Simulating site-specific impacts of climate change on soil erosion and surface hydrology in southern Loess Plateau of China

Proper spatial and temporal treatments of climate change scenarios projected by General Circulation Models (GCMs) are critical to accurate assessment of climatic impacts on natural resources and ecosystems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the site-specific impacts of climate change on soil erosion and surface hydrology at the Changwu station of Shaanxi, China using a new spatiotemporal downscaling method. The Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model and climate change scenarios projected by the U.K. Hadley Centre's GCM (HadCM3) under the A2, B2, and GGa emissions scenarios were used in this study. The monthly precipitation and temperature projections were downloaded for the periods of 1900–1999 and 2010–2039 for the grid box containing the Changwu station. Univariate transfer functions were derived by matching probability distributions between station-measured and GCM-projected monthly precipitation and temperature for the 1950–1999 period. The derived functions were used to spatially downscale the GCM monthly projections of 2010–2039 in the grid box to the Changwu station. The downscaled monthly data were further disaggregated to daily weather series using a stochastic weather generator (CLIGEN). The HadCM3 projected that average annual precipitation during 2010–2039 would increase by 4 to 18% at Changwu and that frequency and intensity of large storms would also increase. Under the conventional tillage, simulated percent increases during 2010–2039, compared with the present climate, would be 49–112% for runoff and 31–167% for soil loss. However, simulated soil losses under the conservation tillage during 2010–2039 would be reduced by 39–51% compared with those under the conventional tillage in the present climate. The considerable reduction in soil loss in the conservation tillage indicates the importance of adopting conservation tillage in the region to control soil erosion under climate change.     

利用侵蚀模型普查黄土高原土壤侵蚀状况

土壤侵蚀普查对于土地资源保护和自然灾害防治具有重要意义。为了测试抽样方法和土壤侵蚀模型在土壤侵蚀普查中的适用性,该文以陕西吴起县为试点,采用1%均匀抽样方法,调查39个抽样单元的土壤侵蚀影响因子,使用中国侵蚀预报模型CSLE(Chinese soilloss equation)估算土壤侵蚀模数,并与基于遥感数据的水蚀分级分类方法进行比较。两种方法估算的全县平均土壤侵蚀模数分别为4571和5504t/(km2a),但不同分级侵蚀强度的面积和空间分布存在较大差异。抽样方法在土地利用与覆盖、水土保持措施及土壤特性方面获得的信息量大于遥感方法,同时对于区域具有很好的代表性;使用模型估算土壤侵蚀考虑的影响因子与分级方法相比,还包括了土壤可蚀性、坡长因子以及水土保持措施因子等,由此计算的土壤侵蚀模数和强度具有更高的可信度。因此,虽然基于抽样方法和土壤侵蚀模型的土壤侵蚀普查方法也存在一定的问题,但与土壤侵蚀分类分级方法相比具有明显的优越性。     

黄土丘陵区侵蚀土壤质量评价

通过建立侵蚀土壤质量单因素评价模型和综合评价模型,选出了黄土丘陵区适宜的侵蚀土壤质量评价方法,定量评价了该区土地利用方式对土壤质量的影响。结果表明,采用加权综合法对土壤质量进行综合评价能够较好地反映土壤质量的实际情况,敏感地反映土地利用方式变化对土壤质量的影响。应用因子分析法所筛选的8项土壤质量简化评价指标能够很好地反映29项综合评价指标的信息,评价结果具有较高的代表性。拟定了黄土丘陵区侵蚀土壤质量分级标准,将研究区土壤质量分为5级。黄土丘陵区10种土地利用类型间土壤质量差异显著,以天然乔木林地土壤质量最佳,属1级;其次是天然灌木林地和大棚菜地,土壤质量属2级;天然草地土壤质量属于3级,人工乔灌林地土壤质量接近3级;人工草地、撂荒地、农地和果园土壤质量属于4级。     

Tillage erosion,water erosion and soil quality on cultivated terraces near Xifeng in the Loess Plateau,China

