Spatio-temporal modelling of broad scale heterogeneity in soil moisture content: a basis for an ecologically meaningful classification of soil landscapes

We describe the classification of landscapes characterised bymineral soil using a model that calculates soil moisture availability on amonthly basis. Scotland is used as a case study area. The model uses potentialsoil moisture deficit, estimated using broad scale (40 × 40 km)climate patterns, in conjunction with meteorological station measurements toobtain finer scale values of climatic soil moisture deficit. Point estimates ofsoil available water are obtained for soil characteristics using appropriatepedotransfer functions, and geostatistical techniques are used to upscale theresults and interpolate to a 1-km grid. Known heterogeneityin soil physical characteristics is used to provide local corrections to thepotential soil moisture deficit, estimated using the climatic variables above.Temporal profiles of monthly water content are modelled for each1-km location and classified into six classes usingunsupervised cluster analysis. The spatial distribution of these classesreflects regional variations in the availability of moisture and energy, onwhich finer-grained topographic patterns are superimposed. In the case study,the broad scale spatial heterogeneity of heathlands and grasslands on mineralsoils in Scotland is shown to be strongly related to the soil moistureclassification. The results can be used in studies investigating the patternsofdistribution of communities at the landscape and regional scale.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

道路和居民点对锡林郭勒草地风蚀参数的影响

土壤风蚀是锡林郭勒草地主要的生态环境问题之一,区域内道路和居民点对草地风蚀有重要影响而尚未受到足够的关注与研究。将遥感影像目视解译提取的道路和居民点信息,与表征土壤性质、地表植被覆盖等方面的8个风蚀参数进行空间叠加,采用掩膜处理等GIS方法分析各参数的空间变化特征,以探究道路和居民点对风蚀地表参数的影响。结果表明:距道路和居民点越近,植被覆盖率、高度均减小,表层土壤砂粒含量增加,土壤容重变大;居民点对风蚀参数影响的最大距离为2 000 m,道路为400 m;在影响距离内,植被覆盖各参数变化幅度大于土壤性质各参数,居民点对风蚀参数的影响大于道路;道路和居民点明显增加了周边区域的风蚀危险性,因此进行风蚀评价与估算时,应在相关指标体系与模型中考虑道路和居民点这两个影响因子。该研究可以为草原风蚀机理研究、风蚀治理提供科学参考。     

锡林郭勒盟生态安全评价研究

本文基于锡林郭勒盟1990年的TM影像和2009年的资源环境卫星遥感影像,经过目视解译获取锡林郭勒盟土地覆被数据,在此基础上结合社会经济数据、气象气候数据等确定生态安全评价指标因子;采用GIS技术提取指标数据信息,建立生态安全评价指标体系,对所提取的各生态安全指标因子进行数据处理与转换并建立指标因子的数据库.用综合评价...     

草原生态补偿机制核心问题探析——以内蒙古锡林郭勒盟草原生态补偿为例

主体与客体、政府与市场、赔偿与补贴、补偿标准、补偿途径和产业结构是生态补偿机制的主要范畴.一方面,生态补偿的作用和目的需要通过这些范畴得以展开和实践;另一方面,对这些范畴的探讨和理论研究反过来能够指导生态补偿实践活动.生态补偿的主要范畴不仅是生态补偿理论研讨中的重点和热点问题,更是生态补偿实践中决定政策措施顺利、有效实施的关键环节;针对生态补偿核心范畴的深入探讨,对于建立和完善生态补偿理论体系、有效指导生态补偿的政策与实践、最终有效缓解和解决生态环境的持续恶化具有重大的意义和价值.     

Hierarchical tree classifiers to find suitable sites for sandplain grasslands and heathlands on Martha’s Vineyard Island, Massachusetts

The grasslands and heathlands of Martha’s Vineyard Island, Massachusetts provide habitat for unusual, rare, and endangered species. Currently, these globally rare ecosystems exist as fragments on the southern coast of the island within a matrix of wooded, agricultural, and developed land. We used existing land cover patterns to train a hierarchical tree classifier model according to 10 biogeoclimatic and positional variables. This model was then used to predict suitable sites where grasslands and heathlands do not presently occur but could be efficiently established. The tree classifier model indicates that many sites compatible with sandplain grasslands currently contain agricultural lands, residential development, mowed grassland, and commercial development. Efficient establishment could be undertaken at locations buffering existing grasslands to increase their extent by 67% relative to current conditions and join isolated fragments. Sites compatible with heathlands also currently contain agriculture and residential development as well as later successional vegetation including maritime forests and pitch pine. Conversion of these sites to heathlands, as indicated by the model, would increase the current extent by 25% and increase average patch size. An adaptive management approach to grassland and heathland supplementation could be employed to validate the causal mechanisms between the predictor variables and the vegetative communities. Testing of the predictive accuracy of the Martha’s Vineyard Island tree classifier models at other coastal sites would also provide information on the true mechanisms responsible for distribution patterns.     

