Identifying water vapor sources of precipitation in forest and grassland in the north slope of the Tianshan Mountains,Central Asia

Identifying water vapor sources in the natural vegetation of the Tianshan Mountains is of significant importance for obtaining greater knowledge about the water cycle,forecasting water resource changes,and dealing with the adverse effects of climate change.In this study,we identified water vapor sources of precipitation and evaluated their effects on precipitation stable isotopes in the north slope of the Tianshan Mountains,China.By utilizing the temporal and spatial distributions of precipitation stable isotopes in the forest and grassland regions,Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory(HYSPLIT)model,and isotope mass balance model,we obtained the following results.(1)The Eurasia,Black Sea,and Caspian Sea are the major sources of water vapor.(2)The contribution of surface evaporation to precipitation in forests is lower than that in the grasslands(except in spring),while the contribution of plant transpiration to precipitation in forests(5.35%)is higher than that in grasslands(3.79%)in summer.(3)The underlying surface and temperature are the main factors that affect the contribution of recycled water vapor to precipitation;meanwhile,the effects of water vapor sources of precipitation on precipitation stable isotopes are counteracted by other environmental factors.Overall,this work will prove beneficial in quantifying the effect of climate change on local water cycles.     

Contrasting effects of nitrogen addition on litter decomposition in forests and grasslands in China

Nitrogen (N) addition has profound impacts on litter-mediated nutrient cycling. Numerous studies have reported different effects of N addition on litter decomposition, exhibiting positive, negative, or neutral effects. Previous meta-analysis of litter decomposition under N addition was mainly based on a small number of samples to allow comparisons among ecosystem types. This study presents the results of a meta-analysis incorporating data from 53 published studies (including 617 observations) across forests, grasslands, wetlands, and croplands in China, to investigate how environmental and experimental factors impact the effects of N addition on litter decomposition. Averaged across all of the studies, N addition significantly slows litter decomposition by 7.02%. Considering ecosystem types, N addition significantly accelerates litter decomposition by 3.70% and 11.22% in grasslands and wetlands, respectively, clearly inhibits litter decomposition by 14.53% in forests, and has no significant effects on litter decomposition in croplands. Regarding the accelerated litter decomposition rate in grasslands due to N addition, litter decomposition rate increases slightly with increasing rates of N addition. However, N addition slows litter decomposition in forests, but litter decomposition is at a significantly increasing rate with increasing amounts of N addition. The responses of litter decomposition to N addition are also influenced by the forms of N addition, experiential duration of N addition, humidity index, litter quality, and soil pH. In summary, N addition alters litter decomposition rate, but the direction and magnitude of the response are affected by the forms of N addition, the rate of N addition, ambient N deposition, experimental duration, and climate factors. Our study highlights the contrasting effects of N addition on litter decomposition in forests and grasslands. This finding could be used in biogeochemical models to better evaluate ecosystem carbon cycling under increasing N deposition due to the differential responses of litter decomposition to N addition rates and ecosystem types.     

