Among fertilizer ingredients nitrogen is the one noted for biggest losses because its susceptibility to volatilize to the atmosphere and to be leached away from the soil. These losses depend on the level and mode of f...Among fertilizer ingredients nitrogen is the one noted for biggest losses because its susceptibility to volatilize to the atmosphere and to be leached away from the soil. These losses depend on the level and mode of fertilization. It appears that every year in Poland river waters transport to the Baltic Sea from the whole area about 180 thousand tons of the nutrient. The largest portion of this load is ascribed to agriculture. This study focused on the highland areas, which are commonly seen as a water supplying region owing to the fact that they cover about 35% of water need in the authors' country. Specificity of grassland fertilization in these lands is high contribution of natural fertilizers including dunging with fresh manure left by penned animals, particularly by sheep. Authors decided to assess the influence of dunging by folded sheep on meadow nitrogen balance and on its concentration in percolating water. It was demonstrated that a nitrogen balance was highly negative for each object, so the grassland plants supplied their needs in large part with nitrogen from mineralization of soil organic matter. Relatively high loads of nitrogen leached out of the folded objects indicate that nitrogen from mineral fertilizers is better utilized by grassland herbage and thus is much safer for soil and water environment.展开更多
The impact of summer cattle grazing on water quality during three very different climatic years in the Sierra Nevada was investigated. Water year 2009 had near normal precipitation;2010 had late precipitation and snow...The impact of summer cattle grazing on water quality during three very different climatic years in the Sierra Nevada was investigated. Water year 2009 had near normal precipitation;2010 had late precipitation and snowmelt;and 2011 had 150% above normal precipitation. Surface waters were tested for pathogenic bacteria indicators fecal coliform, E. coli, and total coliform before and after cattle were released onto summer grazing allotments. Water samples were collected from meadow stream sites up to 6 weeks before and up to 6 weeks after cattle grazing began. Streams passing through ungrazed meadow served as controls. Eight sample sites were between 1694 m and 2273 m in elevation;one site was lower at 1145 m in elevation. Samples were transported within 6 hours to a water analysis laboratory, where samples were analyzed following standardized laboratory methods. Results showed that individual site and total mean concentrations of E. coli in surface waters were within regulatory standards before cattle arrived during each of the 3 study years. After the beginning of grazing, mean E. coli counts increased as follows: 2009 from 8 to 240 CFU/100mL, 2010 from 7 to 561 CFU/10mL;2011 from 7 to 657 CFU/100mL (p < 0.05 all years). Total coliform bacteria and fecal coliform concentrations showed the same pattern. This study shows that cattle grazing in the high elevation Sierra Nevada results in a significant increase in indicator bacteria. This impact on the watersheds occurs despite widely variable annual climatic conditions.展开更多
Most soil respiration measurements are conducted during the growing season.In tundra and boreal forest ecosystems,cumulative,non-growing season soil CO2 fluxes are reported to be a significant component of these syst...Most soil respiration measurements are conducted during the growing season.In tundra and boreal forest ecosystems,cumulative,non-growing season soil CO2 fluxes are reported to be a significant component of these systems' annual carbon budgets.However,little information exists on soil CO2 efflux during the non-growing season from alpine ecosystems.Therefore,comparing measurements of soil respiration taken annually versus during the growing season will improve the accuracy of estimating ecosystem carbon budgets,as well as predicting the response of soil CO2 efflux to climate changes.In this study,we measured soil CO2 efflux and its spatial and temporal changes for different altitudes during the non-growing season in an alpine meadow located in the Qilian Mountains,Northwest China.Field experiments on the soil CO2 efflux of alpine meadow from the Qilian Mountains were conducted along an elevation gradient from October 2010 to April 2011.We measured the soil CO2 efflux,and analyzed the effects of soil water content and soil temperature on this measure.The results show that soil CO2 efflux gradually decreased along the elevation gradient during the non-growing season.The daily variation of soil CO2 efflux appeared as a single-peak curve.The soil CO2 efflux was low at night,with the lowest value occurring between 02:00-06:00.Then,values started to rise rapidly between 07:00-08:30,and then descend again between 16:00-18:30.The peak soil CO2 efflux appeared from 11:00 to 16:00.The soil CO2 efflux values gradually decreased from October to February of the next year and started to increase in March.Non-growing season Q10 (the multiplier to the respiration rate for a 10℃ increase in temperature) was increased with raising altitude and average Q10 of the Qilian Mountains was generally higher than the average growing season Q10 of the Heihe River Basin.Seasonally,non-growing season soil CO2 efflux was relatively high in October and early spring and low in the winter.The soil CO2 efflux was positively correlated with soil temperature and soil water content.Our results indicate that in alpine ecosystems,soil CO2 efflux continues throughout the non-growing season,and soil respiration is an important component of annual soil CO2 efflux.展开更多
文摘Among fertilizer ingredients nitrogen is the one noted for biggest losses because its susceptibility to volatilize to the atmosphere and to be leached away from the soil. These losses depend on the level and mode of fertilization. It appears that every year in Poland river waters transport to the Baltic Sea from the whole area about 180 thousand tons of the nutrient. The largest portion of this load is ascribed to agriculture. This study focused on the highland areas, which are commonly seen as a water supplying region owing to the fact that they cover about 35% of water need in the authors' country. Specificity of grassland fertilization in these lands is high contribution of natural fertilizers including dunging with fresh manure left by penned animals, particularly by sheep. Authors decided to assess the influence of dunging by folded sheep on meadow nitrogen balance and on its concentration in percolating water. It was demonstrated that a nitrogen balance was highly negative for each object, so the grassland plants supplied their needs in large part with nitrogen from mineralization of soil organic matter. Relatively high loads of nitrogen leached out of the folded objects indicate that nitrogen from mineral fertilizers is better utilized by grassland herbage and thus is much safer for soil and water environment.
