Exploring socio-hydrological determinants of crop yield in under-performing irrigation schemes: pathways for sustainable intensification

ABSTRACT

Understanding the human–water–food–climate nexus is central to achieving sustainable intensification (SI) in agriculture. This research uses a socio-hydrological approach to understand the underpinning for implementing SI in the Gezira Irrigation Scheme, Sudan, by integrating vegetation indices derived from remote sensing, ancillary, gridded soil and precipitation data, supplemented by interviews with 393 farmers. The productivity gap was estimated as the difference between the potential and actual productivities. Based upon data on farmers’ socio-economic status and field practices, a regression tree model was built to determine the factors that control the sorghum yield. The model revealed that the financial status of farmers and access to water are the most influential factors on sorghum yield. A conceptual framework that elucidates SI and its bi-directional feedback to the environment, society and the economy is proposed. Implementing SI in the scheme has implications on water and food security in Sudan and beyond its borders.     

Molecular Evidence for Primary Producers and Paleo-environmental Conditions in Mesoproterozoic in the Xuanlong Depression in North China

The molecular organic compounds have been identified by gas chromatography (GC) and GC-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) from Mesoproterozoic rocks in the Xuanlong depression in North China. The main saturated compounds are n-alkanes, monomethylalkanes, n-alkylcyclohexanes, acyclic isoprenoids, and hopanes. The dominant lower-molecular-weight n-alkanes are indicative of the main contribution of microorganisms, in particular, the chemosynthetic bacteria. The presence of abundant monomethylalkanes (mid- and end-branched) and the long chained (>C₂₀) acyclic isoprenoids indicates the existence of abundant bacteria and/or archaea in ancient oceans. The low abundance of pristane and phytane is suggestive of the relatively low abundance of photosynthetic autotrophs in comparison with chemosynthetic bacteria in the Mesoproterozoic oceans in North China. The sedimentary environmental condition is suboxic/anoxic, as indicated by the low value of the Pr/Ph ratio as well as the presence of abundant sulfur-bearing organic compounds, consistent with the other geochemical data in North China and elsewhere in the world. Both the composition of the primary producers and the sedimentary environmental conditions are favorable for the formation of hydrocarbon source rocks.     

Coupled effect of climate change and human activities on the restoration/degradation of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau grassland

Climate change(CC)and human activities(HA)are the main reasons for the res-toration/degradation of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP)grassland.Many related studies have been conducted thus far,but the impact mechanism of CC coupled with HA on QTP remains unclear.We summarized the two main coupling factors in recent years(specifically,in the past five years)and obtained the following conclusions.(1)CC and HA have positive and negative effects on the QTP grassland ecosystem.CC primarily affects grassland ecol-ogy through temperature,humidification,and extreme climate,and HA mainly affects eco-systems through primary,secondary,and tertiary industries and restoration measures.(2)CC coupled with HA affects soil,plants,animals,and fungi/microbes.CC makes the snow line rise by increasing the temperature,which expands the zone for HA.CC also restricts HA through hydrological changes,extreme climate,and outbreak of pikas and pests.Simulta-neously,measures are implemented through HA to control and adapt to CC.Hence,the grassland ecosystem is comprehensively influenced by CC and HA.(3)The grassland eco-system dynamically adapts to the disturbance caused by CC and HA by changing its physi-ological characteristics,distribution range,diet structure,community structure,and physical state.Simultaneously,it responds to environmental changes through desertification,poi-sonous weeds,rodent outbreak,release of harmful gases,and other means.This work can be used as a reference for the sustainable development of the QTP grassland.     

Signals of tree volume and temperature in a high‐resolution record of pollen accumulation rates in northern Finland

Pollen accumulation rates (PARs) provide a potential proxy for quantitative tree volume (m³ ha^?1) reconstruction with reliable absolute pollen productivity estimates (APPEs). We obtained APPEs for pine, spruce and birch at their range limits in northern Finland under two temperature periods (‘warm’ and ‘cold’) based on long‐term pollen trap and tree volume records within a 14‐km radius of each trap. APPEs (mean ± SE; × 10⁸ grains m^?3 a^?1) tend to be higher for the ‘warm’ periods (pine 123.8 ± 24.4, birch 528.0 ± 398.4, spruce 434.3 ± 113.7) compared with the ‘cold’ periods (pine 95.5 ± 37.3, birch 317.3 ± 282.6, spruce 119.6 ± 37.6), although the difference is only significant for spruce. Using an independent temperature record and the APPEs obtained, we reconstruct a low‐frequency record of pine volume changes over the last 1000 years at Palomaa mire, where a high‐resolution record of Pinus PARs is available. Five phases are distinguished in the reconstruction: moderate pine volume, AD 1080–1170; high volume, AD 1170–1340; low volume, AD 1340–1630; very low volume, AD 1630–1810; and rising pine volume, AD 1810–1950. These phases do not coincide with periods of high or low June–July–August temperatures, and thus appear to reflect regional variations in tree volume, while high‐frequency changes within each time‐period block show variations in PARs in response to temperature. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impact of land-use induced changes on agricultural productivity in the Huang-Huai-Hai River Basin