1982—2015年中国北方生长季NDVI变化及其对气温极值的响应

基于GIMMS NDVI 3g v1.0数据集和日值气象数据，结合极端气温指数，辅以极点对称模态分解、趋势分析、Mann-Kendall趋势检验、相关分析等方法，探讨中国北方生长季植被覆盖及极端气温的变化特征，研究植被覆盖对气温极值的响应状况。结果表明：① 1982—2015年中国北方生长季NDVI以0.002·（10a）^-1的速率上升（P<0.05），ESMD（极点对称模态分解方法）显示生长季NDVI波动上升；针叶林、灌丛、荒漠植被、草地以及栽培植被呈增长趋势，栽培植被增速最快，针阔混交林、落叶阔叶林和高山植被呈不显著减少趋势。② 空间上，NDVI显著增加区域超过全区的33%，主要分布在天山、塔里木盆地北部、祁连山、陇南山区、黄土高原、河套平原、吕梁山和太行山、大别山以及辽西丘陵地区；显著下降区域仅占12%，主要分布在大兴安岭、小兴安岭和长白山区。③ 极端气温指数中，除TNmean（日最低气温平均值）和TNn（日最低气温极低值）呈上升趋势外，其余冷极值指数均呈下降趋势；所有暖极值指数均呈上升趋势；其他指数中，DTR（气温日较差）呈减小趋势，GSL（生长季日数）呈增加趋势。④ 中国北方NDVI与极端气温指数的相关性表明，冷极值指数中NDVI与FD0（霜冻日数）、TN10p（冷夜日数）、TX10p（冷昼日数）呈显著负相关（P＜0.05），与TNmean呈显著正相关（P＜0.01）；NDVI与所有暖极值指数呈正相关，与TR20（热夜日数）、TXmean（日最高气温平均值）、TX90p（暖昼日数）以及TN90p（暖夜日数）存在显著相关性（P＜0.05）；NDVI与GSL呈显著正相关（P＜0.05）。⑤ 天山、塔里木盆地北缘、祁连山区、河套平原、黄土高原、太行山和吕梁山区等NDVI显著增加区域对极端气温指数的响应强烈。NDVI显著增加区主要对FD0、TNmean、TN90p、GSL等指数响应较强。NDVI显著减少区域对指数的响应各异，主要与SU25（夏季日数）呈显著负相关（P＜0.05）。     

2000-2010年祁连山植被MODIS NDVI的时空变化及影响因素

利用2000-2010年间的MODIS/NDVI数据和对应的气候资料,研究了近10年来祁连山植被的时空变化及影响因素。结果表明:1)10年来,祁连山年最大化NDVI(MNDVI)增加了2.4%,植被改善、无变化和退化的面积分别占总面积的26.32%、66.42%和7.26%。植被改善的区域分布在冷龙岭、拉脊山、大通山、达坂山、青海南山、走廊南山、托来山等山地以及西宁盆地、湟水谷地周边地区,减少的区域分布在乌鞘岭、庄浪河、古浪河、大通河、石羊河、黑河、疏勒河等河流河谷。2)祁连山不同植被类型MNDVI的年际变化趋势不同。灌丛地、荒漠草原、高寒稀疏草甸MNDVI呈快速增加趋势,高山草原、高山灌丛草甸和高寒草甸MNDVI呈增加趋势,落叶阔叶林、针阔混交林、常绿针叶林MNDVI呈快速下降趋势。3)影响祁连山植被生长的主要因子是气温和降水,局部地区密集的人类活动也能成为影响植被生长的关键因子。     

Effects of grazing on net primary productivity,evapotranspiration and water use efficiency in the grasslands of Xinjiang,China

Grazing is a main human activity in the grasslands of Xinjiang, China. It is vital to identify the effects of grazing on the sustainable utilization of local grasslands. However, the effects of grazing on net primary productivity(NPP), evapotranspiration(ET) and water use efficiency(WUE) in this region remain unclear. Using the spatial Biome-BGC grazing model, we explored the effects of grazing on NPP, ET and WUE across the different regions and grassland types in Xinjiang during 1979–2012. NPP, ET and WUE under the grazed scenario were generally lower than those under the ungrazed scenario, and the differences showed increasing trends over time. The decreases in NPP, ET and WUE varied significantly among the regions and grassland types. NPP decreased as follows: among the regions, Northern Xinjiang(16.60 g C/(m~2·a)), Tianshan Mountains(15.94 g C/(m~2·a)) and Southern Xinjiang(-3.54 g C/(m~2·a)); and among the grassland types, typical grasslands(25.70 g C/(m~2·a)), swamp meadows(25.26 g C/(m~2·a)), mid-mountain meadows(23.39 g C/(m~2·a)), alpine meadows(6.33 g C/(m~2·a)), desert grasslands(5.82 g C/(m~2·a)) and saline meadows(2.90 g C/(m~2·a)). ET decreased as follows: among the regions, Tianshan Mountains(28.95 mm/a), Northern Xinjiang(8.11 mm/a) and Southern Xinjiang(7.57 mm/a); and among the grassland types, mid-mountain meadows(29.30 mm/a), swamp meadows(25.07 mm/a), typical grasslands(24.56 mm/a), alpine meadows(20.69 mm/a), desert grasslands(11.06 mm/a) and saline meadows(3.44 mm/a). WUE decreased as follows: among the regions, Northern Xinjiang(0.053 g C/kg H_2O), Tianshan Mountains(0.034 g C/kg H_2O) and Southern Xinjiang(0.012 g C/kg H_2O); and among the grassland types, typical grasslands(0.0609 g C/kg H_2O), swamp meadows(0.0548 g C/kg H_2O), mid-mountain meadows(0.0501 g C/kg H_2O), desert grasslands(0.0172 g C/kg H_2O), alpine meadows(0.0121 g C/kg H_2O) and saline meadows(0.0067 g C/kg H_2O). In general, the decreases in NPP and WUE were more significant in the regions with relatively high levels of vegetation growth because of the high grazing intensity in these regions. The decreases in ET were significant in mountainous areas due to the terrain and high grazing intensity.     