This study sought to contribute to the understanding of soil redistribution by tillage on terraces and the extent and causes of within-field variation in soil properties by examining the spatial distributions of soil redistribution rates, derived using caesium-137, and of total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations, within a ribbon and a shoulder terrace in a yuan area of the Loess Plateau of China. Additional water erosion rate data were obtained for nine other terraces. Water erosion rates on the ribbon terraces were low (<1 kg m⁻² yr⁻¹), unless slope tangents exceeded 0·1. However, despite the use of animal traction, high rates of tillage erosion were observed (mean 5·5 kg m⁻² yr⁻¹). Soil nitrogen concentrations were related to rates of soil redistribution by tillage on the ribbon terrace examined in detail. In general, higher rates of water erosion (0·5–2·9 kg m⁻² yr⁻¹) and lower rates of tillage erosion (mean 1·4 kg m⁻² yr⁻¹) were evident on the longer shoulder terraces. On the shoulder terrace examined in detail, soil phosphorus concentrations were related to net rates of soil redistribution. A statistically significant regression relationship between water erosion rates and the USLE length and slope factor was used in conjunction with the simulation of tillage erosion rates to evaluate a range of terrace designs. It is suggested that off-site impacts of erosion could be further reduced by ensuring that the slope tangents are kept below 0·06 and lengths below 30 m, especially on the shoulder terraces. Tillage erosion and the systematic redistribution of soil nutrients could be reduced by modification of the contour-cultivation technique to turn soil in opposing directions in alternate years. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of soil crust and crop on runoff and erosion in Loess Plateau

Soil crust formed after rainfall has a strong influence on soil erosion, water use, and crop growth on sloping farmland. To study the effect of soil crust on sloping farmland on runoff amount and erosion sediment yield, the soil crust on sloping farmland has been studied in this paper for plantings of corn, soybeans, millet, and winter wheat. Using an outdoor rainfall simulator, the influence of soil crust on runoff rate and sediment yield on sloping farmland covered by crops has been observed. The results revealed that soil crust thickness was increased after rainfall and soil crust coverage showed little change after rainfall. Soil crust had a significant impact on runoff and sediment yield on sloping farmland. Slopes with soil crust showed higher runoff rate and less soil loss than slopes without soil crust. On slopes planted with four crops (corn, soybeans, millet, and winter wheat), runoff rates on slopes with soil crust were respectively 20%, 25%, 25%, and 21% higher than on slopes without soil crust; sediment yield on slopes with soil crust was respectively 15%, 14%, 14%, and 8% lower than on slopes without soil crust. Crops enlarged the runoff difference between the two kinds of slope and decreased the sediment yield difference between them. Crop growth enhanced these differences in runoff and sediment yield between slopes with and without soil crust.     

黄土高原土壤风蚀区甘草灌溉试验

为探讨黄土高原土壤风蚀区甘草生长需水的最适规律,在干旱条件下采用控制灌溉制度方法进行了非充分灌溉试验研究。在不同生育时期对株高、干物质量、叶面积指数（LAI）、叶片的净光合速率和蒸腾速率以及土壤含水率进行动态测定。结果显示,各处理的甘草随着生育期的变化生理性状差异显著,灌水定额在900 m3/hm2且灌4次水的甘草具有植株高、叶面积指数（LAI）大、光合作用强和生物量大等特征。研究成果对提高黄土高原土壤风蚀区植被覆盖度、土壤抗蚀能力的增强具有重要的意义。     

黄土高原坡沟系统土壤侵蚀研究进展

坡沟系统是黄土高原重要的流域组成单元,是小流域侵蚀产沙的主要源地,又是控制水土流失、恢复与重建生态环境的基本治理单元,对其侵蚀现象与规律的探究,可为黄土高原地区土壤侵蚀治理措施的优化配置提供重要科学依据.对黄土高原坡沟系统的侵蚀方式、侵蚀形态的垂直分带性、坡沟系统侵蚀泥沙的来源、上方来水来沙对坡沟系统土壤侵蚀的影响、草被覆盖及其空间分布对坡沟系统侵蚀影响、淤地坝在坡沟系统土壤侵蚀研究中的应用等进行综述,指出在今后的研究中需要进一步开展侵蚀垂直分带结果和上方来水来沙对坡沟系统土壤侵蚀影响的定量分析,加强坡沟系统侵蚀泥沙来源、淤地坝对坡沟系统土壤侵蚀影响以及野外原状坡沟系统草被覆盖和空间分布对坡沟系统侵蚀影响的研究.     

