Biotic indicators have been widely used to monitor wetland health. However, few studies have explicitly evaluated if plant diversity could serve as a useful community-level indicator of wetland stability,especially wh...Biotic indicators have been widely used to monitor wetland health. However, few studies have explicitly evaluated if plant diversity could serve as a useful community-level indicator of wetland stability,especially when wetlands are confronted with anthropogenic perturbations. Based on three-year record of wetland plant species abundance in Napahai plateau wetland, Shangri-la under the influence of varying anthropogenic perturbation types, our study tests the impact of such perturbations on plant richness and the relationship between ecosystem temporal stability and plant richness, and further assesses the effectiveness of using plant diversity indicator to probe ecosystem temporal stability of Napahai plateau wetland and the potential mechanisms. The results showed that anthropogenic perturbations could have contributed significantly to realistic variation in plant diversity, and further demonstrated that ecosystem temporal stability was positively related to realistic variation in plant diversity. In particular, communities with high levels of diversity might have better capacity to dampen perturbation impacts than communities with low levels of diversity, and statistical averaging could have played an important role in causing greater stability in more diverse communities. Also, asynchrony might have a stabilizing effect on community stability, and diversity could have stabilized communities through both species asynchrony and population stability propagation. Therefore, our results suggest that plant diversity could be used as a useful indicator of the stability conditions of plateau wetland ecosystems confronted with anthropogenic perturbations, and the preservation of plant communities at sufficient abundance and diversity is necessary for maintaining healthy plateau wetlands and for sustaining their essential ecosystem functions and services.展开更多
In this paper a geomorphic-centered system was proposed for classifying the wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in western China, where the flora comprises primarily grasses. Although the geomorphic properties (e.g....In this paper a geomorphic-centered system was proposed for classifying the wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in western China, where the flora comprises primarily grasses. Although the geomorphic properties (e.g., elevation and morphology) of wetlands form the primary criteria of classification, this system also takes hydrological processes into implicit consideration. It represents an improvement over the hydrogeomorphic perspective as the relative importance of the two components (wetness and landform) of wetlands is clearly differentiated. This geomorphic-centered perspective yields insights into the hydrogeomorphic dynamics of plateau wetlands while indicates their vulnerability to change and degradation indirectly. According to this geomorphic-centered perspective, all plateau wetlands fall into one of the seven types of alpine, piedmont, valley, terrace, floodplain, lacustrine, and riverine in three elevational categories of upland, midland, and lowland. Upland (alpine and piedmont) wetlands with the steepest topography are the most sensitive to change whereas midland (floodplain, terrace and valley) wetlands are less vulnerable to degradation owing to a high water reserve except terrace wetlands. They have a dry surface caused by infrequent hydrological replenishment owing to their higher elevation than the channel. Low lying (lacustrine and riverine) wetlands are the most resilient. The geomorphic-centered perspective developed in this paper provides a framework for improving recognition and management of wetlands on the Plateau. Resilient wetlands can be grazed more intensively without the risk of degradation. Fragile and vulnerable wetlands require careful managementto avoid degradation.展开更多
Zoige Plateau wetlands are located in the northeastern corner of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.The landscape pattern evolution processes in the Zoige Plateau and their driving factors were identified by analyzing the dyna...Zoige Plateau wetlands are located in the northeastern corner of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.The landscape pattern evolution processes in the Zoige Plateau and their driving factors were identified by analyzing the dynamic changes in landscape modification and conversion and their dynamic rates of alpine wetlands over the past four decades.The results showed that the landscape conversion between wetlands and non-wetlands mainly occurred during the period from 1966 to 1986.The marsh wetland area converted from lake and river wetlands was larger because of swamping compared to other wetland landscapes.Meanwhile,the larger area of marsh wetlands was also converted to lake wetlands more than other types of wetlands.The modification processes mainly occurred among natural wetland landscapes in the first three periods.Obvious conversions were observed between wetland and nonwetland landscapes(i.e.,forestland,grassland,and other landscapes) in the Zoige Plateau.These natural wetland landscapes such as river,lake and marsh wetlands showed a net loss over the past four decades,whereas artificial wetland landscapes(i.e.,paddy field and reservoir and pond wetlands) showed a net decrease.The annual dynamic rate of the whole wetland landscape was 0.72%,in which the annual dynamic rate of river wetlands was the highest,followed by lake wetlands,while marsh wetlands had the lowest dynamic rate.The integrated landscape dynamic rate showed a decreasing trend in the first three periods.The changes in wetland landscape patterns were comprehensively controlled by natural factors and human activities,especially human activities play an important role in changing wetland landscape patterns.展开更多