Effects of freezing intensity on soil solution nitrogen and microbial biomass nitrogen in an alpine grassland ecosystem on the Tibetan Plateau,China

The change of freeze-thaw pattern of the Tibetan Plateau under climate warming is bound to have a profound impact on the soil process of alpine grassland ecosystem;however,the research on the impact of the freeze-thaw action on nitrogen processes of the alpine grassland ecosystem on the Tibetan Plateau has not yet attracted much attention.In this study,the impact of the freezing strength on the soil nitrogen components of alpine grassland on the Tibetan Plateau was studied through laboratory freeze-thaw simulation experiments.The 0–10 cm topsoil was collected from the alpine marsh meadow and alpine meadow in the permafrost region of Beilu River.In the experiment,the soil samples were cultivated at –10°C,–7°C,–5°C,–3°C and –1°C,respectively for three days and then thawed at 2°C for one day.The results showed that after the freeze-thaw process,the soil microbial biomass nitrogen significantly decreased while the dissolved organic nitrogen and inorganic nitrogen significantly increased.When the freezing temperature was below –7°C,there was no significant difference between the content of nitrogen components,which implied a change of each nitrogen component might have a response threshold toward the freezing temperature.As the freeze-thaw process can lead to the risk of nitrogen loss in the alpine grassland ecosystem,more attention should be paid to the response of the soil nitrogen cycle of alpine grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau to the freeze-thaw process.     

Fluxes of methane,carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide in an alpine wetland and an alpine grassland of the Tianshan Mountains,China

Methane(CH4), carbon dioxide(CO2) and nitrous oxide(N2O) are known to be major greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. To identify the flux dynamics of these greenhouse gases is, therefore, of great significance. In this paper, we conducted a comparative study on an alpine grassland and alpine wetland at the Bayinbuluk Grassland Eco-system Research Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences. By using opaque, static, manual stainless steel chambers and gas chromatography, we measured the fluxes of CH4, N2O and CO2 from the grassland and wetland through an in situ monitoring study from May 2010 to October 2012. The mean flux rates of CH4, N2O and CO2 for the experimental alpine wetland in the growing season(from May to October) were estimated at 322.4 μg/(m2?h), 16.7 μg/(m2?h) and 76.7 mg/(m2?h), respectively; and the values for the alpine grassland were –88.2 μg/(m2?h), 12.7 μg/(m2?h), 57.3 mg/(m2?h), respectively. The gas fluxes showed large seasonal and annual variations, suggesting weak fluxes in the non-growing season. The relationships between these gas fluxes and environmental factors were analyzed for the two alpine ecosystems. The results showed that air temperature, precipitation, soil temperature and soil moisture can greatly influence the fluxes of CH4, N2O and CO2, but the alpine grassland and alpine wetland showed different feedback mechanisms under the same climate and environmental conditions.     