中国黄土高原丘陵沟壑区天然降雨下不同土地利用方式的水土流失效应

The Loess Plateau, which is located in the arid and semi-arid areas of China, experiences significant soil erosion due to intense human activities and soil erodibility. It is necessary to explore and identify the land-use types or land-use patterns that can control soil erosion and achieve certain agricultural production capabilities. This study established runoff plots with two slope gradients (5^O and 15^O) in north of Yan’an, one area of the Loess Plateau, with 3 single land-use types (cultivated land, CL; switchgrass, SG; and abandoned land, AL) and 2 composite land-use types (CL-SG and CL-AL). From 2006 to 2012, we continuously monitored the rainfall characteristics, runoff depth, soil loss, vegetation coverage, and soil physical properties. The results indicated a general trend in the number of runoff and soil loss events for the 5 land-use types: CL = CL-SG > CL-AL > SG> AL. The general trend for runoff depth, soil loss, their magnitudes of variation, and the slopes of rainfall-runoff regression equation was CL > CL-SG > CL-AL > SG > AL, whereas the rainfall threshold for runoff generation exhibited the opposite trend. Results of nonparametric test regarding runoff depth/EI₃₀ and soil loss/EI₃₀, where EI30 is the product of rainfall kinetic energy and the maximum rainfall intensity over 30 min, and the runoff depth-soil loss relationship regression indicated that the effect of CL-AL was similar to that of SG; SG was similar to AL; and CL-AL, SG, and AL were superior to CL with regard to soil and water conservation. Runoff depth and soil loss significantly increased as the slope gradient increased. Runoff depth and soil loss were significantly correlated with the soil particle size composition and bulk density, respectively. The strongest significant correlations were found between runoff depth and vegetation coverage as well as between soil loss and vegetation coverage, which showed that vegetation coverage was the primary factor controlling soil erosion. Therefore, the composite land-use type CL-AL and the artificial grassland (SG) are appropriate options because both soil conservation and a certain degree of agricultural production are necessary in the study area.     

Long-term nitrogen fertilization impacts soil fungal and bacterial community structures in a dryland soil of Loess Plateau in China

Journal of Soils and Sediments - Nitrogen (N) fertilization is a key factor that affects soil biogeochemical properties and microbial community structures across ecosystems. However, we know less...     

加速土壤侵蚀对养分流失的影响

Soil erosion and nutrient losses on newly-deforested lands in the Ziwuling Region on the Loess Plateau of China were monitored to quantitatively evaluate the effects of accelerated soil erosion, caused by deforestation, on organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus losses. Eight natural runoff plots were established on the loessial hill slopes representing different erosion patterns of dominant erosion processes including sheet, rill and shallow gully （similar to ephemeral gully）. Sediment samples were collected after each erosive rainfall event. Results showed that soil nutrients losses increased with an increase of erosion intensity. Linear relations between the losses of organic matter, total N, NH4-N, and available P and erosion intensity were found. Nutrient content per unit amount of eroded sediment decreased from the sheet to the shallow gully erosion zones, whereas total nutrient loss increased. Compared with topsoil, nutrients in eroded sediment were enriched, especially available P and NH4-N. The intensity of soil nutrient losses was also closely related to soil erosion intensity and pattern with the most severe soil erosion and nutrient loss occurring in the shallow gully channels on loessial hill slopes. These research findings will help to improve the understanding of the relation between accelerated erosion process after deforestation and soil quality degradation and to design better eco-environmental rehabilitation schemes for the Loess Plateau.     

