Economic losses from reduced freshwater under future climate scenarios: An example from the Urumqi River,Tianshan Mountains

As important freshwater resources in alpine basins, glaciers and snow cover tend to decline due to climate warming, thus affecting the amount of water available downstream and even regional economic development. However, impact assessments of the economic losses caused by reductions in freshwater supply are quite limited. This study aims to project changes in glacier meltwater and snowmelt of the Urumqi River in the Tianshan Mountains under future climate change scenarios (RCP2.6 (RCP, Representative Concentration Pathway), RCP4.5, and RCP8.5) by applying a hydrological model and estimate the economic losses from future meltwater reduction for industrial, agricultural, service, and domestic water uses combined with the present value method for the 2030s, 2050s, 2070s, and 2090s. The results indicate that total annual glacier meltwater and snowmelt will decrease by 65.6% and 74.5% under the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios by the 2090s relative to the baseline period (1980-2010), respectively. Compared to the RCP2.6 scenario, the projected economic loss values of total water use from reduced glacier meltwater and snowmelt under the RCP8.5 scenario will increase by 435.10×10⁶ and 537.20×10⁶ CNY in the 2050s and 2090s, respectively, and the cumulative economic loss value for 2099 is approximately 2124.00×10⁶ CNY. We also find that the industrial and agricultural sectors would likely face the largest and smallest economic losses, respectively. The economic loss value of snowmelt in different sectorial sectors is greater than that of glacier meltwater. These findings highlight the need for climate mitigation actions, industrial transformation, and rational water allocation to be considered in decision-making in the Tianshan Mountains in the future.     

Climate change impacts on the streamflow of Zarrineh River,Iran

Zarrineh River is located in the northwest of Iran, providing more than 40% of the total inflow into the Lake Urmia that is one of the largest saltwater lakes on the earth. Lake Urmia is a highly endangered ecosystem on the brink of desiccation. This paper studied the impacts of climate change on the streamflow of Zarrineh River. The streamflow was simulated and projected for the period 1992-2050 through seven CMIP5 (coupled model intercomparison project phase 5) data series (namely, BCC-CSM1-1, BNU-ESM, CSIRO-Mk3-6-0, GFDL-ESM2G, IPSL-CM5A-LR, MIROC-ESM and MIROC-ESM-CHEM) under RCP2.6 (RCP, representative concentration pathways) and RCP8.5. The model data series were statistically downscaled and bias corrected using an artificial neural network (ANN) technique and a Gamma based quantile mapping bias correction method. The best model (CSIRO-Mk3-6-0) was chosen by the TOPSIS (technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution) method from seven CMIP5 models based on statistical indices. For simulation of streamflow, a rainfall-runoff model, the hydrologiska byrans vattenavdelning (HBV-Light) model, was utilized. Results on hydro-climatological changes in Zarrineh River basin showed that the mean daily precipitation is expected to decrease from 0.94 and 0.96 mm in 2015 to 0.65 and 0.68 mm in 2050 under RCP2.6 and RCP8.5, respectively. In the case of temperature, the numbers change from 12.33°C and 12.37°C in 2015 to 14.28°C and 14.32°C in 2050. Corresponding to these climate scenarios, this study projected a decrease of the annual streamflow of Zarrineh River by half from 2015 to 2050 as the results of climatic changes will lead to a decrease in the annual streamflow of Zarrineh River from 59.49 m³/s in 2015 to 22.61 and 23.19 m³/s in 2050. The finding is of important meaning for water resources planning purposes, management programs and strategies of the Lake's endangered ecosystem.     

