Cutting of Phragmites australis as a lake restoration technique: Productivity calculation and nutrient removal in Wuliangsuhai Lake, northern China

Reed is one of the most frequent and dominant species in wetlands all over the world, with common reed (Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud.) as the most widely distributed species. In many wetlands, P. australis plays a highly ambivalent role. On the one hand, in many wetlands it purifies wastewater, provides habitat for numerous species, and is a potentially valuable raw material, while on the other hand it is an invasive species which expands aggressively, prevents fishing, blocks ditches and waterways, and builds monospecies stands. This paper uses the eutrophic reed-swamp of Wuliangsuhai Lake in Inner Mongolia, northern China, as a case to present the multiple benefits of regular reed cutting. The reed area and aboveground biomass production are calculated based on field data. Combined with data about water and reed nutrient content, the impact of reed cutting on the lake nutrient budget (N and P) is investigated. Currently, at this lake around 100,000 tons of reed are harvested in winter annually, removing 16% and 8% of the total nitrogen and phosphorus influx, respectively. Harvesting all available winter reed could increase the nutrient removal rates to 48% and 24%, respectively. We also consider the effects of summer harvesting, in which reed biomass removal could overcompensate for the nutrient influx but could potentially reduce reed regrowth.     

Very high CO2 exchange fluxes at the peak of the rainy season in a West African grazed semi-arid savanna ecosystem

Africa is a sink of carbon, but there are large gaps in our knowledge regarding the CO₂ exchange fluxes for many African ecosystems. Here, we analyse multi-annual eddy covariance data of CO₂ exchange fluxes for a grazed Sahelian semi-arid savanna ecosystem in Senegal, West Africa. The aim of the study is to investigate the high CO₂ exchange fluxes measured at the peak of the rainy season at the Dahra field site: gross primary productivity and ecosystem respiration peaked at values up to ?48 μmol CO₂ m^?2 s^?1 and 20 μmol CO₂ m^?2 s^?1, respectively. Possible explanations for such high fluxes include a combination of moderately dense herbaceous C4 ground vegetation, high soil nutrient availability and a grazing pressure increasing the fluxes. Even though the peak net CO₂ uptake was high, the annual budget of ?229 ± 7 ± 49 g C m^?2 y^?1 (±random errors ± systematic errors) is comparable to that of other semi-arid savanna sites due the short length of the rainy season. An inter-comparison between the open-path and a closed-path infrared sensor indicated no systematic errors related to the instrumentation. An uncertainty analysis of long-term NEE budgets indicated that corrections for air density fluctuations were the largest error source (11.3% out of 24.3% uncertainty). Soil organic carbon data indicated a substantial increase in the soil organic carbon pool for the uppermost .20 m. These findings have large implications for the perception of the carbon sink/source of Sahelian ecosystems and its response to climate change.     

典型断陷盆地流域生态系统服务价值时空差异研究

以典型断陷盆地——小江流域为研究对象,以1982年的TM影像、2003年的Landsat ETM+影像和2016年的Landsat OLI影像为数据源,结合云南省测绘局所提供的150 000的土地利用状况图,采用 Costanza 公式对生态系统服务价值进行评估,精细刻画出云南小江流域“盆—山”共存的地质分异结构下生态系统服务价值的时空变化特征。结果表明:（1）小江流域以农田生态系统为主,研究期内生态系统格局总体稳定,耕地、建设用地、林地和园地都有不同程度的增加,而未利用地面积减少,水域面积基本不变;（2）1982-2016年,研究区生态系统服务总价值呈上升趋势,1982、2003和2016年生态系统服务总价值分别为90.11×108元、105.65×108元和136.81×108元,耕地、林地、园地和水域的生态系统服务价值整体上升,而未利用地的生态系统服务价值减少;（3）整体上,小江流域南部和东部生态系统服务价值增加明显,而中部和西部地区生态系统服务价值呈阶段性变化或持续下降趋势,小江岩溶河谷区的生态系统服务价值最高,而沉积平坝区的生态系统服务价值密度最低,且为唯一一个衰退型生态系统服务功能区;（4）研究期内小江流域各项生态系统服务价值均呈上升趋势,调节服务居主导地位,且以气候调节服务价值最高。小江流域生态系统服务价值缺乏弹性,水域生态系统面积变化对研究区生态系统价值的变化具有放大作用。实施封山育林、退耕还林、小流域治理工程等石漠化综合治理工程可增加生态系统服务价值。      