黄土高原山地采煤沉陷对土壤侵蚀的影响

为了测度山地井工采煤区地表沉陷引起的土壤侵蚀因子在空间和数量上的变化,该文以开采沉陷规律和模型为基础,运用数字地形分析、遥感影像融合等技术,揭示了黄土高原煤矿区山地开采沉陷引起的地表坡度、坡长、植被覆盖3大因子在空间上的改变量以及由此导致的土壤侵蚀变化量,并分析了土壤侵蚀的变化机制。研究结果表明:2001-2010年,研究区因开采沉陷导致地表平均坡度减少0.025°,平均坡长因子减少0.139;沉陷区内土壤侵蚀量不变、减小和增大的土地面积分别为3.083、3.412和4.707 km2,沉陷区外土壤侵蚀量减小和增大的土地面积分别为0.143和0.023 km2,土壤侵蚀总量减少78426.95 t,平均减小689.892t/(km2·a);开采沉陷导致坡长因子变化,对土壤侵蚀的影响波及到沉陷区以外的部分地区;山地开采沉陷对土壤侵蚀的影响与平地差异明显,不存在绝对的正向或负向影响,并且在沉陷区内外均可能为正向或负向,其结果与原地貌及沉陷幅度、区位密切相关;沉陷可能导致坡面下游区域的汇水面积和坡长因子变化。该研究结论为山地矿区土壤侵蚀区位、侵蚀量预测提供依据。     

土壤侵蚀/水土保持与气候变化的耦合关系

通过综述土壤侵蚀对碳循环的影响、全球气候变化对土壤侵蚀的影响以及水土保持植被恢复对碳循环与土壤碳素积累的影响,研究土壤侵蚀/水土保持与气候变化的耦合关系。结果表明:因侵蚀造成的土壤碳素损失是巨大的,但土壤侵蚀是碳源还是碳汇过程依然存在争议,焦点集中于因侵蚀造成土壤团聚体解体,暴露在空气中的土壤有机碳的矿化速率的大小;随着全球气温升高以及降雨格局的变化,全球土壤侵蚀强度和范围都在不断增加,但土壤侵蚀对全球气候变化的响应程度依然值得深入研究;水土保持生态恢复主要通过改变下垫面性质来改变土壤有机碳含量、影响土壤CO2释放并促进土壤碳素积累,对抑制大气CO2浓度升高能产生积极影响。尽管土壤侵蚀/水土保持与气候变化的耦合关系方面的研究已取得重大进展,但仍有待于在土壤侵蚀过程中碳素变化模型、土壤侵蚀过程中氮素迁移转化特征以及侵蚀劣地生态恢复过程中土壤碳素积累机制等方面加强研究。     

黄土高原南部人工植被作用下的土壤水分研究

在大量野外调查和室内测定的基础上,研究了黄土高原南部地区丰水年前后不同人工植被下0～6m土壤水分含量。研究表明,年均降雨量600mm左右的正常年份,该区内杨树林、法国梧桐林和中国梧桐林下1.5～4m土层平均含水量约为90g/kg左右,发育了弱的土壤干化层,4～6m土层平均含水量约为120g/kg,水分状况优于上部土层。麦地和草地下0～6m水分状况良好,未出现土壤干化现象。丰水年充足的降水后所有林木下土壤干层消失,水分得到很好的恢复,说明该区并未形成永久性土壤干层,这为该区人工植被的良好生长提供了必要的条件。但目前加速发展的生态建设及经济林业仍会给该区土壤水分良性循环带来威胁,因此应加强人工植被下土壤水分的长期观测,合理引种、适当栽培,在收益的同时保证生态环境的可持续发展。     