Unique plateau wetlands in China provide essential ecosystem functions and services and influence the health,environment and security of the downstream regions.In recent years,these plateau wetlands have experienced s...Unique plateau wetlands in China provide essential ecosystem functions and services and influence the health,environment and security of the downstream regions.In recent years,these plateau wetlands have experienced significant anthropogenic disturbance,but studies that evaluate the effects of such disturbance on ecological stability are rare.Our study tested how three typical types of human-related activities affect plant richness and ecological stability in Napahai plateau wetland,Shangri-La,China.The results showed that the anthropogenic disturbance had a direct effect on richness,and an indirect effect on stability mediated by richness.Anthropogenic disturbance did not alter the positive relationship between plant richness and community stability,and the stabilizing effect of richness could be explained by statistical averaging,overyielding effect,and component population stability.Our study complements previous studies that tested the richness-stability relationships in synthesized assemblages with richness specifically manipulated and studies that introduced mowing treatment to mimic real anthropogenic disturbance.The results further suggest that necessary steps,such as anthropogenic disturbance mitigation and plant richness conservation,are urgently required for maintaining healthy plateau wetlands and for sustaining their ecosystem functions and services.展开更多
The wetlands on the Zoige Plateau have experienced serious degradation,with most of the original marsh being converted to marsh meadow or meadow.Based on the 3 wetland degradation stages,we determined the effects of w...The wetlands on the Zoige Plateau have experienced serious degradation,with most of the original marsh being converted to marsh meadow or meadow.Based on the 3 wetland degradation stages,we determined the effects of wetland degradation on the structure and relative abundance of nitrogencycling(nitrogen-fixing,ammonia-oxidizing,and denitrifying) microbial communities in 3 soil types(intact wetland:marsh soil;early degrading wetland:marsh meadow soil;and degraded wetland:meadow soil) using 454-pyrosequencing.The structure and relative abundance of nitrogen-cycling microbial communities differed in the 3 soil types.Proteobacteria was the predominant phylum in most soil samples but the most abundant soil nitrogenfixing and denitrifying microbial bacteria differed at the class,order,family,and genus levels among the 3soil types.At the genus level,the majority of nitrogenfixing bacterium sequences related to Bradyrhizobium were from marsh and marsh meadow soils;whereas those related to Geobacter originated from meadow soil.The majority of ammonia-oxidizing bacterium sequences related to Nitrosospira were from marsh(except for the 40-60 cm layer),marsh meadow and meadow soils;whereas those related to Candidatus Solibacter originated from 40-60 cm layer of marsh soil.The majority of denitrifying bacterium sequences related to Candidatus Solibacter and Anaeromyxobacter were from marsh and meadow soils;whereas those related to Herbaspirillum originated from meadow soil.The distribution of operational taxonomic units(OTUs)and species were correlated with soil type based upon Venn and Principal Coordinates Analysis(PCoA).Changes in soil type,caused by different water regimes were the most important factors influencing compositional changes in the nitrogen-fixing,ammonia-oxidizing,and denitrifying microbial communities.展开更多
The decomposition of plant litter is a key process in the flows of energy and nutrients in ecosystems. However, the response of litter decomposition to global climate warming in plateau wetlands remains largely unknow...The decomposition of plant litter is a key process in the flows of energy and nutrients in ecosystems. However, the response of litter decomposition to global climate warming in plateau wetlands remains largely unknown. In this study, we conducted a one-year litter decomposition experiment along an elevation gradient from 1891 m to 3260 m on the Yunnan Plateau of Southwest China, using different litter types to determine the influences of climate change, litter quality and microenvironment on the decomposition rate. The results showed that the average decomposition rate(K) increased from 0.608 to 1.152, and the temperature sensitivity of litter mass losses was approximately 4.98%/℃ along the declining elevation gradient. Based on a correlation analysis, N concentrations and C︰N ratios in the litter were the best predictors of the decomposition rate, with significantly positive and negative correlations, respectively. Additionally, the cumulative effects of decomposition were clearly observed in the mixtures of Scirpus tabernaemontani and Zizania caduciflora. Moreover, the litter decomposition rate in the water was higher than that in the sediment, especially in high-elevation areas where the microenvironment was significantly affected by temperature. These results suggest that future climate warming will have significant impacts on plateau wetlands, which have important functions in biogeochemical cycling in cold highland ecosystems.展开更多
[ Objective] The aim was to discuss the distribution of plant community in lakeshore wetland of Yunnan Plateau. [ Method ] Taking sever- al lakes in Yunnan Plateau as example, the distribution characteristics and rule...[ Objective] The aim was to discuss the distribution of plant community in lakeshore wetland of Yunnan Plateau. [ Method ] Taking sever- al lakes in Yunnan Plateau as example, the distribution characteristics and rules of plant community in lakeshore wetland of Yunnan Plateau were discussed. The degradation and causes of lakeshore wetland were analyzed. [ Resultl The wetland plants were characterized by reduction of the aquatic plant species, the decline of the species diversity and the biomass. Fast breeding vegetation with high fat and pollution tolerance, strong adaptability was easy to form a single optimal community. Some representative and sensitive to pollution plants deteriorated or destroyed. These phenomena reflected the changes of water quality, the worse pollution, eutrophication and the acceleration of turning wetland to land. The causes of wetland degradation and biodiversity included increase of population pressure, industrial and agricultural development, advance of urbanization, unreasonable cultivation, over-exploitation and eutrophication, etc. [ Conclusion] The study provided theoretical basis for the protection, environ- ment evaluation and sustainable development of lakeshore wetland.展开更多