Effects of climate change and land use/cover change on the volume of the Qinghai Lake in China

Qinghai Lake is the largest saline lake in China.The change in the lake volume is an indicator of the variation in water resources and their response to climate change on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau(QTP)in China.The present study quantitatively evaluated the effects of climate change and land use/cover change(LUCC)on the lake volume of the Qinghai Lake in China from 1958 to 2018,which is crucial for water resources management in the Qinghai Lake Basin.To explore the effects of climate change and LUCC on the Qinghai Lake volume,we analyzed the lake level observation data and multi-period land use/land cover(LULC)data by using an improved lake volume estimation method and Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs(InVEST)model.Our results showed that the lake level decreased at the rate of 0.08 m/a from 1958 to 2004 and increased at the rate of 0.16 m/a from 2004 to 2018.The lake volume decreased by 105.40×10⁸ m³ from 1958 to 2004,with the rate of 2.24×10⁸ m³/a,whereas it increased by 74.02×10⁸ m³ from 2004 to 2018,with the rate of 4.66×10⁸ m³/a.Further,the climate of the Qinghai Lake Basin changed from warm-dry to warm-humid.From 1958 to 2018,the increase in precipitation and the decrease in evaporation controlled the change of the lake volume,which were the main climatic factors affecting the lake volume change.From 1977 to 2018,the measured water yield showed an"increase-decrease-increase"fluctuation in the Qinghai Lake Basin.The effects of climate change and LUCC on the measured water yield were obviously different.From 1977 to 2018,the contribution rate of LUCC was -0.76% and that of climate change was 100.76%;the corresponding rates were 8.57% and 91.43% from 1977 to 2004,respectively,and -4.25% and 104.25% from 2004 to 2018,respectively.Quantitative analysis of the effects and contribution rates of climate change and LUCC on the Qinghai Lake volume revealed the scientific significance of climate change and LUCC,as well as their individual and combined effects in the Qinghai Lake Basin and on the QTP.This study can contribute to the water resources management and regional sustainable development of the Qinghai Lake Basin.     

21世纪开都-孔雀河流域未来气候变化情景预估

利用Downscaled CMIP3 and CMIP5 Climate and Hydrology Projections (DCHP)提供的31个 CMIP5降尺度数据和CRU逐月气温、降水格点数据集,通过评估PLS(偏最小二乘回归)、RR（岭回归）和EE（等权平均）3种多模式集合平均预估模型对历史气候变化的模拟能力,确定最优集合方法,进而预估开都-孔雀河流域21世纪气候变化情景。结果表明：① 所建立的PLS模型对流域的气温和降水具有较好的模拟能力,尤其对气温的模拟, r值均达到了0.64以上,明显优于降水（0.19~0.36）,但存在空间异质性;② 21世纪开都-孔雀河流域各子区气温呈显著增加趋势,且RCP8.5情景下的增温速率〔0.58~0.67 ℃·（10a）-1〕是RCP4.5情景下〔0.25~0.31 ℃·（10a）-1〕的2倍以上,21世纪中叶是2种情景产生明显差异的开始。整个流域增温速率由西北山区向东南荒漠区逐渐增大;③ 未来降水在不同排放情景下变化速率的分布状况略有不同,但均呈显著增加趋势,且RCP8.5情景下的增加速率〔1.22%~1.54%·（10a）-1〕总体上高于RCP4.5〔0.80%~1.32%·（10a）-1〕。     

Meteorological drought features in northern and northwestern parts of Mexico under different climate change scenarios

Meteorological drought has been an inevitable natural disaster throughout Mexican history and the northern and northwestern parts of Mexico(i.e., the studied area), where the mean annual precipitation(MAP) is less than 500 mm, have suffered even more from droughts in the past. The aim of this study was to conduct a meteorological drought analysis of the available MAP data(1950–2013) from 649 meteorological stations selected from the studied area and to predict the drought features under the different IPCC-prescribed climate change scenarios. To determine the long-term drought features, we collected 1×10~4 synthetic samples using the periodic autoregressive moving average(PARMA) model for each rainfall series. The simulations first consider the present prevailing precipitation conditions(i.e., the average from 1950 to 2013) and then the precipitation anomalies under IPCC-prescribed RCP 4.5 scenario and RCP 8.5 scenario. The results indicated that the climate changes under the prescribed scenarios would significantly increase the duration and intensity of droughts. The most severe impacts may occur in the central plateau and in the Baja California Peninsula. Thus, it will be necessary to establish adequate protective measures for the sustainable management of water resources in these regions.     

