Rangeland Monitoring Using Remote Sensing

Monitoring vast landscapes has, from the beginning of rangeland management, depended on people's judgements. This is no longer tenable, but a more effective method has yet to be devised. The problem is how to do an economical inventory that will detect ecologically important change over extensive land areas with acceptable error rates. The error risk is a function of adequate sample numbers and distribution for each indicator monitored. Of all of the indicators identified for monitoring, ground cover and its inverse, bare ground, may be the most discussed. Ground-cover measurements address soil stability and watershed function which are first-priority ecological concerns; are well adapted to remote sensing frameworks thus allowing extensive, unbiased, economical sampling; and, the measurements, especially when done by computer image analysis, have the potential to reduce or avoid the human-judgement factor. Data collection through remote sensing appears the most logical approach to acquiring appropriately distributed information over large areas in short time periods and on random sites far removed from easy ground access. The value of satellite and high-altitude sensors for landscape-level evaluations, such as plant community distribution, is well established but these tools are inadequate for inventory and measurement of details needed for valid conclusions about range condition. New advances in low-altitude remote sensing may give us the ability to accurately measure bare ground and perhaps other indicators. Combining information from high and low-altitude sensors appears to offer an optimal path for developing a practical system for cost-effective, data-based, rangeland monitoring and management.     

Monitoring for Success

The use of data gained from monitoring vegetation and soil parameters to enhance the ecological and economic efficacy of range livestock enterprises is not a new concept. I have been involved in several applications of rangeland monitoring to enhance the quality of rangeland environments and to preserve range livestock production as a proper and economically effective means of using such environments.     

Theoretical Underpinnings of Rangeland Monitoring

Monitoring of rangelands has evolved from traditional focus on plant communities and their successional status, taken from a few selected subsamples, to much broader perspectives. Rangelands, being complex biosocial systems, offer a near infinite array of possibilities for choice of variables and how to collect and interpret the data. Past monitoring approaches have inadequately considered objectives, critical definitions, and appropriate sequencing of steps taken. While management objectives should ideally have primacy in choice of variables used in inventory and monitoring, there are some countervailing advantages in employing some commonalities in monitoring protocols among tracts of rangelands. Inventories should come before monitoring. Assessment should follow collection of an adequately long time series of data which is the essence of monitoring. Trends involve judging whether the monitoring data show increases, decreases, or stable trajectories. Assessment involves an always at least partially subjective judgement of condition in relation to appropriate standards and objectives. We are no longer limited to just plant community data collected annually in a few conveniently and subjectively chosen quadrats. Geomatics (remote sensing, GIS, and GPS)opens the possibility of frequent, synoptic (everywhere, instantaneously) landscape coverage via satellite imagery. Indisputable evidence of cause(s) requires concurrent data on these influences along with similar trends from similar circumstances (replications) and controls [reference areas lacking the putative cause(s)]. Three alternatives that could replace plant succession as the underlying, dominant theory of rangeland monitoring are: risk assessment, sustainability, and desertification. Risk assessment is well proven where biophysical indicators can be employed. Politically neutral incorporation of socioeconomic considerations have yet to be demonstrated, however. Sustainability is such a broad and diffuse concept that anyone can read into it whatever he or she wishes. Desertification is the preferred macroconcept to guide us into the future, because its use can more objectively encompass both biophysical and socioeconomic features, at any scale in time and space.     

The Struggle for a Uniform Monitoring System

Development of rangeland inventory and monitoring was initiated as early as in 1908. The early efforts were simple methods to establish rangeland stocking rates. With advancing scientific methodologies and the recognition for moitoring needs, the evaluation of range conditions and management planning increase well after WWII by a number of US federal agencies. By 1970s the environmental protection measures were first emphasized in the USA and were applied also to rangeland utilization. Since then the approaches and methodologies for evaluation of rangelands have changed periodically by accommodating the tenets of federal administrations. The methodologies applied have been geared either to support the environmental preservation or to support economic exploitation. There is still no system, however, for national or regional reporting on range conditions and trends. Local monitoring and management systems often lack scientific and objective basis. Local surveys, however, are important for evaluating existing conditions and should not be based on national reporting requirements. The ecological site concept has been adopted as the toxonomic unit for rangeland classification. It is important that monitoring methods are not biased, based on sufficient sample sizes, and not based on "estimations". The forage allocation based on one-time inventories are seriously flawed and the methods for evaluating stocking rates must be reevaluated. The same applies to the evaluating the rangeland "health." A unified national reporting system must be developed on scientific and objective basis.     

