The ecological-geological system,its types and position in the structure of an ecosystem

An ecologic-geological system presents a certain volume of the lithosphere with biota, including humans and the social media functioning in it and on its surface. This system is considered as the study subject of ecological geology. In all, four types of ecological-geological systems have been distinguished and characterized: a natural real system, natural ideal system, natural-technical ideal system, and natural-technical real system. The position of an ecological-geological system in the structure of an ecosystem is shown.     

Brazilian vs. Paraguayan streams: Differences in water quality in a cross-border subtropical region

Monitoring programs are among the first steps to develop robust management strategies, especially in international transboundary waters. Understanding how water quality parameters are impacted by different types of land use promotes a baseline for stakeholders to define the best governance for the management of water resources. Seeking to provide this type of information, we sampled 24 streams – 12 in Brazil and 12 in Paraguay – in February, April, July, September, and November 2019. We determined water quality parameters, grouped into three categories: morphometric, physical and chemical, and nutrients. We explored differences in water quality parameters between countries, and over a one-year sampling. We also tested whether Brazilian and Paraguayan streams are impacted by agriculture, urbanization, and forest cover. Finally, we performed a partial RDA to test the influence of land use on water quality parameters and controlled spatial autocorrelation by including spatial variables (dbMEM) as a condition. Most of the water quality parameters showed significant differences between countries; only turbidity, and pH, presented significant differences between countries and sampling periods, and only water temperature varied significantly along the year. We did not find evidence that different types of land use are causing physical and chemical variance in Brazilian and Paraguayan streams (R² = 0.06, p = 0.68). In conclusion, the results evidenced that the main differences in the water quality parameters occur between countries. Based on the results, transboundary governance can use these data to implement integrated water resources management cooperation.     

Ecohydrological change mechanism of a rainfed revegetation ecosystem at southeastern edge of Tengger desert,Northwest China

Study is made on a 45 km-long artificial ecosystem without irrigation in Tengger desert on the basis of long-term ecological monitoring and ecohydrological fundamentals.Changes in water allocation, utilization, cycle and balance patterns in more than 40-year evolution of the soil-plant system are analyzed. The formation of a drought horizon in shrub rhizosphere and its effect, ecohydrological function of the crust and its effect on the soil-plant system change are discussed. Driven by water self-regulation and water stress, the soil-plant system is going to develop towards the steppe desert to ensure more effective use and optimum collocation of water resource.     

中国环境考古学的兴起、发展和展望

环境考古学是一门介于考古学与第四纪环境学(或古地理学)之间的边缘学科。它出现于20世纪之初,经过近1个世纪的摸索和实践,在理论和方法上日趋成熟。中国环境考古学出现较晚,但发展迅速,已经形成以人类生态系统理论为依据,以聚落和遗址古环境分析为主要手段,以探讨古代人类行为及其文化的形成、发展和演变的环境背景为目标的新型交叉学科。目前,它已经逐渐得到了中国考古学家的广泛认同,并成为考古学研究的重要组成部分,在涉及人类起源、MIS3阶段旧石器晚期文化革命、旧—新石器文化过渡以及农业起源、文明起源等一系列关键问题的研究中发挥着重要作用。     

Characteristics of the main inorganic nitrogen accumulation in surface water and groundwater of wetland succession zones

Based on the observation of a complete hydrological year from June 2014 to May 2015, the temporal and spatial variations of the main inorganic nitrogen(MIN, referring to NO_3~--N, NO_2~--N, NH_4~+-N) in surface water and groundwater of the Li River and the Yuan River wetland succession zones are analyzed. The Li River and the Yuan River are located in agricultural and non-agricultural areas, and this study focus on the influence of surface water level and groundwater depth and precipitation on nitrogen pollution. The results show that NO_3~-N in surface water accounts for 70%-90% of MIN, but it does not exceed the limit of national drinking water surface water standard. Groundwater is seriously polluted by H_4~+-N. Based on the groundwater quality standard of H_4~+-N, the groundwater quality in the Li River exceeds Class III water standard throughout the year, and the exceeding months' proportion of Yuan River reaches 58.3%. Compared with the Yuan River, MIN in groundwater of the Li River shows significant temporal and spatial variations owing to the influence of agricultural fertilization. The correlation between the concentrations of MIN and surface water level is poor, while the fitting effect of quadratic correlation between H_4~+-N concentration and groundwater depth is the best(R~2=0.9384), NO_3~-N is the next(R~2=0.5128), NO_2~--N is the worst(R~2=0.2798). The equation of meteoric water line is δD =7.83δ~(18) O+12.21, indicating that both surface water and groundwater come from atmospheric precipitation. Surface infiltration is the main cause of groundwater H_4~+-N pollution. Rainfall infiltration in non-fertilization seasons reduces groundwater nitrogen pollution, while rainfall leaching farming and fertilization aggravate groundwater nitrogen pollution.     