The water resource allocation is greatly influenced by the land use, agricultural productivity and farmers’ income. Therefore analyzing the impacts of land use changes on agricultural productivity and subsequent effects on farmer’s income is an important basis of the further study on the management mechanism and optimal water resource allocation. Taking the Huang-Huai-Hai River Basin as the study area, this study examined the impacts of conversion from cultivated land to built-up land from 2000–2005 and 2005–2008. Then the agricultural productivity was estimated with the Estimation System for Agricultural Productivity model, and the changes in agricultural productivity caused by land conversion were analyzed. Thereafter, Simultaneous Equations Model was used to analyze the impacts of the conversion from cultivated land to built-up land on the agricultural productivity and subsequent effects on farmer’s income. The results showed that: (1) The agricultural productivity was stable during the whole period, reaching about 2.84 ton/ha, 3.09 ton/ha and 2.80 ton/ha on average in 2000, 2005 and 2008, respectively, but the conversion from cultivated land to built-up land had important influence on the spatial pattern of agricultural productivity. (2) The land productivity, total power of agricultural machinery and the conversion from cultivated land to built-up land had an overall positive effect on the agricultural productivity. (3) The agricultural productivity and gross domestic product had positive influence on the farmers’ income, while the cultivated land area per capita and percentage of farming employee had negative influence, indicating that the farmer’s income was mainly contributed by non-agricultural income. These results in this study showed that optimal land use management can play an important role in promoting virtuous ecosystem cycle and sustainable socioeconomic development, which can also lay an important foundation for further research on the optimal allocation of water resources in the Huang-Huai-Hai River Basin.     

基于CSCS改进CASA模型的中国草地净初级生产力模拟

将草原综合顺序分类系统（CSCS）中的热量指标（∑θ）和湿润度指标（K）引入CASA模型。利用该模型模拟了2004-2008年中国41个草地类的净初级生产力（NPP）,并分析了其时空变化和不同草地类NPP变化。结果表明：2004-2008年中国草地NPP模拟平均值与实测平均值分别为503.8 g·m^-2·a^-1和567.3 g·m^-2·a^-1,两者较为接近。各类草地的平均误差和平均相对误差均值分别为4.85 g·m^-2·a^-1和7.6%。草地NPP的实测值和模拟值相关性较好。改进CASA模型模拟值比Miami和Thornthwaite Memorial模型模拟值更接近实测值。NPP空间分布呈东高西低,南高北低,从西北向东南逐渐增加的趋势,体现了K和∑θ的水平和垂直地带性分布规律。2004-2008年中国草地NPP总体呈现增加趋势,其总量增加了23.0%。草地NPP年均值在不同植被类型中差异显著,分布规律与CSCS划分草地类的K和∑θ密切相关。总之,改进后的CASA模型模拟精度较高,实现了草地NPP模拟与草地分类的相互关联。     

Cost of environmental flow during water scarcity in the arid Huasco River basin,northern Chile

Abstract

This investigation presents a new approach to estimate the costs resulting from the introduction of environmental flows in the arid Huasco River basin, located in the Atacama Region of Chile, one of the most sophisticated private water markets worldwide. The aim is to provide information to the water users, who hold the right to decide on water use, and thereby support the inclusion of environmental flows into decision-making. Costs are estimated by calculating the loss of agricultural productivity resulting from a trade-off between users and environmental flow requirements in times of water scarcity. Based on environmental flow requirements calculated by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and hydrological supply-and-demand modelling using the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) model, economic parameters of water productivity are calculated for the main economic sectors and then included in hydrological analysis. The study presents concrete costs that might be imposed on the water users during times of water scarcity, and confirms that there are significant variations in water productivity between different sectors.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz; Guest editor M. Acreman

Citation Wagnitz, P., Núñez, J., and Ribbe, L., 2014. Cost of environmental flow during water scarcity in the arid Huasco River basin, northern Chile. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 59 (3–4), 700–712.     

