Variations of the thermal growing season during the period 1961–2015 in northern China

Researching into changes in thermal growing season has been one of the most important scientific issues in studies of the impact of global climate change on terrestrial ecosystems. However, few studies investigated the differences under various definitions of thermal growing season and compared the trends of thermal growing season in different parts of China. Based on the daily mean air temperatures collected from 877 meteorological stations over northern China from 1961 to 2015, we investigated the variations of the thermal growing season parameters including the onset, ending and duration of the growing season using the methods of differential analysis, trend analysis, comparative analysis, and Kriging interpolation technique. Results indicate that the differences of the maximum values of those indices for the thermal growing season were significant, while they were insignificant for the mean values. For indices with the same length of the spells exceeding 5°C, frost criterion had a significant effect on the differences of the maximum values. The differences of the mean values between frost and non-frost indices were also slight, even smaller than those from the different lengths of the spells. Temporally, the starting date of the thermal growing season advanced by 10.0–11.0 days, while the ending dates delayed by 5.0–6.0 days during the period 1961–2015. Consequently, the duration of the thermal growing season was prolonged 15.0–16.0 days. Spatially, the advanced onset of the thermal growing season occurred in the southwestern, eastern, and northeastern parts of northern China, whereas the delayed ending of the thermal growing season appeared in the western part, and the length of the thermal growing season was prolonged significantly in the vast majority of northern China. The trend values of the thermal growing season were affected by altitude. The magnitude of the earlier onset of the thermal growing season decreased, and that of the later ending increased rapidly as the altitude increased, causing the magnitude of the prolonged growing season increased correspondingly. Comparing the applicability of selected indices and considering the impacts of frost on the definitions are important and necessary for determining the timing and length of the thermal growing season in northern China.     

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.     

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.     

Investigation of crop evapotranspiration and irrigation water requirement in the lower Amu Darya River Basin,Central Asia

High water consumption and inefficient irrigation management in the agriculture sector of the middle and lower reaches of the Amu Darya River Basin(ADRB)have significantly influenced the gradual shrinking of the Aral Sea and its ecosystem.In this study,we investigated the crop water consumption in the growing seasons and the irrigation water requirement for different crop types in the lower ADRB during 2004–2017.We applied the FAO Penman–Monteith method to estimate reference evapotranspiration(ET0)based on daily climatic data collected from four meteorological stations.Crop evapotranspiration(ETc)of specific crop types was calculated by the crop coefficient.Then,we analyzed the net irrigation requirement(NIR)based on the effective precipitation with crop water requirements.The results indicated that the lowest monthly ET0 values in the lower ADRB were found in December(18.2 mm)and January(16.0 mm),and the highest monthly ET0 values were found in June and July,with similar values of 211.6 mm.The annual ETc reached to 887.2,1002.1,and 492.0 mm for cotton,rice,and wheat,respectively.The average regional NIR ranged from 514.9 to 715.0 mm in the 10 Irrigation System Management Organizations(UISs)in the study area,while the total required irrigation volume for the whole region ranged from 4.2×109 to 11.6×109 m3 during 2004–2017.The percentages of NIR in SIW(surface irrigation water)ranged from 46.4%to 65.2%during the study period,with the exceptions of the drought years of 2008 and 2011,in which there was a significantly less runoff in the Amu Darya River.This study provides an overview for local water authorities to achieve optimal regional water allocation in the study area.     

An analytical model for estimating soil temperature profiles on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China

Soil temperature is a key variable in the control of underground hydro-thermal processes. To estimate soil temperature more accurately, this study proposed a solution method of the heat conduction equation of soil temperature(improved heat conduction model) by applying boundary conditions that incorporate the annual and diurnal variations of soil surface temperature and the temporal variation of daily temperature amplitude, as well as the temperature difference between two soil layers in the Tanggula observation site of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of China. We employed both the improved heat conduction model and the classical heat conduction model to fit soil temperature by using the 5 cm soil layer as the upper boundary for soil depth. The results indicated that the daily soil temperature amplitude can be better described by the sinusoidal function in the improved model, which then yielded more accurate soil temperature simulating effect at the depth of 5 cm. The simulated soil temperature values generated by the improved model and classical heat conduction model were then compared to the observed soil temperature values at different soil depths. Statistical analyses of the root mean square error(RMSE), the normalized standard error(NSEE) and the bias demonstrated that the improved model showed higher accuracy, and the average values of RMSE, bias and NSEE at the soil depth of 10–105 cm were 1.41°C, 1.15°C and 22.40%, respectively. These results indicated that the improved heat conduction model can better estimate soil temperature profiles compared to the traditional model.     