Effects of long-term warming on the aboveground biomass and species diversity in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau of China

Ecosystems in high-altitude regions are more sensitive and respond more rapidly than other ecosystems to global climate warming.The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP)of China is an ecologically fragile zone that is sensitive to global climate warming.It is of great importance to study the changes in aboveground biomass and species diversity of alpine meadows on the QTP under predicted future climate warming.In this study,we selected an alpine meadow on the QTP as the study object and used infrared radiators as the warming device for a simulation experiment over eight years(2011-2018).We then analyzed the dynamic changes in aboveground biomass and species diversity of the alpine meadow at different time scales,including an early stage of warming(2011-2013)and a late stage of warming(2016-2018),in order to explore the response of alpine meadows to short-term(three years)and long-term warming(eight years).The results showed that the short-term warming increased air temperature by 0.31℃and decreased relative humidity by 2.54%,resulting in the air being warmer and drier.The long-term warming increased air temperature and relative humidity by 0.19℃and 1.47%,respectively,and the air tended to be warmer and wetter.The short-term warming increased soil temperature by 2.44℃and decreased soil moisture by 12.47%,whereas the long-term warming increased soil temperature by 1.76℃and decreased soil moisture by 9.90%.This caused the shallow soil layer to become warmer and drier under both short-term and long-term warming.Furthermore,the degree of soil drought was alleviated with increased warming duration.Under the long-term warming,the importance value and aboveground biomass of plants in different families changed.The importance values of grasses and sedges decreased by 47.56%and 3.67%,respectively,while the importance value of weeds increased by 1.37%.Aboveground biomass of grasses decreased by 36.55%,while those of sedges and weeds increased by 8.09%and 15.24%,respectively.The increase in temperature had a non-significant effect on species diversity.The species diversity indices increased at the early stage of warming and decreased at the late stage of warming,but none of them reached significant levels(P>0.05).Species diversity had no significant correlation with soil temperature and soil moisture under both short-term and long-term warming.Soil temperature and aboveground biomass were positively correlated in the control plots(P=0.014),but negatively correlated under the long-term warming(P=0.013).Therefore,eight years of warming aggravated drought in the shallow soil layer,which is beneficial for the growth of weeds but not for the growth of grasses.Warming changed the structure of alpine meadow communities and had a certain impact on the community species diversity.Our studies have great significance for the protection and effective utilization of alpine vegetation,as well as for the prevention of grassland degradation or desertification in high-altitude regions.     

Attribution analysis and multi-scenario prediction of NDVI drivers in the Xilin Gol grassland,China

Grassland degradation is influenced by climate change and human activities, and has become a major obstacle for the development of arid and semi-arid areas, posing a series of environmental and socio-economic problems. An in-depth understanding of the inner relations among grassland vegetation dynamics, climate change, and human activities is therefore greatly significant for understanding the variation in regional environmental conditions and predicting future developmental trends. Based on MODIS (moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer) NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) data from 2000 to 2020, our objective is to investigate the spatiotemporal changes of NDVI in the Xilin Gol grassland, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. Combined with 12 natural factors and human activity factors in the same period, the dominant driving factors and their interactions were identified by using the geographic detector model, and multiple scenarios were also simulated to forecast the possible paths of future NDVI changes in this area. The results showed that: (1) in the past 21 a, vegetation cover in the Xilin Gol grassland exhibited an overall increasing trend, and the vegetation restoration (84.53%) area surpassed vegetation degradation area (7.43%); (2) precipitation, wind velocity, and livestock number were the dominant factors affecting NDVI (the explanatory power of these factors exceeded 0.4). The interaction between average annual wind velocity and average annual precipitation, and between average annual precipitation and livestock number greatly affected NDVI changes (the explanatory power of these factors exceeded 0.7). Moreover, the impact of climate change on NDVI was more significant than human activities; and (3) scenario analysis indicated that NDVI in the Xinlin Gol grassland increased under the scenarios of reduced wind velocity, increased precipitation, and ecological protection. In contrast, vegetation coverage restoration in this area was significantly reduced under the scenarios of unfavorable climate conditions and excessive human activities. This study provides a scientific basis for future vegetation restoration and management, ecological environmental construction, and sustainable natural resource utilization in this area.     