Mapping the current and future distributions of Onosma species endemic to Iran

Climate change may cause shifts in the natural range of species especially for those that are geographically restricted and/or endemic species. In this study, the spatial distribution of five endemic and threatened species belonging to the genus Onosma (including O. asperrima, O. bisotunensis, O. kotschyi, O. platyphylla, and O. straussii) was investigated under present and future climate change scenarios: RCP2.6 (RCP, representative concentration pathway; optimistic scenario) and RCP8.5 (pessimistic scenario) for the years 2050 and 2080 in Iran. Analysis was conducted using the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model to provide a basis for the protection and conservation of these species. Seven environmental variables including aspect, depth of soil, silt content, slope, annual precipitation, minimum temperature of the coldest month, and annual temperature range were used as main predictors in this study. The model output for the potential habitat suitability of the studied species showed acceptable performance for all species (i.e., the area under the curve (AUC)>0.800). According to the models generated by MaxEnt, the potential current patterns of the species were consistent with the observed areas of distributions. The projected climate maps under optimistic and pessimistic scenarios (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5, respectively) of 2050 and 2080 resulted in reductions and expansions as well as positive range changes for all species in comparison to their current predicted distributions. Among all species, O. bisotunensis showed the most significant and highest increase under the pessimistic scenario of 2050 and 2080. Finally, the results of this study revealed that the studied plant species have shown an acute adaptability to environmental changes. The results can provide useful information to managers to apply appropriate strategies for the management and conservation of these valuable Iranian medicinal and threatened plant species in the future.     

Runoff of arid and semi-arid regions simulated and projected by CLM-DTVGM and its multi-scale fluctuations as revealed by EEMD analysis

Runoff is a major component of the water cycle,and its multi-scale fluctuations are important to water resources management across arid and semi-arid regions.This paper coupled the Distributed Time Variant Gain Model(DTVGM)into the Community Land Model(CLM 3.5),replacing the TOPMODEL-based method to simulate runoff in the arid and semi-arid regions of China.The coupled model was calibrated at five gauging stations for the period 1980–2005 and validated for the period 2006–2010.Then,future runoff(2010–2100)was simulated for different Representative Concentration Pathways(RCP)emission scenarios.After that,the spatial distributions of the future runoff for these scenarios were discussed,and the multi-scale fluctuation characteristics of the future annual runoff for the RCP scenarios were explored using the Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition(EEMD)analysis method.Finally,the decadal variabilities of the future annual runoff for the entire study area and the five catchments in it were investigated.The results showed that the future annual runoff had slowly decreasing trends for scenarios RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5 during the period 2010–2100,whereas it had a non-monotonic trend for the RCP 4.5 scenario,with a slow increase after the 2050 s.Additionally,the future annual runoff clearly varied over a decadal time scale,indicating that it had clear divisions between dry and wet periods.The longest dry period was approximately 15 years(2040–2055)for the RCP 2.6 scenario and 25 years(2045–2070)for the RCP 4.5 scenario.However,the RCP 8.5 scenario was predicted to have a long dry period starting from 2045.Under these scenarios,the water resources situation of the study area will be extremely severe.Therefore,adaptive water management measures addressing climate change should be adopted to proactively confront the risks of water resources.     

Impact of rainfed and irrigated agriculture systems on soil carbon stock under different climate scenarios in the semi-arid region of Brazil

Understanding the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) is of fundamental importance in land use and management, whether in the current researches or in future scenarios of agriculture systems considering climate change. In order to evaluate SOC stock of the three districts (Delmiro Gouveia, Pariconha, and Inhapi districts) in the semi-arid region of Brazil in rainfed and irrigated agriculture systems under different climate scenarios using the Century model, we obtained RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 climate scenarios derived from the Eta Regional Climate Model (Eta-HadGEM2-ES and Eta-MIROC5) from the National Institute for Space Research, and then input the data of bulk density, pH, soil texture, maximum temperature, minimum temperature, and rainfall into the soil and climate files of the Century model. The results of this study showed that the Eta-HadGEM2-ES model was effective in estimating air temperature in the future period. In rainfed agriculture system, SOC stock under the baseline scenario was lower than that under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 climate scenarios, while in irrigated agriculture system, SOC stock in the almost all climate scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) and models (Eta-HadGEM2-ES and Eta-MIROC5) will increase by 2100. The results of this study will help producers in the semi-arid region of Brazil adopt specific agriculture systems aimed at mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.     

