of the whole tree weighted δ¹⁵N to background soil δ¹⁵N provides a more reasonable approach to estimate % N₂fixation than comparisons of leaves of fixers and reference plants.     

Sediment deposition in the flood plain of Stemple Creek Watershed, northern California

Over the past 150 years, major land use changes have occurred in the Stemple Creek Watershed in northern California that have caused erosion to move soils from the upland to the flood plain, stream channels, and the bay. The purpose of this study is to document the recent (1954 to present) sediment deposition patterns in the flood plain area adjacent to Stemple Creek using the ¹³⁷Cesium technique. Sediment deposition ranged from 0.26 to 1.84 cm year⁻¹ for the period from 1964 to 2002 with an average of 0.85±0.41 cm year⁻¹. Sediment deposition rates were higher for the 1954 to 1964 period with a range of 0.31–3.50 cm year⁻¹ and an average of 1.29±1.04 cm year⁻¹. These data indicate that sediment deposition in the flood plain has decreased since the middle 1950s, probably related to reduction in row crop agriculture and an increase in pasturelands. This study shows that the flood plains in the Stemple Creek Watershed are a significant sink for the soils being eroded from the upland area. Given the significance of the flood plain for trapping eroded materials before they reach the stream channels or the bay, efforts need to be made to manage these flood plain areas to insure that they do not change and become a source rather than a sink for eroded materials as improved management practices on the upland areas reduce sediment input to the flood plain.     

Assessment of sidewall erosion in large gullies using multi-temporal DEMs and logistic regression analysis

Although in the last decades gully erosion has been a thriving research field, few studies have specifically addressed the contribution and location of sidewall erosion processes in gullies. In this paper, sidewall erosion in some large gullies in a Mediterranean area (Anoia-Penedès, NE Spain) is mapped and assessed for two time intervals (1975–1995 and 1995–2002), using detailed digital elevation models derived from aerial photographs at a scale of 1:5000 to 1:7000. Logistic regression analysis is applied to compute the probability of occurrence of gully sidewall erosion from terrain variables. The results confirm the complex nature of sidewall processes, whose intensity is most probably related to rainfall characteristics. Prolonged wet soil conditions in the period 1995–2002, together with the large and high-intensity rainfall of an extreme event occurred on 10th June 2000, help to explain the different sediment production rates: 16±0.4 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ in 1975–1995 and 83±6.3 Mg ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ in 1995–2002. The logistic regression analysis revealed that gully-wall slope angle was the main factor controlling gully sidewall failure. In gully walls with high slope angles, tension crack development is the main process promoting wall collapse. The application of the logistic regression model showed a high overall accuracy (87%) but over 50% of commission and omission errors for the class of interest (sidewall erosion), in agreement with the variance explained by the model.     

Long-term bed load transport rate based on aerial-photo and ground penetrating radar surveys of fan-delta growth, Coast Mountains, British Columbia

Sequential aerial photography, sonar bathymetry, ground-penetrating radar (GPR), and sediment sampling and analysis provide the basis for calculating the volumetric and mass rate of progradation of the delta of Fitzsimmons Creek, a steep, high-energy, debris-flow-dominated channel draining about 100 km² of the southern Coast Mountains of British Columbia. Fitzsimmons Creek is typical of small mountain rivers in the region. GPR imaging is used to define the pre-depositional morphology of the receiving basin, a technique that improves the accuracy of the volumetric survey. The 52-year record (1947–1999) of progradation yielded an average annual volumetric transport rate of 1.00±0.16×10⁴ m³ year⁻¹ for bed load, corresponding to a mass transport rate of 1.60±0.28×10⁴ Mg year⁻¹. Bed load yields are consistent with those obtained in hydrogeomorphically similar basins in the region and elsewhere. Decade-based annual rates, which vary from 0.64±0.11×10⁴ to 2.85±0.38×10⁴ Mg year⁻¹, provide poor estimates of the 52-year average. Indeed, the 52-year record may also not be long enough to fully integrate the significant fluctuations in the sediment efflux from Fitzsimmons Creek. The methodology proposed in this paper can be transferred to other comparable mountain environments worldwide.     

