Soil nitrogen and denitrification potential as affected by land use and stand age following agricultural abandonment in a headwater catchment

Changes in vegetation and soil properties because of agricultural abandonment may affect soil nitrogen (N) and associated processes. We investigated soil N (total N: TN, inorganic N: NH₄–N and NO₃–N) and denitrification potential in cropland, pine plantations and abandoned agricultural land along a secondary succession sequence (grassland→shrubland→secondary forest) in a headwater catchment in the Qinling Mountains, northwest China. The results show that the soil denitrification potential differed significantly among the five land‐use types with the highest potential in the secondary forest, followed by grassland, shrubland, cropland and plantations. The denitrification potential of the 20‐ to 40‐cm layer was significantly lower compared with the topsoil (0–20 cm) across all land‐use types. TN, soil organic matter (SOM) and NH₄–N increased significantly with stand age, whereas there was an opposite trend in soil pH. However, the denitrification potential did not relate to stand age in a linear manner. We conclude that changes in soil TN, SOM and pH during vegetation succession following agricultural abandonment are critical controls on the denitrification potential.     

试论灌木是干旱、半干旱区草地恢复中重要的生物资源

西北干旱、半干旱荒漠区是我国典型的荒漠生态系统.灌木是荒漠植被的主要组分,它在维持荒漠生态系统生物多样性、生态服务功能及其稳定性方面具有重要作用.20世纪下半叶,人口和经济快速增长导致的高强度人类活动,深刻地改变了荒漠生态系统的结构及水分和能量循环过程,致使灌木植物严重退化.为了保育灌木资源,提高人们对灌木在草地恢复中重要作用的认识,从改良土壤、物种多样性、防风固沙等方面论述了灌木在草地恢复过程中的特殊作用.建议在草业方面开展深入研究,以便使灌木在草地恢复中发挥更大的效能.     

黄土坡面土壤性质随退耕时间的动态变化研究

退耕还林还草是控制水土流失和防治土壤退化的关键措施,黄土高原退耕还林还草从试验到推广已有几十年历史。该文通过对黄土高原地区退耕区的实地调查,测定不同地区不同退耕年限植被恢复区表层土壤的理化性质,分析黄土坡面土壤理化性质随退耕时间的动态变化规律。结果表明:随着退耕植被恢复时间的增长,土壤物理结构将日趋改善,土壤养分含量水平将逐渐的提高,并主要集中在植被恢复10~20年期间,20年后,尤其是30年后,土壤理化性质较为稳定,而且,植被维护的好坏往往影响其稳定性。同时,水热条件较好的安塞地区土壤理化性质随退耕时间的改善程度更明显,而水热条件较差的皇甫川流域土壤理化性质随植被类型和植被恢复程度的影响更为显著。结果可为退耕的环境影响评价预测以及土地利用的调控提供科学依据。     

Evaluating Sediment Accretion on a Relic Oyster Reef in Mobile Bay,Alabama

Abstract

Sediment traps were deployed at Fish River Reef (FRR), a relic oyster reef on the eastern side of Mobile Bay, and at Cedar Point Reef (CPR), a productive oyster reef on the western side of Mobile Bay, Alabama, from July through October 1999. Sediment accretion at FRR was two to three times greater than sediment accretion at CPR. The proportions of particulate organic matter and ash in the sediment at the two sites were similar. The proportion of coarse to fine sediment at CPR was greater than at FRR. Also, the sediment at FRR was black and had a sulfide odor suggesting anoxia, while the sediment at CPR was brown and odorless. Various fishes and invertebrates colonized the sediment traps at CPR, while those at FRR were devoid of live organisms. Oyster spat had settled on the shells in the traps at CPR but not on those at FRR. Results suggest that in order to restore oysters at FRR, cultch material should be dispersed during periods of peak larval settlement to prevent inhibitory levels of siltation on cultch before spat settle.     

