Effects of terracing on soil properties in three key mountainous regions of China

Terracing greatly affects soil properties,ecosystem services,human welfare and geographical sustainability.The purpose of this article is to determine the influence of terracing on soil properties across diverse regions in China.Three representative terrace types,including dryland loess terraces,dry-stone terraces,and paddy terraces,were selected as case study areas.Soil sampling was stratified according to thickness of soil layers in each terraced area.Based on field investigations and soil sampling,combined with the means of variance,correlation,redundancy and regression analysis,we analyzed the characteristics of soil properties in the terraces across three areas.Results showed that:(1)alterations of soil physicochemical properties mainly depend on differences between soil parent materials in such regions;(2)Due to the existence of“four-element isomorphism”in the ecosystem and reasonable human activities,paddy terraces had the greatest impact on soil properties which is mainly reflected in decreasing soil pH and increasing SOC,TN,and TK;(3)The content of SOC and TN in different areas was higher in terraced fields than in the sloped lands and decreased with soil deepening;(4)To maintain sufficient supply of soil nutrients and support the sustainability of agricultural terraces,it is necessary to apply manure to improve soil fertility and accelerate its aggregation in the terraces.For example,an increase in the application of nitrogen fertilizer in terraced fields in Hebei and Gansu provinces,which have a serious deficiency in soil available phosphorus(AP),is necessary to get greater amounts of P fertilization.The present study offers a theoretical foundation for the sustainability of terraced ecosystems through efficient crop production,which is the basis for strengthening the ecological security of terraced areas and promoting regional sustainability in those fragile mountains.

Differing migration patterns and year-round habitat-use of allopatric nesting Eastern Tundra Bean Geese(Anser fabalis serrirostris)in East Asia

Sympatric Chinese-wintering Eastern Tundra Bean Geese(Anser fabalis serrirostris,ETBG)breed in two widely separated Arctic areas(Central Russian Arctic and Anadyr region);South Korean-wintering birds(Chaun-South Korea)breed in a third discrete area between these two.Such winter/summer segregation likely structures the population,potentially resulting in distinct migration patterns and habitat-use throughout the annual cycle.We tracked individuals using GPS-GSM transmitters from all three of these geographically discrete ETBG subpopulations to see whether this was the case,testing for differences in migration patterns,seasonal and diurnal habitat-use using remotely sensed land-cover mapping.Mean migration distance of Central Arctic-China and Chaun-South Korea individuals did not differ significantly,but Anadyr-China birds travelled 15–24%further(mean:1140 km,P<0.001).Despite this,mean spring migration durations were longest among Central ArcticChina ETBG,significantly longer than Anadyr-China geese,due to significantly longer stopovers,which were significantly longer than Chaun-South Korea birds.Autumn migration duration of Central Arctic-China and Chaun-South Korea individuals was significantly shorter than in spring,with fewer,shorter stopovers.Lack of significant differences in migration and stopover duration or numbers of stopovers between spring and autumn among Anadyr-China ETBG confirms this is a plastic trait,differing between subpopulations responding to prevailing conditions.Migration patterns and habitat-use differed significantly between all three ETBG subpopulations,although all tended to use wetlands more at night and croplands more in daytime in winter,suggesting specific adaptations and responses to differing conditions encountered along their different migration routes.Although untestable,we speculate that differences in habitat-use may affect fitness levels and genetic exchange between subpopulations,but based on our observations,conclude clear differences in migration and foraging ecology between these elements of the same subspecies,even in winter sympatry.

Temporal variability of global potential water erosion based on an improved USLE model

Assessing spatiotemporal variation in global soil erosion is essential for identifying areas that require greater attention and management under the effects of anthropogenic activities and climate change.Soil erosion can be modelled using the universal soil loss equation(USLE),which includes rainfall erosivity(R-factor),vegetation cover(C-factor),topography(LS-factor),soil erodibility(K-factor),and management practices(P-factor).However,global soil erosion modeling faces numerous challenges,including data acquisition,calculation processes,and parameter calibration under different climatic and topographic backgrounds.Thus,we presented an improved USLE-based model using highly distributed parameters.The R-,C-,and P-factors were modified by the climate zone,country,and topography.This distributed model was applied to estimate the intensity and variations in global soil erosion from 1992 to 2015.We validated the accuracy of this model by comparing simulations with measurements from 11,439 plot years of erosion data.The results showed that i)the average global erosion rate was 5.78 t ha^(-1)year^(-1),with an increase rate of 4.26×10^(-3)t ha^(-1)year^(-1);ii)areas with significantly increasing erosion accounted for 16%of the land with water erosion,whereas those with significantly decreasing erosion accounted for 7%;and iii)areas with severe erosion included the western Ghats,Abyssinian Plateau,Brazilian Plateau,south and east of the Himalayas,and western coast of South America.Intensified erosion occurred mainly on the Amazon Plain and the northern coast of the Mediterranean.This study provides an improved water erosion prediction model and accurate information for researchers and policymakers to identify the drivers underlying changes in water erosion in different regions.