Effects of indole-3-acetic acid and zinc on the growth, osmotic potential and soluble carbon and nitrogen components of soybean plants growing under water deficit

Three-week old soybean (Glycine max) plants were subjected to a factorial combination of four regimes of soil matric water potential (ψ_m=−0·03, −0·5, −1·0 and −1·5 MPa), two levels of supplementary Zn (O and 20 mgl⁻¹) and two levels of foliar IAA application (O and 10 mgl⁻¹). Under control conditions (no Zn, no IAA), increasing soil drying progressively retarded shoot and root growth (length and dry mass production), reduced leaf relative water content (RWC) and decreased the contents of chlorophyll (Chl) and shoot soluble sugars (SS), but increased soluble sugar content of roots and lowered osmotic water potential of shoots and roots (osmotic adjustment). Total free amino acid (TAA) content increased in shoots but decreased in roots whereas contents of soluble proteins (SP) decreased in shoots and roots. The effect of water stress was statistically significant (p<0·05) and had a major effect (as indicated by η²values) on leaf RWC, shoot and root dry masses and osmotic potential. Supplementary Zn improved root growth at all levels of stress and shoot growth under severe stress. Improvement of growth was positively correlated with the internal tissue Zn concentrations (r=0·91 and 0·86 for shoot and 0·94 and 0·82 for root length and dry mass respectively). Exogenous IAA raised (p<0·05) RWC, Chl, DM (slightly), root SS, and SP, whereas shoot TAA was lowered. Effects on root TAA and shoot SS were more complex: they were lowered at zero stress and raised under severe stress. IAA and Zn in combination had additive effects on Chl, growth and osmotic potential, but their combined effects on SP and TAA were more complex. It is concluded that the treatment of soybean plants grown under conditions of low soil water potentials and Zn deficiency with Zn and IAA solutions counteracted the deleterious effects of stress, especially at high stress levels, and helped stressed plants to grow successfully under these adverse unfavourable conditions.     

High-resolution images reveal rate and pattern of shrub encroachment over six decades in New Mexico, U.S.A.

Encroachment of the shrub Prosopis glandulosa Torr. (honey mesquite) into semi-arid grasslands is a serious concern in the south-western United States, yet little is known about the long-term dynamics of the invasion process. We used ten high-resolution aerial and satellite images taken from 1936 to 1996 to track the population dynamics and spatial pattern of all P. glandulosa greater than 2 m in diameter on a 75 ha area in southern New Mexico.Shrub cover and patch numbers increased from 1936 to the 1970s, then stabilized at 43% cover and 83 patches ha⁻¹. Individual patches were extremely persistent: 95% of the area occupied by shrub patches in 1936 was still occupied in 1996. Recruitment into the 2 m size class was more variable: 0·6–5·2% year⁻¹ (mean 0·8% year⁻¹). Patch-shape complexity increased from 1936 to 1983 as adjacent shrubs merged, and then declined as those clusters filled in and became rounder. Spatial pattern of shrubs showed a distinct trend over time: strongly clustered in 1936 at lag distances up to 250 m, then random arrangement at all scales, and by 1983 pattern was regular at lag distances greater than 100 m. There was no clear relationship with precipitation.The use of remote sensing imagery allowed us to examine one site over time, and revealed patterns in population dynamics and spatial pattern that would not have been visible otherwise. Comparison of field estimates collected in 2001 with 1996 image data suggest that the canopy cover estimates were accurate, but shrub densities were seriously underestimated in the satellite photographs, which do not show shrubs smaller than 2 m diameter. As long as limitations of the imagery are understood, these methods can be applied over a larger and more heterogeneous area to examine environmental correlates of invasion success.     