全球变化背景下暖水珊瑚礁生态系统的适应性与修复研究

暖水珊瑚礁生态系统是热带海域最具生物多样性和代表性的生态系统之一。本研究分析了全球变化背景下暖水珊瑚礁生态系统的变化和风险,开展了受损暖水珊瑚礁生态系统退化和消失的致灾因子归因分析,综述了暖水珊瑚礁生态系统的适应性与修复技术研究。分析表明:①过去几十年来,暖水珊瑚礁生态系统快速退化,包括大面积白化和死亡、多样性明显减少和生态功能显著衰退,主要归因于海洋升温与人类活动等致灾因子的影响;②在温室气体高排放浓度情景下(RCP 8.5),相比工业革命前,到本世纪中叶,南海升温将可能远超过2℃,这表明南海暖水珊瑚礁生态系统正在逼近其气候临界点,即全球升温高于2℃时,90%~99%以上的暖水珊瑚将消失;③1980年代以来,海洋升温、海洋热浪和强热带气旋等海洋气候变化致灾因子对南海暖水珊瑚的危害性(影响的强度、范围和时间)明显增加,对暖水珊瑚礁生态系统产生了严重的影响;与此同时,近岸海域的过度或破坏性捕捞、采挖和潜水等人类活动,对暖水珊瑚造成了严重损害,增加了暖水珊瑚的气候脆弱性,而这种人类活动既是局部的,也是全球性的现象,使得暖水珊瑚更难以适应全球变暖的影响。分析还表明,为了增强暖水珊瑚适应气候与环境变化的恢复力(韧性),人们开展了诸多受损珊瑚礁生态系统的适应性与修复研究,但主要是采用无性繁殖或结合人工基质的修复方式,而应用有性繁殖技术恢复受损珊瑚礁的方式仍较少;最近,暖水珊瑚耐热的基因适应性研究取得了重要进展,为暖水珊瑚适应全球变暖提供了一种新的途径。本研究最后探讨了中国受损珊瑚礁生态系统的修复问题与对策。     

海洋生态修复研究进展与热点分析

海洋生态修复是遏制海洋生态系统退化的重要途径,受到全球越来越多学者的关注。本研究以科学引文索引(Science Citation Index Expanded,SCIE)数据库为数据源,采用文献计量统计分析方法,结合VOSviewer知识图谱可视化分析软件,定量分析了1980—2019年国际上在海洋生态修复领域发表的相关文献,梳理了近40年来该领域研究的发展脉络、前沿热点和未来方向。结果表明,近40年间,海洋生态修复领域的发文数量随时间呈上升趋势,尤其2000年后增长速度加快,以北美洲、大洋洲、欧洲国家居多,其中美国占绝对领先地位。海洋生态修复领域涉及的学科主要有环境科学、生态学、海洋及淡水生物学等,Journal of Coastal Research、Restoration Ecology、Ecological Engineering和Estuarine,Coastal and Shelf Science是该领域的主要发文期刊。当前海洋生态修复研究热点主要包括植被恢复、海洋生物种群恢复、滨海湿地修复与生物地球化学、气候变化与生态系统管理等主题,其中关于缓解和适应气候变化、生态系统的自然恢复途径、生态系统服务功能提升等方面的研究愈来愈受到关注,是未来一段时间内海洋生态修复领域的研究热点。随着我国《国民经济和社会发展第十四个五年规划》拉开序幕以及海洋生态文明建设不断深化,我国海洋生态修复研究将驶入快车道,建议在应对气候变化的海洋生态修复、区域性海洋生态系统修复规划、海洋生态退化机理与修复关键技术、适应性管理等方面加强研究和探索。     

The GEOMON network of Czech catchments provides long-term insights into altered forest biogeochemistry: From acid atmospheric deposition to climate change