Impact of climate change on the streamflow in the glacierized Chu River Basin,Central Asia

Catchments dominated by meltwater runoff are sensitive to climate change as changes in precipitation and temperature inevitably affect the characteristics of glaciermelt/snowmelt, hydrologic circle and water resources. This study simulated the impact of climate change on the runoff generation and streamflow of Chu River Basin(CRB), a glacierized basin in Central Asia using the enhanced Soil and Water Assessment Tool(SWAT). The model was calibrated and validated using the measured monthly streamflow data from three discharge gauge stations in CRB for the period 1961–1985 and was subsequently driven by downscaled future climate projections of five Global Circulation Models(GCMs) in Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project Phase 5(CMIP5) under three radiative forcing scenarios(RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). In this study, the period 1966–1995 was used as the baseline period, while 2016–2045 and 2066–2095 as the near-future and far-future period, respectively. As projected, the climate would become warmer and drier under all scenarios in the future, and the future climate would be characterized by larger seasonal and annual variations under higher RCP. A general decreasing trend was identified in the average annual runoff in glacier(–26.6% to –1.0%), snow(–21.4% to +1.1%) and streamflow(–27.7% to –6.6%) for most of the future scenario periods. The projected maximum streamflow in each of the two future scenarios occurred one month earlier than that in the baseline period because of the reduced streamflow in summer months. Results of this study are expected to arouse the serious concern about water resource availability in the headwater region of CRB under the continuously warming climate. Changes in simulated hydrologic outputs underscored the significance of lowering the uncertainties in temperature and precipitation projection.     

Implications of future climate change on crop and irrigation water requirements in a semi-arid river basin using CMIP6 GCMs

Agriculture faces risks due to increasing stress from climate change, particularly in semi-arid regions. Lack of understanding of crop water requirement (CWR) and irrigation water requirement (IWR) in a changing climate may result in crop failure and socioeconomic problems that can become detrimental to agriculture-based economies in emerging nations worldwide. Previous research in CWR and IWR has largely focused on large river basins and scenarios from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 3 (CMIP3) and Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) to account for the impacts of climate change on crops. Smaller basins, however, are more susceptible to regional climate change, with more significant impacts on crops. This study estimates CWRs and IWRs for five crops (sugarcane, wheat, cotton, sorghum, and soybean) in the Pravara River Basin (area of 6537 km²) of India using outputs from the most recent Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) General Circulation Models (GCMs) under Shared Socio-economic Pathway (SSP)245 and SSP585 scenarios. An increase in mean annual rainfall is projected under both scenarios in the 2050s and 2080s using ten selected CMIP6 GCMs. CWRs for all crops may decline in almost all of the CMIP6 GCMs in the 2050s and 2080s (with the exceptions of ACCESS-CM-2 and ACCESS-ESM-1.5) under SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios. The availability of increasing soil moisture in the root zone due to increasing rainfall and a decrease in the projected maximum temperature may be responsible for this decline in CWR. Similarly, except for soybean and cotton, the projected IWRs for all other three crops under SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios show a decrease or a small increase in the 2050s and 2080s in most CMIP6 GCMs. These findings are important for agricultural researchers and water resource managers to implement long-term crop planning techniques and to reduce the negative impacts of climate change and associated rainfall variability to avert crop failure and agricultural losses.     