Water requirements for cultivatingSalicornia bigeloviiTorr. with seawater on sand in a coastal desert environment

The forage and oilseed halophyte,Salicornia bigeloviiTorr., was grown in gravity-drained lysimeters set in open plots of the same crop over two seasons in a coastal desert environment in Sonora, Mexico. The lysimeters were irrigated daily with seawater (40 g l⁻¹salts) at rates ranging from 46–225% of potential evaporation. Biomass and seed yields increased with increasing irrigation depth over the range of treatments. Biomass yields ranged from 13·6–23·1 t DM ha⁻¹, equivalent to conventional forage crops, on seasonal water application depths of 2·3–3·8 m, but were markedly lower at lower irrigation depths. Increasing the irrigation depth lowered the soil solution salinity, resulting in greater growth and water use, and hence leaching fractions that were nearly even over irrigation treatments, averaging 0·5. Evapo-transpiration rose in direct proportion to the irrigation depth. Potential evaporation was estimated by site pan evaporation and by the Blaney-Criddle and Penman models using climatological data; the methods agreed within 15%. The ratio of evapo-transpiration to potential evaporation increased over the growing season and approached 1·5 by pan on the highest irrigation treatment due to the combined effects of high transpiration and high evaporation from the permanently moist soil surface. The best field predictor of biomass yield was the salinity of the soil moisture in the top 15 cm of soil profile, which constitutes the root zone for this crop. Root zone salinity must be kept at 70–75 g l⁻¹for high yields. Although irrigation and drainage requirements were high compared to conventional crops, seawater irrigation appears to be feasible in medium sand and could augment crop production along coastal deserts. The possibility of using this crop for animal production is discussed.     

Economic assessment of production of flour from Prosopis alba and P. pallida pods for human food applications.

This paper presents a detailed cost accounting of the processes involved in the production of flours from the mesocarps of the fruits of Prosopis alba and P. pallida to be used in human foods. The flours from both species are similar and contain 7–8% protein, 0·8–2% fat, 26–32% total dietary fiber and 48–59% sucrose. The data were based on actual production rates in use at the Universidad de Piura pilot plant using simple machinery. Machinery hourly charges were based on equivalent rental costs in order to avoid interest charge calculations. As opposed to other analyses which only included processing costs delivered to the plant, our analysis ascribed value to the owner of the trees in order to provide incentives to plant and care for the trees. The sensitivity analyses showed that the most economically important factor was the conversion efficiency of pods into flour. When a 40% conversion efficiency, such as that which has been obtained in both Peru and Argentina was obtained, and by-product credits for high fiber containing fraction were assumed, the wholesale selling price with a 5% marketing cost and a 40% profit direct costs was estimated to be $0·66 kg⁻¹ for Peru (using a $0·40 h⁻¹ labor rate ) and $1·76 kg⁻¹ for Argentina (using a $1·5 h⁻¹ labor rate).     

Extractable and total Fe and Mn contents of three sand dune soils in NW Nigeria

The profile distribution of total, diethylene triamine penta-acetic acid (DTPA)- and 0·1 HCl-extractable Fe and Mn were determined in 12 pedons formed on three contiguous sand dunes in the semi-arid savanna of Nigeria. The total Fe and Mn contents varied from 100 to 3750 and 40 to 11,375 μg g⁻¹, respectively. Values of 0·1 HCl-extractable Fe and Mn varied from 8·0 to 123 and 1·5 to 43·5 μg g⁻¹, respectively. The corresponding values of DTPA-extractable Fe and Mn were 4·5 to 16·0 and 1·0 to 38·8 μg g⁻¹. Total Fe and Mn correlated significantly with clay in nearly all the dunes (p≤ 0·01) but were not significantly correlated with organic matter. The 0·1 HCl-extractable Mn had a positive significant correlation with soil pH (r= 0·58*) in Illela dunes but a negative significant correlation with pH in the Sangiwa dunes (r= −0·75***). The values of extractable Fe and Mn in the sand dune soils are above the critical limits reported in other literature, thus deficiencies of these micronutrients do not pose a problem to crop production in the study area.     