文摘The impact of summer cattle grazing on water quality during three very different climatic years in the Sierra Nevada was investigated. Water year 2009 had near normal precipitation;2010 had late precipitation and snowmelt;and 2011 had 150% above normal precipitation. Surface waters were tested for pathogenic bacteria indicators fecal coliform, E. coli, and total coliform before and after cattle were released onto summer grazing allotments. Water samples were collected from meadow stream sites up to 6 weeks before and up to 6 weeks after cattle grazing began. Streams passing through ungrazed meadow served as controls. Eight sample sites were between 1694 m and 2273 m in elevation;one site was lower at 1145 m in elevation. Samples were transported within 6 hours to a water analysis laboratory, where samples were analyzed following standardized laboratory methods. Results showed that individual site and total mean concentrations of E. coli in surface waters were within regulatory standards before cattle arrived during each of the 3 study years. After the beginning of grazing, mean E. coli counts increased as follows: 2009 from 8 to 240 CFU/100mL, 2010 from 7 to 561 CFU/10mL;2011 from 7 to 657 CFU/100mL (p < 0.05 all years). Total coliform bacteria and fecal coliform concentrations showed the same pattern. This study shows that cattle grazing in the high elevation Sierra Nevada results in a significant increase in indicator bacteria. This impact on the watersheds occurs despite widely variable annual climatic conditions.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31270482,41101026,91025002)the Natural Science Foundation of Gansu Province(1107RJZA089)+1 种基金the West Light Foundation of the Chinese Academy of Sciencesthe National Key Technology R & D Program(2012BAC08B05)
文摘Most soil respiration measurements are conducted during the growing season.In tundra and boreal forest ecosystems,cumulative,non-growing season soil CO2 fluxes are reported to be a significant component of these systems' annual carbon budgets.However,little information exists on soil CO2 efflux during the non-growing season from alpine ecosystems.Therefore,comparing measurements of soil respiration taken annually versus during the growing season will improve the accuracy of estimating ecosystem carbon budgets,as well as predicting the response of soil CO2 efflux to climate changes.In this study,we measured soil CO2 efflux and its spatial and temporal changes for different altitudes during the non-growing season in an alpine meadow located in the Qilian Mountains,Northwest China.Field experiments on the soil CO2 efflux of alpine meadow from the Qilian Mountains were conducted along an elevation gradient from October 2010 to April 2011.We measured the soil CO2 efflux,and analyzed the effects of soil water content and soil temperature on this measure.The results show that soil CO2 efflux gradually decreased along the elevation gradient during the non-growing season.The daily variation of soil CO2 efflux appeared as a single-peak curve.The soil CO2 efflux was low at night,with the lowest value occurring between 02:00-06:00.Then,values started to rise rapidly between 07:00-08:30,and then descend again between 16:00-18:30.The peak soil CO2 efflux appeared from 11:00 to 16:00.The soil CO2 efflux values gradually decreased from October to February of the next year and started to increase in March.Non-growing season Q10 (the multiplier to the respiration rate for a 10℃ increase in temperature) was increased with raising altitude and average Q10 of the Qilian Mountains was generally higher than the average growing season Q10 of the Heihe River Basin.Seasonally,non-growing season soil CO2 efflux was relatively high in October and early spring and low in the winter.The soil CO2 efflux was positively correlated with soil temperature and soil water content.Our results indicate that in alpine ecosystems,soil CO2 efflux continues throughout the non-growing season,and soil respiration is an important component of annual soil CO2 efflux.