In 1994, a network of small catchments (GEOMON) was established in the Czech Republic to determine input–output element fluxes in semi-natural forest ecosystems recovering from anthropogenic acidification. The network consists from 16 catchments and the primary observations of elements fluxes were complemented by monitoring of biomass stock, element pools in soil and vegetation, and the main water balance components. Over last three decades, reductions of SO₂, NO_x and NH₃ emissions were followed by sulphur (S) and nitrogen (N) deposition reductions of 75% and 30%, respectively. Steeper declines of strong acid anion concentrations compared to cations (Ca, Mg, Na, K, NH₄) in precipitation resulted in precipitation pH increase from 4.5 to 5.2 in bulk precipitation and from 4.0 to 5.1 in spruce throughfall. Stream chemistry responded to changes in deposition: S leaching declined. However at majority of catchments soils acted as a net source of S to runoff, delaying recovery. Stream pH increased at acidic streams (pH < 6) and aluminium concentration decreased. Stream nitrate (NO₃) concentration declined by 60%, considerably more than N deposition. Stream NO₃ concentration was tightly positively related to stream total dissolved nitrogen to total phosphorus (P) ratio, suggesting the role of P availability on N retention. Trends in dissolved organic carbon fluxes responded to both acidification recovery and to runoff temporal variation. An exceptional drought occurred between 2014 and 2019. Over this recent period, streamflow decreased by ≈ 40% on average compared to 1990s, due to the increases of soil evaporation and vegetation transpiration by ≈ 30% and declines in precipitation by ≈ 15% on average across the elevational gradient. Sharp decreases of stream runoff at catchments <650 m a.s.l. corresponded to areas of recent forest decline caused by bark beetle infestation on drought stressed spruce forests. Understanding of the interactions among legacies of acidification and eutrophication, drought effects on the water cycle and forest disturbance dynamics is requisite for effective management of forested ecosystems under anthropogenic influence.     

A meta-analysis of the impacts of forest logging on soil CO_2 efflux

Soil CO_2 efflux, the second largest flux in a forest carbon budget, plays an important role in global carbon cycling. Forest logging is expected to have large effects on soil CO_2 efflux and carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems. However, a comprehensive understanding of soil CO_2 efflux dynamics in response to forest logging remains elusive due to large variability in results obtained across individual studies. Here, we used a meta-analysis approach to synthesize the results of 77 individual field studies to determine the impacts of forest logging on soil CO_2 efflux. Our results reveal that forest logging significantly stimulated soil CO_2 efflux of the growing season by 5.02%. However, averaged across all studies, nonsignificant effect was detected following forest logging. The large variation among forest logging impacts was best explained by forest type, logging type, and time since logging. Soil CO_2 efflux in coniferous forests exhibited a significant increase(4.38%) due to forest logging, while mixed and hardwood forests showed no significant change. Logging type also had a significant effect on soil CO_2 efflux, with thinning increasing soil CO_2 efflux by 12.05%, while clear-cutting decreasing soil CO_2 efflux by 8.63%. The time since logging also had variable effects, with higher soil CO_2 efflux for 2 years after logging, and lower for 3-6 years after logging; when exceeded 6 years, soil CO_2 efflux increased. As significantly negative impacts of forest logging were detected on fine root biomass, the general positive effects on soil CO_2 efflux can be explained by the accelerated decomposition of organic matter as a result of elevated soil temperature and organic substrate quality. Our results demonstrate that forest logging had potentially negative effects on carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems.     

Towards Regional Synergy: Reconciling Rangeland Ecological Functioning with Forage Production of Cultivated Pasture

Animal husbandry and crop farming are specialized for development in separate areas on the Tibetan Plateau. Such a pattern of isolation has led to current concerns of rangeland and farming system degradation due to intensive land use. The crop-livestock integration, however, has been proven to increase food and feed productivity thorough niche complementarity, and is thereby especially effective for promoting ecosystem resilience. Regional synergy has emerged as an integrated approach to reconcile rangeland livestock with forage crop production. It moves beyond the specialized sectors of animal husbandry and intensive agriculture to coordinate them through regional coupling. Therefore, crop-livestock integration (CLI) has been suggested as one of the effective solutions to forage deficit and livestock production in grazing systems. But it is imperative that CLI moves forward from the farm level to the regional scale, in order to secure regional synergism during agro-pastoral development. The national key R & D program, Technology and Demonstration of Recovery and Restoration of Degraded Alpine Ecosystems on the Tibetan Plateau, aims to solve the problems of alpine grassland degradation by building up a grass-based animal husbandry technology system that includes synergizing forage production and ecological functioning, reconciling the relationship between ecology, forage production and animal husbandry, and achieving the win-win goals of curbing grassland degradation and changing the development mode of animal husbandry. It is imperative to call for regional synergy through integrating ecological functioning with ecosystem services, given the alarming threat of rangeland degradation on the Tibetan Plateau. The series of papers in this issue, together with those published previously, provide a collection of rangeland ecology and management studies in an effort to ensure the sustainable use and management of the alpine ecosystems.