气候变化下基于GIS的农田恶性杂草旱雀麦在中国的分布与发展趋势

为确定旱雀麦在我国的空间分布及其对气候变化的响应,以期进一步开展生态防控,本研究利用旱雀麦在中国的地理分布数据,结合当前气候数据和未来气候变化情景（RCP8.5情景下2050s,2070s）,建立最大熵模型（MaxEnt模型）,确定影响旱雀麦分布的主导环境因子。应用地理信息系统（GIS）对中国地区旱雀麦的适生区进行划分,以ROC曲线作为模拟的准确性评价指标。结果表明,MaxEnt模型模拟效果极好（AUC=0.965）;当前气候条件下,旱雀麦适生面积为2.5534×10⁶ km²,主要集中分布于青海省东北部、甘肃省与青海省接壤的地区、四川省的西北部,以及新疆的西北部;其中影响旱雀麦分布的主要环境因子为海拔、bio12（年降水量）、bio9（最干季度平均温度）和bio15（降水量季变异系数）,其贡献率分别为45.0%、17.5%、9.7%、9.7%,累计贡献率达81.9%;在RCP8.5情景下,未来2个时期,旱雀麦潜在高适生区分布面积与当前相比增加了12.2%~23.3%,但RCP8.5情景下2070s较RCP8.5情景下2050s旱雀麦的潜在高度适生区分布面积减少了8.9%。综上所述,气候变化情景下旱雀麦的潜在分布面积呈现出扩大趋势,且RCP8.5情景下2070s较RCP8.5情景下2050s的适生区分布面积有缩减趋势。     

Impact of land use/land cover types on surface humidity in northern China in the early 21st century

In the context of global change, it is essential to promote the rational development and utilization of land resources, improve the quality of regional ecological environment, and promote the harmonious development of human and nature for the regional sustainability. We identified land use/land cover types in northern China from 2001 to 2018 with ENVI images and ArcGIS software. Meteorological data were selected from 292 stations in northern China, the potential evapotranspiration was calculated with the Penman-Monteith formula, and reanalysis humidity and observed humidity data were obtained. The reanalysis minus observation (RMO, i.e., the difference between reanalysis humidity and observed humidity) can effectively characterize the impact of different land use/land cover types (forestland, grassland, cultivated land, construction land, water body and unused land) on surface humidity in northern China in the early 21^st century. The results showed that from 2001 to 2018, the area of forestland expanded (increasing by approximately 1.80×10⁴ km²), while that of unused land reduced (decreasing by approximately 5.15×10⁴ km²), and the regional ecological environment was improved. Consequently, land surface in most areas of northern China tended to be wetter. The contributions of land use/land cover types to surface humidity changes were related to the quality of the regional ecological environment. The contributions of the six land use/land cover types to surface humidity were the highest in northeastern region of northern China, with a better ecological environment, and the lowest in northwestern region, with a fragile ecological environment. Surface humidity was closely related to the variation in regional vegetation coverage; when the regional vegetation coverage with positive (negative) contributions expanded (reduced), the land surface became wetter. The positive contributions of forestland and water body to surface humidity were the greatest. Unused land and construction land were associated with the most serious negative contributions to surface humidity. Affected by the regional distribution pattern of vegetation, surface humidity in different seasons decreased from east to west in northern China. The seasonal variation in surface humidity was closely related to the growth of vegetation: surface humidity was the highest in summer, followed by autumn and spring, and the lowest in winter. According to the results, surface humidity is expected to increase in northeastern region of northern China, decrease in northern region, and likely increase in northwestern region.     

Isotope implications of groundwater recharge,residence time and hydrogeochemical evolution of the Longdong Loess Basin,Northwest China

Groundwater plays a dominant role in the eco-environmental protection of arid and semi-arid regions.Understanding the sources and mechanisms of groundwater recharge,the interactions between groundwater and surface water and the hydrogeochemical evolution and transport processes of groundwater in the Longdong Loess Basin,Northwest China,is of importance for water resources management in this ecologically sensitive area.In this study,71 groundwater samples(mainly distributed at the Dongzhi Tableland and along the Malian River)and 8 surface water samples from the Malian River were collected,and analysis of the aquifer system and hydrological conditions,together with hydrogeochemical and isotopic techniques were used to investigate groundwater sources,residence time and their associated recharge processes.Results show that the middle and lower reaches of the Malian River receive water mainly from groundwater discharge on both sides of valley,while the source of the Malian River mainly comes from local precipitation.Groundwater of the Dongzhi Tableland is of a HCO3-Ca-Na type with low salinity.The reverse hydrogeochemical simulation suggests that the dissolution of carbonate minerals and cation exchange between Ca²⁺,Mg²⁺and Na+are the main water-rock interactions in the groundwater system of the Dongzhi Tableland.Theδ¹⁸O(from-11.70‰to-8.52‰)andδ2H(from-86.15‰to-65.75‰)values of groundwater are lower than the annual weighted average value of precipitation but closer to summer-autumn precipitation and soil water in the unsaturated zone,suggesting that possible recharge comes from the summer-autumn monsoonal heavy precipitation in the recent past(≤220 a).The corrected 14C ages of groundwater range from 3,000 to 25,000 a old,indicating that groundwater was mainly from precipitation during the humid and cold Late Pleistocene and Holocene periods.Groundwater flows deeper from the groundwater table and from the center to the east,south and west of the Dongzhi Tableland with estimated migration rate of 1.29-1.43 m/a.The oldest groundwater in the Quaternary Loess Aquifer in the Dongzhi Tableland is approximately 32,000 a old with poor renewability.Based on theδ¹⁸O temperature indicator of groundwater,we speculate that temperature of the Last Glacial Maximum in the Longdong Loess Basin was 2.4℃-6.0℃ colder than the present.The results could provide us the valuable information on groundwater recharge and evolution under thick loess layer,which would be significative for the scientific water resources management in semi-arid regions.     

