How do GPM and TRMM precipitation products perform in alpine regions?A case study in northwestern China's Qilian Mountains

Satellite technologies provide valuable areal precipitation datasets in alpine mountains.However,coarse resolution still limits the use of satellite precipitation datasets in hydrological and meteorological research.We evaluated different time scales and precipitation magnitudes of Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission 3B43 V7(TRMM)and Global Precipitation Measurement(GPM)products for alpine regions using ground precipitation datasets from January 2015 to June 2019 obtained from 25 national meteorological stations and 11 sets of T-200B weighing precipitation gauges in the Qilian Mountains.The results indicated that GPM outperformed TRMM at all temporal scales at an elevation<3500 m with a higher probability of detection(POD),false alarm ratio(FAR),and frequency bias index(FBI)and performed best at 3000 m;TRMM performed better than GPM at an elevation>3500 m,with the best performance at 4000 m.GPM and TRMM had the best estimation accuracy in areas with monthly precipitation of 30 mm and 40 mm,respectively.Both TRMM and GPM products underestimated mid to large daily precipitation and overestimated light daily precipitation averaging<2 mm/d.This research not only emphasizes the superiority of GPM/TRMM in different regions but also indicates the limitations of precipitation algorithms.

Distribution characteristics and succession regulation of the forests in alpine and canyon region of western Sichuan Province, P.R.China

Since 1950, 700 plots were established in the alpine and canyon region of western Sichuan. The distribution charac-teristics and the relationships between forest succession and environmental gradients were studied. The results showed that the main tree species were Picea and Abies in this region, and there were more than 90 forest types. Abies forests mainly dis-tributed in the middle and upper reaches of rivers and their branches, and Picea forests mainly distributed in wide valleys and on half-shaded and half-sunny slopes. The natural regeneration was poor under primitive spruce and fir forest canopy, but was good in the spruce and fire forest gap. The relationship between forest succession and vertical gradient was closely related to the relationship between forest succession procession and plant synusia under primary forests. Human activities could promote and postpone succession process. The results of expanding regeneration were often influenced by topography, vegetation and wind direction.

Cloud model-clustering analysis based evaluation for ventilation system of underground metal mine in alpine region

Ventilation system is significant in underground metal mine of alpine region.Reasonable evaluation of ventilation effectiveness will lead to a practical improvement for the maintenance and management of ventilation system.However,it is difficult to make an effective evaluation of ventilation system due to the lack of classification criteria with respect to underground metal mine in alpine region.This paper proposes a novel evaluation method called the cloud model-clustering analysis(CMCA).Cloud model(CM)is utilized to process collected data of ventilation system,and they are converted into cloud descriptors by CM.Cloud similarity(CS)based Euclidean distance(ED)is proposed to make clustering analysis of assessed samples.Then the classification of assessed samples will be identified by clustering analysis results.A case study is developed based on CMCA.Evaluation results show that ventilation effectiveness can be well classified.Moreover,CM is used alone to make comparison of evaluation results obtained by CMCA.Then the availability and validity of CMCA is verified.Meanwhile,difference of CS based ED and classical ED is analyzed.Two new clustering analysis methods are introduced to make comparison with CMCA.Then the ability of proposed CMCA to meet evaluation requirements of ventilation system is verified.

Reconstruction of surface deformation characteristics in alpine canyons under shadow conditions

Monitoring deformation in high undulating mountainous environments is critical for surface process research and disaster prevention studies. Although observations based on interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar(InSAR) are an excellent tool for monitoring deformation, the shadow phenomena can limit its application. Based on a series of geomorphic parameters and limited InSAR observation data, surface deformations were reconstructed in areas with missing observations by constructing a random forest model to compensate for the shadow phenomenon at the grid-scale. The findings suggest that this method can be used to rebuild landscape variation characteristics in places where observation data is lacking. The dominant slope direction in the observation area corresponded to a more significant correlation between the reconstructed topography deformation characteristics and the observation. In addition, when building this model, consideration was given to the geomorphic parameter selection, elevation variation, hypsometric integral value, slope form, lithology, slope variation,and aspect variation;these parameters can significantly affect the surface deformation, which is closely related to their spatial autocorrelation. These findings are significant for eliminating the shadow phenomenon, which often occurs in In SAR observations taken over alpine canyon regions. The terrain and lithology of the underlying surface should be considered when reconstructing the surface deformation characteristics of the shadow region by using satellite observation data.