Assessment of soil organic carbon in semi-arid Sudan using GIS and the CENTURY model

Using the UNFCCC as a basis, and the objectives of estimating soil organic carbon (SOC) changes during the period 1900–2100, a spatially explicit database of climate, land cover and soil texture was compiled for a 262,000 km² region in semi-arid Sudan. The area is characterized by low input cultivation of millet, sorghum and sesamé combined with livestock grazing. By integrating the database with the CENTURY ecosystem model, we were able to estimate historical, current and future pools of SOC as a function of land management and climate.The SOC (upper 20 cm) decrease from 1900 to 2000 was estimated to be 6·8 Mt and the maximum potential carbon sink (SOC increase) for the period 2000 to 2100 was estimated to be 17 Mt. Cropland and grassland lost 293 and 152 t SOC km⁻² respectively whereas the savannahs gained 76 t SOC km⁻² from 1900 to 2000. The SOC sequestration scenario simulated during 2000–2100 recovered 94, 84 and 75 t km⁻² for cropland, grassland and savannah respectively.In addition to climate and soils, cropping intensity, fallow periods, fire frequency and grazing intensity also influence cropland SOC variation. Grassland and savannah SOC variations depend on grazing intensity and fire return interval. Land management may affect future amounts of SOC in semi-arid areas thereby turning them from sources into sinks of carbon. SOC estimates were reasonably consistent with measurements (r²=0·70, n=13).     

Movement of a small slipfaceless dome dune in the Namib Sand Sea, Namibia

The migration of a small slipfaceless dome dune close to the northern edge of the Namib Sand Sea has been measured by topographic survey. The dune dimensions are 45-m wide and 1-m high with a volume of 551 m³ that has been calculated as the difference between the dune's surface elevation and an interdune surface extrapolated from measurements around the edge of the dune. The migration direction, 64°, and distance moved, 90 m, are measured against stakes set out in 1976. The dune has moved about 90 m between 1976 and 1999. This is an average linear migration rate of around 4 m year⁻¹, and is equivalent to an annual sand transport rate of about 1.2 tonnes m⁻¹ year⁻¹. The calculated total potential sand flow in this part of the Namib Desert is 119 tonnes m⁻¹ year⁻¹, and the resultant potential sand flow is 63 tonnes m⁻¹ year⁻¹. The dune migration is therefore about 1% of the total potential sandflow and 2% of the resultant indicating that dune migration is only a small part of total potential sand transport. The results suggest that small slipfaceless dome dunes are very inefficient at trapping sand, and that winds blowing across the interdune in this area are undersaturated with sand.     

Physical and chemical properties of soils under some piñon-juniper-oak canopies in a semi-arid ecosystem in New Mexico

Piñon (Pinus edulis)-juniper (Juniperus monosperma)-ecosystems increased substantially in the western USA during the 20th century. Sustainability of these ecosystems primarily depends on soil quality and water availability. This study was undertaken with the objective of assessing the effect of tree species on soil physical quality in a semi-arid region in the western part of Sugarite Canyon, northeast of Raton, Colfax County, NM (37°56′32″N and 104°23′00″W) USA. Three cores and three bulk soil samples were obtained from the site under the canopy of three juniper, Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii) and piñon trees for 0–10 and 10–20 cm depths. These samples were analyzed for particle size distribution, soil bulk density (ρ_b), water stable aggregation (WSA), mean weight diameter (MWD) of aggregates, pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) concentrations and stocks. Sand content was greater under juniper (48%) than oak (32%), whereas clay content followed the opposite trend. The ρ_b, WSA, MWD, pH and EC were similar under juniper, piñon, oak canopies for both depths. Estimated (from Philip and Green and Ampt infiltration models) and measured water infiltration parameters did not vary among these sites and were in accord with the values for ρ_b, WSA and MWD. The SOC concentrations and stocks were greater under oak (43.1 Mg ha⁻¹ for 0–10 and 37.5 Mg ha⁻¹ for 10–20 cm depths) than piñon (23.3 Mg ha⁻¹ for 0–10 and 18.5 Mg ha⁻¹ for 10–20 cm depths). The TN concentrations were greater under oak (3.4 g kg⁻¹) than piñon (1.7 g kg⁻¹) for the 0–10 cm depth only. Accumulation of detritus material under tree canopies reduced soil compaction and crusting caused by raindrop impact and increased SOC, and TN concentrations, and water infiltration. Coefficients of variation ranged from low to moderate for most soil properties except infiltration rate at 2.5 h, which was highly variable. Overall, soil quality for each site was good and soil aggregation, water infiltration and SOC concentrations were high, and soil ρ_b was low.     