Sources of dissolved silica to the fjords of northern Patagonia (44–48°S): the importance of volcanic ash soil distribution and weathering

Dissolved silica (DSi) plays an important biogeochemical role in the fjords of northern Chilean Patagonia (44–48°S), where it drives high biogenic productivity and promotes carbon burial. It is generally believed that the DSi riverine input to lakes and coastal environments is controlled by a combination of factors including lithology, climate, topography, vegetation, and meltwater input. In northern Chilean Patagonia several authors have proposed that the postglacial volcanic ash soils (andosols) may play a significant role in the high supply of DSi to the regional fjords. To assess the influence of andosols on DSi concentrations in north Patagonian rivers, we mapped andosol thickness and compared our results with river chemistry. The mineralogical and geochemical composition of three representative andosol profiles was also examined to evaluate the efficiency of weathering processes. The andosol thickness map clearly demonstrates that volcanic ash was predominantly deposited on the eastern side of the regional volcanoes, reflecting the influence of the prevailing westerly winds on the distribution of pyroclastic material. Mineralogical and geochemical results show that the andosol parent material has the typical andesitic basaltic signature of the regional volcanoes, i.e. high amounts of amorphous material, plagioclase, K‐feldspar, and pyroxene. Down‐profile variations in soil mineralogy and geochemistry indicate increased leaching of silica with depth, resulting from weathering of the volcanic parent material. For the five studied watersheds, a highly positive correlation (R²=0.98) was found between average andosol thickness and DSi concentrations, suggesting that andosol thickness is the main parameter affecting DSi concentrations in north Patagonian river systems. On seasonal timescales, increased precipitation (winter) and glacial meltwater (summer) input can significantly reduce DSi concentrations. We argue that the weathering of andosols constitutes the most important source of DSi to the lakes and fjords of northern Chilean Patagonia, explaining the particularly high regional rates of biogenic silica production. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

沙枣树的出胶与环境影响因素研究

沙枣树的出胶量与多种影响因子有关。观测实验结果表明,沙枣树出胶量与自身的生理活性有关,而生理活性取决于水分条件。水分条件较好的相对湿润林带,沙枣树出胶量较高,而水分条件较差的干旱林带,沙枣树出胶量较低,不同水分条件下的出胶量火小依次为：湿润〉半湿润〉干旱条件：气温对激活和提高树木生理活性有积极作用,沙枣树的出胶量随气温升高显著增加,出胶旺盛季节通常在5～7月;沙枣树的创口类型和数量影响出胶量,出胶量有随创口数的增加而增加的趋势,但不同创口类型的数量对出胶量的影响是不同的,机械伤害和病虫害是造成沙枣树创口产生的原因之一;树龄与树木的生理活性对出胶有直接关系,树龄25年左右的成熟林出胶量最高,极显著地大于树龄17年的中龄林和41年的过熟林。过熟林遭受病虫害侵袭的程度远较中龄林大,出胶量也大于中龄林木。     

黄河三角洲新垦耕地年龄及其生产能力指数的遥感监测

黄河三角洲是我国重要的土地后备资源集中分布区,对黄河河口滩地的开垦成为了保持山东省乃至全国耕地动态平衡的关键。本文以东营市、垦利县、河口区和利津县作为研究区,利用6期(1984、1995、2000、2004、2008和2010年)TM影像,对黄河三角洲地区的耕地资源动态变化和耕地年龄进行了遥感监测和推定,并利用熵权法以植被指数(EVI和MSAVI)、植被覆盖度(Fv)和温度植被干燥指数(TVDI)为指标因子的耕地生产能力指数构建了评价模型。研究结果表明:在1984-2010年的26年时间里,研究区的耕地动态变化显著,新垦耕地面积达到77 362.33hm2,大部分来源于草地的开垦。其中,耕地年龄在8-12年期间的新垦耕地面积最多,占了新垦耕地面积的34.47%;研究区新垦耕地的生产能力指数呈现随着耕作时间的增加而增加的趋势,耕作时间在2-4年之内的新垦耕地平均生产能力指数,仅有传统耕地平均指数的67.66%;研究区传统耕地的生产能力指数大体上也在随着耕作时间的增加而提高,传统耕地在2010年的平均生产能力指数比1984年提高了76.51%。