Impact of marsh changes on breeding cranes in Sanjiang Plain,northeastern China

In order to measure the impact of changes in the marsh on breeding Red-crowned Cranes (Grus japonensis) and White-naped Cranes (G.vipio) in the Sanjiang Plain,we conducted a complete crane súrvey in each of the summers of 2007 and 2008,and obtained information on the changes in its marsh through interpretation of satellite images in 1986,1995,2000 and 2005.A comparison between the 1984 and 2008 census shows that:1) the number of Red-crowned Cranes remained stable at about 300 birds,while the number of White-naped Cranes increased markedly; 2) the estimates of nests of Red-crowned cranes are close to the numbers of 1984,while approximately 90％ of the nests of these two crane species were distributed over five national nature reserves (NNRs); 3) the two crane species became more concentrated in three regions,i.e.,the Fuyuan Delta,the middle reaches of the Naoli and Qixing rivers,and the Xingkai Lake wetlands,rather as formerly in six regions.The area of the marsh decreased by 45％ within the 20-year period from 1986 to 2005.The major loss of the marsh area was in the form of a conversion to paddy fields and dry land,which can be primarily attributed to direct human activity under various economic and policy drivers.The disappearance of cranes in the Dulu and Abuqin rivers was induced by large-scale agricultural development.The fragmentation into and isolation of small areas of the marsh became increasingly more serious,which resulted in unsuitable condtions for crane breeding in small patches of the marsh.The number of cranes declined from 1984-1995 but had recovered remarkably by 2008,which may be due to theestablishment of a system of nature reserves,in place since 2000.The land ownership of the reserve plays a key role in maintaining the integrity of the wetland ecosystem,especially in Sanjiang,Honghe,Naolihe and Qixinghe NNRs,which together accommodated approximately 80％ of the population of cranes.However,we did not discover any nests at all in the provincial and municipal reserves,which may be attributed to high human disturbances in these areas.In the end,we propose some recommendations on reserve management.

Seasonal characteristics of Carex lasiocarpa biomass and nutrient accumulation in the typical wetland of Sanjiang Plain, China

Seasonal dynamics of above- and belowground biomass and nutrient characteristics （nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus） of Carex lasiocarpa were investigated in the typical wetland of Sanjiang Plain, China from May 2007 to September 2008. The results show that the changes of aboveground biomass during the growing season are best described by the twice function curve model, whereas the changes of belowground biomass follow the exponential increase curve model. Both the organic carbon contents in the above- and belowground plant parts show significant positive linear correlations with the growing time, and the coefficients R2 are 0.983 and 0.746, respectively. The carbon accu-mulations of the above- and belowground plant parts during the growing season show the same dynamics as those of the biomass. However, the nitrogen contents and accumulation in C. lasiocarpa aboveground and belowground parts show exponential increase during the growing season. The dynamics of C. lasiocarpa phosphorus contents follows the twice function curve model, whereas the accumulation of phosphorus shows the linear increase. The ratios of C/N in different parts of C. lasiocarpa fit the negative linear relations with total nitrogen content in the growing season. Moreover, the ratios of C/P in C. lasiocarpa plant also fit the negative linear relations with total phosphorus content. The results show that nitrogen is the primary limiting nutrient for C. lasiocarpa growth as compared with carbon and phosphorus.

Influence of environment and substrate quality on the decomposition of wetland plant root in the Sanjiang Plain,Northeast China

The litterbag method was used to study the decomposition of wetland plant root in three wetlands along a water level gradient in the Sanjiang Plain,Northeast China.These wetlands are Calamagrostis angustifolia(C.aa),Carex meyeriana(C.ma)and Carex lasiocarpa (C.la).The objective of our study is to evaluate the influence of environment and substrate quality on decomposition rates in the three wetlands.Calico material was used as a standard substrate to evaluate environmental influences.Roots native to each we...

Distribution characteristics of dissolved organic carbon in annular wetland soil-water solutions through soil profiles in the Sanjiang Plain,Northeast China

Overwhelming evidence reveals that concentrations of dissolved organic carbon （DOC） have increased in streams which brings negative environmental impacts. DOC in stream flow is mainly originated from soil-water solutions of watershed. Wetlands prove to be the most sensitive areas as an important DOC reserve between terrestrial and fluvial biogeosystems. This reported study was focused on the distribution characteristics and the controlling factors of DOC in soil-water solutions of annular wetland, i.e., a dishing wetland and a forest wetland together, in the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China. The results indicate that DOC concentrations in soilwater solutions decreased and then increased with increasing soil depth in the annular wetland. In the upper soil layers of 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm, DOC concentrations in soil-water solutions linearly increased from edge to center of the annular wetland （R^2 = 0.3122 and R^2 = 0.443）. The distribution variations were intimately linked to DOC production and utilization and DOC transport processes in annular wetland soil-water solutions. The concentrations of total organic carbon （TOC）, total carbon （TC） and Fe（II）, DOC mobility and continuous vertical and lateral flow affectext the distribution variations of DOC in soil-water solutions. The correlation coefficients between DOC concentrations and TOC, TC and Fe（II） were 0.974, 0.813 and 0.753 respectively. These distribution characteristics suggested a systematic response of the distribution variations of DOC in annular wetland soil-water solutions to the geometry of closed depressions on a scale of small catchments. However, the DOC in soil pore water of the annular wetland may be the potential source of DOC to stream flow on watershed scale. These observations also implied the fragmentation of wetland landscape could bring the spatial-temporal variations of DOC distribution and exports, which would bring negative environmental impacts in watersheds of the Sanjiang Plain.