The high Zoige Basin (Ruoergai Plateau) on the eastern Tibetan Plateau is a fault depression formed during intensive uplifting of the Tibetan Plateau. The wetland is globally important in biodiversity and is composed ...The high Zoige Basin (Ruoergai Plateau) on the eastern Tibetan Plateau is a fault depression formed during intensive uplifting of the Tibetan Plateau. The wetland is globally important in biodiversity and is composed of marshes,bogs,fens,wet meadows and shallow water interspersed with low hills and sub-alpine meadows. Most of the Zoige wetlands have long been one of the most important grazing lands in China. Recent rangeland policy has allowed grazing,and usable wetland areas have been being legally allocated to individuals or groups of households on a long-term lease basis. Privatization of the wetland has impacted the Zoige wetlands in aspects of hydrologic condition,landscape and biodiversity. The uneven spatial distribution of water resources on private lands has led to the practice of extracting ground water,which has decreased the perched water table in Zoige. Fencing off the rangelands and grazing on expanding sand dunes have affected landscapes. Variation in the water table has led to the changes in vegetation diversity,resulting in the changes in wildlife and aquatic diversities and ecosystem processes. Making use all year round of the pasture that was previously grazed only in summer has shrunk the daily activity space of wildlife,and the newly erected fences blocked the movement of wild animals looking for food in the snow to lower and open areas. To maintain the favorable conditions of the Zoige wetland ecosystem,the author suggests that,in addition to biophysical research and implementation of conservation practices,there is an immediate need to initiate an integrated management program,increase public awareness of wetland functions and provide better training for the local conservation staff.展开更多
The alpine wetlands in QTP(Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau)have been profoundly impacted along with global climate changes.We employ satellite datasets and climate data to explore the relationships between alpine wetlands and...The alpine wetlands in QTP(Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau)have been profoundly impacted along with global climate changes.We employ satellite datasets and climate data to explore the relationships between alpine wetlands and climate changes based on remote sensing data.Results show that:1)the wetland NDVI(Normalized Difference Vegetation Index)and GPP(Gross Primary Production)were more sensitive to air temperature than to precipitation rate.The wetland ET(evapotranspiration)across alpine wetlands was greatly correlated with precipitation rate.2)Alpine wetlands responses to climate changes varied spatially and temporally due to different geographic environments,variety of wetland formation and human disturbances.3)The vegetation responses of the Zoige wetland was the most noticeable and related to the temperature,while the GPP and NDVI of the Qiangtang Plateau and Gyaring-Ngoring Lake were significantly correlated with both temperature and precipitation.4)ET in the Zoige wetland showed a significantly positive trend,while ET in Maidika wetland and the Qiangtang plateau showed a negative trend,implying wetland degradation in those two wetland regions.The complexities of the impacts of climate changes on alpine wetlands indicate the necessity of further study to understand and conserve alpine wetland ecosystems.展开更多
Accurate wetland delineation is the basis of wetland definition and mapping, and is of great importance for wetland management and research. The Zoigê Plateau on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was used as a research s...Accurate wetland delineation is the basis of wetland definition and mapping, and is of great importance for wetland management and research. The Zoigê Plateau on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was used as a research site for research on alpine wetland delineation. Several studies have analyzed the spatiotemporal pattern and dynamics of these alpine wetlands, but none have addressed the issues of wetland boundaries. The objective of this work was to discriminate the upper boundaries of alpine wetlands by coupling ecological methods and satellite observations. The combination of Landsat 8 images and supervised classification was an effective method for rapid identification of alpine wetlands in the Zoigê Plateau. Wet meadow was relatively stable compared with hydric soils and wetland hydrology and could be used as a primary indicator for discriminating the upper boundaries of alpine wetlands. A slope of less than 4.5° could be used as the threshold value for wetland delineation. The normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI) in 434 field sites showed that a threshold value of 0.3 could distinguish grasslands from emergent marsh and wet meadow in September. The median normalized difference water index(NDWI) of emergent marsh remained more stable than that of wet meadow and grasslands during the period from September until July of the following year. The index of mean density in wet meadow zones was higher than the emergent and upland zones. Over twice the number of species occurred in the wet meadow zone compared with the emergent zone, and close to the value of upland zone. Alpine wetlands in the three reserves in 2014 covered 1175.19 km2 with a classification accuracy of 75.6%. The combination of ecological methods and remote sensing technology will play an important role in wetland delineation at medium and small scales. The correct differentiation between wet meadow and grasslands is the key to improving the accuracy of future wetland delineation.展开更多
