Elephant seasonal vegetation preferences across dry and wet savannas

As African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana) become increasingly confined to smaller fragmented landscapes, concern over their potential detrimental impacts on vegetation and biodiversity has increased. Understanding elephant vegetation preferences across relevant spatial and temporal scales is a critical step towards managing protected areas for the persistence of both elephants and biodiversity. To better understand elephant vegetation selection, we fitted 68 elephants with GPS collars across a strong rainfall gradient spanning seven southern African countries over a period of 6 years. We compared elephant locations with remotely-sensed environmental data that measure bi-monthly vegetation greenness across the study area. Elephants consistently seek out greener than expected vegetation throughout the year. Interestingly, they do so by utilizing vegetation with different phenologies and by selecting landscapes when they are greener than their surroundings. We found no differences between dry and wet savannas. These patterns persist even when elephants are constrained by seasonally available water. In the wet season, elephants select seasonally variable landscapes such as open woodlands, shrublands, and grasslands. These landscapes have a lower average annual greenness but become very green for a few months in the wet season. In the dry season, elephants prefer less variable landscapes that are more consistently green year-round such as well-wooded areas and closed woodlands. Because elephants prefer different vegetation types at different times of the year, small homogeneous protected areas may be unsuitable for elephants. Since elephants prefer woody vegetation during the dry season when they are constrained by water, human actions that increase dry season water availability may contribute to detrimental elephant impacts on vegetation and biodiversity.     

A tool for community-based assessment of the implications of development on water security in hillside watersheds

Development and population growth in Latin American countries with steep slope farming are likely to further increase pressures on water and land resources. A methodology was developed for assessing water availability and use under different development pathways at a watershed scale to determine whether water security is a potential problem, and if so, under what conditions it is likely to occur. This methodology makes use of a GIS-based spatial water budget model for simulating stream water availability, water use and stream flow control on a daily basis at a watershed scale. Here, we analysed water availability under three plausible development scenarios for the 3246 ha Cabuyal River watershed in southwest Colombia in the year 2025: Corporate Farming (CF), Ecological Watershed (EW), and Business as Usual (BU). Simulated average river flows at the watershed outlet were, respectively, 874, 796 and 925 l s⁻¹ for the CF, EW and BU scenarios. The contribution of base flow to river flow (base flow index) was on average, 80.8, 85.6 and 77.9%, respectively, for the three scenarios. The watershed had the potential to meet the anticipated increase in water use under each explorative scenario. However, dams were necessary to store irrigation water in the CF scenario, otherwise over 60% of the available water would have been used during the dry season. Such a high figure raises concerns about effects on aquatic and riparian ecology, concentrations of potential contaminants, water reserves for especially low rainfall years, and the watershed resilience to meet temporarily higher water needs during the day. Analyses indicated that current water-use conflicts in the watershed can be resolved if irrigation water supply is separated from drinking water supply. This study helped reduce some of the complexity associated with the interdependencies between land and water resources, the impact of using them, and spatial linkages within the watershed. Results of this study can be used for teaching local stakeholders about basic landscape responses and helping multi-institutional alliances to become proactive and to guide development to the benefit of local communities.     

基于CA-Markov模型的土地利用景观格局预测研究

土地利用景观格局分析及预测,对平衡经济发展和生态保护、实现土地可持续生态利用和保护管理具有重要意义。本文以江西省抚州市东乡县为例,利用2005年和2015年两期遥感影像,获取东乡县土地利用类型转化数据,结合景观生态学研究了东乡县近10年的土地利用景观格局变化特征;运用CA-Markov模型对土地利用变化过程进行模拟,预测和分析了东乡县未来10年土地利用景观格局特征。结果表明:东乡县在过去10年建设用地、耕地分别增加了71.82、10.76 km~2,水域、林地和未利用地相应减少,减少幅度顺序为未利用地水域林地;各景观斑块分布均匀,景观多样性增加;景观形状趋于简单,相互之间连通性降低、关系变弱。人类经济活动及土地利用政策对东乡县景观格局有显著影响。到2025年东乡县建设用地将增加68.72 km~2,水域、林地和未利用地仍将不断减少,但耕地有所增加;景观斑块数增加,形状略趋复杂;景观异质程度提高,有向多样化、均匀化发展的变化趋势。总体来说,东乡县景观格局正逐步朝着稳定、均匀和多样的方向发展,但仍需加大力度保护和增加耕地资源,控制和合理规划建设用地,维持生态环境平衡。     

Changes in Soil Properties and Microbial Indices across Various Management Sites in the Mountain Environments of Azad Jammu and Kashmir