Cross-site analysis of perceived ecosystem service benefits in multifunctional landscapes

Rural development policies in many Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries promote sustainable landscape management with the intention of providing multiple ecosystem services (ES). Yet, it remains unclear which ES benefits are perceived in different landscapes and by different people. We present an assessment of ES benefits perceived and mapped by residents (n = 2,301) across 13 multifunctional (deep rural to peri-urban) landscapes in Europe. We identify the most intensively perceived ES benefits, their spatial patterns, and the respondent and landscape characteristics that determine ES benefit perception. We find outdoor recreation, aesthetic values and social interactions are the key ES benefits at local scales. Settlement areas are ES benefit hotspots but many benefits are also related to forests, waters and mosaic landscapes. We find some ES benefits (e.g. culture and heritage values) are spatially clustered, while many others (e.g. aesthetic values) are dispersed. ES benefit perception is linked to people’s relationship with and accessibility to a landscape. Our study discusses how a local perspective can contribute to the development of contextualized and socially acceptable policies for sustainable ES management. We also address conceptual confusion in ES framework and present argumentation regarding the links from services to benefits, and from benefits to different types of values.     

Long-term effects of a toxic algal bloom on subtidal soft-sediment macroinvertebrate communities in Wellington Harbour, New Zealand

The long-term effects (>1 year) of a naturally occurring toxic plankton bloom (Karenia brevisulcata) on subtidal benthic macroinvertebrate communities were investigated in Wellington Harbour, a semi-enclosed temperate embayment in New Zealand. For 3 years communities were sampled at three different sites in the harbour. Analyses revealed that community recovery following the bloom was site-specific. Multivariate analyses indicated that at one site community composition was approaching recovery 3 years post-bloom. At the second site, a sequential recovery process was indicated, whereas at the third site the community composition oscillated from year to year, but did not show any signs of a sequential recovery process. The nature of the hydrodynamic regime was identified as a major factor influencing the observed recovery processes. Communities exposed to an active hydrodynamic regime were less affected by the bloom and differed little in their composition pre- and post-bloom, as they were naturally in a perpetual state of recovery as indicated by a dominance of r-selected species. The community at the hydrodynamically less active site was more affected by the bloom and exhibited temporal differences in composition consistent with successional models. Complete recovery to a pre-disturbance climax community dominated by K-selected species is likely to take 4–5 years, if not interrupted by other disturbances. Given the increased occurrence of harmful algal blooms worldwide, more monitoring and manipulative studies are needed to further evaluate the effects of such disturbances on macrobenthic communities.     

生态系统模型中物候的参数化方法研究进展

物候和叶面积指数的季节动态在落叶林中是决定生态系统净生产力的关键因素。尽管物 候对能量和CO2 通量的影响可以简单地通过描述发芽和落叶的时间以及叶面积指数的季节动态 来表示, 但是由于对驱动物候的物理过程缺乏全面正确的理解, 在陆地生态系统模型中物候就成 为最难以参数化的一个过程。目前, 在陆地生态系统模型中描述物候主要有两种不同的方法: 一 种是基于气候变量( 主要是温度或积温) 的经验方法, 即是通过建立物候不同阶段与气候变量的 经验关系来预测关键物候事件发生的时间。另一种方法是基于碳吸收的物候参数化方案, 物候的 任何阶段都和当前的碳平衡相联系。在生态系统模型中, 基于碳吸收的物候参数化方法可以大大 降低物候模拟的经验性, 提高模型的适用性和模拟精度, 比基于气候变量的经验模型更适于模拟 未来气候变化影响。未来随着生理和分子水平上, 对控制物候和LAI 动态过程机理的揭示, 建立 基于过程的物候参数化方案和LAI 动态模拟模型就成为生态系统模型或气候模型的发展方向。     