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau encompasses a large quantity of wetlands, some of which have been degraded to varying severity levels. In the literature, a number of degradation indicators have been proposed to evaluate eco...The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau encompasses a large quantity of wetlands, some of which have been degraded to varying severity levels. In the literature, a number of degradation indicators have been proposed to evaluate ecological health of wetlands, but their effectiveness in the plateau environment remains unknown. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of three degradation indicators, soil moisture content at 10 cm deep, vegetative cover, and density of pika burrows. The degradation severity of wetlands in Maduo County on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is enumerated at four levels, intact, slight, moderate and severe. Analysis of 106 samples collected in the field demonstrates that the density of pika burrows is the least reliable indicator. By comparison, vegetative cover and underlying soil moisture content are more reliable, even though neither is a perfect indicator as the difference among adjacent levels of severity as revealed by t-test is not always statistically significant. The imperfection of vegetative cover as an indicator is due to its variation among different types of wetlands. The limitation of moisture content is attributed to its non-linear relationship with wetland degradation. Above the threshold of about 50% in moisture content wetlands are unlikely to be degraded. It is recommended that moisture be measured at the point near the surface and vegetative cover be further differentiated by species in order to improve their effectiveness.展开更多
The Zoige Wetland is located in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, which is highly sensitive to global environment change and human disturbance because of its high elevation and cold environment, thus, it's a ...The Zoige Wetland is located in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, which is highly sensitive to global environment change and human disturbance because of its high elevation and cold environment, thus, it's a hotspot for land use and land cover change (LUCC) research. We used Landsat MSS images from 1975, Landsat ETM images from 2000, and Landsat TM images fi:om 1990 and 2005 to assess the LUCC in the study area, using GIS techniques, as well as topographic, vegetation, and soil maps combined with field investigations. The monitoring result shows that the study area's environment degraded rapidly between 1975 and 2005, including wetland shrinkage from 5,308 km2 to 4,980 lan2, sandy land expansion from 112 krn2 to 137 krn2, forest land decreasing from 5,686 km2 to 5,443 km2, and grassland degradation from 12,309 km2 to 10,672 km2. According to the analysis of meteorological data and social-economic statistical data, we concluded that the LUCC in the Zoige Wetland was caused by both natural and anthropogenic factors, but human activities were primarily responsible for the observed LUCC, thereby, we suggest human behaviors must be adjusted to control environmental degradation.展开更多
Wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau(QTP) perform a dazzling array of vital ecological functions and are one of the most fragile ecosystems in the world. Timely and accurate information describing wetland resources...Wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau(QTP) perform a dazzling array of vital ecological functions and are one of the most fragile ecosystems in the world. Timely and accurate information describing wetland resources and their changes over time is becoming more important in their protection and conservation. By using remote sensing data, this study intended to investigate spatial distribution and temporal variations of wetlands on the QTP at different watershed scales from 1970 s to 2010 s. Results show that wetlands on the QTP have undergone widespread degradation from 1970 s to 2010 s, with nearly 6.4% of their area being lost. Areas of freshwater marsh, salt marsh and wet meadow declined by 46.6%, 53.9% and 15.6%, respectively, while lake area increased by 14.6%. The most extensive losses of natural wetlands have occurred in endorheic basins, such as in the Kunlun-Altun-Qilian Drainage Basin and Qiangtang Basin, which shrank by 44.5% and 33.1%, respectively. A pronounced increase in temperature tends to facilitate the evaporation process and reduce water availability for wetlands. One-third of the wetlands on the QTP are under threat of being submerged due to lakes rising in recent years. More research is needed to gain insight into the interaction mechanisms behind observed variations and potential impacts from further warming in the future.展开更多
环境DNA(eDNA)技术作为新兴生物多样性监测方法,具有非侵入性、高效性及灵敏性的特点.为探究基于宏基因组测序的eDNA技术对喀斯特湖泊硅藻监测的适用性,以贵州草海为例,采集草海湖滨带的水样及表层沉积物样品,运用宏基因组学与eDNA相结...环境DNA(eDNA)技术作为新兴生物多样性监测方法,具有非侵入性、高效性及灵敏性的特点.为探究基于宏基因组测序的eDNA技术对喀斯特湖泊硅藻监测的适用性,以贵州草海为例,采集草海湖滨带的水样及表层沉积物样品,运用宏基因组学与eDNA相结合的方法,分析浮游及沉积硅藻的群落组成、生物多样性及KEGG代谢功能.结果表明:①草海硅藻群落共注释到4纲23目36科54属78种,在科分类阶元上以舟形藻科和海链藻科为优势类群.硅藻群落的Chao1指数平均值为42.88±15.35,Shannon-Wiener指数平均值为2.09±0.29.②硅藻群落KEGG通路功能最具代表性的是全局和概述图谱(global and overview maps),其次是能量代谢、翻译;优势KO基因主要为atpF基因、secA基因、rplT基因、rpoA基因、argH基因.③主坐标分析(PCoA)和相似性分析(ANOSIM)表明硅藻群落存在显著的环境介质差异;LEfSe分析揭示浮游硅藻群落的差异标志物主要为海链藻属(Thalassiosira)、小环藻属(Cyclotella),沉积硅藻主要是管状藻属(Fistulifera)、褐指藻属(Phaeodactylum)、微壳藻属(Nanofrustulum)等;Wilcoxon秩和检验表明,浮游硅藻的差异基因集中在叶酸生物合成通路、嘧啶代谢,沉积硅藻的差异基因集中在光合作用、氧化磷酸化等代谢功能.研究显示,高灵敏性的eDNA宏基因组技术能有效描述草海湖泊硅藻群落及多样性,在喀斯特湖泊生物多样性监测及水生态环境健康评估具有广阔的应用前景.展开更多
Climate data during 1971-2010 showed that mo st areas of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau showed warm wet climate change type dominated by temperature and humidity increase.Temperature increase magnitude was the smallest in spri...Climate data during 1971-2010 showed that mo st areas of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau showed warm wet climate change type dominated by temperature and humidity increase.Temperature increase magnitude was the smallest in spring and the largest in winter,and the precipitation increased at the low-altitude area and decreased at high altitude.The warm wet climate change caused Qinghai-Tibet Plateau alpine grassland degradation,reduction of glacier and frozen soil,wetland reduction and other environmental problems.展开更多
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China and Yunnan province (Grant No.U0933601)Natural Science Foundation of Yunnan (Grant No.2009CC024)+1 种基金National Basic Research Program of China/973 Program (Grant No.2010CB434807)he Middle Aged Academic and Technical Leader Project of Yunnan Province (Grant No.2010CI016)