Increased N availability in grassland soils modifies their microbial communities and decreases the abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Two complementary studies were performed to examine (1) the effect of 18 years of nitrogen (N) fertilization, and (2) the effects of N fertilization during one growing season on soil microbial community composition and soil resource availability in a grassland ecosystem. N was added at three different rates: 0, 5.44, and 27.2 g N m⁻² y⁻¹. In both studies, Schizachyrium scoparium was the dominant plant species before N treatments were applied. Soil microbial communities from each experiment were characterized using fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis. Discriminant analysis of the FAMEs separated the three N fertilizer treatments in both experiments, indicating shifts in the composition of the microbial communities. In general, plots that received N fertilizer at low or high application rates for 18 years showed increased proportions of bacterial FAMEs and decreased fungal FAMEs. In particular, control plots contained a significantly higher proportion of fungal FAMEs C18:1(cis9) and C18:2(cis9,12) and of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) FAME, C16:1(cis11), than both of the N addition treatment plots. A significant negative effect of N fertilization on the AMF FAME, C16:1(cis11), was measured in the short-term experiment. Our results indicate that high rates of anthropogenic N deposition can lead to significant changes in the composition of soil microbial communities over short periods and can even disrupt the relationship between AMF and plants.     

草原综合顺序分类法的新改进：Ⅰ类的划分指标及其分类检索图

根据全国２３５２个气象站３０年以上的气候资料以及其他资料，对草原的综合顺序分类法第一级分类的热量级，湿润度级指标进行了修正，设计了新的分类检索图，将地带性和非地带性的天然草地，以及人工草地的类，纳入到统一的检索图的中，并可进行计算机检索。     

锡林郭勒草原不同生态地理区降水周期变化特征的小波分析

以锡林郭勒盟及其周边地区17个气象站点1960年以来的月降水量数据为基础,利用气象学与生态学的学科交叉知识,按气象站点所在地区生态地理区划分割,在Matlab等软件的支持下,用小波分析的方法,研究各生态地理区年降水量的周期性变化规律及各区之间的异同点。研究结果表明,在25～32a时间尺度上,4个区的降水均有较明显的周期信号,降水丰缺均交替出现,但交替年份存在区域差异;根据周期变化的特点可以推断,2007年以后的15a左右时间,锡林郭勒盟及其周边地区降水偏少,气候有进一步旱化的趋势。     

Response of an aridland ecosystem to interannual climate variability and prolonged drought

Water is a key driver of ecosystem processes in aridland ecosystems. Thus, changes in climate could have significant impacts on ecosystem structure and function. In the southwestern US, interactions among regional climate drivers (e.g., El Niño Southern Oscillation) and topographically controlled convective storms create a spatially and temporally variable precipitation regime that governs the rate and magnitude of ecosystem processes. We quantified the spatial and temporal distribution of reduced grassland greenness in response to seasonal and annual variation in precipitation at two scales at the Sevilleta Long Term Ecological Research site in central New Mexico, using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values from bi-weekly AVHRR data and seasonal ETM data from 1989 to 2005. We used spatially explicit NDVI Z-scores to identify times and places of significantly reduced greenness and related those to interactions between plant functional type, seasonal climate variation, and topography. Seasonal greenness was bimodal with a small peak in spring and a stronger peak following the summer monsoon. Greenness was generally spatially homogeneous in spring and more spatially variable in summer. From 2001 through spring 2002, drought effects were evidenced by a 4-fold increase in the number of pixels showing significantly low greenness. Spatial distribution of low greenness was initially modulated by topographic position, but as the drought intensified spread throughout the study area. Vegetation green up occurred rapidly when drought conditions ceased. We conclude that drought effects vary spatially over time, pervasive drought reduces broad-scale spatial heterogeneity, and greenness patterns recover rapidly when drought conditions end.     

甘肃草原牧区发展的难点问题剖析

草原牧区可持续发展在甘肃国民经济中占有重要地位。本文认为,甘肃草原牧区仍然存在生态脆弱、环境压力增大,区域性贫困突出、自我发展能力弱小,人地关系紧张、可持续发展的良性互动机制尚未形成,社会化服务网络不健全、基地建设经营管理水平低下等诸多问题和难点制约。尽快彻底破解以上难题,必然成为未来较长时期内甘肃草原牧区可持续发展的重要选择。