Grazing exclusion is widely adopted in restoring degraded alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. However, its effectiveness remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of grazing e...Grazing exclusion is widely adopted in restoring degraded alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. However, its effectiveness remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of grazing exclusion on plant productivity, species diversity and soil organic carbon （SOC） and soil total nitrogen （STN） storage along a transect spanning from east to west of alpine meadows in northern Tibet, China. After six years of grazing exclusion, plant cover, aboveground biomass （AGB）, belowground biomass （BGB）, SOC and STN were increased, but species diversity indices declined. The enhancement of AGB and SOC caused by grazing exclusion was correlated positively with mean annual precipitation （MAP）. Grazing exclusion led to remarkable biomass increase of sedge species, especially Kobresia pygmaea, whereas decrease of biomass in forbs and no obvious change in grass, leguminous and noxious species. Root biomass was concentrated in the near surface layer （10 cm） after grazing exclusion. The effects of grazing exclusion on SOC storage were confined to shallow soil layer in sites with lower MAP. It is indicated that grazing exclusion is an effective measure to increase forage production and enhance soil carbon sequestration in the studied region. The effect is more efficient in sites with higher precipitation. However, the results revealed a tradeoff between vegetation restoration and ecological biodiversity. Therefore, carbon pools recover more quickly than plant biodiversity in the alpine meadows. We suggest that grazing exclusion should be combined with other measures to reconcile grassland restoration and biodiversitv conservation.展开更多
The contradiction between the shortage of land for agriculture due to rapid expansion of industrialization and urbanization and increasing population pressure is projected to impose great threats to future food securi...The contradiction between the shortage of land for agriculture due to rapid expansion of industrialization and urbanization and increasing population pressure is projected to impose great threats to future food security.Agricultural land suitability evaluation is an effective approach to improve the utilization of land resources for crop production and thus enhance the capacity of food provision.In this study, we evaluated the land suitability for agriculture of the production space in the Taihang Mountains by three steps: establishing indicator system, determining weights for indicators, and constructing a fuzzy matter-element model to assess the grades of suitability.Results showed that the land suitability had a significant linear correlation with potential crop yields, indicating our evaluation was effective to predict crop production.The spatial pattern of land suitability for crop production demonstrated that land with higher suitability was generally located in piedmont plains and basins, while land with lower suitability was mostly situated in mountainous areas.The area of highly, moderately, marginally suitable and unsuitable land for agriculture was 32.13%, 28.58%, 37.49% and 1.80% of the production space, respectively.However, the correlation degree analysis indicated that the requirements of these four suitability grades were currently not satisfied but could be potentially fulfilled.In terms of indicator weights, soil properties were much more important than topography and location conditions to influence the grades of suitability.Among all indicators, slope, soil organic matter, soil texture and soil depth were the most influential factors, so slope farming prevention and organic fertilization were most likely to improve land suitability for agriculture.Compared the outputs of our land suitability evaluation model with the distribution of the existing croplands, we found that about 66.52% of marginally suitable and 54.55% of unsuitable land for agriculture were currently used for croplands.Therefore, de-farming policy should be implemented in areas of these two suitability grades.In contrast, cropland expansion was encouraged in the land that was highly or moderately suitable for agriculture.Our evaluation of agricultural land suitability is beneficial for future land use planning and decision-making in the Taihang Mountains.展开更多
Meteorological elements and CO_(2) fluxes over alpine meadow ecosystem were observed continuously from 2004 to 2005 in Damxung Alpine Meadow Flux Station,China Flux Network.Based on the eddy covariance CO_(2) fluxes a...Meteorological elements and CO_(2) fluxes over alpine meadow ecosystem were observed continuously from 2004 to 2005 in Damxung Alpine Meadow Flux Station,China Flux Network.Based on the eddy covariance CO_(2) fluxes and meteorological data obtained,the relationships among the CO_(2) fluxes,the cloud amount,and the meteorological factors in alpine meadow ecosystem were explored and analyzed.Some conclusions can be drawn from the discussion with previous researches as following:(1)the cloud amount can affect the net ecosystem CO_(2) exchange(NEE)of alpine meadow on Tibetan Plateau;(2)the soil temperature sensitive to the cloud amount,is a major environmental controlling factor for NEE,and closely relates to the maximum of NEE.In the moming period with large cloud amount,the NEE reaches its maximum when the clearness index ranges from 0.5 to 0.7;yet in the afternoon it comes to the maximum with the index from 0.2 to 0.35.The span of soil temperature covers from 12 to 15℃as the NEE at its highest;(3)the scatterplots between NEE and photosynthetic available radiation(PAR)was a significant inverse triangle in the clear day,two different kinds of concave curves in the cloudy day,and strongly convergent rectangular hyperbola in the overcast day.These differences were controlled by the changes of light radiation and soil temperature.展开更多