Long-term climate change impacts on agricultural productivity in eastern China

Increasing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations are expected to induce significant climate change over the next century and beyond, but the impacts on society remain highly uncertain. This work examines potential climate change impacts on the productivity of five major crops in eastern China: canola, corn, potato, rice, and winter wheat. In addition to determining domain-wide trends, the objective is to identify vulnerable and emergent regions under future climate conditions, defined as having a greater than 10% decrease and increase in productivity, respectively. Data from the ICTP RegCM3 regional climate model for baseline (1961–1990) and future (2071–2100) periods under A2 scenario conditions are used as input for the EPIC agro-ecosystem simulation model in the domain [30°N, 108°E] to [42°N, 123°E]. Simulations are performed with and without the enhanced CO₂-fertilization effect. Results indicate that aggregate potential productivity (i.e. if the crop is grown everywhere) increases 6.5% for rice, 8.3% for canola, 18.6% for corn, 22.9% for potato, and 24.9% for winter wheat, although with significant spatial variability for each crop. However, without the enhanced CO₂-fertilization effect, potential productivity declines in all cases ranging from 2.5 to 12%. Interannual yield variability remains constant or declines in all cases except rice. Climate variables are found to be more significant drivers of simulated yield changes than changes in soil properties, except in the case of potato production in the northwest where the effects of wind erosion are more significant. Overall, in the future period corn and winter wheat benefit significantly in the North China Plain, rice remains dominant in the southeast and emerges in the northeast, potato and corn yields become viable in the northwest, and potato yields suffer in the southwest with no other crop emerging as a clear beneficiary from among those simulated in this study.     

Effects of land use on soil erosion and nitrogen loss in the hilly area of the Loess Plateau,China

This study examines the effects of land use and slope angle on runoff, soil loss and nitrogen loss from hillslopes of the Loess Plateau in China. Farmland, wasteland and four forest treatments (sea buckthorn+poplar, immature sea buckthorn, mature sea buckthorn, and immature Chinese pine) were the types of land use that were compared. The results showed that July was the critical period for runoff, soil loss and nitrogen loss from farmland. Farmland was the most susceptible land use. Sea buckthorn+poplar, immature sea buckthorn, and mature sea buckthorn limited the runoff, soil loss and nitrogen loss. Farmland on slopes over 15 degrees should be abandoned because of the high erosion rate and nitrogen loss. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantification of the effect of soil erosion factors on soil nutrients at a small watershed in the Loess Plateau,Northwest China

Journal of Soils and Sediments - This research aimed to quantitatively assess the effect of soil erosion factors on soil nutrients under similar rainfall conditions at a small watershed in the...     

Variation in soil erosion resistance of slips deposition zone with progressive vegetation succession on the Loess Plateau,China

Purpose

Soil slips are widely distributed on the Loess Plateau. Most of them have experienced an ecological succession process, which has strong effects on the near-surface characteristics, and thereby influences soil detachment capacity by overland flow (D_c). This study quantified the effects of progressive succession of the deposition zone of soil slip on D_c and soil resistance to flowing water erosion reflected by rill erodibility (K_r) and critical shear stress (τ_c) on the Loess Plateau.

Materials and methods

Soil samples (diameter 10 cm, height 5 cm) were taken from seven deposition zones of soil slips covered by typical plant communities with different succession stages restored for 1 to 31 years. A 37-year grassland where no slip occurred covered by climax community was selected as the control. A hydraulic flume (4.0 m in length, 0.35 m in width) with a slope ranging from 0 to 60% was applied to determine D_c. Biological crusts thickness, soil texture, bulk density, cohesion (CH), water stability ability (WSA), organic matter content, root mass density (RD), and plant litter density (LD) were measured for each site.

Results and discussion

The measured D_c decreased rapidly when the soils were restored for 1 to 21 years, and then gradually leveled off. D_c could be well estimated by flow shear stress, CH, WSA, RD, and LD (NSE?=?0.95). K_r decreased rapidly with succession till attained a stable stage after 21 years of succession. K_r could be well simulated by CH, WSA, RD, and LD (NSE?=?0.92). τ_c increased generally with succession, although it fluctuated from 10 to 31 years. The temporal variation of τ_c was dominantly controlled by the biological crusts thickness and the content of WSA.