Effects of physical crust on soil detachment by overland flow in the Loess Plateau region of China

Physical soil crust(PSC),a key component of surface soil structure,exists extensively in loess areas.PSC is considered to have a significant effect on soil detachment processes.However,the long-term effects and the corresponding mechanisms of PSC on soil detachment by overland flow are still not well understood,especially in natural environments.To investigate temporal variation in soil erosion resistance and the underlying factors during PSC formation,an 8×8-m soil plot was exposed to natural conditions in the Loess Plateau over a 524-day period spanning two rainy seasons and a winter between them.A flume test was conducted to determine soil detachment capacity(Dc)under six designed flow shear stress levels(5.66-22.11 Pa)using crusted(SC)and non-crusted(NSC)soil samples at different PSC development stages.Subsequently,two soil erosion resistance parameters,rill erodibility(K_(r))and critical shear stress(τ_(c)),were calculated.Over time,in the SC and NSC treatments,K_(r)decreased from 0.516 to 0.120 s m^(-1)and 0.521 to 0.223 s m^(-1),respectively,whileτ_(c)increased from 0.49 to 4.42 Pa and 0.26-2.46 Pa,respectively.Variation in soil erosion resistance was rapid in the first one to two months,and then slowed down,with slight fluctuations afterwards.In the SC treatment,K_(r)was 42%lower andτ_(c)was 67%greater than those in the NSC treatment.Soil properties changed greatly for both treatments.SCT increased from 0 to 7.09 mm in the SC treatment.Coh increased from 2.91 to 9.04 kPa and 3.01-4.78 kPa in SC and NSC treatments,respectively.Both soil erosion resistance parameters could be well predicted by SCT and Coh in the SC treatment(R^(2)≥0.82),while their best predictor was Coh in the NSC treatment(R^(2)≥0.90).The results demonstrate that PSC formation enhances soil erosion resistance in the soil detachment process in the loess region under natural conditions.Our study revealed the important role and complexity of PSC in the process of soil erosion,and provided theoretical and data support for accurate understanding and prediction of soil erosion.

Occurrence, spatial distribution and ecological risks of antibiotics in soil in urban agglomeration

Antibiotics in soil environment are regarded as emerging pollutants and have introduced increasing risks to soil ecosystem and human health in rapid urbanization areas. Identifying the occurrence and spatial variability of antibiotics in soils is an urgent issue in sustaining soil security. In this study, antibiotics in soils were investigated and analyzed in BeijingTianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration. The occurrence, spatial distribution, and related affecting factors of antibiotics in soils were identified and ecological risks of antibiotics in soil environment were assessed. Results showed that(1) The mean concentration of soil antibiotics in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration was 21.79 μg/kg. Land use substantially affected the occurrence and concentration of antibiotics in soils. Concentrations of antibiotics in cropland and orchard soils were 2-3 times higher than the other land use types.(2)The concentrations of antibiotics in soils in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration presented a spatial pattern of high values in southeast, and low values in northwest. Spatial variability of antibiotics in soils was closely related to the application of organic fertilizer and wastewater irrigation as well as topographical features. Furthermore, soil properties and land management policy had substantial influences on soil antibiotics, and soil heavy metals may aggravate the accumulation of antibiotics in soils.(3) Ecological risks assessment of antibiotics in soils demonstrated that erythromycin(ERY), sulfamethoxazole(SMX), and doxycycline(DOX) may introduce high risks to soil ecosystem health, and more attention should be paid to the areas with intensive human activities that had potential high risk to soil ecosystem health. This study suggests that scientific land and soil management should be considered to prevent soil antibiotic pollution and sustain soil security in urban agglomeration.