The cushion plant Androsace tapete is an endemic species that is widely distributed in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, and also predominant in the alpine grassland that is locally degraded due to overgrazing and other re...The cushion plant Androsace tapete is an endemic species that is widely distributed in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, and also predominant in the alpine grassland that is locally degraded due to overgrazing and other reasons. As an ecosystem engineer cushion plant, its ability to facilitate the restoration of degraded alpine grassland was studied in a degraded alpine grassland at an elevation of 4500 m on the southern slope of the Nyainqentanglha Mountains in Damxung. The species diversity, soil nutrients and water content underneath and outside the cushion plant A. tapete were investigated. The results showed that soil nutrients underneath the A. tapete cushion were significantly increased by about 16%-48% compared to outside the cushion, of which the organic matter and total N were increased by 16.2% and 18.9% respectively, and the soil water content was increased about 12%. The index of species diversity of richness(S), Shannon-Wiener’s H and Simpson’s D all increased with the coverage of cushion plant A. tapete. Our results suggested that this cushion plant can facilitate restoration of the degraded alpine grassland by modifying the local soil environment and increasing the community diversity, so it should be conserved for the restoration of degraded alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.展开更多
The Tibetan Plateau is vital for animal husbandry in China,and relies heavily on its natural grasslands.However,grassland degradation,increasing livestock numbers,and uneven grazing practices are exacerbating the gras...The Tibetan Plateau is vital for animal husbandry in China,and relies heavily on its natural grasslands.However,grassland degradation,increasing livestock numbers,and uneven grazing practices are exacerbating the grass-livestock imbalance.Cultivated grasslands are a key strategy to address this issue.In this review,we evaluate the current status,challenges,and suggestions for developing and managing Tibetan Plateau cultivated grasslands.While discernible advancements have been made in the cultivated grasslands in this region,persistent challenges exist.These challenges stem from issues like low awareness and enthusiasm among farmers and herders,uneven cultivated grassland distribution,and limited scientific and technological contributions.Based on these challenges,we propose strengthening the promotion of artificial forage,implementing a rationalized grassland layout,and improving the scientific and technological contributions to forage species selection,sowing,management,and storage.In summary,cultivated grasslands in the Tibetan Plateau offer promising prospects but still face significant challenges.Overcoming these obstacles will require innovative approaches to unlock the full potential of cultivated grasslands in this unique ecological niche.展开更多
基金Under the auspices of Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.XDA05060700)Postdoctoral Science Foundation of China(No.2013M530716)
文摘Grazing exclusion is widely adopted in restoring degraded alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. However, its effectiveness remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of grazing exclusion on plant productivity, species diversity and soil organic carbon （SOC） and soil total nitrogen （STN） storage along a transect spanning from east to west of alpine meadows in northern Tibet, China. After six years of grazing exclusion, plant cover, aboveground biomass （AGB）, belowground biomass （BGB）, SOC and STN were increased, but species diversity indices declined. The enhancement of AGB and SOC caused by grazing exclusion was correlated positively with mean annual precipitation （MAP）. Grazing exclusion led to remarkable biomass increase of sedge species, especially Kobresia pygmaea, whereas decrease of biomass in forbs and no obvious change in grass, leguminous and noxious species. Root biomass was concentrated in the near surface layer （10 cm） after grazing exclusion. The effects of grazing exclusion on SOC storage were confined to shallow soil layer in sites with lower MAP. It is indicated that grazing exclusion is an effective measure to increase forage production and enhance soil carbon sequestration in the studied region. The effect is more efficient in sites with higher precipitation. However, the results revealed a tradeoff between vegetation restoration and ecological biodiversity. Therefore, carbon pools recover more quickly than plant biodiversity in the alpine meadows. We suggest that grazing exclusion should be combined with other measures to reconcile grassland restoration and biodiversitv conservation.
基金Under the auspices of the National Basic Research Program of China(No.2015CB452705)
文摘The contradiction between the shortage of land for agriculture due to rapid expansion of industrialization and urbanization and increasing population pressure is projected to impose great threats to future food security.Agricultural land suitability evaluation is an effective approach to improve the utilization of land resources for crop production and thus enhance the capacity of food provision.In this study, we evaluated the land suitability for agriculture of the production space in the Taihang Mountains by three steps: establishing indicator system, determining weights for indicators, and constructing a fuzzy matter-element model to assess the grades of suitability.Results showed that the land suitability had a significant linear correlation with potential crop yields, indicating our evaluation was effective to predict crop production.The spatial pattern of land suitability for crop production demonstrated that land with higher suitability was generally located in piedmont plains and basins, while land with lower suitability was mostly situated in mountainous areas.The area of highly, moderately, marginally suitable and unsuitable land for agriculture was 32.13%, 28.58%, 37.49% and 1.80% of the production space, respectively.However, the correlation degree analysis indicated that the requirements of these four suitability grades were currently not satisfied but could be potentially fulfilled.In terms of indicator weights, soil properties were much more important than topography and location conditions to influence the grades of suitability.Among all indicators, slope, soil organic matter, soil texture and soil depth were the most influential factors, so slope farming prevention and organic fertilization were most likely to improve land suitability for agriculture.Compared the outputs of our land suitability evaluation model with the distribution of the existing croplands, we found that about 66.52% of marginally suitable and 54.55% of unsuitable land for agriculture were currently used for croplands.Therefore, de-farming policy should be implemented in areas of these two suitability grades.In contrast, cropland expansion was encouraged in the land that was highly or moderately suitable for agriculture.Our evaluation of agricultural land suitability is beneficial for future land use planning and decision-making in the Taihang Mountains.