Modeling and analyzing supply-demand relationships of water resources in Xinjiang from a perspective of ecosystem services

Water shortage is one bottleneck that limits economic and social developments in arid and semi-arid areas.As the impacts of climate change and human disturbance intensify across time,uncertainties in both water resource supplies and demands increase in arid and semi-arid areas.Taking a typical arid region in China,Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,as an example,water yield depth(WYD)and water utilization depth(WUD)from 2002 to 2018 were simulated using the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs(InVEST)model and socioeconomic data.The supply-demand relationships of water resources were analyzed using the ecosystem service indices including water supply-demand difference(WSDD)and water supply rate(WSR).The internal factors in changes of WYD and WUD were explored using the controlled variable method.The results show that the supplydemand relationships of water resources in Xinjiang were in a slight deficit,but the deficit was alleviated due to increased precipitation and decreased WUD of irrigation.WYD generally experienced an increasing trend,and significant increase mainly occurred in the oasis areas surrounding both the Junggar Basin and Tarim Basin.WUD had a downward trend with a decline of 20.70%,especially in oasis areas.Water resources in most areas of Xinjiang were fully utilized and the utilization efficiency of water resources increased.The water yield module in the InVEST model was calibrated and validated using gauging station data in Xinjiang,and the result shows that the use of satellite-based water storage data helped to decrease the bias error of the InVEST model by 0.69×10⁸m³.This study analyzed water resource supplies and demands from a perspective of ecosystem services,which expanded the scope of the application of ecosystem services and increased the research perspective of water resource evaluation.The results could provide guidance for water resource management such as spatial allocation and structural optimization of water resources in arid and semi-arid areas.     

Effect of pruning intensity on soil moisture and water use efficiency in jujube(Ziziphus jujube Mill.) plantations in the hilly Loess Plateau Region,China

Jujube(Ziziphus jujube Mill.) is a traditional economic forest crop and is widely cultivated in hilly areas of the Loess Plateau, China. However, soil desiccation was discovered in jujube plantations. Pruning is recognized as a water-saving method that can reduces soil water consumption. In this study, we monitored the jujube plots with control(CK), light(C_1), medium(C_2) and high(C_3) pruning intensities during the jujube growing period of 2012–2015 to explore the effect of pruning intensity on soil moisture and water use efficiency(WUE) of jujube plantations in the hilly Loess Plateau Region. The results showed that pruning is an effective method for soil water conservation in jujube plantations. Soil moisture increased with increasing pruning intensity during the jujube growing period of 2012–2015. C_1, C_2 and C_3 pruning intensities increased soil water storage by 6.1–18.3, 14.4–40.0 and 24.3–63.3 mm, respectively, compared to CK pruning intensity. Pruning promoted soil moisture infiltration to deeper soil layer. Soil moisture infiltrated to soil depths of 240, 280 and >300 cm under C_3 pruning intensity, 220, 260 and 260 cm under C_2 pruning intensity, 200, 240 and 220 cm under C_1 pruning intensity, and 180, 200 and 160 cm under CK pruning intensity in 2013, 2014 and 2015, respectively. Soil water deficit was alleviated by higher pruning intensity. In 2013–2015, soil water change was positive under C_2(6.4 mm) and C_3(26.8 mm) pruning intensities but negative under C_1(–20.5 mm) and CK(–40.6 mm) pruning intensities. Moreover, pruning significantly improved fresh fruit yield and WUE of jujube plants. Fresh fruit yields were highest under C_1 pruning intensity with the values of 6897.1–13,059.3 kg/hm2, which were 2758.4–4712.8, 385.7–1432.1 and 802.8–2331.5 kg/hm~2 higher than those under CK, C_2, and C_3 pruning intensities during the jujube growing period of 2012–2015, respectively. However, C_3 pruning intensity had the highest WUE values of 2.92–3.13 kg/m~3, which were 1.6–2.0, 1.1–1.2 and 1.0–1.1 times greater than those under CK, C_1 and C_2 pruning intensities, respectively. Therefore, C_3 pruning intensity is recommended to jujube plantations for its economic and ecological benefits. These results provide an alternative strategy to mitigate soil desiccation in jujube plantations in the hilly Loess Plateau Region, which is critical for sustainable cultivation of economic forest trees in this region.     