Which model species for weed seedbank and emergence studies? A review

Models predicting the effects of cropping systems on weed demography are important tools for testing new rules for integrated weed management that may reduce the use of herbicides and preserve the biodiversity of agro-ecosystems. Such models already exist for a few species and should now be extended to a larger flora, in order to predict and understand the effects of agricultural practices on the evolution of weed communities. This review analysed the literature from 1973 to 2006, focusing on 45 species, to identify past reasons for choosing particular species when modelling the effects of cropping systems on the processes leading to seedling emergence. The frequency or harmfulness of the species were the main reason for studying them. It appears that the studied species were mainly autumn-emerging in north-western Europe cropping systems and summer-emerging in North America; the effects of deep soil tillage were studied mainly in Europe, as simplified sowing techniques are more often practised in North America. A voluminous literature exists on seed persistence in the soil, dormancy, germination and emergence, but rarely with the attempt of establishing generic relationships between species characteristics and model parameters. Until now, such an approach has been mostly developed in ecological studies. Taxa, as well as ecological preferences, seed size and the relationships of these characteristics with weed emergence model parameters should be considered when selecting a range of species for multi-specific modelling purposes.     

Soil type, management history, and soil amendments influence the development of soil-borne (Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium ultimum) and air-borne (Phytophthora infestans, Hyaloperonospora parasitica) diseases

The impact of soil type, long-term soil management, and short-term fertility input strategies on the suppressiveness of soils against soil-borne (Ocimum basilicum – Rhizoctonia solani, Lepidium sativum – Pythium ultimum) as well as air-borne (Lycopersicon esculentum – Phytophthora infestans, Arabidopsis thaliana – Hyaloperonospora parasitica) diseases was studied. Soils from field trials established in five European sites with contrasting pedo-climatic conditions were examined. Sites included (i) a long-term management field trial comparing organic and conventional farming systems (DOK-trial, Therwil, Switzerland) (ii) a short-term fertility input field trial comparing mineral and organic matter fertilisation regimes (Bonn (BON), Germany) (iii) two short-term fertility input field trials (Stockbridge (STC) and Tadcaster (TAD), UK) comparing the impact of farmyard manure, composted farmyard manure, and chicken manure pellet amendements and (iv) soil from a site used as a reference (Reckenholz (REC), Switzerland). Soil type affected disease suppressiveness of the four pathosystems signficantly, indicating that soils can not only affect the development of soil-borne, but also the resistance of plants to air-borne diseases at relevant levels. Suppressiveness to soil- and air-borne diseases was shown to be affected by soil type, but also by long-term management as well as short-term fertility inputs.     

Microbiotic Crust Influence on Unsaturated Hydraulic Conductivity

Microbiotic crusts occur extensively in rangeland soils . Developed by filaments of cyanobacteria and algae , and thalli of lichen and moss entanglement of soil particles , they create a physical discontinuity in the surface profile with greater concen trations of clay , silt , and potentially hydrophobic organic matter. These conditions potentially contribute to variability in soil hydrology of arid land and should be considered in the development of hydrologic and erosion models. However, there is limited manipulative research examining the functional relationships between soil and microbiotic crusts . We investigated the influence of cyanobacterial-dominated microbiotic crust on measured hydraulic conductivity (K) in a sandy loam soil at a southeastern Utah site . Using a tension infiltrometer , we determined K under three surface treatments: undisturbed , chemically killed (representing dead microphytes within the crust), and removed (scalped) microbiotic crusts. We applied treatments to spatially interspersed intact surface soils within shrub interspaces . Microbiotic crusts at this site and in this stage of successional development had no discernible influence on K. This finding supports results from research conducted in a variety of soils from sandy to silt dominated with a range of microbiotic development . Because this research was site and time specific , and because the role of microbiotic crusts in the environment continues to be debated , additional research is warranted to deter mine how stage of development of microbiotic crust influences soil hydrology .     