文摘Biotic indicators have been widely used to monitor wetland health. However, few studies have explicitly evaluated if plant diversity could serve as a useful community-level indicator of wetland stability,especially when wetlands are confronted with anthropogenic perturbations. Based on three-year record of wetland plant species abundance in Napahai plateau wetland, Shangri-la under the influence of varying anthropogenic perturbation types, our study tests the impact of such perturbations on plant richness and the relationship between ecosystem temporal stability and plant richness, and further assesses the effectiveness of using plant diversity indicator to probe ecosystem temporal stability of Napahai plateau wetland and the potential mechanisms. The results showed that anthropogenic perturbations could have contributed significantly to realistic variation in plant diversity, and further demonstrated that ecosystem temporal stability was positively related to realistic variation in plant diversity. In particular, communities with high levels of diversity might have better capacity to dampen perturbation impacts than communities with low levels of diversity, and statistical averaging could have played an important role in causing greater stability in more diverse communities. Also, asynchrony might have a stabilizing effect on community stability, and diversity could have stabilized communities through both species asynchrony and population stability propagation. Therefore, our results suggest that plant diversity could be used as a useful indicator of the stability conditions of plateau wetland ecosystems confronted with anthropogenic perturbations, and the preservation of plant communities at sufficient abundance and diversity is necessary for maintaining healthy plateau wetlands and for sustaining their essential ecosystem functions and services.
基金supported by Program of International S&T Cooperation,the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China(Grant No.2011DFA20820)International Science&Technology Cooperation Program of China,MOST(Grant No.2011DFG93160)+1 种基金the Qinghai Science and Technology Department(Grant No.2009-J-806)Department of International Exchange&Cooperation of the Ministry of Education(Grant Nos.2009-1599,2010-1595)
文摘In this paper a geomorphic-centered system was proposed for classifying the wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in western China, where the flora comprises primarily grasses. Although the geomorphic properties (e.g., elevation and morphology) of wetlands form the primary criteria of classification, this system also takes hydrological processes into implicit consideration. It represents an improvement over the hydrogeomorphic perspective as the relative importance of the two components (wetness and landform) of wetlands is clearly differentiated. This geomorphic-centered perspective yields insights into the hydrogeomorphic dynamics of plateau wetlands while indicates their vulnerability to change and degradation indirectly. According to this geomorphic-centered perspective, all plateau wetlands fall into one of the seven types of alpine, piedmont, valley, terrace, floodplain, lacustrine, and riverine in three elevational categories of upland, midland, and lowland. Upland (alpine and piedmont) wetlands with the steepest topography are the most sensitive to change whereas midland (floodplain, terrace and valley) wetlands are less vulnerable to degradation owing to a high water reserve except terrace wetlands. They have a dry surface caused by infrequent hydrological replenishment owing to their higher elevation than the channel. Low lying (lacustrine and riverine) wetlands are the most resilient. The geomorphic-centered perspective developed in this paper provides a framework for improving recognition and management of wetlands on the Plateau. Resilient wetlands can be grazed more intensively without the risk of degradation. Fragile and vulnerable wetlands require careful managementto avoid degradation.
基金financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No. 51179006)China National Funds for Distinguished Young Scientists (Grant No.51125035)+2 种基金National Science Foundation for Innovative Research Group (Grant No. 51121003)the Program for New Century Excellent Talents in University (NECT-10-0235)the Fok Ying Tung Foundation (Grant No. 132009)
文摘Zoige Plateau wetlands are located in the northeastern corner of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.The landscape pattern evolution processes in the Zoige Plateau and their driving factors were identified by analyzing the dynamic changes in landscape modification and conversion and their dynamic rates of alpine wetlands over the past four decades.The results showed that the landscape conversion between wetlands and non-wetlands mainly occurred during the period from 1966 to 1986.The marsh wetland area converted from lake and river wetlands was larger because of swamping compared to other wetland landscapes.Meanwhile,the larger area of marsh wetlands was also converted to lake wetlands more than other types of wetlands.The modification processes mainly occurred among natural wetland landscapes in the first three periods.Obvious conversions were observed between wetland and nonwetland landscapes(i.e.,forestland,grassland,and other landscapes) in the Zoige Plateau.These natural wetland landscapes such as river,lake and marsh wetlands showed a net loss over the past four decades,whereas artificial wetland landscapes(i.e.,paddy field and reservoir and pond wetlands) showed a net decrease.The annual dynamic rate of the whole wetland landscape was 0.72%,in which the annual dynamic rate of river wetlands was the highest,followed by lake wetlands,while marsh wetlands had the lowest dynamic rate.The integrated landscape dynamic rate showed a decreasing trend in the first three periods.The changes in wetland landscape patterns were comprehensively controlled by natural factors and human activities,especially human activities play an important role in changing wetland landscape patterns.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China and Yunnan Province (U0933601)National Basic Research Program of China (2010CB434807)the Middle Aged Academic and Technical Leader Project of Yunnan Province (2010CI016).