气候变化对新疆意大利蝗潜在分布的影响

意大利蝗Calliptamus italicus(L.)是新疆草原主要优势蝗虫之一,每年给新疆畜牧业经济带来严重损失,气候变化对其潜在分布影响的预测对其科学防治有重要意义。本研究采用意大利蝗的分布数据和生物气候数据,结合MaxEnt模型和ArcGIS软件,预测了BCC_CSM1.1气候模式下政府间气候变化专门委员会第五次工作报告(IPCC AR5)采用的RCP2.6、RCP4.5和RCP8.5三种气候情景在2021-2040年(2030s)、2041-2060年(2050s)和2061-2080年(2070s)的意大利蝗新疆潜在适生区分布范围。结果表明:在BCC_CSM1.1的各情景下,意大利蝗适生区在北疆及天山一带分布格局基本保持不变,但高度适生区面积都有所增加,其中在天山和阿尔泰山地区,意大利蝗中、高度适生区范围将向更高海拔区域蔓延,在北疆阿勒泰地区高度适生区明显增加。极端水分条件和水热条件对意大利蝗在新疆潜在分布发挥主要作用,其中4月、10月、3月和11月降水量对意大利蝗在新疆潜在分布影响最大,因其直接影响土壤相对含水量和土壤温度,从而决定意大利蝗卵的存活量。     

秸秆还田对旱作冬小麦后茬土壤水分的影响及其APSIM模拟

模型作为一种作物生长机理模型,可敏感捕捉气候变化、土壤水分变化引致的系统组分响应,适用于降水不确定性地区的农业系统生产预测。为确定APSIM模型对秸秆还田等水土保持耕作拦截夏季降水的模拟功能,在甘肃黄土高原开展了秸秆还田处理,对冬小麦收获后休闲期土壤水分的影响及其APSIM模拟。结果表明：自然降水条件下,免耕+秸秆还田（S）处理下土壤水分蒸发量较休闲裸地（F）、耕作+覆草（TS）及传统耕作（T）降低16.7%~23.9%,裸地休闲或耕作会造成土壤水分流失,秸秆还田的保水作用明显,APSIM模拟可代表71%~92%的土壤水分变化;在人工模拟降水(66 mm·h^-1)情况下,土壤蒸发在2 t·hm^-2(SS)、4 t·hm^-2(LS)秸秆还田量下比裸露休闲地(F)分别降低了27.8%和49.4%,APSIM模拟值解释了96%~99%的土壤水分变化。表明本土化的APSIM模型可以描述研究区土壤水分变化,适用于农业系统研究。     

Assessing the collapse risk of Stipa bungeana grassland in China based on its distribution changes