黄土区阳坡不同立地植被恢复研究

黄土高原地区不同立地条件的坡面其土壤水分状况有很大差异,利用这种差异来提高植被成活率已经成为黄土高原生态恢复建设的重要方向。采用探针式TDR对陕西省吴起县合家沟流域内不同立地类型的土壤含水量进行测定,然后用SPSS进行聚类分析,将17种立地类型聚为5类,并按照植被恢复的难易程度进行排序。建议对不同立地类型组配置与其相应的植被模式从而更加因地制宜的进行植被恢复建设。     

中国农田土壤农药污染现状和防控对策

为了解胶东地区不同土地利用类型土壤中农药残留状况,在调研了胶东地区主要农作物施药情况的基础上,采集胶东苹果、花生和玉米主产区的表层土壤样品,针对苹果、花生和玉米上常用农药,运用气相色谱-串联质谱(GC-MS/MS)和超高效液相色谱-串联质谱(UPLC-MS/MS)联合分析了43种农药残留。监测结果表明,土壤中共检出18种农药,检出范围分别为 <0.005~0.18 mg/kg,检出率在1.4%~45.7%之间,吡虫啉、戊唑醇、多菌灵、DDTs、乙草胺和苯醚甲环唑6种农药的检出率相对较高。不同土地利用类型土壤中农药种类及含量差异较显著,苹果地土壤样品中有16种农药被检出,其中戊唑醇、吡虫啉、苯醚甲环唑、多菌灵、毒死蜱和DDTs 6种农药的检出率相对较高,花生地土壤样品中有8种农药被检出,其中乙草胺、吡虫啉、DDTs、多菌灵和莠去津5种农药的检出率相对较高,玉米地土壤样品中有11种农药被检出,其中吡虫啉、乙草胺、DDTs、多菌灵和苯醚甲环唑5种农药的检出率相对较高,有一例玉米地土壤样品DDTs含量 (0.18 mg/kg) 高于风险筛选值,可能存在农用地土壤污染风险,后期应加强土壤环境监测和农产品协同监测。本次监测为了解不同土地利用类型土壤的农药污染情况提供了基础数据,为以后的病虫草害防治及生态风险评价提供参考,后期应持续健全监管体系和监测体系,提升种植者的用药规范意识,不断提升土壤环境质量。     

Potential of weed seedbanks for managing weeds: a review of recent New Zealand research

Weed seedbanks are the primary source of weeds in cultivated soils. Some knowledge of the weed seedbank may therefore be appropriate for integrated weed management programs. It would also be very useful in planning herbicide programs and reducing the total herbicide use. However, a number of problems are inherent in the estimation of the seedbank size for arable weeds that usually have annual life cycles. In a long-term research project we have investigated the dynamics of weed seedbanks in corn fields for the past 8 years. Specific studies have included (i) developing cheap and efficient methods for estimating the weed seedbank; (ii) developing guidelines for efficient soil sampling (including the number and size of samples); (iii) influence of cultivation methods on weed seed distribution; (iv) mapping the spatial variability of the seedbank; (v) estimating the rate of seedbank decline for certain weed species; and (vi) assessing the potential of using the weed seed content in the soil to predict future weed problems. This paper reviews and summarizes the results of our research on the above aspects. The strong correlation between seedlings emerged in the greenhouse and seeds extracted in the laboratory for the most abundant weed species has demonstrated the potential for using the weed seed content of the soil to predict future weed infestations. The next step is to establish correlations with field emergence under commercial conditions using the sampling guidelines developed in our studies. Subsequently, we aim to offer the weed seedbank estimation as a commercial service to farmers for planning the most appropriate weed management options.     