黄河流域生态保护迈向高质量发展的特征——植被绿度、生产力和降水利用效率的差异性变化

Globally,vegetation has been changing dramatically.The vegetation-water dynamic is key to understanding ecosystem structure and functioning in water-limited ecosystems.Continual satellite monitoring has detected global vegetation greening.However,a vegetation greenness increase does not mean that ecosystem functions increase.The intricate interplays resulting from the relationships between vegetation and precipitation must be more adequately comprehended.In this study,satellite data,for example,leaf area index(LAI),net primary production(NPP),and rainfall use efficiency(RUE),were used to quantify vegetation dynamics and their relationship with rainfall in different reaches of the Yellow River Basin(YRB).A sequential regression method was used to detect trends of NPP sensitivity to rainfall.The results showed that 34.53%of the YRB exhibited a significant greening trend since 2000.Among them,20.54%,53.37%,and 16.73%of upper,middle,and lower reach areas showed a significant positive trend,respectively.NPP showed a similar trend to LAI in the YRB upper,middle,and lower reaches.A notable difference was noted in the distributions and trends of RUE across the upper,middle,and lower reaches.Moreover,there were significant trends in vegetation-rainfall sensitivity in 16.86%of the YRB’s middle reaches—14.08%showed negative trends and 2.78%positive trends.A total of 8.41%of the YRB exhibited a marked increase in LAI,NPP,and RUE.Subsequently,strategic locations reliant on the correlation between vegetation and rainfall were identified and designated for restoration planning purposes to propose future ecological restoration efforts.Our analysis indicates that the middle reach of the YRB exhibited the most significant variation in vegetation greenness and productivity.The present study underscores the significance of examining the correlation between vegetation and rainfall within the context of the high-quality development strategy of the YRB.The outcomes of our analysis and the proposed ecological restoration framework can provide decision-makers with valuable insights for executing rational basin pattern optimization and sustainable management.

生态实践中的传承与创新--中国城市科学研究会景观学与美丽中国建设专业委员会座谈会纪实

2018年1月21日,中国城市科学研究会景观学与美丽中国建设专业委员会座谈会于北京大学建筑与景观设计学院举办。来自景观、生态、水利、规划等领域的30余位学者、设计师、教育者及其他从业人士参加了会议,并围绕美丽中国建设、生态文明建设、景观设计学科建设、行业融合等议题展开讨论。座谈会最终达成共识,提出了跨界生态实践的迫切性和必要性,同时探讨了在教育和实践层面跨界的难点与问题——不同行业的优势、职责以及在"跨界"中的作用尚不明确,学科教育也未能很好地构建并明晰自身的核心竞争力——呼吁应积极促进学科与行业融合,使其适应当代需求。

The effect of land use structure on the distribution of soil nutrients in the hilly area of the Loess Plateau,China

The irrational land use is one of the main reasons for the soil erosion and nutrient loss in the loess hilly area of China. In this project, 4 types of typical land use structure of sustain ment for about 15 years in the loess hill slope are selected to study the effect of land use structure on the distribution of soil nutrients. From hill bottom to hill top, the patterns of land use types are:, grassland-slope farmland-forest, slope farmland-grassland-forest, terrace-grassland-forest and slope farmland-forest-grassland. By measuring the contents of the total N, total P, available N, available P and organic matter of soils, the results show that the land use structure types of slope farmland-grassland-forest and terrace-grassland-forest have a better capacity to maintain the soil nutrients.

Soil contamination with antibiotics in a typical peri-urban area in eastern China: Seasonal variation, risk assessment, and microbial responses