Conclusions

Natural ecological succession is an effective approach to promote soil resistance to flowing water erosion for the deposition zone of soil slip. The near-surface characteristics, such as CH, WSA, RD, and LD, were the key factors to control soil erosion for the deposition zone of soil slip on the Loess Plateau.

     

The impacts of potential climate change and climate variability on simulated maize production in China

This study assessed the impacts of potential climate change on maize yields in China, using the CERES-Maize model under rainfed and irrigated conditions, based on 35 maize modeling sites in eastern China that characterize the main maize regions. The Chinese Weather Generator was developed to generate a long time series of daily climate data as baseline climate for 51 sites in China. Climate change scenarios were created from three equilibrium general circulation models: the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory model, the high-resolution United Kingdom Meteorological Office model, and the Max Planck Institute model. At most sites, simulated yields of both rainfed and irrigated maize decreased under climate change scenarios, primarily because of increases in temperature, which shorten maize growth duration, particularly the grain-filling period. Decreases of simulated yields varied across the general circulation model scenarios. Simulated yields increased at only a few northern sites, probably because maize growth is currently temperature-limited at these relatively high latitudes. To analyze the possible impacts of climate variability on maize yield, we specified incremental changes to variabilities of temperature and precipitation and applied these changes to the general circulation model scenarios to create sensitivity scenarios. Arbitrary climate variability sensitivity tests were conducted at three sites in the North China Plain to test maize model responses to a range of changes (0%, +10%, and +20%) inthe monthly standard deviations of temperature and monthly variation coefficients of precipitation. The results from the three sites showed that incremental climate variability caused simulated yield decreases, and the decreases in rainfed yield were greater than those of irrigated yield.     

黄土高原地区水蚀风蚀交错带土壤质量综合评价

 为揭示黄土高原水蚀风蚀交错带土壤质量变化规律和总体水平,通过敏感性分析、主成分分析和相关分析,确定了研究区的土壤质量评价最小数据集,并利用综合指标和最小数据集定量评价了植被演替和不同植被恢复类型对土壤质量的影响。结果表明,研究区土壤质量评价指标最小数据集为有机质、速效磷、蔗糖酶和真菌。随着退耕年限的增加,土壤质量综合指数并非简单地线性增加,而是在演替的前15a呈现下降趋势,15a后开始呈现增加的趋势,即表现出非正U型的变化。就不同植被恢复类型而言,研究区土壤质量的排序为:刺槐林地>农地>退耕草地>油松林地>沙蒿地>柠条灌木地>杨树疏林地。所确定的土壤质量评价指标最小数据集能够反映综合评价指标的信息,评价结果具有较好的代表性。总体而言,研究区土壤肥力仍属于较低水平。因此,研究区生态建设的任务仍很艰巨,有关植被建设中如何缩短植被演替早期阶段的土壤质量退化是值得探讨的科学问题。     

水土保持措施对黄土高原小流域重力侵蚀的调控机理研究

采用有限差分软件FLAC3D对有无植被及淤地坝的黄土高原小流域重力侵蚀机理进行探索,揭示了主要工程措施(淤地坝)和生物措施(植被)对重力侵蚀的调控机制。通过对比分析无治理措施和实施淤地坝及生态恢复治理措施条件下,小流域位移场、应力场和塑性屈服区分布,揭示了淤地坝和植被措施减缓重力侵蚀的作用。结果表明:植被可使梁峁顶处位移减9.8%,沟坡中下部位移减小11%,淤地坝只能使坝址处位移减少10%;植被可使塑性区体积减少46%,淤地坝可使塑性区体积减少11%。淤地坝增加了流域的凹形边坡,而根系加固作用改善了坡面浅层土体应力,二者均有效降低了坡面土体的应力集中,减少了塑性屈服区体积,但均未改变小流域以剪切破坏为主的屈服模式。小流域小尺度范围内,淤地坝减蚀作用强于植被,而大尺度范围内,植被减蚀效果优于淤地坝。研究成果可为小流域水土保持措施的合理配置提供科学依据。