文摘Unique plateau wetlands in China provide essential ecosystem functions and services and influence the health,environment and security of the downstream regions.In recent years,these plateau wetlands have experienced significant anthropogenic disturbance,but studies that evaluate the effects of such disturbance on ecological stability are rare.Our study tested how three typical types of human-related activities affect plant richness and ecological stability in Napahai plateau wetland,Shangri-La,China.The results showed that the anthropogenic disturbance had a direct effect on richness,and an indirect effect on stability mediated by richness.Anthropogenic disturbance did not alter the positive relationship between plant richness and community stability,and the stabilizing effect of richness could be explained by statistical averaging,overyielding effect,and component population stability.Our study complements previous studies that tested the richness-stability relationships in synthesized assemblages with richness specifically manipulated and studies that introduced mowing treatment to mimic real anthropogenic disturbance.The results further suggest that necessary steps,such as anthropogenic disturbance mitigation and plant richness conservation,are urgently required for maintaining healthy plateau wetlands and for sustaining their ecosystem functions and services.
基金financially supported by the 11th Five Years Key Programs for Science and Technology Development of China (Grant No.2007BAC18B03)
文摘The wetlands on the Zoige Plateau have experienced serious degradation,with most of the original marsh being converted to marsh meadow or meadow.Based on the 3 wetland degradation stages,we determined the effects of wetland degradation on the structure and relative abundance of nitrogencycling(nitrogen-fixing,ammonia-oxidizing,and denitrifying) microbial communities in 3 soil types(intact wetland:marsh soil;early degrading wetland:marsh meadow soil;and degraded wetland:meadow soil) using 454-pyrosequencing.The structure and relative abundance of nitrogen-cycling microbial communities differed in the 3 soil types.Proteobacteria was the predominant phylum in most soil samples but the most abundant soil nitrogenfixing and denitrifying microbial bacteria differed at the class,order,family,and genus levels among the 3soil types.At the genus level,the majority of nitrogenfixing bacterium sequences related to Bradyrhizobium were from marsh and marsh meadow soils;whereas those related to Geobacter originated from meadow soil.The majority of ammonia-oxidizing bacterium sequences related to Nitrosospira were from marsh(except for the 40-60 cm layer),marsh meadow and meadow soils;whereas those related to Candidatus Solibacter originated from 40-60 cm layer of marsh soil.The majority of denitrifying bacterium sequences related to Candidatus Solibacter and Anaeromyxobacter were from marsh and meadow soils;whereas those related to Herbaspirillum originated from meadow soil.The distribution of operational taxonomic units(OTUs)and species were correlated with soil type based upon Venn and Principal Coordinates Analysis(PCoA).Changes in soil type,caused by different water regimes were the most important factors influencing compositional changes in the nitrogen-fixing,ammonia-oxidizing,and denitrifying microbial communities.
基金Under the auspices of Special Projects of National Key Basic Research Program of China(No.2012CB426509)National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.40971285,31370497,31500409)Yunnan Innovation Talents of Science and Technology Plan of China(No.2012HC007)
文摘The decomposition of plant litter is a key process in the flows of energy and nutrients in ecosystems. However, the response of litter decomposition to global climate warming in plateau wetlands remains largely unknown. In this study, we conducted a one-year litter decomposition experiment along an elevation gradient from 1891 m to 3260 m on the Yunnan Plateau of Southwest China, using different litter types to determine the influences of climate change, litter quality and microenvironment on the decomposition rate. The results showed that the average decomposition rate(K) increased from 0.608 to 1.152, and the temperature sensitivity of litter mass losses was approximately 4.98%/℃ along the declining elevation gradient. Based on a correlation analysis, N concentrations and C︰N ratios in the litter were the best predictors of the decomposition rate, with significantly positive and negative correlations, respectively. Additionally, the cumulative effects of decomposition were clearly observed in the mixtures of Scirpus tabernaemontani and Zizania caduciflora. Moreover, the litter decomposition rate in the water was higher than that in the sediment, especially in high-elevation areas where the microenvironment was significantly affected by temperature. These results suggest that future climate warming will have significant impacts on plateau wetlands, which have important functions in biogeochemical cycling in cold highland ecosystems.
基金Supported by National Natural Scientific Fund Committee--Yunnan People's Government Fund Program (U0933601)
文摘[ Objective] The aim was to discuss the distribution of plant community in lakeshore wetland of Yunnan Plateau. [ Method ] Taking sever- al lakes in Yunnan Plateau as example, the distribution characteristics and rules of plant community in lakeshore wetland of Yunnan Plateau were discussed. The degradation and causes of lakeshore wetland were analyzed. [ Resultl The wetland plants were characterized by reduction of the aquatic plant species, the decline of the species diversity and the biomass. Fast breeding vegetation with high fat and pollution tolerance, strong adaptability was easy to form a single optimal community. Some representative and sensitive to pollution plants deteriorated or destroyed. These phenomena reflected the changes of water quality, the worse pollution, eutrophication and the acceleration of turning wetland to land. The causes of wetland degradation and biodiversity included increase of population pressure, industrial and agricultural development, advance of urbanization, unreasonable cultivation, over-exploitation and eutrophication, etc. [ Conclusion] The study provided theoretical basis for the protection, environ- ment evaluation and sustainable development of lakeshore wetland.