岩溶生态系统脆弱性研究

生态系统的脆弱性评价对于生态系统管理具有重要作用。在分析岩溶生态系统脆弱性特 征和影响因素的基础上,构建了针对岩溶自然系统的脆弱性评价指标体系, 涵盖了岩溶生态系统 的结构脆弱性、生态过程脆弱性、生态功能脆弱性和人为胁迫脆弱性4 个方面,评价指标分别是 结构稳定性、多样性生境、能量利用和积累、直接使用价值、石漠化程度和速率等。以不同类型的 原生岩溶生态系统的生态基准值作为比较基础, 评价系统将现有的退化岩溶生态系统的脆弱性 划分为轻微脆弱、中度脆弱、重度脆弱以及系统崩溃4 级。     

陆地生态系统氮状态对碳循环的限制作用研究进展

陆地生态系统碳循环和氮循环密切相关, 碳贮量与碳通量在很大程度上受氮循环的影响 和限制。由于氮循环的复杂性, 在以往的大多数碳循环研究中, 更多考虑水分、温度和大气CO2 浓 度等因子的影响, 考虑碳氮相互作用的研究较少。氮素可限制植物光合、有机质分解、同化产物的 分配以及生态系统对大气CO2 浓度升高的响应。根据目前有关碳氮模型的发展状况可将碳氮耦 合循环模型分为三大类: 一是静态模型, 它的土壤养分水平或者叶氮含量不变, 是常数, 这类模型 适合于在站点或氮素浓度变化不大的区域应用; 二是土壤氮限制模型, 能够保持稳定的生态系统 氮收支, 在NPP(Net Primary Productivity, 净初级生产力)的模拟中考虑土壤氮有效性的动态变化 的影响, 使模拟结果更为合理; 三是叶氮限制模型, 在NPP 的模拟中考虑叶片氮浓度的动态变化 的影响。这三类模型虽然都考虑了氮对碳循环的限制作用, 但在氮碳循环机理方面尚有不少欠 缺, 所以在研究中可能会带来很大的不确定性。在以后的研究中, 应通过加强碳氮相互作用的实 验研究, 增进对碳氮过程的深入了解, 进而建立综合动态的碳氮耦合模型, 以减少目前碳循环研 究中的不确定性。     

Properties and stability of a meso-scale line-form disturbance

By using the 3D dynamic equations for small- and meso-scale disturbances, an investigation is performed on the heterotropic instability (including symmetric instability and traversal-type instability) of a zonal line-like disturbance moving at any angle with respect to basic flow, arriving at the following results: (1) with linear shear available, the heterotropic instability of the disturbance will occur only when flow shearing happens in the direction of the line-like disturbance movement or in the direction perpendicular to the disturbance movement, with the heterotropic instability showing the instability of the internal inertial gravity wave; (2) in the presence of second-order non-linear shear, the disturbance of the heterotropic instability includes internal inertial gravity and vortex Rossby waves. For the zonal line-form disturbance under study, the vortex Rossby wave has its source in the second-order shear of meridional basic wind speed in the flow and propagates unidirectionally with respect to the meridional basic flow. As a mesoscale heterotropic instable disturbance, the vortex Rossby wave has its origin from the second shear of the flow in the direction perpendicular to the line-form disturbance and is independent of the condition in the direction parallel to the flow; (3) for general zonal line-like disturbances, if the second-order shear happens in the meridional wind speed, i.e., the second shear of the flow in the direction perpendicular to the line-form disturbance, then the heterotropic instability of the disturbance is likely to be the instability of a mixed Rossby–internal inertial gravity wave; (4) the symmetric instability is actually the instability of the internal inertial gravity wave. The second-order shear in the flow represents an instable factor for a symmetric-type disturbance; (5) the instability of a traversal-type disturbance is the instability of the internal inertial gravity wave when the basic flow is constant or only linearly sheared. With a second or nonlinear vertical shear of the basic flow taken into account, the instability of a traversal-type disturbance may be the instability of a mixed vortex Rossby – gravity wave.