The mountainous region of the Himalayas is covered with forest, grassland, and arable land, but the variation in ecosystem functions has not been fully explored because of the lack of available data. This study appraises the changes in soil properties over the course of a year (spring, summer, autumn, winter) for forest, grassland, and arable soils in a typical hilly and mountainous region of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. Soil samples were collected from major land-cover types in the mountain region: natural forest, grassland, and cultivated land (arable). The natural forest served as a control against which changes in soil properties resulting from removal of natural vegetation and cultivation of soil were assessed. Soil samples were collected from depths of 0–15 and 15–30 cm six times during the year and examined for changes in temperature, moisture, electrical conductivity (EC), micronutrients [iron, manganese, copper, and zinc (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, respectively)], and microbial population. Significant differences were found in soil temperature, soil moisture, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, and number of bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi among the three land-cover types. Soil under cultivation had 4–5 °C higher temperature and 3–6% lower moisture than the adjacent soils under grassland and forest. Electrical conductivity (EC) values of forest, grassland, and arable soil were 0.36, 0.30, and 0.31 dS m^?1, indicating that soil collected from the forest had 18–20% more EC than the adjacent arable and grassland soils. On average, amounts of Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn in the soil collected from the arable site were 6.6, 5.7, 1.7, and 0.8 mg kg^?1, compared with 24.0, 12.1, 3.5, and 1.2 mg kg^?1 soil in the forest soil, showing that arable had two to four times less micronutrients than grassland and forest. Populations of bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi in the forest were 22.3 (10⁵), 8.2 (10⁵), and 2.5 (10³), respectively, while arable land exhibited 8.2 (10⁵), 3.2 (10⁵), and 0.87 (10³). Season (temperature) and depth showed significant effects on microbial activity and nutrient concentration, and both decreased significantly in winter and in the subsurface layer of 15?30 cm. Different contents of the parameters among arable, grassland, and forest soils indicated an extractive effect of cultivation and agricultural practices on soil. Natural vegetation appeared to be a main contributor to soil quality as it maintained the moisture content and increased the nutrient status and microbial growth of soil. Therefore, it is important to sustain high-altitude ecosystems and reinstate the degraded lands in the mountain region.     

Study on a soil erosion sampling survey in the Pan-Third Pole region based on higher-resolution images

Soil erosion is one of the most severe global environmental problems, and soil erosion surveys are the scientific basis for planning soil conservation and ecological development. To improve soil erosion sampling survey methods and accurately and rapidly estimate the actual rates of soil erosion, a Pan-Third Pole region was taken as an example to study a methodology of soil erosion sampling survey based on high-spatial-resolution remote sensing images. The sampling units were designed using a stratified variable probability systematic sampling method. The spatiotemporal characteristics of soil erosion and conservation were taken into account, and finer-resolution freely available and accessible images in Google Earth were used. Through the visual interpretation of the free high-resolution remote sensing images, detailed information on land use and soil conservation measures was obtained. Then, combined with the regional soil erosion factor data products, such as rainfall-runoff erosivity factor (R), soil erodibility factor (K), and slope length and steepness factor (LS), the soil loss rates of some sampling units were calculated. The results show that, based on these high-resolution remote sensing images, the land use and soil conservation measures of the sampling units can be quickly and accurately extracted. The interpretation accuracy in 4 typical cross sections was more than 80%, and sampling accuracy, described by histogram similarity in 11 large sampling sites, show that the landuse of sampling uints can represent the structural characteristics of regional land use. Based on the interpretation of data from the sample survey and the regional soil erosion factor data products, the calculation of the soil erosion rate can be completed quickly. The calculation results can reflect the actual conditions of soil erosion better than the potential soil erosion rates calculated by using the coarse-resolution remote sensing method.     

陆稻抗旱性主要指标的研究

在大田栽培水分子缺条件下，对３个陆稻品种的部分抗旱指标进行了测定，分析在正常供水与水分胁迫两种条件下的生理反应差异，从而对其抗旱性鉴定进行了探讨。结果表明，水分胁迫下的叶片游离脯氮酸含量，可溶性糖含量，叶细胞膜透性，组织相对含水量，离体叶片失水百分率，根冠比等都可作为陆稻抗旱性鉴定指标，并应用以上指标采取模糊隶属法对３个品种的抗旱性进行了综合评价，合江５号属全期弱抗品种，东陆１号全期中抗品种，推广     

基于土地整治的项目区耕地资源社会价值评定及变化分析

社会效益评价是土地整治的重要内容之一, 而整治项目区社会价值是土地整治社会效益评价的重要依据, 因此, 开展项目区耕地资源社会价值评定研究对土地整治社会效益评价具有重要意义。本文以河北省曲阳县土地整治项目为例, 通过构建基于土地整治的项目区社会价值评定体系, 借鉴资源经济学的市场价值法、替代市场法、成果参照法及资本还原法等研究方法, 实现土地整治项目区社会价值货币化, 并对整治前后的价值变化进行分析。结果表明, 研究区在土地整治后, 社会保障价值增加32 442.02万元, 但所占总价值比例较整治前有所降低; 社会稳定价值增加1 453.29万元, 人文景观价值增加884.37万元, 且两者占总价值比例均有所升高。耕地总社会价值增加34 779.68万元, 土地整治社会效益显著, 不仅实现了耕作条件的便利、耕地面积的增加, 更实现了生态景观价值的提高。该研究方法对土地整治社会价值评定有借鉴意义, 评价结果可为曲阳县土地整治社会效益评价提供科学依据。     