利用GRACE重力卫星监测新疆天山山区水储量时空变化

利用经过高斯平滑滤波处理的2003年1月至2010年12月逐月的GRACE卫星时变重力场数据,反演得到新疆天山山区水储量变化,其空间分辨率为1°×1°,结合同时间段该区域31个国家气象台站逐月降水资料,采用趋势分析方法,研究天山山区近8 a来的水储量时空变化特征。结果表明：天山山区水储量变化具有明显的空间差异性,总体表现为东、西部多,中部少的空间分布格局。在时间上,水储量变化与降水具有明显的季节性变化规律,两者变化过程基本一致。天山山区平均水储量变化趋势的年内分布总体上1-12月呈递增变化;1-3月为负增长,最大负增长为21.7 mm•a^-1,出现在2月;4-12月呈正增长,最大月份出现在11月,增长趋势达到29.9 mm•a-¹。水储量变化增加的主要原因是天山山区近几年夏季降水有所增加造成的。2003-2010年天山山区水储量变化总体上呈逐年下降趋势,平均每月下降速度为4.8 mm,8 a间水储量变化减少约13×10⁸ m³,其主要原因是由于气候转暖、冰川消融加速、山前绿洲灌溉及生活用水量增加,导致山区水储量变化减少。     

青藏高原草地降水利用效率时空动态及对气候变化的响应

本研究利用CASA(Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach)模型模拟了2000—2013年青藏高原草地净植被生产力(Net Primary Production，NPP)，结合实测数据、气象数据和土地覆被数据计算了草地降水利用效率（PUE），探究其时空分布特征，以及不同草地类型PUE及其对气候变化的响应。结果表明：青藏高原草地PUE在研究年限内呈现波动增加趋势，增加速率为每年0.0035 g·m^-2·mm^-1，14 a的平均值为0.38 g·m^-2·mm^-1。PUE的空间分布具有明显的异质性，呈现东部高、中西部低的基本格局。PUE分布在0.2～0.4 g·m^-2·mm^-1之间的比例最大，占青藏高原总面积的55.63%，呈减少趋势的区域主要分布在青藏高原的北部和西部，以及东部的边界地区，呈增加趋势的地区集中在研究区的中部和南部。研究年限内PUE的变异系数分布在0.07～0.85之间，变化稳定的区域所占面积最大，为总面积的43.43%，主要分布在唐古拉山脉和横断山脉附近。不同草地类型间PUE均值存在差异，具体表现为：草甸（1.06 g·m^-2·mm^-1）>坡面草地（0.80 g·m^-2·mm^-1）>平原草地（0.30 g·m^-2·mm^-1）>高山与亚高山草甸（0.29 g·m^-2·mm^-1）>荒漠草地（0.23 g·m^-2·mm^-1）>高山与亚高山草地（0.094 g·m^-2·mm^-1）。总体上，青藏高原草地PUE与降水成负相关关系，而与气温呈正相关，PUE的变化对降水响应更加敏感。     

Effects of ultraviolet(UV) radiation and litter layer thickness on litter decomposition of two tree species in a semi-arid site of Northeast China

Forests and grasslands in arid and semi-arid regions receive high-intensity ultraviolet(UV) radiation year-round. However, how the UV radiation affects the litter decomposition on the forest floor remains unclear. Here, we conducted a field-based experiment in 2011 in the southeastern Horqin Sandy Land, Northeast China, to investigate the effects of UV radiation, litter layer thickness, and their interaction on the mass loss and chemical properties of decomposing litter from Xiaozhuan poplar(Populus × xiaozhuanica) and Mongolian pine(Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) plantation trees. We found that UV radiation accelerated the decomposition rates of both the Xiaozhuan poplar litter and Mongolian pine litter. For both species, the thick-layered litter had a lower mass loss than the thin-layered litter. The interaction between UV radiation and litter layer thickness significantly affected the litter mass loss of both tree species. However, the effects of UV radiation on the chemical properties of decomposing litter differed between the two species, which may be attributed to the contrasting initial leaf litter chemical properties and morphology. UV radiation mostly had positive effects on the lignin concentration and lignin/N ratio of Xiaozhuan poplar litter, while it had negative effects on the N concentration of Mongolian pine litter. Moreover, litter layer thickness and its interaction with UV radiation showed mostly positive effects on the N concentration and lignin/N ratio of Xiaozhuan poplar litter and the ratios of C/N and lignin/N of Mongolian pine litter, and mostly negative effects on the C/N ratio of Xiaozhuan poplar litter and the N concentration of Mongolian pine litter. Together, these results reveal the important roles played by UV radiation and litter layer thickness in the process of litter decomposition in this semi-arid region, and highlight how changes in the litter layer thickness can exert strong influences on the photodegradation of litter in tree plantations.     