Response of soil respiration to environmental and photosynthetic factors in different subalpine forest-cover types in a loess alpine hilly region

Soil respiration(Rs)is important for transport-ing or fixing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,and even diminutive variations can profoundly influence the carbon cycle.However,the R_(s) dynamics in a loess alpine hilly region with representative sensitivity to climate change and fragile ecology remains poorly understood.This study investigated the correlation and degree of control between R_(s) and its photosynthetic and environmental factors in five subalpine forest cover types.We examined the correlations between R_(s) and variables temperature(T_(10)) and soil moisture content at 10 cm depth(W_(10)),net photosynthetic rate(P_(n))and soil properties to establish multiple models,and the variables were measured for diurnal and monthly vari-ations from September 2018 to August 2019.The results showed that soil physical factors are not the main drivers of R_(s) dynamics at the diel scale;however,the trend in the monthly variation in R_(s) was consistent with that of T_(10)and P_(n).Further,R_(s) was significantly affected by pH,providing further evidence that coniferous forest leaves contribute to soil acidification,thus reducing R_(s).Significant exponential and linear correlations were established between R_(s) and T_(10)and W_(10),respectively,and R_(s) was positively correlated with P_(n).Accordingly,we established a two-factor model and a three-factor model,and the correlation coefficients(R_(2))was improved to different degrees compared with models based only on T_(10) and W_(10).Moreover,temperature sensitivity(Q_(10))was the highest in the secondary forest and lowest in the Larix principis-rupprechtii forest.Our findings suggest that the control of R_(s) by the environment(moisture and tempera-ture)and photosynthesis,which are interactive or comple-mentary effects,may influence spatial and temporal homeo-stasis in the region and showed that the models appropriately described the dynamic variation in R_(s) and the carbon cycle in different forest covers.In addition,total phosphorus(TP)and total potassium(TK)significantly affected the dynamic changes in R_(s).In summary,interannual and seasonal variations in forest R_(s) at multiple scales and the response forces of related ecophysiological factors,especially the interactive driving effects of soil temperature,soil moisture and photo-synthesis,were clarified,thus representing an important step in predicting the impact of climate change and formulating forest carbon management policies.

Sand-fixing characteristics of Carex brunnescens and its application with straw checkerboard technique in restoration of degraded alpine meadows

Carex brunnescens（Pers.）, a typical clonal species, is considered to be the only herb found to date that can develop on sand dunes in Maqu alpine region of northwestern China. However, the characteristics that C. brunnescens resists to harsh alpine environment have not been documented. In this study, we conducted a field investigation to determine the morphological, reproductive, and sand-fixing characteristics of C. brunnescens. Concomitantly, we transplanted the belowground rhizomes of C. brunnescens to sand dunes and compared the abilities to restore degraded alpine meadows among sand dunes that had no further treatment（SD＋N）, sand dunes that had straw checkerboard technique but no transplanted rhizomes of C. brunnescens（SD＋SCT）, and sand dunes that had both SCT and transplanted rhizomes of C. brunnescens（SD＋SCT＋P）. We found that belowground vertical rhizomes and horizontal rhizomes（including branching rhizomes and main rhizomes） of C. brunnescens were highly developed and that population reproduction was dominated by horizontal rhizomes. C. brunnescens exhibited a significant sand-fixation effect under following conditions： population density was 145–156 ramets/m^2, vegetation cover was 31.2%–39.3%, total length of belowground rhizomes was 11,223 cm/m^2, total length of belowground first-order roots was 9161–10,524 cm/m^2, fresh weight of aboveground part was 198.5–212.6 g/m^2, and fresh weight of belowground part was 578.8–612.4 g/m^2. It should be particularly noted that SD＋SCT＋P treatment（sand dunes that had both straw checkerboard technique and transplanted rhizomes of C. brunnescens） was the best and SD＋N（sand dunes that had no further treatment） was the worst in terms of following biotic indicators： total number of reproductive ramets, total number of belowground rhizomes, and fresh weight of aboveground and belowground parts of C. brunnescens, contents of soil organic carbon, available nitrogen, microbial biomass carbon, and microbial biomass nitrogen. It implies that applying SCT in sand dunes and transplanting belowground rhizomes to sand dunes with SCT could improve both soil fertility and growth of C. brunnescens. These results suggest that the SCT-promoted high reproductive abilities of belowground rhizomes of C. brunnescens can successfully facilitate the establishment of ramets and can thus be an effective strategy to restore degraded vegetation in Maqu alpine region of northwestern China.

Unusual hydrocarbon waxes detected in Salix oritrepha leaf from Nianbaoyeze Mountains, eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Plant biomarkers, such as hydrocarbon waxes, are frequently found in various sediments and could be adopted as paleovegetation and paleoclimate indicators. Nevertheless, scarce researches have focused on leaf waxes in higher plants of alpine region.Herein, hydrocarbon leaf wax components of Salix oritrepha, which flourish in Nianbaoyeze Mountains in eastern Tibetan Plateau were fully discussed. The n-alkane distribution in leaves ranges from n-C_(21) to nC_(29) with maxima at n-C_(25), which were entirely different with Salix taxa displayed in previous surveys in non-alpine regions. The unusual even carbon nalkenes from n-C_(22:1) to n-C_(30:1), which were thought to appear only in aquatic organisms, were firstly reported in an alpine plant. Additionally, iso-(2-methyl) alkanes, ranging from i-C_(23) to i-C_(29) with maxima at i-C_(25), which have been commonly reported in microorganisms, were also identified in an alpine plant for the first time. Unusual hydrocarbon distribution detected in Salix oritrepha leaf from Nianbaoyeze Mountains is most likely due to the extreme environment in such alpine region.