The prevalence and persistence of antibiotics in soils has become an emerging environmental issue and an increasing threat to soil security and global public health. The problem is more severe in areas undergoing rapid urbanization; however, the ecological risks of antibiotics,seasonal variability, and associated soil microbial responses in peri-urban soils have not been well-explored. The seasonal soil sampling campaigns were conducted in a typical peri-urban watershed in eastern China to investigate distribution of antibiotics. The results demonstrated higher mean concentrations of most antibiotic compounds in winter than in summer in periurban soils. The seasonal variations of norfloxacin, enrofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin were more significant than those of other antibiotics, due to their higher migration ability and bioavailability.An ecological risk assessment demonstrated that chlortetracycline, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline,and ofloxacin can pose high risks to soil microorganisms. Furthermore, the coexistence of multiple antibiotics obviously poses higher risks than individual compounds. A redundancy analysis demonstrated that tetracyclines mainly showed negative correlations with Firmicutes and Chloroflexi, and quinolones showed obviously negative correlations with Acidobacteria,Gemmatimonadetes, and Nitrospirae, suggesting potential inhibition from antibiotics on biological activities or biodegradation processes. However, the persistence of antibiotics in soil results in a significant decrease in bacterial diversity and a change in dominant species.Our results provide an overview of the seasonal variability of antibiotics and the associated effects on bacterial communities in peri-urban soils. The results can provide scientific guidance on decreasing soil contamination with antibiotics to enhance soil security in similar areas.

Identification on threshold and efficiency of rainfall replenishment to soil water in semi-arid loess hilly areas

As one critical source of water for maintaining ecosystems in arid and semi-arid regions, rainfall replenishment to soil water can determine vegetation growth and ecosystem functions. However, the limited rainfall resources were often not used effectively in the semi-arid loess hilly areas due to random temporal and spatial distribution of rainfall and specific vegetation features. Thus, it is highly significant to determine the threshold and efficiency of rainfall replenishment to soil water under different vegetation types. The threshold and efficiency can offer scientific evidence for rehabilitating vegetation and improving efficiency of using rainfall resources. In this study, the efficiency and threshold of rainfall replenishment to soil water were determined under natural grassland, wheat, artificial grassland, sea buckthorn shrubland and Chinese pine forestland based on consecutive measurements. The results indicated that the lag-time, rate, efficiency of rainfall replenishment to soil water were closely related to vegetation type, with significant differences existing among different vegetation types. The lag-time for natural grassland in the soil horizon of 20 cm was the shortest one(26.4 h), followed by wheat(27.8 h), sea buckthorn(41.8 h), artificial grassland(50.0 h) and Chinese pine(81.8 h).The value of replenishment rate, followed the order of wheat(0.40 mm h^(-1))> natural grassland(0.30 mm h(-1))> sea buckthorn(0.17 mm h(-1))> artificial grassland(0.14 mm h(-1))> Chinese pine(0.09 mm h(-1)). As for the efficiency of rainfall replenishment to soil water, natural grassland was the most efficient one(35.1%), followed by wheat(29.2%), sea buckthorn(16.8%), artificial grassland(11.5%), Chinese pine(4.2%). At last, it was found that wheat had the lowest threshold(6.8 mm) of rainfall replenishment to soil water, which was followed by natural grassland(10.5 mm), sea buckthorn(20.5 mm), artificial grassland(22.6 mm) and Chinese pine(26.4 mm). These results implied that soil water in natural grassland was sensitive to rainfall and easily to be replenished, while soil water in Chinese pine was harder to be replenished by rainfall compared to other vegetation types.

A conceptual model for a process-oriented landscape pattern analysis

Linking landscape patterns to specific ecological processes has been and will continue to be the key topic in landscape ecology.However,this goal is difficult to achieve by using the traditional landscape metric based on the Patch-Mosaic Model(PMM),as they don’t integrate ecological processes with landscape patterns.In this paper,we proposed a conceptual model,i.e.,the Source-Pathway-Sink Model(SPSM),which designates the role of a landscape unit into "source", "sink",or "pathway" based on specific ecological processes during the landscape pattern analysis.While the traditional landscape metrics derived from the PMM model is visual-or geometrical-oriented and lack of linkage to ecological significance,the SPSM model is process-oriented,dynamic,and scale dependent.A comparison between the PMM and the SPSM models shows that the SPSM model is complementary to the PMM model,and can provide a simple and dynamic perspective on landscape pattern analysis.The SPSM model may represent a conceptual innovation in landscape ecology.