1982—2015年中国北方生长季NDVI变化及其对气温极值的响应

基于GIMMS NDVI 3g v1. 0数据集和日值气象数据,结合极端气温指数,辅以极点对称模态分解、趋势分析、Mann-Kendall趋势检验、相关分析等方法,探讨中国北方生长季植被覆盖及极端气温的变化特征,研究植被覆盖对气温极值的响应状况。结果表明:①1982-2015年中国北方生长季NDVI以0. 002·(10a)^-1的速率上升(P <0. 05),ESMD(极点对称模态分解方法)显示生长季NDVI波动上升;针叶林、灌丛、荒漠植被、草地以及栽培植被呈增长趋势,栽培植被增速最快,针阔混交林、落叶阔叶林和高山植被呈不显著减少趋势。②空间上,NDVI显著增加区域超过全区的33%,主要分布在天山、塔里木盆地北部、祁连山、陇南山区、黄土高原、河套平原、吕梁山和太行山、大别山以及辽西丘陵地区;显著下降区域仅占12%,主要分布在大兴安岭、小兴安岭和长白山区。③极端气温指数中,除TNmean(日最低气温平均值)和TNn(日最低气温极低值)呈上升趋势外,其余冷极值指数均呈下降趋势;所有暖极值指数均呈上升趋势;其他指数中,DTR(气温日较差)呈减小趋势,GSL(生长季日数)呈增加趋势。④中国北方NDVI与极端气温指数的相关性表明,冷极值指数中NDVI与FD0(霜冻日数)、TN10p(冷夜日数)、TX10p(冷昼日数)呈显著负相关(P <0.05),与TNmean呈显著正相关(P <0.01);NDVI与所有暖极值指数呈正相关,与TR20(热夜日数)、TXmean(日最高气温平均值)、TX90p(暖昼日数)以及TN90p(暖夜日数)存在显著相关性(P <0. 05);NDVI与GSL呈显著正相关(P <0.05)。⑤天山、塔里木盆地北缘、祁连山区、河套平原、黄土高原、太行山和吕梁山区等NDVI显著增加区域对极端气温指数的响应强烈。NDVI显著增加区主要对FD0、TNmean、TN90p、GSL等指数响应较强。NDVI显著减少区域对指数的响应各异,主要与SU25(夏季日数)呈显著负相关(P <0.05)。     

全球变暖情境下天山山区水循环要素变化的研究

根据有关水文气象台站的观测资料,分析了1960~2005年来天山山区气温、降水、径流的变化。结果表明:受全球升温的影响,自上个世纪80年代以来天山山区气温明显升高,近十年来增温幅度最大;天山南坡降水增加幅度高于天山北坡,尤其是天山南坡西段是近十年降水增幅最大的区域。大多数水文站出山口径流量呈现增加的趋势。天山南坡从上个世纪80年代后期开始增加,天山北坡径流1996年后增加显著。近十年来天山南坡中西段河流出山径流量增加幅度在30%以上,并且春、夏、秋、冬四季径流量都呈增加趋势。相对来说,春夏两季天山南坡以降水补给为主的小河径流增加幅度较大;秋季天山山区受冰川融水补给的河流径流增幅较大;受冬季气温升高的影响,冬季天山南北坡的河流径流增幅都较大。     

The impact of the herbicide glyphosate on leaf litter invertebrates within Bitou bush, Chrysanthemoides monilifera ssp rotundata, infestations