Rangeland Monitoring: Water Quality and Riparian Systems

Ecological concepts serve as a foundation for developing a monitoring program to evaluate water quality and associated riparian systems. Ecological concepts used for developing a monitoring plan must be supported by scientific literature and related to streamflow dynamics and channel interactions. These interactions help determine natural or background habitat quality within and along river longitudinal and environmental gradients from mountains through basins in the western United States. In addition stream size, position in the watershed, and flow are related to sediment sorting, channel bank strength, and channel configuration. These relationships determine channel substrate habitat for aquatic organisms and population diversity. These habitat features may be modified by a channel's ability to store and transport sediment and associated pollutants within a watershed's drainage pattern. Sediment supply, delivery, and timing are altered by differences in snowmelt along elevation gradients, runoff from convective storms, water development history, and stream channel succession. Potential impairment of reference or background aquatic habitat in the western United States is generally sediment related and should be greater in basin river segments and during base flow conditions. Impairment sources can be shown to originate in the steep and first order tributaries of foothill and basin watersheds, and not from valley slopes where supply must cross established riparian zones. Water column, substrate disturbance, and channel bank disturbances may alter amount of sediment and bacteria pollution measured in basins and during base flow conditions.     

基于生成对抗网络模型的SMAPL4土壤水分产品降尺度分析

土壤水分是地表和大气水热过程交换的重要纽带,对于农业生产以及优化种植结构具有重要意义,NASA卫星下的SMAPL4是一种以被动微波遥感技术为手段对土壤湿度监测的产品,具有可穿透云层和全天候监测等能力,但其较低空间分辨率很难满足小尺度或小区域范围的实际研究需求。鉴于此,根据云南省姚安县高原灌区特殊的地理位置,引用相关系数推演得出与研究区土壤水分空间分布有关的解释变量,沿用随机森林算法,耦合1 km包含地表温度和归一化植被指数的MODIS地表产品,建立基于RF全局窗口线性回归的1 km级被动微波土壤水分空间降尺度模型;而后堆叠地表温度(LST)、归一化植被指数(NDVI)、降水量(Prec)、地表蒸散量(ET)等4个变量形成条件生成对抗网络框架,并使用均方误差(RMSE)和条件生成对抗性损失函数训练神经网络来建立低分辨率和高分辨率映射关系,随即获得降尺度后土壤水分空间分布结果;最后将实际采样和监测站点提供数据做空间平均聚合后,与SMAPL4原始结果的CGAN、RF降尺度结果进行对比分析。结果表明：LST、NDVI、Prec、ET与土壤水分的相关性均值均大于0.44,具有相关关系,条件生成对抗网络降尺度结果对指标R²和Bias表现效果最好,均值分别为0.7和0.032;RF降尺度结果对RMSE的效果最好,均值为0.006。同比SMAPL4原始数据,RF结果空间分布更为平滑,但极值差异性较大;CGAN结果能有效表征土壤含水空间分布状况,其数据变异性和极值表征能力更为突出。经RMSE与对抗性损失函数训练后,认为0.2~0.28的值域分布为降尺度后的研究区土壤水分数值分布结果。     

Research Note Soil Characteristics in Semiarid Highlands of Central Mexico as Affected by Mesquite Trees (Prosopis laevigata)

In the semiarid highlands of central Mexico the mesquite tree (Prosopis laevigata) is often removed for agricultural and forestry purposes. Clearing of land for agricul tural purposes has a significant impact on soil processes and nutrient dynamics and, ultimately, on crop production. We have studied the effect of the mesquite tree on soil respiration, amounts of bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes, and soil characteristics. Soil was sampled from three distinct locations: under the canopy of the mesquite tree, in the area surrounding the mesquite tree but not covered by its canopy, and in adjacent cultivated land. It was found that the mesquite tree plays an important role in nutrient cycling in arid and semiarid regions. Soil microorganisms and nutrients (N, P, and Fe) were more abundant under the canopy of the mesquite tree than in the surrounding area and in the adjacent arable soil.     