Effects of riparian vegetation patterns on the distribution and potential loss of soil nutrients： a case study of the Wenyu River in Beijing

A riparian ecosystem is an ecological transition zone between a river channel and terrestrial ecosystems. Riparian ecosystems play a vital role in maintaining stream health and bank stabilization. The types of riparian vegetation have changed greatly because of human activities along the Wenyu River. This study examines the impact of riparian vegetation patterns on water pollution due to soil nutrient loss. Four riparian vegetation patterns from the river channel to the upland were chosen as the focus of this study： grassland, cropland, grassland- cropland, and grassland-manrnade lawn. The different distributions of soil nutrients along vegetation patterns and the potential risk of nutrient loss were observed and compared. The results showed that riparian cropland has the lowest value of total nitrogen （TN）, total phosphorus （TP）, available nitrogen （AN）, available phosphorus （AP）, and organic matter （OM）, but it has the highest soil bulk density （BD）. The distributions of soil TN, TP, AN, AP, and OM exhibited a declining trend from the upland toward the river channel for riparian cropland, whereas a different trend was observed for the riparian grassland. The vegetation patterns of grassland-cropland and grassland- manmade lawn show that the grassland in the lower slope has more nutrients and OM but lower soil BD than the cropland or manmade lawn in the upper slope. So, the lower-slope grassland may intercept and infiltrate surface runoff from the upland. The lower-slope grassland has higher levels of soil TN, TP, AN, and AP, and thus it may become a new source of nutrient loss. Our results suggest that the management of the riparian vegetation should be improved, particularly in densely populated areas, to control soil erosion and river pollution.

Source-sink landscape theory and its ecological significance

Exploring the relationships between landscape pattern and ecological processes is the key topic of landscape ecology,for which,a large number of indices as well as landscape pattern analysis model were developed.However,one problem faced by landscape ecologists is that it is hard to link the landscape indices with a specific ecological process.Linking landscape pattern and ecological processes has become a challenge for landscape ecologists.“Source”and“sink”are common concepts used in air pollution research,by which the movement direction and pattern of different pollutants in air can be clearly identified.In fact,for any ecological process,the research can be considered as a balance between the source and the sink in space.Thus,the concepts of“source”and“sink”could be implemented to the research of landscape pattern and ecological processes.In this paper,a theory of sourcesink landscape was proposed,which include:(1)In the research of landscape pattern and ecological process,all landscape types can be divided into two groups,“source”landscape and“sink”landscape.“Source”landscape contributes positively to the ecological process,while“sink”landscape is unhelpful to the ecological process.(2)Both landscapes are recognized with regard to the specific ecological process.“Source”landscape in a target ecological process may change into a“sink”landscape as in another ecological process.Therefore,the ecological process should be determined before“source”or“sink”landscape were defined.(3)The key point to distinguish“source”landscape from“sink”landscape is to quantify the effect of landscape on ecological process.The positive effect is made by“source”landscape,and the negative effect by“sink”landscape.(4)For the same ecological process,the contribution of“source”landscapes may vary,and it is the same to the“sink”landscapes.It is required to determine the weight of each landscape type on ecological processes.(5)The sourcesink principle can be applied to non-point source pollution control,biologic diversity protection,urban heat island effect mitigation,etc.However,the landscape evaluation models need to be calibrated respectively,because different ecological processes correspond with different source-sink landscapes and evaluation models for the different study areas.This theory is helpful to further study landscape pattern and ecological process,and offers a basis for new landscape index design.

Analysis and assessment of heavy metal contamination in surface water and sediments： a case study from Luan River, Northern China

Concentrations of the heavy metals Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Cd, and Cr were examined in surface water and sediment from the Luan River inChina,. With a decline in Cu and Ni concentration found in surface water at downstream stations. This finding suggests that water currents are a major explanatory factor in heavy metal contamination. The abundance of Cr, Pb, and Cd observed in the middle reaches of the river indicates heavy metal contamination in local areas, although there was an obvious decrease in concentrations in the water downstream of the Daheiting Reservoir. The significant rising trend in Cu, Pb, and Ni seen the sediment farther away from the river also suggests that anthropogenic activities contribute to heavy metal pollution Sediments were therefore used as environmental indicators, with sediment assessment was conducted using the geo-accumulation index （Igeo） and the potential ecological risk index （R/）. The Igeo values revealed that Cd （3.13） and Cr （2.39） had accumulated significantly in the Luan River. The R/values for most （89%） of the sampling stations were higher than 300, suggesting that sediment from the Luan River poses a severe ecological risk, with the potential ecological risks downstream higher than that in the upper and middle streams. Good correlations among Pb/Ni, Pb/Cd, Cu/Pb, and Cu/Cd in the water and Cr/Ni in the sediment were observed. Cluster analysis suggested that Cd may have various origins, being derived from anthropogenic sources.