茂兰森林生态系统对岩溶环境的适应与调节

通过对贵州茂兰森林区岩溶作用下森林生态特点的研究表明,岩溶山区由于岩溶作用导致了地貌、土壤、水分等状况的特异性,其森林生态系统行为对岩溶作用也作出了相应的响应,如森林生态系统虽然生物多样性、物种的特有性仍然较好,但物种以钙生性、旱生性为主,生产力低下,森林生态系统主要通过诸如无性更新、不间断随时更新等方式来适应严酷的岩溶环境。因此要保持和恢复岩溶石山区森林生态系统生产力,其首要的基础研究问题是岩溶作用影响下森林植物的生境胁迫的机制及其动态,森林植物对这种胁迫的适应性及其基因调控机理。      

农业生态环境数字信息系统的建立及应用

阐述了中国三北地区农业生态环境恶化的严重性,提出了农业生产内部环境和农业生产外部环境的概念,为进行农业生态环境研究指出了新的方向。从数字地球的角度讨论了应用数字化方法开展农业生态环境研究的必要性。在建立农业生态环境系统概念模型和指标体系的基础上,建立了农业生态环境数字信息系统。将农业生态环境模拟系统与GIS耦合,进行数字信息技术集成,实现了农业生态环境研究的信息化、数字化、模型化及可视化。借助于用户界面可对有关的农业生态环境问题进行检索、咨询。通过变量调控、优化决策,可以达到调整系统结构,提高系统功能,促进农业可持续发展的目的。     

沙坡头站生态监测数据的质量控制与综合管理

在多年研究与定位观测中,沙坡头沙漠试验研究站积累了大量第一手数据资料。这些数据在科学研究、生态环境综合评价和社会经济的发展中发挥了其应有的作用,但由于长期以来对数据缺乏系统化、规范化的管理,限制了数据的利用效率。根据中国生态系统研究网络(CERN)对生态网络研究的总体科学目标和沙坡头站的具体目标,沙坡头站在网络监测及监测数据管理方面进行了一系列规范化管理。作者就沙坡头沙漠试验研究站近年来网络监测、数据质量控制措施与综合管理方法等问题进行了简要论述,旨在为进一步提升网络监测与数据综合管理水平提供借鉴。     

从县域尺度的生态系统服务看农牧交错带的生态建设与结构调整

以农牧交错带的典型县——内蒙古武川县为例,计算出武川县生态系统水土保持、涵养水源、气候调节和维持营养物质循环等服务的总价值为6179638.49万元,是2000年该县国民生产总值的151倍,而其中草地发挥了巨大的作用。通过研究该县的生态系统服务功能和价值,试图为农牧交错带地区的生态建设与农业结构调整的战略问题提供理论上的支持。     

Fluvial transport of suspended sediment and organic carbon during flood events in a large agricultural catchment in southwest France

Water draining from a large agricultural catchment of 1 110 km² in southwest France was sampled over an 18‐month period to determine the temporal variability in suspended sediment (SS) and dissolved (DOC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) transport during flood events, with quantification of fluxes and controlling factors, and to analyze the relationships between discharge and SS, DOC and POC. A total of 15 flood events were analyzed, providing extensive data on SS, POC and DOC during floods. There was high variability in SS, POC and DOC transport during different seasonal floods, with SS varying by event from 513 to 41 750 t; POC from 12 to 748 t and DOC from 9 to 218 t. Overall, 76 and 62% of total fluxes of POC and DOC occurred within 22% of the study period. POC and DOC export from the Save catchment amounted to 3090 t and 1240 t, equivalent to 1·8 t km^?2 y^?1 and 0·7 t km^?2 y^?1, respectively. Statistical analyses showed that total precipitation, flood discharge and total water yield were the major factors controlling SS, POC and DOC transport from the catchment. The relationships between SS, POC and DOC and discharge over temporal flood events resulted in different hysteresis patterns, which were used to deduce dissolved and particulate origins. In both clockwise and anticlockwise hysteresis, POC mainly followed the same patterns as discharge and SS. The DOC‐discharge relationship was mainly characterized by alternating clockwise and anticlockwise hysteresis due to dilution effects of water originating from different sources in the whole catchment. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Snowmelt and the hydrological interaction of forest–grassland ecosystems in Central Yakutia,eastern Siberia

In the last two decades the major focus of study in forest water and carbon balances in eastern Siberia has been on the effect of rain during the growing season. Little attention has been paid to the contribution of snowmelt water. The results of the present study indicate that weather conditions during the snowmelt period as well as the soil moisture conditions carried from the previous year's growing season strongly determined the water availability for the forest ecosystem at the beginning of the next growing season. In the forest–grassland intermingled ecosystem of lowland Central Yakutia, gradual snowmelt water flow from the forest into the adjacent grassland depressions increased when soil moisture was high and air temperature was low, whereas low soil moisture and high air temperatures accelerated soil thawing and consequently snowmelt water infiltration into the forest soil. We found that snow depth did not determine the volume of snowmelt water moving to the grassland depression since the thermokarst lake water level in the adjacent grassland was about 25 cm lower in 2005 than in May 2006, even though maximum snow depth reached 57 cm and 43 cm in the winter of 2004–05 and 2005–06, respectively. The contribution of snowmelt water to forest growth as well as the flow of water from the forest to the grasslands showed a strong annual variability. We conclude that warmer springs and high variability in precipitation regimes as a result of climate change will result in more snowmelt water infiltration into the forest soil when the previous year's precipitation is low while more snowmelt water will flow into the thermokarst lake when the previous year's precipitation is high. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantification of bank erosion in a drained agricultural lowland catchment