Soil seed flora, germination and regeneration pattern of woody species in an Acacia woodland of the Rift Valley in Ethiopia

The objectives of this study were to determine the composition, density and spatial distribution of the soil seed bank of woody species, as well as their regeneration pattern in two different land use systems, controlled (ranch) and open grazing, in an Acacia woodland of the Rift Valley in Ethiopia. We also compared the species composition of the soil seed bank and the above-ground vegetation to find out if differences exist in the soil seed bank and advance regeneration between the two land use systems. The germination requirements of seeds of the woody species were also investigated under laboratory conditions. Acacia senegal, Acacia seyal, Acacia tortilis, Dichrostacys cinerea and Balanites aegyptiaca were encountered in the above-ground vegetation in both systems. Seeds of only A. tortilis (90±32 seeds m⁻²) from the ranch, and A. senegal (5±3 seeds m⁻²) and A. tortilis (72±34 seeds m⁻²) from the open system were found in the soil seed bank along transects with patchy horizontal pattern. The two systems were not significantly different in density of soil seed banks of A. senegal andA. tortilis . Jaccard's similarity index showed that only a few woody species were common in the soil seed flora and above ground vegetation. However, all of the species accumulated seeds (58±43–331±130 seeds m⁻²) in/on the soil under the canopy. Very large numbers of seeds of A. tortilis (19382±9722 seeds m⁻²) and D. cinerea (1278±494 seeds m⁻²) were also found in barns. Most of the seeds recovered from the soil samples (60–80%) were found in the litter layer. Acid and mechanical scarification improved legume germination (36–99% and 60–99%, respectively) over boiling water (0–48%). Treatment means differed significantly for all the legumes (p<0·001) but not for Balanites. Height and diameter class distribution of regeneration of A. tortilis and D. cinerea in both systems and A. senegal in the open system had a negative exponential correlation (r_s=−0·5, −0·25 and −0·86, respectively). A. seyal and B. aegyptiaca showed poor regeneration. Horizontal distribution of advance regeneration of all the species was patchy. Advance regeneration of A. seyal, A. tortilis and B. aegyptiaca were not significantly different, while that of A. senegal and D. cinerea were significantly different between the two systems. Poor representation of species in the soil seed bank along transects and in the different height and diameter classes may be attributed to the low density of mature trees as well as the mode and strategy of seed dispersal. Ungulate and wind dispersed species (e.g. A. senegal, A. tortilis and D. cinerea) were highly favoured. Patchiness in the distribution of seeds and advance regeneration was also a result of endozoochory. Dispersal of non-ungulate dispersed seeds (A. senegal, A. seyal and B. aegyptiaca) was restricted to the canopy zone. Piles of seeds ofA. tortilis and D. cinerea that were found in barns were a result of consumption of their pods by cattle. High concentration of seeds in the litter layer may be due to low soil disturbance and larger size of seeds. The height and diameter class distribution of A. senegal (in the open system), A. tortilis and D. cinerea also indicated that the species have good regeneration. Results from the germination tests indicated that seeds of the legumes require pre-sowing treatments to give a rapid, uniform and improved germination. Intervention through artificial regeneration should be employed to improve the density and regeneration capacity of those species with hampered regeneration at both systems.     

Exploring some relationships between biological soil crusts, soil aggregation and wind erosion

A portable wind tunnel was used to test the contribution of biological and physical elements to overall soil aggregation on a soil dominated by biological soil crusts in south-eastern Australia. After moderate disturbance and simulated wind erosion, 90% of surface aggregates on the loamy soil and 76% on the sandy soil were dominated by biological elements (cryptogams). Lower levels of biological bonding were observed on the severely disturbed treatment. Linear regression indicated a significant positive relationship (r²=0·72) between biological soil crust cover and dry aggregation levels greater than 0·85mm. To maintain sediment transport below an erosion control target of 5gm⁻¹s⁻¹ for a 65kmh⁻¹ wind at 10m height, a crust cover of approximately 20% is required. When a multiple regression model which sequentially fitted biological crust cover and dry aggregation greater than 0·85mm was applied to the data, dry aggregation accounted for more of the variation in sediment transport rate than biological crust cover. These data were used to develop a conceptual model which integrates crust cover and dry aggregation, and provides a useful framework within which to predict the likely impacts of changes in soil crust cover and aggregation.     