Chrysanthemoides monilifera ssp rotundata (L) T Norl (Bitou bush) is a serious environmental weed along the southeast coast of Australia. The herbicide glyphosate is commonly used to control C monilifera on the New South Wales coastline, but there have been few studies examining the effects of this herbicide on invertebrate communities in the field, especially on sand dunes. Control and impact sites were selected in coastal hind dunes heavily infested with C monilifera, and the impact sites were sprayed with a 1:100 v/v dilution of glyphosate-isopropyl 360 g AE litre(-1) SL (Roundup Biactive). Leaf litter invertebrates were sampled before spraying and after spraying by collecting fixed areas of leaf litter in both the control and impact sites. Samples were sorted for particular invertebrates involved in leaf litter decomposition and some of their predators. This study did not identify any significant direct or indirect effects on leaf litter invertebrate abundance or community composition in the four months following herbicide application. The litter invertebrate assemblages were highly variable on a small spatial scale, with abiotic factors more strongly regulating leaf litter invertebrate numbers than glyphosate application. These results conflict with previous studies, indicating that the detrimental indirect effects herbicide application has on non-target litter invertebrates may depend upon the application rate, the vegetation community and structure and post-spray weather.     

Monitoring and analysis of snow cover change in an alpine mountainous area in the Tianshan Mountains,China

Estimating the snow cover change in alpine mountainous areas (in which meteorological stations are typically lacking) is crucial for managing local water resources and constitutes the first step in evaluating the contribution of snowmelt to runoff and the water cycle. In this paper, taking the Jingou River Basin on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains, China as an example, we combined a new moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) snow cover extent product over China spanning from 2000 to 2020 with digital elevation model (DEM) data to study the change in snow cover and the hydrological response of runoff to snow cover change in the Jingou River Basin under the background of climate change through trend analysis, sensitivity analysis and other methods. The results indicate that from 2000 to 2020, the annual average temperature and annual precipitation in the study area increased and snow cover fraction (SCF) showed obvious signs of periodicity. Furthermore, there were significant regional differences in the spatial distribution of snow cover days (SCDs), which were numerous in the south of the basin and sparse in the central of the basin. Factors affecting the change in snow cover mainly included temperature, precipitation, elevation, slope and aspect. Compared to precipitation, temperature had a greater impact on SCF. The annual variation in SCF was limited above the elevation of 4200 m, but it fluctuated greatly below the elevation of 4200 m. These results can be used to establish prediction models of snowmelt and runoff for alpine mountainous areas with limited hydrological data, which can provide a scientific basis for the management and protection of water resources in alpine mountainous areas.     

The return and loss of litter phosphorus in different types of sand dunes in Horqin Sandy Land, northeastern China

Litter phosphorus(P) return is important to maintain the P cycle and balance in the sandy land of arid areas.In this study,we determined the loss and return of litter P in sand dune areas and elucidated their relationship.We investigated litter production and litter P amount,and simulated leaf litter moving dynamics to understand the relationships between the loss of litter P and the total litter P,and between the return of litter P and the total litter P in active(AD),semi-stabilized(SSD) and stabilized(SD) dunes in Inner Mongolia,northeastern China.The vegetation litter P was 12.6,94.5,and 201.6 mg P/m2 in AD,SSD,and SD,respectively.A significant movement and loss of leaf litter P with time occurred on the three types of sand dunes.As a result,the loss of P was 7.4,46.9,and 69.8 mg P/m2 and the return of P was 5.5,47.6,and 131.8 mg P/m2 in AD,SSD,and SD,respectively.The relationship between both loss and return of P and total litter P in AD,SSD,and SD was revealed by linear regression.The slope of the regression line indicated the rate of loss or return of litter P.From AD to SD,the loss rate showed a declining slope(0.52,0.32,and 0.17 for AD,SSD,and SD,respectively),and the return rate showed a rising slope(0.48,0.67,and 0.83 for AD,SSD,and SD,respectively).The loss of litter P should be regarded in the local management of vegetation and land in sand dune areas.Improved vegetation restoration measures are necessary to decrease litter P loss to maintain the stability of ecosystems in sand dune areas.     