The criteria used by International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN) for its Red List of Ecosystems(RLE) are the global standards for ecosystem-level risk assessment, and they have been increasingly used for biodiversity conservation. The changed distribution area of an ecosystem is one of the key criteria in such assessments. The Stipa bungeana grassland is one of the most widely distributed grasslands in the warm-temperate semi-arid regions of China. However, the total distribution area of this grassland was noted to have shrunk and become fragmented because of its conversion to cropland and grazing-induced degradation. Following the IUCN-RLE standards, here we analyzed changes in the geographical distribution of this degraded grassland, to evaluate its degradation and risk of collapse. Past(1950-1980) distribution areas were extracted from the Vegetation Map of China(1:1,000,000). Present realizable distribution areas were equated to these past areas minus any habitat area losses. We then predicted the grassland’s present and future(under the Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5 scenario) potential distribution areas using maximum entropy algorithm(MaxEnt), based on field survey data and nine environmental layers. Our results showed that the S. bungeana grassland was mainly distributed in the Loess Plateau, Hexi Corridor, and low altitudes of the Qilian Mountains and Longshou Mountain. This ecosystem occurred mainly on loess soils, kastanozems, steppe aeolian soils and sierozems. Thermal and edaphic factors were the most important factors limiting the distribution of S. bungeana grassland across China. Since 56.1% of its past distribution area(4.9×10~4 km^2) disappeared in the last 50 a, the present realizable distribution area only amounts to 2.2×10~4 km^2. But only 15.7% of its present potential distribution area(14.0×10~4 km^2) is actually occupied by the S. bungeana grassland. The future potential distribution of S. bungeana grassland was predicted to shift towards northwest, and the total area of this ecosystem will shrink by 12.4% over the next 50 a under the most pessimistic climate change scenario. Accordingly, following the IUCN-RLE criteria, we deemed the S. bungeana grassland ecosystem in China to be endangered(EN). Revegetation projects and the establishment of protected areas are recommended as effective ways to avert this looming crisis. This empirical modeling study provides an example of how IUCN-RLE categories and criteria may be valuably used for ecosystem assessments in China and abroad.     

Impacts of water resource planning on regional water consumption pattern: A case study in Dunhuang Oasis,China

Water resources are critical for the existence and development of oases in endorheic basins. Thus, to enable sustainable development, it is fundamentally important to understand how to allocate and use these resources in a reasonable way. We therefore simulated and analyzed changes in water consumption pattern within the Dunhuang Oasis of China under three scenarios using a system dynamic model that corresponds to different water consumption pattern. This was done to assess the impacts of regional water resource planning (comprehensive planning of the rational use of water resource and protection of ecosystem services in the Dunhuang Basin) on water consumption pattern within the Dunhuang Oasis. The first of these, Scenario 1, is a baseline in which the status quo is maintained, while Scenario 2 incorporates the comprehensive effects of agricultural water-saving irrigation measures with an inter-basin water diversion project, and Scenario 3 focuses on ecological rehabilitation. In the baseline Scenario 1, the total water consumption within the Dunhuang Oasis increased progressively while agricultural water consumption remained extremely high and threatened overall ecological security. In contrast, Scenario 2 would decrease agricultural water consumption by almost 5.30×10⁷ m³ following the implementation of water-saving practices. The additional water allocated from an inter-basin water diversion project would play an important role in alleviating ecological strain on the oasis. Finally, in Scenario 3, the total irrigated land must be decreased to 20.6×10³ hm² by 2025 assuming that water supply for ecosystem restoration would be at least 50% of the total consumption. Although water resource planning plays a very important role in alleviating the ecological water crisis within the oasis, it is necessary to consider the suitable scale of oasis with regard to current water consumption pattern.     

基于改进的标准化降水指数的黄河中游干旱情势研究

提出了一种基于旬累积尺度的月标准化降水指数(SPI)计算方法,该方法不仅考虑了前期降雨量对区域当前旱情的影响,因而对旱情的评估更为客观,同时在实际应用中更具有时间上的灵活性,更能体现气象干旱的累积效应和预报的时效性。计算了黄河中游山西省境内近40a(1971-2009年)各旬干旱指数,分析结果表明改进的标准化降水指数能够很好地表征黄河中游山西省境内的历史旱情状况。引入国际上常用的多种未来气候情景,研究分析了未来气候变化下2021-2050年黄河中游山西省境内地区旱情发展的可能情势,结果表明其存在对农业不利影响加重的可能,需要引起水资源管理部门的重视。