Chemical and environmental isotope study of precipitation in Syria

Waters from a network of rainfall collection covering nine meteorological stations distributed mainly in the western part of Syria have been assayed using chemical and environmental isotope techniques for a period of 5 months from Dec 1989 to Apr 1990. The chemistry of rain waters falling over the mountainous stations shows a low solute concentration (20–105 mg⁻¹/L) compared with those falling over the coastal and anterior stations (50–210 mg⁻¹/L). The rain waters are generally characterized by a high deuterium excess (d = 19 ‰) compared with that of typical global meteoric waters (d = 10 ‰). The estimated deuterium excess is lower than that for the eastern Mediterranean meteoric waters (d = 22 ‰). The altitude effect is shown up by a depletion of heavy stable isotopes of about −0·23 ‰ and −1·65 ‰ per 100 m elevation of δ¹⁸O and δD, respectively. The spatial distribution pattern of tritium contents shows a gradual build up with increasing distance from the Syrian coast. The weighted mean tritium content in rain waters falling over the country is estimated to amount to 9·5 tritium units (TU) during the period of observation.     

Preliminary results of usingCs to study wind erosion in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The world fallout of caesium-137 (¹³⁷Cs) associated with nuclear weapons testing during the 1950s and 1960s has provided a valuable man-made tracer for studies of soil erosion and sediment delivery. But relatively few researchers have used it to estimate wind erosion. In this paper, the¹³⁷Cs technique is introduced into the study of wind erosion and its modern processes in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Two¹³⁷Cs reference inventories of 982·11 and 2376·04 Bq m⁻²was established preliminarily, which distribute in the south and mid-north parts of the study area respectively. By analysing the patterns of¹³⁷Cs depth profiles from sampling sites, the aeolian processes of erosion and deposition along nearly 40 years has been revealed, i.e. the shrub coppice dunes(S1) and semi-fixed dunefields (S3) had experienced the alternation of erosion and deposition, while the grasslands (S4, S6 and S7) and dry farmlands (S5) suffered erosion only. By using the¹³⁷Cs model, the average wind erosion rates for shrub coppice dune (S1), semi-fixed dunefields (S3), dry farmlands (S5) and grasslands (S4, S6 and S7) were estimated to be 84·14, 69·43, 30·68 and 21·84 tha⁻¹a⁻¹respectively, and for the whole Plateau, averaging 47·59 ha⁻¹a⁻¹which can be regarded as the medium erosion standard. These results derived from¹³⁷Cs for the first time have significant implications for the further research of wind erosion and desertification control in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.     

Soil nutrients in relation to land use and landscape position in the semi-arid small catchment on the loess plateau in China

Characterizing spatial variability of soil nutrients in relation to site properties, including climate, land use, landscape position and other variables, is important for understanding how ecosystems work and assessing the effects of future land use change on soil nutrients. In order to assess the effects of land use and landscape position on soil nutrients consisting of soil organic matter (SOM), total N (TN), total P (TP), available N (AN) and available P (AP), soil samples were collected in August and October 1998 and July 1999 from three transects in a small catchment on the loess plateau, China. The three transects consisted of typical land use structure from the top to foot of hillslope in the study area: fallow land – cropland – woodland – orchard (T1), fallow land – shrub land – fallow land – cropland – woodland – orchard (T2) and intercropping land – woodland (T3). Significant differences among land uses were found for SOM, TN and AN. Woodland, shrub land and grassland had the higher levels for them compared to fallow land and cropland. Use of soil deterioration index showed that soils deteriorated moderately (−17·05%) under orchard and seriously (ranging from −29·91% to −20·32%) under fallow land, cropland and intercropping land, while soils had no deterioration (−0·74%) under shrubland and (−0·69%) grassland. This study indicated that the cultivated hilly lands must be abandoned before a critical minimum SOM of 0·492%. Soil nutrient responses to landscape positions were variable depending on transect and the location of land use types. The highest levels in SOM, TN and AN were observed at middle slope position on T1, while they occurred at foot slope position on T3. However, an increasing trend from upper slope to foot slope for five nutrients were found on T2.     