Impact of aridization on soil cover transformation of the Aral Sea and the modern Syr-Darya Delta

The effects of human activities on the soil cover transformation in the eastern part of Kazakhstan were investigated during the period of 1956-2008.The results of the research for different soil types in Priaralye indicated that there was 643.3×103 hm2 solonchaks,accounting for 38.5 % of the total area(1670.5×103 hm2) in 2008.Vast areas are occupied with dried lakeshore soil(311.1× 103 hm2),sandy soils(147.6×103 hm2) and grey-brown desert soils and solonetzes(146.7×103 hm2).In 2001 the area of solonchak was 755×103 hm2 and decreased to 643.3×103 hm2 in 2008,which due to the shrinkage of the Aral Sea,the areas of marsh and lakeshore solonchaks decreased with the increase of dried bottom of the Aral Sea.The level of soil cover transformation in the modern delta of the Syr-Darya River can be seen from the comparison of the results obtained from the different years in the study area.The area of solonchaks increased by 10×103 hm2 and the area of alluvial-meadow salinizied soils increased by 17.9×103 hm2 during the period of 1956-1969.It means that many non-salinizied soils were transformed into salinizied ones.Striking changes occurred in the structure of soil cover as a result of aridization.So,the researches in1969 significantly determined the areas of hydromorphic soils subjected to desertification(it was not fixed on the map before 1956).Later,these soils were transformed into takyr-like soils.The area of takyr-like soils increased almost by 3 times for 34 years(from 1956 to 1990).The long-term soil researches on soil cover transformation in Priaralye have shown that the tendencies of negative processes(salinization and deflation) are being kept and lead to further soil and eco-environment degradation in the region.     

Integrating multiple electromagnetic data to map spatiotemporal variability of soil salinity in Kairouan region,Central Tunisia

Soil salinization is a major problem affecting soils and threatening agricultural sustainability in arid and semi-arid regions,which makes it necessary to establish an efficient strategy to manage soil salinity and confront economic challenges that arise from it.Saline soil recovery involving drainage of shallow saline groundwater and the removal of soil salts by natural rainfall or by irrigation are good strategies for the reclamation of salty soil.To develop suitable management strategies for salty soil reclamation,it is essential to improve soil salinity assessment pro cess/mechanism and to adopt new approaches and techniques.T his study mapped a recovered area of 7200 m2 to assess and verify variations in soil salinity in space and time in K airouan region in Central Tunisia,taking into account the thickness of soil materials.Two electromagnetic conductivity meters(EM38 and EM31)were used to measure the electrical conductivity of saturated soil-paste extract(ECe)and apparent electrical conductivity(E Ca).Multiple linear regression was established between ECe and ECa,and it was revealed that ECa-EM38 is optimal for E Ce prediction in the surface soils.Salinity maps demonstrated that the spatial structure of soil salinity in the region of interest was relatively unchanged but varied temporally.Variation in salinity at the soil surface was greater than that at a depth.These findings can not only be used to track soil salinity variations and their significance in the field but also help to identify the spatial and temporal features of soil salinity,thus improving the efficiency of soil management.     

Microclimate and CO2 fluxes on continuous fine days in the Xihu desert wetland,China

The Xihu desert wetland is located in an extremely arid area in Dunhuang,Gansu province of Northwest China.The area is home to an unusual geographic and ecological environment that is considered unique,both in China and the world.Microclimate is not only related to topography,but is also affected by the physical properties of underlying ground surfaces.Microclimate and CO2 flux have different characteristics under different underlying surface conditions.However,until now,few studies have investigated the microclimate characteristics and CO2 flux in this area.The eddy covariance technique(ECT) is a widely used and effective method for studying such factors in different ecosystems.Basing on data from continuous fine days obtained in the Dunhuang Xihu desert wetland between September 2012 and September 2013,this paper discussed and compared the characteristics of daily microclimate variations and CO2 fluxes between the two periods.Results from both years showed that there was a level of turbulent mixing and updraft in the area,and that the turbulent momentum flux was controlled by wind shear under good weather conditions.The horizontal wind velocity,friction wind velocity and vertical wind velocity were commendably consistent with each other.Air temperature in the surface layer followed an initial decreasing trend,followed by an increasing then decreasing trend under similar net radiation conditions.With changes in air temperature,the soil temperature in the surface layer follows a more obvious sinusoidal fluctuation than that in the subsoil.Components of ground surface radiation during the two study periods showed typical diurnal variations.The maximum diurnal absorption of CO2 occurred at around 11:00(Beijing time) in the Xihu desert wetland,and the concentrations of CO2 in both periods gradually decreased with time.This area was therefore considered to act as a carbon sink during the two observation periods.     