文摘The high Zoige Basin (Ruoergai Plateau) on the eastern Tibetan Plateau is a fault depression formed during intensive uplifting of the Tibetan Plateau. The wetland is globally important in biodiversity and is composed of marshes,bogs,fens,wet meadows and shallow water interspersed with low hills and sub-alpine meadows. Most of the Zoige wetlands have long been one of the most important grazing lands in China. Recent rangeland policy has allowed grazing,and usable wetland areas have been being legally allocated to individuals or groups of households on a long-term lease basis. Privatization of the wetland has impacted the Zoige wetlands in aspects of hydrologic condition,landscape and biodiversity. The uneven spatial distribution of water resources on private lands has led to the practice of extracting ground water,which has decreased the perched water table in Zoige. Fencing off the rangelands and grazing on expanding sand dunes have affected landscapes. Variation in the water table has led to the changes in vegetation diversity,resulting in the changes in wildlife and aquatic diversities and ecosystem processes. Making use all year round of the pasture that was previously grazed only in summer has shrunk the daily activity space of wildlife,and the newly erected fences blocked the movement of wild animals looking for food in the snow to lower and open areas. To maintain the favorable conditions of the Zoige wetland ecosystem,the author suggests that,in addition to biophysical research and implementation of conservation practices,there is an immediate need to initiate an integrated management program,increase public awareness of wetland functions and provide better training for the local conservation staff.
基金Under the auspices of the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2017YFA0603004)Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.XDA19030203)National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41971390).
文摘The alpine wetlands in QTP(Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau)have been profoundly impacted along with global climate changes.We employ satellite datasets and climate data to explore the relationships between alpine wetlands and climate changes based on remote sensing data.Results show that:1)the wetland NDVI(Normalized Difference Vegetation Index)and GPP(Gross Primary Production)were more sensitive to air temperature than to precipitation rate.The wetland ET(evapotranspiration)across alpine wetlands was greatly correlated with precipitation rate.2)Alpine wetlands responses to climate changes varied spatially and temporally due to different geographic environments,variety of wetland formation and human disturbances.3)The vegetation responses of the Zoige wetland was the most noticeable and related to the temperature,while the GPP and NDVI of the Qiangtang Plateau and Gyaring-Ngoring Lake were significantly correlated with both temperature and precipitation.4)ET in the Zoige wetland showed a significantly positive trend,while ET in Maidika wetland and the Qiangtang plateau showed a negative trend,implying wetland degradation in those two wetland regions.The complexities of the impacts of climate changes on alpine wetlands indicate the necessity of further study to understand and conserve alpine wetland ecosystems.
基金Under the auspices of National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41201445,41103041)National Science and Technology Support Program(No.2012BAJ24B01)National High Technology Research and Development Program of China(No.2009AA12200307)
文摘Accurate wetland delineation is the basis of wetland definition and mapping, and is of great importance for wetland management and research. The Zoigê Plateau on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was used as a research site for research on alpine wetland delineation. Several studies have analyzed the spatiotemporal pattern and dynamics of these alpine wetlands, but none have addressed the issues of wetland boundaries. The objective of this work was to discriminate the upper boundaries of alpine wetlands by coupling ecological methods and satellite observations. The combination of Landsat 8 images and supervised classification was an effective method for rapid identification of alpine wetlands in the Zoigê Plateau. Wet meadow was relatively stable compared with hydric soils and wetland hydrology and could be used as a primary indicator for discriminating the upper boundaries of alpine wetlands. A slope of less than 4.5° could be used as the threshold value for wetland delineation. The normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI) in 434 field sites showed that a threshold value of 0.3 could distinguish grasslands from emergent marsh and wet meadow in September. The median normalized difference water index(NDWI) of emergent marsh remained more stable than that of wet meadow and grasslands during the period from September until July of the following year. The index of mean density in wet meadow zones was higher than the emergent and upland zones. Over twice the number of species occurred in the wet meadow zone compared with the emergent zone, and close to the value of upland zone. Alpine wetlands in the three reserves in 2014 covered 1175.19 km2 with a classification accuracy of 75.6%. The combination of ecological methods and remote sensing technology will play an important role in wetland delineation at medium and small scales. The correct differentiation between wet meadow and grasslands is the key to improving the accuracy of future wetland delineation.
基金supported by the International Science&Technology Cooperation Program of China(Grant No.2011DFG93160,2011DFA20820)the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China(Grant No.41161084)+1 种基金Special Fund for Agroscientific Research in the Public Interest(Grant No.201203041)the Scientific Research Collaboration and Training of Top Scientists project(Document No.2010-1595),Department of International Exchange&Cooperation of the Chinese Ministry of Education
文摘The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau encompasses a large quantity of wetlands, some of which have been degraded to varying severity levels. In the literature, a number of degradation indicators have been proposed to evaluate ecological health of wetlands, but their effectiveness in the plateau environment remains unknown. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of three degradation indicators, soil moisture content at 10 cm deep, vegetative cover, and density of pika burrows. The degradation severity of wetlands in Maduo County on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is enumerated at four levels, intact, slight, moderate and severe. Analysis of 106 samples collected in the field demonstrates that the density of pika burrows is the least reliable indicator. By comparison, vegetative cover and underlying soil moisture content are more reliable, even though neither is a perfect indicator as the difference among adjacent levels of severity as revealed by t-test is not always statistically significant. The imperfection of vegetative cover as an indicator is due to its variation among different types of wetlands. The limitation of moisture content is attributed to its non-linear relationship with wetland degradation. Above the threshold of about 50% in moisture content wetlands are unlikely to be degraded. It is recommended that moisture be measured at the point near the surface and vegetative cover be further differentiated by species in order to improve their effectiveness.