南京典型利用方式土壤中球囊霉素含量及剖面分布特征

采用Brad-ford染色法研究了南京市5种典型利用方式土壤不同土层中(0~10、10~20、20~40 cm)球囊霉素的含量。结果表明:土壤中总球囊霉素含量为1.96~3.12 mg/g,占土壤有机碳的12.5%~29.0%,所占比例随土壤有机碳含量的增加而降低。林地和草地土壤中球囊霉素和有机碳的含量均高于3种耕作土壤(水稻田、茶园土和菜园土)。随着土层深度(0~40 cm)的增加,5种不同利用方式土壤中总球囊霉素和有机碳的含量均减小;与其他土层相比,0~10 cm土层总球囊霉素和有机碳含量均最大。耕作土壤中易提取球囊霉素更易于向总球囊霉素转化。发现5种土地利用方式下土壤中总球囊霉素含量与土壤有机碳含量极显著正相关,与土壤p H显著负相关;易提取球囊霉素与土壤有机碳含量极显著负相关。总球囊霉素和易提取球囊霉素可作为评价土壤丛枝菌根真菌活性和土壤质量的重要指标。     

多尺度EGLSN的构建及耕地地力模拟研究

准确获得区域耕地地力是配方施肥的基础。本文依据景观生态学"过程、尺度与等级"原理,通过探索山西省耕地地力影响因素的等级与作用过程的控制范围,提出生态气候、地貌景观、利用措施、土壤条件、养分管理5个从大到小的不同尺度,构建了多尺度EGLSN(eco-climate,geomorphologic landscape,land usemeasure,soil condition,nutrient management)耕地地力模拟模型。根据山西省117个县(市、区)的土壤调查GPS采样点数据进行统计获得模型相关参数,应用多尺度EGLSN模型针对山西省北部的忻府区、中部的榆次区和南部的襄汾县3个典型区域,选择了积温、地形、地貌、平整措施等指标计算作物产量,进行耕地地力模拟。模拟结果误差检验表明,榆次区地貌景观尺度、利用措施尺度、土壤条件尺度、养分管理尺度模拟单产与土壤调查GPS点数据单产的标准根均方误差(NRMSE)依次为32%、27%、15%、4%,襄汾县4个尺度单产的NRMSE依次为35%、28%、13%、7%,忻府区4个尺度单产的NRMSE分别是31%、26%、14%、3%。忻府区、榆次区和襄汾县3个典型区域总产量相对生态气候尺度基准偏差的检验结果中,地貌景观尺度模拟精度分别为83%、80%和82%,利用措施尺度模拟精度为93%、90%和91%,土壤条件模拟精度分别是95%、95%和91%,养分管理尺度模拟精度依次达到96%、95%和93%。这一模拟方法适用于多尺度耕地地力模拟研究,可为大尺度耕地地力模拟及配方施肥提供借鉴。     

Functional Diversity and Size of Soil Microbial Communities Induced by Different Land Management Systems

Abstract

Soil microorganisms drive nutrients cycling to a great extent, and they play an essential role in maintaining a stable soil ecosystem and ensuring sustainable forestry development. Land management has been proven to be a real factor in influencing soil quality. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different land management techniques on soil microbial communities. There were four types of land management systems selected for this study: natural masson pine, Phyllostachy pubescens, Phyllostachys praecox, and vegetable. Soils were sampled from these four systems and assayed for soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC), community level substrate utilization pattern, functional diversity, and principle component analysis. Values of MBC were significantly different (P<0.05) from one another in the order of masson pine>Phyllostachy pubescens>Phyllostachys Praecox>vegetable. Analysis of community level substrate utilization pattern indicated that carbon source utilization and total activity by soil microorganisms were greater under the masson pine system than the other three systems (P<0.01). The functional diversities of soil microbial communities characterized as Shannon and McIntosh indexes were much richer in soil under masson pine system; Shannon index was 4.483, 4.241, 4.224, and 3.938 and McIntosh index was 13.51, 7.332, 6.272, and 6.261 for natural masson pine, Phyllostachy pubescens. Phyllostachys praecox, and vegetable systems, respectively. The results from the principle components analysis (PCA), based on the data of optical density (OD) at 120 h of incubation, showed that the value of the first principal component (PC1) of soil for natural masson pine was greater (P<0.05) than those for the other three systems. The difference in scores of the second principal component (PC2) between Phyllostachy pubescens, Phyllostachys praecox, and vegetable were not statistically different. The size and activity of soil microbial communities generally decreased with soil depth, with significant differences in soil MBC, community level substrate utilization pattern, and functional diversity indexes found between A and C horizons (P<0.01). It was concluded that land management systems had a great influence on soil microbial biomass, activity, and functional diversity.