Association of brook trout and Oncorhynchus spp. with large wood jams in a Lake Superior tributary in a northern old‐growth watershed

Wood in streams functions as fish habitat, but relationships between fish abundance (or size) and large wood in streams are not consistent. One possible reason for variable relationships between fish and wood in streams is that the association of fish with wood habitat may depend on ecological context such as large‐scale geomorphology. We studied the relationship between salmonid assemblages and large wood jams (LWJ) in four settings that differed geomorphically at the scale of the stream corridor along a tributary to Lake Superior in old‐growth conifer–hardwood forest in northern Michigan. The focal fish species of this study were brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), which were wild in the stream. Relocation efforts for coaster brook trout (an adfluvial life history variant of brook trout) were ongoing in the study stream. We measured fish abundance and length in pairs of pools of similar size and substrate, but varying in the presence of LWJ; this allowed us to evaluate associations of fish simply with the presence of LWJ rather than with other channel or flow‐shaping functions of LWJ. The length of Oncorhynchus spp. and young introduced brook trout was not strongly correlated with LWJ presence; however, the presence of LWJ in pools was positively correlated with larger wild brook trout. We also found that the correspondence of LWJ with the abundance of salmonids appears to be moderated by the presence of alternative habitat in this relatively natural, old‐growth forest stream.     

北洛河流域植被恢复的支撑体系

北洛河流域自实行退耕还林政策以来取得了显著成效,但是实践证明植被恢复不是简单的种树种草,必须要根据生态学原则合理种植,既要有技术支撑,还必须考虑到退耕后农民的生存问题,也就是粮食与能源的问题,并要保证农民有一定的经济收入,最后指出要解决好以上问题,必须靠国家政策的支撑。     

生态学理论在城市园林绿化中的应用研究

本文从人与自然和谐共处、可持续发展的角度出发，以生态学理论框架为依托，系统地总结了在城市园林建设中生态学理念的渗透及运用，为城市生态园林设计提供了理论指导和设计参考，同时得出我国生态园林的下一步工作重点要放在恢复生态学的应用上，并且要实现现代城市生态园林的建设要多学科、多角度共同协作的结论。     

厚层基材喷播技术在北方半干旱区岩石边坡植被恢复中的应用——以京承高速公路(三期)植被恢复工程为例

以京承高速公路(三期)岩石边坡植被恢复工程为例,研究厚层基材喷播技术的施工工艺及植被恢复效果,从抗旱乡土植物的筛选与配置、技术适宜性评价以及养护措施效果方面,综合分析归纳出厚层基材喷播技术,在北方半干旱地区岩石边坡植被恢复中的应用效果及关键技术,对于完善我国裸露边坡植被恢复理论体系,指导裸露坡面工程绿化,都具有非常重要价值。     

人工低产林改造对生态恢复区土壤理化性质的影响

为了解人工低产林改造对土壤理化性质的影响,于2010年9月-2011年8月对甘肃定西华家岭生态恢复区4个人工低产林改造后的混交林和1个杨树纯林、1个荒草坡对照点的土壤主要理化性质进行了研究.结果表明,杨树纯林的土壤有机质、总N和总P含量均处于较低水平,分别低于荒草坡10.98、0.78、0.10 g/kg;低产林改造后,土壤含水量、有机质和总N含量均有所升高,且随着改造时间的延长呈现出明显的增加趋势.改造8、18、25、31 a的混交林土壤含水量分别高出杨树纯林2.01、7.79、11.38、12.07个百分点,有机质含量分别高出2.96、15.23、20.80、24.96g/kg,总N含量分别高出0.41、1.02、1.48、1.96 g/kg;总P含量在改造初期有所增加,后期维持稳定,改造8、18、25 a的混交林总P含量分别高出杨树纯林0.02、0.06、0.10 g/kg,改造31a和25 a的混交林总P含量相等;低产林改造后土壤pH值略有降低.结果显示,人工低产林改造大大改善了该区土壤环境质量,有利于该区生态环境的恢复重建.