沙质荒漠化土地评价指标体系研究

本研究根据我国沙质荒漠化 (亦称沙漠化 )土地现状评价与监测工作的需求 ,在实地调查的基础上 ,依据地表形态、植被、土壤三大特征 9项指标 (裸沙占地百分比、地表结皮、植被盖度、植被生物量、土壤有机质、全氮量、速效磷、速效钾、土壤物理粘粒含量 ) ,应用多元回归方法筛选评价指标 ,采用多因素综合指标分级数量化法建立了地方、区域、国家 3种尺度的沙质荒漠化土地现状监测评价指标体系。经三个不同气候区野外实地验证 ,结果表明 ,地方、区域、国家 3种评价尺度的判对率分别为 81 .0 3%、84.48%、89.66%。该指标体系具有实用性、可操作性、准确性高、简便易行、便于推广等特点 ,适用于我国各层次的沙漠化土地监测与评价 ,并有利于与国际接轨     

Crop Rotation,Monoculture and Soil Ecology1

Crop rotation and monocultural systems are discussed in relation to disease management and control. The ecological basis of both systems is examined. In crop rotation the leading principle is that in the absence of host-plants parasite populations invariably decline below threshold levels, mostly within a few years. Knowledge of the behaviour of parasite populations in the soil is becoming vast, especially in the case of plant parasitic nematodes. Analysis of soil samples for nematodes and fungi often helps the farmer to plan rotation schemes. From the ecological point of view, crop rotation is interpreted as a system of interrupted monocultures. Monocultural practices cannot be applied so universally as crop rotation, but in a number of cases monoculture is feasible, e.g. with cereals. In the equilibrium situation between host-plant (e.g. cereals), parasite (Gaeumannomyces graminis [Sacc.] v. Arx & Olivier) and the antagonists of the parasite, growth of the crop is satisfactory. These cases illustrate the role of antagonists, and it is proposed to investigate more systematically monocultures in relation to antagonisms. This may lead to more opportunities for biological control of soil-borne diseases.     

基于地形校正后Landsat 8的土壤重金属反演研究

为快速地了解玛纳斯流域土壤中重金属的污染状况和潜在生态风险，在Landsat 8 OLI的基础上引入DEM数据进行地形校正，同时对地形校正后的反射率进行倒数、导数和对数等数学变换，从每种变换中筛选出与土壤各重金属相关性最高的波段构建土壤各重金属PLSR预测模型，并对研究区土壤重金属分布情况进行探索，并利用生态风险评价方法对研究区进行预警。结果表明：在Landsat 8的基础上，引入DEM数据对反射率进行地形校正，以B1波段反射率和重金属Cu为例，经过地形校正后的反射率值与实测土壤表层Cu含量的R²从0.46提高至0.52，表明地形校正后的表观反射率能够更好地反映土壤重金属状况；利用土壤各重金属的最佳预测模型分别反演相应的土壤重金属含量，并引入土壤重金属生态风险指数用于评价研究区的土壤重金属生态风险，研究表明土壤重金属风险等级总体上呈现从西南方向至东北方向逐渐减弱的趋势，其生态风险排序为恢复区(C区)＞退化区(B区)＞湖泊入湖口(A区)；为了验证基于遥感的土壤重金属生态风险预警的预测精度，将研究区土壤重金属含量实测数据也通过重金属生态风险指数进行计算，两者结果较为一致，表明可以用遥感的手段来反演该研究区的重金属分布情况，同时研究区土壤重金属污染总体上处于轻警以上级别，生态服务功能已开始退化，应该加强对该地区的重金属污染进行治理。     

Effects of rangeland exclusion on plant cover and soil properties in a steppe rangeland of Southeastern Iran

