Variation in soil bulk density and hydraulic conductivity within a quasi-circular vegetation patch and bare soil area

Journal of Soils and Sediments - Soil bulk density and hydraulic conductivity are two of many key factors for vegetation establishment and the other way around. Variations in them may cause patchy...     

Monitoring desertification processes in Mongolian Plateau using MODIS tasseled cap transformation and TGSI time series

Most remote sensing studies assess the desertification using vegetation monitoring method. But it has the insufficient precision of vegetation monitoring for the limited vegetation cover of the desertification region. Therefore, it offers an alternative approach for the desertification research to assess sand dune and sandy land change using remote sensing in the desertification region. In this study, the indices derived from the well-known tasseled cap transformation(TCT), tasseled cap angle(TCA),disturbance index(DI), process indicator(PI), and topsoil grain size index(TGSI) were integrated to monitor and assess the desertification at the thirteen study sites including sand dunes and sandy lands distributed in the Mongolian Plateau(MP) from 2000 to 2015. A decision tree was used to classify the desertification on a regional scale. The average overall accuracy of 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015 desertification classification was higher than 90%. Results from this study indicated that integration of the advantages of TCA, DI and TGSI could better assess the desertification. During the last 16 years, Badain Jaran Desert, Tengger Desert, and Ulan Buh Desert showed a relative stabilization. Otindag Sandy Land and the deserts of Khar Nuur, Ereen Nuur, Tsagan Nuur, Khongoryn Els, Hobq, and Mu Us showed a slow increasing of desertification, whereas Bayan Gobi, Horqin and Hulun Buir sandy lands showed a slow decreasing of desertification. Compared with the other 11 sites, the fine sand dunes occupied the majority of the Tengger Desert, and the coarse sandy land occupied the majority of the Horqin Sandy Land. Our findings on a three or four years' periodical fluctuated changes in the desertification may possibly reflect changing precipitation and soil moisture in the MP. Further work to link the TCA, DI,TGSI, and PI values with the desertification characteristics is recommended to set the thresholds and improve the assessment accuracy with field investigation.     

基于功能分区与多聚类算法集成的耕地细碎化评价及整治

基于图斑尺度的耕地细碎化评价及整治有利于耕地布局优化,促进农业规模化与集约化发展。该研究以耕地图斑为基本评价单元,引入聚合分析来量化图斑间空间位置关系,围绕耕地细碎化内涵选取评价指标;运用热点分析和二步聚类算法来对研究区功能分区,在功能分区基础上,基于带轮廓系数的k-means聚类算法,评价耕地图斑的细碎化程度。结果表明：1）根据功能分区的聚类结果,新北区被划分为不显著区、连片规整区、离散复杂区;2）评价结果将新北区耕地图斑分为3类：类别一,离散破碎类,包含图斑17 332块,平均图斑面积过小,连片度低,图斑面积集中在0～10 000 m2,面积占比21.98%,连片度集中在1～4,主要分布在新北区中心区域;类别二,形状复杂类,包含图斑4 535 块,图斑形状复杂不规整,面积占比9.65%,形状指数集中在1.5～2.5,均匀分布在全区;类别三,连片规整类,包含图斑4 091 块,图斑集中连片、形态规整,面积占比68.37%,连片度集中在5～10,形状指数集中在1～1.5,主要分布在外围区域;并基于各类别耕地细碎化属性差异,提出相应的优化模式和整治意见。研究结果可以为耕地细碎化整治提供一定参考。     

A multi-site analysis of random error in tower-based measurements of carbon and energy fluxes

Measured surface-atmosphere fluxes of energy (sensible heat, H, and latent heat, LE) and CO₂ (FCO₂) represent the “true” flux plus or minus potential random and systematic measurement errors. Here, we use data from seven sites in the AmeriFlux network, including five forested sites (two of which include “tall tower” instrumentation), one grassland site, and one agricultural site, to conduct a cross-site analysis of random flux error. Quantification of this uncertainty is a prerequisite to model-data synthesis (data assimilation) and for defining confidence intervals on annual sums of net ecosystem exchange or making statistically valid comparisons between measurements and model predictions.We differenced paired observations (separated by exactly 24 h, under similar environmental conditions) to infer the characteristics of the random error in measured fluxes. Random flux error more closely follows a double-exponential (Laplace), rather than a normal (Gaussian), distribution, and increase as a linear function of the magnitude of the flux for all three scalar fluxes. Across sites, variation in the random error follows consistent and robust patterns in relation to environmental variables. For example, seasonal differences in the random error for H are small, in contrast to both LE and FCO₂, for which the random errors are roughly three-fold larger at the peak of the growing season compared to the dormant season. Random errors also generally scale with R_n (H and LE) and PPFD (FCO₂). For FCO₂ (but not H or LE), the random error decreases with increasing wind speed. Data from two sites suggest that FCO₂ random error may be slightly smaller when a closed-path, rather than open-path, gas analyzer is used.     