The long‐term and current volumes of sediment exported from stream banks were calculated as potential sources of sediment in a large pond located at the catchment outlet of a small agricultural lowland basin strongly affected by anthropogenic pressure in France. Bank erosion was measured over a short period using a network of erosion pins along a small stream (1400 m long) to quantify the material exported during a single winter (2012–2013). The material exported by this same stream over the last 69 years was quantified using an original approach involving the comparison of a compilation of three‐dimensional historical stream redesign plans that date back to 1944 with the state of the banks in 2013 (differential global positioning system and LiDAR data). The results suggest that a global trend of material loss along the stream banks monitored by erosion pins, with an average erosion rate of 17.7 mm year^?1 and an average volume of exported material of 75 t km^?1. Over 69 years, this same stream exported an average of 36 t km^?1 year^?1, and the average loss of material from the banks throughout the whole catchment was estimated to be 14 t km^?1 year^?1. The contribution of bank material to the filling of the pond over the last 10 years is between 46% and 52% based on an extrapolation of erosion pin dynamics or between 27% and 30% based on the comparison of LiDAR data to the average historical profile extrapolated for the catchment. These results suggest that bank erosion represents a major source of sediment in degraded waters in traditionally understudied agricultural lowland catchments, where anthropogenic pressures are high.     

Identification of groundwater recharge sources and processes in a heterogeneous alluvial aquifer: results from multi‐level monitoring of hydrochemistry and environmental isotopes in a riverside agricultural area in Korea

We evaluated sources and pathways of groundwater recharge for a heterogeneous alluvial aquifer beneath an agricultural field, based on multi‐level monitoring of hydrochemistry and environmental isotopes of a riverside groundwater system at Buyeo, Korea. Two distinct groundwater zones were identified with depth: (1) a shallow oxic groundwater zone, characterized by elevated concentrations of NO₃^? and (2) a deeper (>10–14 m from the ground surface) sub‐oxic groundwater zone with high concentrations of dissolved Fe, silica, and HCO₃^?, but little nitrate. The change of redox zones occurred at a depth where the aquifer sediments change from an upper sandy stratum to a silty stratum with mud caps. The δ¹⁸O and δ²H values of groundwater were also different between the two zones. Hydrochemical and δ¹⁸O? δ²H data of oxic groundwater are similar to those of soil water. This illustrates that recharge of oxic groundwater mainly occurs through direct infiltration of rain and irrigation water in the sandy soil area where vegetable cropping with abundant fertilizer use is predominant. Oxic groundwater is therefore severely contaminated by agrochemical pollutants such as nitrate. In contrast, deeper sub‐oxic groundwater contains only small amounts of dissolved oxygen (DO) and NO₃^?. The ³H contents and elevated silica concentrations in sub‐oxic groundwater indicate a somewhat longer mean residence time of groundwater within this part of the aquifer. Sub‐oxic groundwater was also characterized by higher δ¹⁸O and δ²H values and lower d‐excess values, indicating significant evaporation during recharge. We suggest that recharge of sub‐oxic groundwater occurs in the areas of paddy rice fields where standing irrigation and rain water are affected by strong evaporation, and that reducing conditions develop during subsequent sub‐surface infiltration. This study illustrates the existence of two groundwater bodies with different recharge processes within an alluvial aquifer. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Introduction to ‘A tribute to Edward P. Glenn (1947–2017): A legacy of scientific environmental assessment and applications in hydrological processes’

This special issue (SI) ‘A Tribute to Edward P. Glenn (1947-2017): A legacy of Scientific Environmental Assessment and Applications in Hydrological Processes’ is a celebration of the extensive work of Dr. Ed Glenn that was instrumental across multiple sub-disciplines of hydrology. The SI highlights four primary areas of hydrological processes that are cornerstones of Ed Glenn's over four decades of research. These contributions cover the following specialties: (i) Hydrology in the Colorado River Delta; (ii) Riparian ecosystem water use; (iii) Riparian Plant ecophysiology and ecohydrology; and (iv) Methods and models to characterize evapotranspiration. Since Ed was passionate about the dryland delta at the end of the Colorado River, we begin with four research studies that focus on this special region on the U.S.–Mexico border which encompasses four states (Baja and Sonora in Mexico and California and Arizona in United States) as well as tribal communities in the transboundary area. The Colorado River delta reaches the Northern Gulf of California in the Sea of Cortez which has been designated as a UNESCO international biosphere reserve (‘Reserva de la Biosfera El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar’), which includes the Upper Gulf of California and Delta of the Colorado River (‘Reserva de la Biosfera Alto Golfo de California y Delta del Río Colorado’). Ed spent the majority of his last three decades on water balance studies and on ground-based transpiration quantification for validation of satellite and airborne remote sensing methods. We wrap up the special issue with contributions related to improving satellite and airborne remote sensing estimation of actual evapotranspiration. It is our pleasure to summarize the 16 research studies contributed to the special issue to honour Ed Glenn's research interests.