The study was conducted in Taftan rangeland in Sistan and Baluchestan, Iran, to study the effects of grazing exclusion on reclamation of vegetation cover and soil properties. After a comprehensive assessment of the vegetation types, plant sampling was carried out in sampling stands (50?×?50?m). In each stand, vegetation properties were measured using simple transect lines (50?m) method within quadrats (5?×?5?m), with a systematically randomized method. Soil sampling (75 samples) was performed along transects from the surface layer (0–30?cm). Results showed that livestock exclusion significantly affected community characteristics. The species richness (14.32), diversity (2.97), and plant cover (65.14%) showed their maximum level in the 15-year exclusion. The soil nutrient content increased during exclusion. Organic carbon (4.20%), total nitrogen (1.12%), available potassium (393.33?mg?kg^?1), and available phosphorus content (17.13?mg?kg^?1) attained significantly greater values under the long-term exclusion. The soil pH level (8.93) was significantly higher in the overgrazed site compared to the grazing exclusion sites. The soil electrical conductivity was statistically similar under the three treatments. The amounts of silt (63.40%) and clay (14%) were greater in the long-term exclusion compared with overgrazed rangeland. The long-term exclusion showed the lowest amount of sand (22.50%). These results imply that livestock exclusion plays an important role in vegetation restoration and soil conservation of degraded ecosystems in arid regions. We suggest that more studies are required to investigate the effect of livestock exclusion on ecosystem process in the arid rangeland regeneration.     

Minimal soil disturbance combined with spring cropping can halt soil seedbank accumulation of Alopecurus myosuroides

The basic mechanism of soil inversion tillage for control of annual weeds is based on the vertical translocation of weed seeds from the soil surface to deeper soil layers. Buried weed seeds either remain dormant in the soil seedbank and are exposed to biological and chemical decay mechanisms, or they germinate but the seedlings cannot reach the soil surface (fatal germination). However, depending on the seed biology of the respective target species, frequent inversion tillage can lead to a build-up of the soil seedbank. For soil seedbank depletion based on available knowledge of the biology of Alopecurus myosuroides seeds, soil inversion tillage is suggested to be reduced to every third or fourth year with reduced or even no-tillage (direct seeding) in between (rotational inversion tillage systems). Including spring crops in the crop rotation could further help dampening the population growth and hence the seed return into the seedbank. This study investigated the effect of rotational inversion tillage in combination with reduced tillage or direct seeding on the soil seedbank and population development of A. myosuroides. In a long-term field trial, set up in 2012, these tillage strategies were compared with continuous inversion tillage in a 3-year crop rotation with two consecutive years of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) followed by spring barley (Hordeum vulgare). The results showed a significant decline in the soil seedbank following the spring crop, irrespective of the tillage system. The continuous inversion tillage system and inversion tillage before spring cropping with reduced tillage (shallow tillage with a disc harrow) before winter wheat both led to accumulation of seeds in the soil seedbank. In contrast, inversion tillage before spring cropping with direct seeding of winter wheat depleted the soil seedbank significantly after only one crop rotation. Although only covering one intensively studied field site, these findings highlight the need for diversified cropping systems and indicate potential avenues for reducing soil tillage while controlling economically important weeds.     

河北省坝上红松洼草原蝗虫群落结构与多样性调查

为明确不同分区治理下河北省坝上红松洼草原生态环境对蝗虫群落多样性的影响,采用样方法于2019-2020年在不同草原类型和不同功能分区对蝗虫群落进行调查,通过丰富度、个体数、多样性指数以及均匀度指数分析蝗虫的多样性,并对不同生态因子和蝗虫多样性指标进行相关性分析.结果 表明:该地区蝗虫发生种类共有5科8亚科14属25种,...     

The Effects of Atrazine in Maize-Wheat Rotations

Abstract

Catches of male moths of the Egyptian cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd.), in light traps and pheromone traps were compared at an experimental site at Sakha (Kafr El-Sheikh Province, Egypt) between June and November 1976. The catches in the pheromone traps were generally higher than those in the light traps, although the difference ratio varied from month to month. It was concluded that pheromone traps provided a useful ecological tool for S. littoralis in Egypt.