基金Under the auspices of the Major Basic Research Development Program of China(Grant no.2005CB422005)the Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant no.KSCXZ-YW-N-44)
文摘Meteorological elements and CO_(2) fluxes over alpine meadow ecosystem were observed continuously from 2004 to 2005 in Damxung Alpine Meadow Flux Station,China Flux Network.Based on the eddy covariance CO_(2) fluxes and meteorological data obtained,the relationships among the CO_(2) fluxes,the cloud amount,and the meteorological factors in alpine meadow ecosystem were explored and analyzed.Some conclusions can be drawn from the discussion with previous researches as following:(1)the cloud amount can affect the net ecosystem CO_(2) exchange(NEE)of alpine meadow on Tibetan Plateau;(2)the soil temperature sensitive to the cloud amount,is a major environmental controlling factor for NEE,and closely relates to the maximum of NEE.In the moming period with large cloud amount,the NEE reaches its maximum when the clearness index ranges from 0.5 to 0.7;yet in the afternoon it comes to the maximum with the index from 0.2 to 0.35.The span of soil temperature covers from 12 to 15℃as the NEE at its highest;(3)the scatterplots between NEE and photosynthetic available radiation(PAR)was a significant inverse triangle in the clear day,two different kinds of concave curves in the cloudy day,and strongly convergent rectangular hyperbola in the overcast day.These differences were controlled by the changes of light radiation and soil temperature.
基金The National Natural Science Foundation of China (31770477)The Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDA19050502, XDA20010201)The National Key R&D Program of China (2017YFA0604801, 2016YFC0502001)。
文摘The cushion plant Androsace tapete is an endemic species that is widely distributed in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, and also predominant in the alpine grassland that is locally degraded due to overgrazing and other reasons. As an ecosystem engineer cushion plant, its ability to facilitate the restoration of degraded alpine grassland was studied in a degraded alpine grassland at an elevation of 4500 m on the southern slope of the Nyainqentanglha Mountains in Damxung. The species diversity, soil nutrients and water content underneath and outside the cushion plant A. tapete were investigated. The results showed that soil nutrients underneath the A. tapete cushion were significantly increased by about 16%-48% compared to outside the cushion, of which the organic matter and total N were increased by 16.2% and 18.9% respectively, and the soil water content was increased about 12%. The index of species diversity of richness(S), Shannon-Wiener’s H and Simpson’s D all increased with the coverage of cushion plant A. tapete. Our results suggested that this cushion plant can facilitate restoration of the degraded alpine grassland by modifying the local soil environment and increasing the community diversity, so it should be conserved for the restoration of degraded alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.
基金The Central Government Leading Project for Tibetan Science and Technology Development(XZ202202YD0028C)The Entrusted Project ofthe Development Research Center,National Forestry and Grassland Administration(JYC-2022-0053)The Natural Science Foundation of Tibet(XZ202201ZR0063G).
文摘The Tibetan Plateau is vital for animal husbandry in China,and relies heavily on its natural grasslands.However,grassland degradation,increasing livestock numbers,and uneven grazing practices are exacerbating the grass-livestock imbalance.Cultivated grasslands are a key strategy to address this issue.In this review,we evaluate the current status,challenges,and suggestions for developing and managing Tibetan Plateau cultivated grasslands.While discernible advancements have been made in the cultivated grasslands in this region,persistent challenges exist.These challenges stem from issues like low awareness and enthusiasm among farmers and herders,uneven cultivated grassland distribution,and limited scientific and technological contributions.Based on these challenges,we propose strengthening the promotion of artificial forage,implementing a rationalized grassland layout,and improving the scientific and technological contributions to forage species selection,sowing,management,and storage.In summary,cultivated grasslands in the Tibetan Plateau offer promising prospects but still face significant challenges.Overcoming these obstacles will require innovative approaches to unlock the full potential of cultivated grasslands in this unique ecological niche.
