祁连山中部祁连圆柏生长与更新方式的树轮记录

选择祁连山中部50m×15m的祁连圆柏样方进行树轮生态学取样与分析。分析结果表明,样方内大部分祁连圆柏的树龄小于250年,最近几年有大量幼苗萌生。祁连圆柏的径生长方式各有异同,大部分祁连圆柏在生长过程中出现1次以上生长释放事件,1970¹980年间出现生长释放的频率最高,占总释放次数的35%,轮宽年表也显示祁连圆柏的轮宽指数自1970s以来持续上升。另外,相关分析结果表明,温度是影响采样点区域祁连圆柏径向生长的主要环境因子,较高的温度有利于树木生长,6、7月份的降水也与树木径向生长呈显著正相关。在全球变暖的背景下,如果能积极开展植树造林,并有效控制人类活动的干扰,该区域祁连圆柏林更新状况将会显著改观。     

Woodland expansion’s influence on belowground carbon and nitrogen in the Great Basin U.S.

Vegetation changes associated with climate shifts and anthropogenic disturbance can have major impacts on biogeochemical cycling and soils. Much of the Great Basin, U.S. is currently dominated by sagebrush (Artemisia tridentate (Rydb.) Boivin) ecosystems. Sagebrush ecosystems are increasingly influenced by pinyon (Pinus monophylla Torr. & Frém and Pinus edulis Engelm.) and juniper (Juniperus osteosperma Torr. and Juniperus occidentalis Hook.) expansion. Some scientists and policy makers believe that increasing woodland cover in the intermountain western U.S. offers the possibility of increased organic carbon (OC) storage on the landscape; however, little is currently known about the distribution of OC on these landscapes, or the role that nitrogen (N) plays in OC retention. We quantified the relationship between tree cover, belowground OC, and total below ground N in expansion woodlands at 13 sites in Utah, Oregon, Idaho, California, and Nevada, USA. One hundred and twenty nine soil cores were taken using a mechanically driven diamond tipped core drill to a depth of 90 cm. Soil, coarse fragments, and coarse roots were analyzed for OC and total N. Woodland expansion influenced the vertical distribution of root OC by increasing 15-30 cm root OC by 2.6 Mg ha⁻¹ and root N by 0.04 Mg ha⁻¹. Root OC and N increased through the entire profile by 3.8 and 0.06 Mg ha⁻¹ respectively. Woodland expansion influenced the vertical distribution of soil OC by increasing surface soil (0-15 cm) OC by 2.2 Mg ha⁻¹. Woodland expansion also caused a 1.3 Mg ha⁻¹ decrease in coarse fragment associated OC from 75-90 cm. Our data suggests that woodland expansion into sagebrush ecosystems has limited potential to store additional belowground OC, and must be weighed against the risk of increased wildfire and exotic grass invasion.     

柴达木盆地东北部3500年树轮定年年表的初步建立*

利用柴达木盆地东北部山地上生长的活树,尚未倒伏的死树和山前洪积扇上古墓中保存的椁木、棺木和封土柏木,在树轮年代学交叉定年技术的支持下,建立了该区长达3500年的树轮定年年表。最长的活树样本可追溯到公元404年,古木样本覆盖的时段是公元前1580年~公元793年,而死树样本覆盖了公元130~1794年。3种样本在时间上具有很长的重叠时段,为建立长定年年表提供了可行。样本间能够很好地交叉定年。此外,古木和死树在重叠时段轮宽变化的相关系数是0.51,死树和活树的是0.41,并且古木和活树的是0.61。这种极显著的相关关系说明建立长定年年表是可能的。将程序COFECHA为每个活树样点保存的定年序列、古木的定年序列和死树的定年序列放在一起,再运行程序COFECHA,就建立了一个基于621棵树的样本量组成的总定年年表。该年表的取材完全独立于已发表的都兰年表,在时间上比都兰年表向前延伸了近1000年,使其能够达到商、周朝代。与调整后的都兰年表对比,发现两者在公元前328年~公元2000年之间完全能够交叉定年。文章所建的树轮定年年表是国内目前最长的连续年表,它可为我国西北干旱-半干旱区树轮长序列的定年提供标尺。     

青海沙利克山祁连圆柏千年树轮宽度序列的变化特征

利用功率谱、奇异谱和小波分析等方法对在青海沙利克山建立的两条祁连圆柏 (Sabi naprzewalskiiKom )千年树轮宽度序列进行了变化特征的分析 ,发现在低频变化上都存在2 0 0年的最显著周期和百年左右的显著周期 ;各种周期存在不同的演变特征 ,2 0 0年周期在15～ 17世纪最为盛行 ,百年左右的周期变化自 18世纪初以来较为突出。 15世纪下半叶是轮宽序列千年来最突出的低值期 ,它主要体现了 2 0 0年周期的变化 ,而 2 0世纪后期的高值区则主要是百年左右周期变化的作用。轮宽序列的低频变化与太阳活动的长期变化之间存在较好的对应关系 ,说明祁连圆柏年轮宽度序列所指示的气候低频变化可能受太阳活动的影响。     

Prescribed fire in a Great Basin sagebrush ecosystem: Dynamics of soil extractable nitrogen and phosphorus

Pinyon and juniper have been expanding into sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) ecosystems since settlement of the Great Basin around 1860. Herbaceous understory vegetation is eliminated as stand densities increase and the potential for catastrophic fires increases. Prescribed fire is increasingly used to remove trees and promote recovery of sagebrush ecosystems. We quantified the effects of prescribed fire, vegetation type, and time following fire on soil KCl extractable nitrogen and NaHCO₃ extractable phosphorus in a pinyon–juniper woodland and its associated sagebrush ecosystem immediately before and for 4 years after a spring prescribed burn. Potassium chloride extractable NH₄⁺ and total inorganic-N increased immediately following prescribed fire, and extractable NO₃⁻ decreased immediately after the burn. In the surface layer (top 8 cm), extractable NH₄⁺ remained elevated compared to the control through year 2 after the burn. By the first fall post-burn extractable NO₃⁻ and total extractable inorganic-N increased and remained elevated over the control through year 3 after the burn in the surface layer. For the entire soil profile (52 cm), the burn had no effect on NH₄⁺, and the effects on total extractable inorganic-N were no longer significant after year 1. However, NO₃⁻ remained elevated over the control through year 2 post-fire for the soil profile. Near surface NaHCO₃ extractable ortho-P increased immediately following fire, and remained elevated through year 2 post-fire. No fire effects were observed for extractable ortho-P in deeper horizons. Our data show that plant available nitrogen can remain elevated for extended periods following prescribed fire. This can influence regrowth and seedling establishment of native plant species, invasion of exotic plant species and, ultimately, site recovery potential.