Attribution of explanatory factors for change in soil organic carbon density in the native grasslands of Inner Mongolia,China

The variation in soil organic carbon density(SOCD) has been widely documented at various spatial and temporal scales. However, an accurate method for examining the attribution of explanatory factors for change in SOCD is still lacking. This study aims to attribute and quantify the key climatic factors, anthropogenic activities, and soil properties associated with SOCD change in the native grasslands of Inner Mongolia, China, by comparing data between the 1960s and the 2010s. In 2007 and 2011, we resampled 142 soil profiles which were originally sampled during 1963–1964 in the native grasslands of Inner Mongolia. SOCD was determined in A horizon(eluvial horizon) of the soil. We selected the explanatory factors based on a random forest method, and explored the relationships between SOCD change and each of the explanatory factors using a linear mixed model. Our results indicated that the change in SOCD varied from the east to the west of Inner Mongolia, and SOCD was 18% lower in the 2010s than in the 1960s. The lower SOCD in the 2010s may primarily be attributed to the increasing in mean annual water surface evaporation, which explained approximately 10% and 50% of the total variation and explainable variation in the change in SOCD, respectively. The sand content of the soil is also a significant explanatory factor for the decrease in SOCD, which explained about 4% and 21% of the total variation and explainable variation in the change in SOCD, respectively. Furthermore, the collection of quantitative information on grazing frequency and duration may also help to improve our understanding of the anthropogenic factors that govern the change in SOCD.     

Effects of artificially cultivated biological soil crusts on soil nutrients and biological activities in the Loess Plateau

Biological soil crusts （BSCs） play an important role in the early succession of vegetation restoration in the Loess Plateau, China. To evaluate the effects of artificially cultivated BSCs on the soil surface micro-envir- onment, we obtained natural moss crusts and moss-lichen crusts from the Loess Plateau of Shaanxi province, and subsequently inoculated and cultivated on horizontal and sloping surfaces of loess soil in a greenhouse. The chemical and biological properties of the subsoil under cultivated BSCs were determined after 10 weeks of cul- tivation. The results indicated that BSCs coverage was more than 65% after 10 weeks of cultivation. Moss crust coverage reached 40% after 5 weeks of cultivation. Compared with the control, soil organic matter and available nitrogen contents in moss crust with the horizontal treatments increased by 100.87% and 48.23%, respectively; increased by 67.56% and 52.17% with the sloping treatments, respectively; they also increased in moss-lichen crust with horizontal and sloping treatments, but there was no significant difference. Available phosphorus in cultivated BSCs was reduced, soil pH was lower and cationic exchange capacity was higher in cultivated BSCs than in the control. Alkaline phosphatase, urease and invertase activities were increased in artificially cultivated BSCs, and alkaline phosphatase activity in all cultivated BSCs was obviously higher than that in the control. Numbers of soil bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes were increased in the formation process of cultivated BSCs. These results indicate that BSCs could be formed rapidly in short-term cultivation and improve the mi- cro-environment of soil surface, which provides a scientific reference for vegetation restoration and ecological reconstruction in the Loess Plateau. China.     

采煤塌陷后风沙区土壤水分的环境变异性研究

通过对多种环境因素影响下毛乌素沙地南缘补连塔矿采煤塌陷区的土壤含水量的研究,为塌陷风沙区植被建设提供理论依据。研究表明:土壤冻结与积雪覆盖可以显著抑制塌陷区土壤水分亏缺。双因素方差分析表明对照区与2个塌陷区土壤含水量差异在土层未冻结时显著(P=0.0002)而在土层冻结与冻结且有积雪覆盖时不显著(P分别为0.09与0.85)。土层解冻后对照区与塌陷区的土壤含水量开始产生显著差异。解冻后不利于冻结的坡位、坡向率先进入水分亏缺状态并表现更加严重。降雨对塌陷区土壤水分亏缺有短时缓解作用。积雪融化并未显著改善解冻后塌陷区土壤水分状况。解冻后塌陷区浅层与水分剧烈变化层的水分散失在塌陷后2~3年表现明显。     