Characteristics of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen under various grassland types along a transect in a mountain-basin system in Xinjiang,China

Soil organic carbon(SOC) and soil total nitrogen(STN) in arid regions are important components of global C and the N cycles, and their response to climate change will have important implications for both ecosystem processes and global climate feedbacks. Grassland ecosystems of Funyun County in the southern foot of the Altay Mountains are characterized by complex topography, suggesting large variability in the spatial distribution of SOC and STN. However, there has been little investigation of SOC and STN on grasslands in arid regions with a mountain-basin structure. Therefore, we investigated the characteristics of SOC and STN in different grassland types in a mountain-basin system at the southern foot of the Altai Mountains, north of the Junggar Basin in China, and explored their potential influencing factors and relationships with meteorological factors and soil properties. We found that the concentrations and storages of SOC and STN varied significantly with grassland type, and showed a decreasing trend along a decreasing elevation gradient in alpine meadow, mountain meadow, temperate typical steppe, temperate steppe desert, and temperate steppe desert. In addition, the SOC and STN concentrations decreased with depth, except in the temperate desert steppe. According to Pearson's correlation values and redundancy analysis, the mean annual precipitation, soil moisture content and soil available N concentration were significantly positively correlated with the SOC and STN concentrations. In contrast, the mean annual temperature, p H, and soil bulk density were significantly and negatively correlated with the SOC and STN concentrations. The mean annual precipitation and mean annual temperature were the primary factors related to the SOC and STN concentrations. The distributions of the SOC and STN concentrations were highly regulated by the elevation-induced differences in meteorological factors. Mean annual precipitation and mean annual temperature together explained 97.85% and 98.38% of the overall variations in the SOC and STN concentrations, respectively, at soil depth of 0–40 cm, with precipitation making the greatest contribution. Our results provide a basis for estimating and predicting SOC and STN concentrations in grasslands in arid regions with a mountain-basin structure.     

天山北坡家庭牧场尺度气候变化感知与响应策略

基于家庭尺度气候变化适应性业已形成的“感知-适应”的研究框架,利用问卷调查方法,研究天山北坡山地草原牧民对气候变化趋势性、极端气候的感知特征以及与气候实值多角度的比较,分析牧民的响应策略。研究表明：① 天山北坡1980-2009年气候变化显著,呈暖湿化特征,多数牧民认为降水减少,与事实相左,却对气温趋势判断准确,群体感知的一致程度为：降水>气温>风速;② 秋季、全年降水对牧民旱灾年份感知的解释能力最强,1月雪量对雪灾感知的解释能力最强,且牧民对旱灾、雪灾的发生仅在较近年份识别敏感;③ 极端气候事件发生年份的感知强度与灾害下牲畜损失具有极显著的相关关系,灾害受损是导致牧民对极端气候产生感知的重要因素;④ 牧民响应极端气候事件主要以购买草料、处理牲畜为主,一般来讲,保畜策略比减畜策略更为常见。研究认为,牧民气候感知是响应策略形成的重要信息基础,具有传导性;气候响应过程的实质是在气候因子干扰下,家庭牧场复合系统的经营因子采取各种适应性策略,调节饲草资源与牲畜生产之间物质、能量的平衡关系。     

近40 a内蒙古正蓝旗气候变化特征

气候变化特征对于当地适应气候变化政策及制定相应的管理对策具有重要意义,利用内蒙古锡林郭勒盟正蓝旗1970-2009年气温和降水资料,结合回归分析对该旗气候变化的主要特征进行了分析。结果表明：内蒙古正蓝旗气温呈明显的上升趋势,变化倾向率为0.57 ℃·（10a)^-1,40 a平均气温为2.26 ℃,其中21世纪初前10 a上升幅度最大,其年代平均气温攀升至峰值,达到3.07 ℃;降水量也呈上升趋势,其变化倾向率为4.85 mm·（10a）^-1,40 a平均降水量为352.31 mm,其中20世纪90年代降水量最高,达到398.74 mm,而21世纪初前10 a降水量迅速下降,成为近40 a降水量最低点,低于多年平均降水量19.62 mm。总体而言,正蓝旗20世纪70年代趋于相对干冷,80年代则由相对干冷向暖湿发展的过渡期,而90年代正蓝旗呈相对明显的暖湿化趋势,21世纪前10 a降水量减少和气温继续升高,出现暖干化趋势。