Review of pre-processing technologies for ice cores

High-resolution ice core records covering long time spans enable reconstruction of the past climatic and environmental conditions allowing the investigation of the earth system's evolution. Preprocessing of ice cores has direct impacts on the data quality control for further analysis since the conventional ice core processing is time-consuming, produces qualitative data, leads to ice mass loss, and leads to risks of potential secondary pollution. However, over the past several decades, preprocessing of ice cores has received less attention than the improvement of ice drilling, the analytical methodology of various indices, and the researches on the climatic and environmental significance of ice core records. Therefore, this papers reviews the development of the processing for ice cores including framework, design as well as materials, analyzes the technical advantages and disadvantages of the different systems. In the past, continuous flowanalysis(CFA) has been successfully applied to process the polar ice cores. However, it is not suitable for ice cores outside polar region because of high level of particles, the memory effect between samples, and the filtration before injection. Ice core processing is a subtle and professional operation due to the fragility of the nonmetallic materials and the random distribution of particles and air bubbles in ice cores, which aggravates uncertainty in the measurements. The future developments of CFA are discussed in preprocessing, memory effect, challenge for brittle ice, coupling with real-time analysis and optimization of CFA in the field. Furthermore, non-polluting cutters with many different configurations could be designed to cut and scrape in multiple directions and to separate inner and outer portions of the core. This system also needs to be coupled with streamlined operation of packaging, coding, and stacking that can be implemented at high resolution and rate, avoiding manual intervention. At the same time, information of the longitudinal sections could be scanned andidentified, and then classified to obtain quantitative data. In addition, irregular ice volume and weight can also be obtained accurately. These improvements are recorded automatically via user-friendly interfaces. These innovations may be applied to other paleomedias with similar features and needs.

Study on the Landcover Changes Based on GIS and RS Technologies: A Case Study of the Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve in the Hinterland Tibet Plateau, China

With global warming and increased human activity, more and more ground surface areas have been affected, which leads to the creation of many problems. To understand the ecological environment changes in a typical alpine region, information on landcovers changes in the study area from 2000 to 2020 was obtained by combining remote sensing, geographic information system, and traditional statistical analysis for the Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. The results show that the changes of surface cover in Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve are relatively concentrated, mainly distributed in the sections of south, northwest, central, and northeast, with the area of the changed regions and the unchanged regions being 31,127.45 km2 and 271,941.37 km2, respectively. The transformation between the various types of ground landcover is mainly characterized by a shift from other types to grassland and from grassland to bare land. And the regions of change are mostly concentrated between 3500 - 4600 m in elevation.

Driving Mechanism of Gross Primary Production Changes and Implications for Grassland Management on the Tibetan Plateau

The contribution of climatic change and anthropogenic activities to vegetation productivity are not fully understood.In this study,we determined potential climate-driven gross primary production(GPPp)using a process-based terrestrial ecosystem model,and actual gross primary production(GPPa)using MODIS Approach in alpine grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau from 2000 to 2015.The GPPa was influenced by both climatic change and anthropogenic activities.Gross primary production caused by anthropogenic activities(GPPh)was calculated as the difference between GPPp and GPPa.Approximately 75.63%and 24.37%of the area percentages of GPPa showed increasing and decreasing trends,respectively.Climatic change and anthropogenic activities were dominant factors responsible for approximately 42.90%and 32.72%of the increasing area percentage of GPPa,respectively.In contrast,climatic change and anthropogenic activities were responsible for approximately 16.88%and 7.49%of the decreasing area percentages of GPPa,respectively.The absolute values of the change trends of GPPp and GPPh of meadows were greater than those of steppes.The GPPp change values were greater than those of GPPh at all elevations,whereas both GPPp and GPPh showed decreasing trends when elevations were greater than or equal to 5000 m,4600 m and 4800 m in meadows,steppes and all grasslands,respectively.Climatic change had stronger effects on the GPPa changes when elevations were lower than 5000 m,4600 m and 4800 m in meadows,steppes and all grasslands,respectively.In contrast,anthropogenic activities had stronger effects on the GPPa changes when elevations were greater than or equal to 5000 m,4600 m and 4800 m in meadows,steppes and all grasslands,respectively.Therefore,the causes of actual gross primary production changes varied with elevations,regions and grassland types,and grassland classification management should be considered on the Tibetan Plateau.