基金support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.41201002)Foundation for Excellent Youth Scholars of Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute,Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.51Y184A61)+1 种基金China Postdoctoral Science Foundation funded project(Grant No.2012M512050)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.41130533,41171010)
文摘The Zoige Wetland is located in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, which is highly sensitive to global environment change and human disturbance because of its high elevation and cold environment, thus, it's a hotspot for land use and land cover change (LUCC) research. We used Landsat MSS images from 1975, Landsat ETM images from 2000, and Landsat TM images fi:om 1990 and 2005 to assess the LUCC in the study area, using GIS techniques, as well as topographic, vegetation, and soil maps combined with field investigations. The monitoring result shows that the study area's environment degraded rapidly between 1975 and 2005, including wetland shrinkage from 5,308 km2 to 4,980 lan2, sandy land expansion from 112 krn2 to 137 krn2, forest land decreasing from 5,686 km2 to 5,443 km2, and grassland degradation from 12,309 km2 to 10,672 km2. According to the analysis of meteorological data and social-economic statistical data, we concluded that the LUCC in the Zoige Wetland was caused by both natural and anthropogenic factors, but human activities were primarily responsible for the observed LUCC, thereby, we suggest human behaviors must be adjusted to control environmental degradation.
基金Under the auspices of the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2016YFC050040106,2016YFA060230302)the National Science Foundation of China(No.41671087,41671081,41471081)the Technological Basic Research Program of China(No.2013FY111800)
文摘Wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau(QTP) perform a dazzling array of vital ecological functions and are one of the most fragile ecosystems in the world. Timely and accurate information describing wetland resources and their changes over time is becoming more important in their protection and conservation. By using remote sensing data, this study intended to investigate spatial distribution and temporal variations of wetlands on the QTP at different watershed scales from 1970 s to 2010 s. Results show that wetlands on the QTP have undergone widespread degradation from 1970 s to 2010 s, with nearly 6.4% of their area being lost. Areas of freshwater marsh, salt marsh and wet meadow declined by 46.6%, 53.9% and 15.6%, respectively, while lake area increased by 14.6%. The most extensive losses of natural wetlands have occurred in endorheic basins, such as in the Kunlun-Altun-Qilian Drainage Basin and Qiangtang Basin, which shrank by 44.5% and 33.1%, respectively. A pronounced increase in temperature tends to facilitate the evaporation process and reduce water availability for wetlands. One-third of the wetlands on the QTP are under threat of being submerged due to lakes rising in recent years. More research is needed to gain insight into the interaction mechanisms behind observed variations and potential impacts from further warming in the future.
文摘环境DNA(eDNA)技术作为新兴生物多样性监测方法,具有非侵入性、高效性及灵敏性的特点.为探究基于宏基因组测序的eDNA技术对喀斯特湖泊硅藻监测的适用性,以贵州草海为例,采集草海湖滨带的水样及表层沉积物样品,运用宏基因组学与eDNA相结合的方法,分析浮游及沉积硅藻的群落组成、生物多样性及KEGG代谢功能.结果表明:①草海硅藻群落共注释到4纲23目36科54属78种,在科分类阶元上以舟形藻科和海链藻科为优势类群.硅藻群落的Chao1指数平均值为42.88±15.35,Shannon-Wiener指数平均值为2.09±0.29.②硅藻群落KEGG通路功能最具代表性的是全局和概述图谱(global and overview maps),其次是能量代谢、翻译;优势KO基因主要为atpF基因、secA基因、rplT基因、rpoA基因、argH基因.③主坐标分析(PCoA)和相似性分析(ANOSIM)表明硅藻群落存在显著的环境介质差异;LEfSe分析揭示浮游硅藻群落的差异标志物主要为海链藻属(Thalassiosira)、小环藻属(Cyclotella),沉积硅藻主要是管状藻属(Fistulifera)、褐指藻属(Phaeodactylum)、微壳藻属(Nanofrustulum)等;Wilcoxon秩和检验表明,浮游硅藻的差异基因集中在叶酸生物合成通路、嘧啶代谢,沉积硅藻的差异基因集中在光合作用、氧化磷酸化等代谢功能.研究显示,高灵敏性的eDNA宏基因组技术能有效描述草海湖泊硅藻群落及多样性,在喀斯特湖泊生物多样性监测及水生态环境健康评估具有广阔的应用前景.
基金Sponsored by Qinghai Basic Research Plan(2014-ZJ-734)National Natural Fund(41461077)
文摘Climate data during 1971-2010 showed that mo st areas of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau showed warm wet climate change type dominated by temperature and humidity increase.Temperature increase magnitude was the smallest in spring and the largest in winter,and the precipitation increased at the low-altitude area and decreased at high altitude.The warm wet climate change caused Qinghai-Tibet Plateau alpine grassland degradation,reduction of glacier and frozen soil,wetland reduction and other environmental problems.