膜下滴灌棉田冻融期土壤水分盐分变化特征

通过分析2014年11月—2015年3月北疆地区膜下滴灌棉田冻融期土壤盐分、水分与温度变化,探讨了不同土层水热盐在冻融期的变化和耦合关系。结果表明:冻融期土壤表层和深层含水量较高,中间层含水量较低;土壤剖面盐分在0~80 cm呈现层状分布,浅层土壤发生盐分明显累积,土壤盐分变异系数20 cm土层为0.525、40 cm土层为0.257、80 cm土层为1.041。在冻融期,土壤水分盐分沿剖面分布发生明显变化;土水势梯度、土壤温度梯度是冻融期土壤水分盐分迁移的主要因素,土壤水热盐之间变化具有高度的耦合性。     

冻融期膜下滴灌棉田土壤温度盐分迁移特征

采用大田试验与室内分析相结合的方式研究了冻融期气温、土壤温度及盐分间的相互作用关系。结果表明:外界气温对冻融期土壤温度的影响随深度的增加而减弱;土壤消融前,地温随深度呈现递增趋势,土壤消融后,地温呈现随深度增大而减小的趋势;冻融期相邻两土层间地温在0.01的置信水平下保持极显著相关性,其决定系数均在0.8以上,且随深度的增加,各土层地温的相关性减弱;试验区土壤冻融期长达120 d左右,最大冻土深度约为80 cm,至3月上旬土壤完全解冻;整个冻融期可分为冻结带发育阶段、稳定冻结阶段及消融三个阶段,且此三阶段地温与土层深度间关系均可用公式精确拟合;冻融期土壤剖面盐分呈现随深度增加先增大后减小的趋势;处于冻结带中的土壤盐分保持0.3%以内的较低水平,属于非盐化土;80~120 cm深度存在稳定积盐层,且其盐分值基本表现出中度及重度盐化土的特征。     

我国中高纬度地区冻融指数变化与冷暖急转现象

利用我国中高纬度地区13个国家基准气候站近30 a日平均气温数据,分析中高纬度区域年冻融指数和冻融日数的变化趋势,结果表明:①近30 a研究区融化指数(thawing index,TI)处于显著上升过程,冻结指数(freezing index,FI)呈微弱上升趋势。②融化日数的上升和冻结日数下降趋势不显著。③日平均TI呈显著上升,日平均FI则微弱下降,小于-10℃的天数呈微弱上升趋势。冷暖季节日均气温有两极化发展趋势。④研究区大于10℃累计积温显著增加,小于-10℃累计积温呈下降趋势,冷暖在向两极发展的同时,过渡期日数显著缩短,冷暖急转现象尤为明显。⑤TI各指标的波动明显小于FI,TI与纬度和海拔呈显著负相关,FI则与纬度和海拔呈正相关,海拔对TI的影响要大于FI,纬度和海拔越高,FI和冻结日数的变化越小,而对应的融化指标波动越大。整体来看,我国中高纬地区从20世纪90年代后存在增温减缓、冷暖季日均气温两极化及冷暖急转现象较为明显。     

河北省冻土气候变化初探

本文利用河北省1961—2000年68个站点地面气象观测记录中的冻土资料,通过对河北省地面冻结日期、解冻日期、冻结日数及平均最大冻土深度的时空分布特征进行分析,以此来解释冻土对气候变化的响应。结果发现:近40a来,地面冻结日期呈现略微推迟的态势;地面解冻日期呈明显提前的趋势;地面冻结日数相应减少;累年平均最大冻土深度由北到南逐渐减小;全省历年平均最大冻土深度变化呈减小趋势,各分区的变化趋势与全省的变化趋势基本相同,冀北高原区变化幅度最大。     

土壤冻融温度影响下棉田水盐运移规律

以新疆北部常年膜下滴灌棉田为研究对象,探讨整个冻融过程中温度对土壤水盐运移规律的影响。研究结果表明：气温对土壤温度的影响随着土壤深度的增加而不断减小,滞后时间不断延长,并且气温对冻土的消融速度远远快于冻结速度,上层冻土消融速度快于下层。土壤水分受温度的影响较大,在冻结期,土壤水分从非冻结层向冻结层缓慢运移;在消融期,下层土壤水分在蒸发作用下不断向上运移。通过监测分析得知,温度间接影响盐分运移,在冻结期,土壤水分运移缓慢,土壤盐分运移变化较小;在消融期,土壤水分运移较为活跃,土壤盐分运移变化较大。在温度快速上升的情况下,土壤水分不断上移, 120～150 cm土壤盐分迅速向上扩散,上层土壤盐分不断增加,威胁膜下滴灌棉田可持续种植。     