Tiller recruitment and mortality in the dryland bunchgrass Eragrostis curvula as affected by defoliation intensity

A greenhouse experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of moderate (14 cm) vs. severe (7 cm) defoliation on tiller recruitment and mortality within the interior and on the perimeter of weeping lovegrass (Eragrostis curvula) tussocks. Tiller number per marked shoot within the interior was significantly greater in plants defoliated at 14-cm stubble height than at 7-cm stubble height (2·37 vs. 0·43, p<0·05) 28 weeks after defoliation; likewise, tiller number per marked shoot was also greater on the perimeter of tussocks in the higher stubble than the lower stubble defoliation treatment (5·10 vs. 2·03, p<0·05). Tiller natality increased significantly 4 weeks after defoliation except for tillers cut to 7-cm stubble height within the interior of tussocks where tiller natality reached a peak at 4·5 weeks after defoliation. During the later stages of canopy development, tiller numbers per marked shoot gradually declined as tiller mortality increased. Tillers began senescing 13 weeks after defoliation, and the senescence rate was 52% greater in the 7-cm stubble height treatment than in the 14-cm stubble height treatment (2·33 vs. 1·53, p<0·0001). Within the interior of tussocks, number of the marked tillers more than doubled under the 14-cm stubble height treatment, whereas the plants lost 57% of the monitored tillers under the 7-cm stubble height treatment. We concluded that the central dieback process in weeping lovegrass is accelerated by severe defoliation.     

Relationship between species richness of small mammals and primary productivity of arid and semi-arid grasslands in north China

We studied the relationship between primary productivity and species richness of small mammals at both large and small spatial scales in the arid and semi-arid grasslands of north China. The productivity (x)–species richness (y) pattern at a large spatial scale can be described by a unimodal quadratic regression curve (y=7·41+0·1^*x−0·0003^*x²,p =0·008, r²=0·788). At a small spatial scale, however, neither linear nor quadratic regression fit the data for 1980 and 1994 (p>0·25). Primary productivity may not be an appropriate predictor of the species richness of small mammals at a small spatial scale. We conclude, therefore, that the primary productivity–species richness pattern of small mammals may be scale-dependent in the arid and semi-arid grasslands of north China. Landscape complexity should be considered in future studies of productivity–richness relationships.     

A frost “buzzsaw” mechanism for erosion of the eastern Southern Alps, New Zealand

In the Southern Alps, New Zealand, large gradients in precipitation (< 1 to 12 m year^− 1) and rock uplift (< 1 to 10 mm year^− 1) produce distinct post-glacial geomorphic domains in which landslide-driven sediment production dominates in the wet, rapid-uplift western region, and rockfall controls erosion in the drier, low-uplift eastern region. Because the western region accounts for < 25% of the active orogen, the dynamics of erosion in the extensive eastern region are of equal importance in estimating the relative balance of uplift and erosion across the Southern Alps. Here, we assess the efficacy of frost cracking as the primary rockfall mechanism in the eastern Southern Alps using air photo and topographic analysis of scree slopes, cosmogenic radionuclide dating of headwalls, paleo-climate data, and a numerical model of headwall temperature. Currently, active scree slopes occur at a relatively uniform mean elevation ( 1450 m) and their distribution is independent of hillslope aspect and rock type, consistent with the notion that frost cracking (which is maximized between − 3 and − 8 °C) may control rockfall erosion. Headwall erosion rates of 0.3 to 0.9 mm year^− 1, measured using in-situ ¹⁰Be and ²⁶Al in the Cragieburn Range, confirm that rockfall erosion is active in the late Holocene at rates that roughly balance rock uplift. Models of the predicted depth of frost activity are consistent with the scale of fractures and scree blocks in our field sites. Also, vegetated, paleo-scree slopes are ubiquitous at elevations lower than active scree slopes, consistent with the notion that lower temperatures during the last glacial advance induced pervasive rockfall erosion due to frost cracking. Our modeling suggests temporally-averaged peak frost cracking intensity occurs at 2300 m a.s.l., the approximate elevation of the highest peaks in the central Southern Alps, suggesting that the height of these peaks may be limited by a “frost buzzsaw.”