1766～1911年黄河中游汛期建立时间研究

利用清代奏报中保留的汛期涨水尺寸记录,近现代以来黄河中游水文站存在的水位信息器测数据,基于1766～1911年黄河中游万锦滩(位于今河南省三门峡市)水位志桩所载涨水时间,在"侯"尺度下建立了研究时段内三门峡断面的汛期开始时间。结果表明:1766～1911年,1840年代前中游汛期开始时间在平均水平;1840～1860年代汛期建立时间偏晚;1860～1890年代再次开始提前。在研究时段内黄河中游汛期开始时间平均为7月上旬,与同时期长江中下游梅雨结束时间有很好的对应关系,但年际差异较大,夏季风雨带推移成为导致中游汛期开始时间产生波动的主要驱动因素。     

长三角地区景观生态风险时空演变评估

[目的]分析景观生态风险的发生机制,改善风险评估框架进而评估长三角地区各类景观生态风险,为长三角地区生态风险管控和生态文明建设提供参考。[方法]基于适应性循环理论“潜力-连通性-恢复力”三维视角构建生态受损概率指标体系,以生态系统服务为评价终点,从生态系统服务和生态受损概率两方面综合评估了长三角地区2000年、2010年、2020年景观生态风险,并判定研究区所处的风险适应性阶段。[结果](1)长三角地区生态系统服务指数总体表现为升高趋势,并呈现南高北低的空间格局;(2)生态受损概率呈现南低北高、西低东高的空间特征,时序变化特征为围绕城市建成区先扩展后收缩;(3)景观生态风险总体较低,中低风险区域占大比例,高风险区集中在城市建成区周围,部分快速发展城市的生态风险值逐渐升高;(4)从适应性循环阶段来看,长三角地区部分地区已开始从快速发展向稳定可持续发展转变,处于开发阶段的区域减少,处于释放阶段的区域增加。[结论]适应性循环理论能够阐明生态本底、景观格局和动态过程之间的关系及其对景观生态风险的作用机制,可以较好地融入生态风险预测框架,提高景观生态风险预测的有效性、准确性。     

近10 a京津冀地区生态服务功能变化

[目的]分析近年京津冀地区生态服务功能变化,为规划实施差异化生态修复和保育工程,建立生态补偿机制提供参考。[方法]以土地覆被变化为切入点,采用土地覆被转移矩阵分析、主导程度分析、叠合度分析等方法研究2005—2015年京津冀地区土地覆被变化情况,并分析研究区生态服务价值变化及其主导因素。[结果](1)2015年京津冀地区生态服务总价值相较2005年有所提升,生态环境明显改善。(2)生态服务高值区集中分布在林草集中的燕山—太行山生态涵养区和湿地水体相对集中的海岸海域生态防护区,它们是京津冀地区生态服务功能主要供给区。(3)生态服务功能变化的主导土地覆被转换类型为:草地转变为林地、耕地转变为林地、耕地转变为草地,主导因素为生态政策因素。[结论]2005—2015年京津冀地区生态环境质量呈改善趋势。     

Climate change and Chinese farmers: Perceptions and determinants of adaptive strategies

Farmers' perceptions, beliefs, adaptive strategies, and barriers regarding climate change are critical to promoting sustainable ecosystems and societal stability. This paper is based on an extensive survey of 1 500 farmers and their households in Henan Province in China during 2013–2014. Henan is the largest agricultural province in China with over 51 million farmers. The survey results showed that approximately 57% of the respondents perceived the direct impact of climate change during the past 10 years, with 70.3% believing that climate change posed a risk to their livelihood. Not surprisingly, most farmers reported that they have adopted new measures to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change. The main barriers hindering farmers' adopting adaptation measures were lack of funds and timely information. A multinomial logit model revealed that land ownership, knowledge of crop variety and the causes of climate change, as well as the belief of climate change, were all positively related to the likelihood of employing adaptive strategies. Moreover, the percentage of households engaging in agriculture activity, and years of engaging in farming were both negatively correlated with famer's likelihood of adopting adaptation strategies. More importantly, farmers with high incomes were less likely to adopt adaptive strategies and more willing to engage in other business activities. In conclusion, it is important to communicate climate change related information and government policies in rural areas, promote farmer associations and other educational outreach efforts to assist Chinese farmers to deal with climate change.