季节性冻土区土体冻融过程及其对水热因子的响应

利用内蒙古赛罕乌拉森林生态系统国家野外观测研究站试验地的森林小气候观测塔,根据2015—2016年冻融期野外观测的气温、降水量、土壤温度和水分数据,对该区季节性冻土的冻融过程和特点进行分析,研究土壤冻结和解冻过程中各土壤层的垂直温度和水分的变化,以及对气温和降水量的响应。结果表明:①季节性冻土的土壤温度随着土层深度增加,土壤冻结和融化滞后天数也会增加,同时与气温的相关性也逐渐减小;②季节性冻土解冻的速度要快于冻结的速度;③在进入解冻期前,3月中旬到5月中旬,各层土壤温度始终保持在-1～1℃之间,不随气温波动;④降水量并不大的解冻期,土壤未冻水含量会迅速增加,说明冻融过程确实能够保存土壤水分,这将有利于植被应对春季干旱。     

Modelling regional level spatial distribution of aphid (Lipaphis erysimi) growth in Indian mustard using satellite-based remote sensing data

Abstract

We developed a procedure for preparing a model for mapping spatially distributed zones of aphid pest (Lipaphis erysimi) outbreaks at a regional level. This study employed near-surface meteorological parameters derived from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Television and Infra-Red Operational Satellites (TIROS) Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS) data and field observations of disease infestation. The study area comprised three sites representing semi-arid and sub-humid regions of dominant Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.)-growing regions of India. A model based on TOVS-derived cumulative surface air temperature and minimum specific humidity (SpH) was developed to estimate the date of ‘aphid onset’ (first appearance), date of peak infestation and location of severity with respect to aphid population density. Aphid population growth rate during the linear growth phase between aphid onset to peak was computed using SpH-weighted temperature and dates of sowing of the crop (crop age). Sowing dates of mustard crop, of northwest India, were obtained from spectral growth profiles derived from time series remote sensing (RS) products of the SPOT-4 VEGETATION sensor. Estimated dates of peak aphid infestation and peak population showed a strong match with the observed data. The location of peak aphid population density was depicted in each spatial grid of 25×25 km² for parts of northwest India. The simulated aphid population build-up and date of peak population density was validated with observed data for an unknown site in the Sriganganager district, Rajasthan state, India. Comparison of predicted dates of attaining peak aphid population with observations showed a deviation of ±7 days. After validation, the regional level model was applied over a large area of a mustard-growing region for varying dates of sowing, surface air temperature and specific humidity, to show the spatial distribution of aphid growing severity zones (population density) and to predict dates of severe aphid infestation (peak population) at each grid level in the region.     

Variations of precipitation characteristics during the period 1960–2014 in the Source Region of the Yellow River,China

Precipitation, a natural feature of weather systems in the Earth, is vitally important for the environment of any region. Under global climate change condition, the characteristics of precipitation have changed as a consequence of enhanced global hydrological cycle. The source region of the Yellow River(SRYR), locating within the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is sensitive to the global climate change due to its complex orography and fragile ecosystem. To understand the precipitation characteristics and its impacts on the environment in the region, we studied the characteristics of rainy days and precipitation amount of different precipitation classes, such as light(0–5 and 5–10 mm), moderate(10–15, 15–20 and 20–25 mm) and heavy(≥25 mm) rains by analyzing the precipitation data of typical meteorological stations in the SRYR during the period 1961–2014, as well as the trends of persistent rainfall events and drought events. Results showed that annual average precipitation in this area had a non-significant(P>0.05) increasing trend, and 82.5% of the precipitation occurred from May to September. Rainy days of the 0–5 mm precipitation class significantly decreased, whereas the rainy days of 5–10, 10–15, and 20–25 mm precipitation classes increased and that of ≥25 mm precipitation class decreased insignificantly. The persistent rainfall events of 1-or 2-day and more than 2-day showed an increasing trend, with the 1-or 2-day events being more frequent. Meanwhile, the number of short drought periods(≤10 days) increased while long drought periods(>10 days) decreased. Since the 0–5 mm precipitation class had a huge impact on the grasslands productivity; the 5–10, 10–15, and 20–25 mm precipitation classes had positive effects on vegetation which rely on the deep soil water through moving nutrients and water into the root zone of these vegetation or through the plant-microbe interactions; the ≥25 mm precipitation class contributed to the floods; and more persistent rainfall events and fewer long drought events inferred positive effects on agriculture. Thus, these results indicate grassland degradation, less risk of floods, and the upgrading impact of climate change on agriculture. This study may provide scientific knowledge for policymakers to sustain the eco-environmental resources in the SYSR.