Nitrogen cycling of atmosphere-plant-soft system in the typical Calamagrostis angustifolia wetland in the Sanjiang Plain,Northeast China

The nitrogen （N） distribution and cycling of atmosphere-plant-soil system in the typical meadow Calamagrostis angustifolia wetland （TMCW） and marsh meadow Calamagrostis angustifolia wetland （MMCW） in the Sanjiang plain were studied by a compartment model. The results showed that the N wet deposition amount was 0.757 gN/（m^2·a）, and total inorganic N （TIN） was the main body （0.640 gN/（m^2·a））. The ammonia volatilization amounts of TMCW and MMCW soils in growing season were 0.635 and 0.687 gN/m^2, and the denitrification gaseous lost amounts were 0.617 and 0.405 gN/m^2, respectively. In plant subsystem, the N was mainly stored in root and litter. Soil organic N was the main N storage of the two plant-soil systems and the proportions of it were 93.98% and 92.16%, respectively. The calculation results of N turnovers among compartments of TMCW and MMCW showed that the uptake amounts of root were 23.02 and 28.18 gN/（m^2·a） and the values of aboveground were 11.31 and 6.08 gN/（m^2·a）, the re-translocation amounts from aboveground to root were 5.96 and 2.70 gN/（m^2·a）, the translocation amounts from aboveground living body to litter were 5.35 and 3.38 gN/（m^2·a）, the translocation amounts from litter to soil were larger than 1.55 and 3.01 gN/（m^2·a）, the translocation amounts from root to soil were 14.90 and 13.17 gN/（m^2·a）, and the soil （0-15 cm） N net mineralization amounts were 1.94 and 0.55 gN/（m^2·a）, respectively. The study of N balance indicated that the two plant-soil systems might be situated in the status of lacking N, and the status might induce the degradation of C. angustifolia wetland.

Effects of Nitrogen Addition on Plant Functional Traits in Freshwater Wetland of Sanjiang Plain,Northeast China

To clarify the responses of plant functional traits to nitrogen(N) enrichment, we investigated the whole-plant traits(plant height and aboveground biomass), leaf morphological(specific leaf area(SLA) and leaf dry mass content(LDMC)) and chemical traits(leaf N concentration(LNC) and leaf phosphorus(P) concentration(LPC)) of Deyeuxia angustifolia and Glyceria spiculosa following seven consecutive years of N addition at four rates(0 g N/(m2·yr), 6 g N/(m2·yr), 12 g N/(m2·yr) and 24 g N/(m2·yr)) in a freshwater marsh in the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China. The results showed that, for both D. angustifolia and G. spiculosa, N addition generally increased plant height, leaf, stem and total aboveground biomass, but did not cause changes in SLA and LDMC. Moreover, increased N availability caused an increase in LNC, and did not affect LPC. Thus, N addition decreased leaf C∶N ratio, but caused an increase in leaf N∶P ratio, and did not affect leaf C∶P ratio. Our results suggest that, in the mid-term, elevated N loading does not alter leaf morphological traits, but causes substantial changes in whole-plant traits and leaf chemical traits in temperate freshwater wetlands. These may help to better understand the effects of N enrichment on plant functional traits and thus ecosystem structure and functioning in freshwater wetlands.

The current status, threats and protection way of Sanjiang Plain wetland, Northeast China

The Sanjiang Plain is a vast area of alluvial floodplains and low hills in northeast Heilongjiang Province. It is the largest tract of wetlands in China and East Asia outside of Siberia. 28 wetland nature reserves exist on the Sanjiang Plain, and three of them have been listed as wetlands of international importance to water bird conservation by the Ramsar Convention Bureau. The wetlands of Sanjiang Plain are noteworthy for its rich biodiversity, but they continue to decline in area and deteriorate in quality currently. The main threats or constrains, immediate cause, root cause and required response are analyzed in this paper, and the four aspects opinion such as improvement of watershed management, enhancement of protection and restoration of habitats and biodiversity, alternative livelihoods of rural residents living in and near natural wetland reserve, and reinforcement of capacity building of natural reserves are brought forward as the effective measures for the Sanjiang Plain wetland protection.

Changes of Soil Labile Organic Carbon in Different Land Uses in Sanjiang Plain, Heilongjiang Province

In the Sanjiang Plain,Northeast China,the natural wetland is undergoing a rapid conversion into agricultural land,which has resulted in drastic ecological changes in the region. To investigate the effects of different land uses on soil labile organic carbon,soils of Calamagrostis angustifolia wetland,Carex lasiocarpa wetland,dry farmland,paddy field,forest land and abandoned cultivated land were collected for measuring the contents of soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC),dissolved organic carbon (DOC),readily oxidizable carbon (ROC) and carbohydrate carbon (CHC). The results show that soil organic carbon contents follow the order: Carex lasiocarpa wetland>Calamagrostis angustifolia wetland>forest land>paddy field>dry farmland. The contents of MBC and DOC in Calamagrostis angustifolia and Carex lasiocarpa wetlands are significantly higher than those in other land use types. The contents of CHC and ROC are the highest in Calamagrostis angustifolia wetland and the lowest in dry farmland. The contents of all the labile organic carbon increase along with the years of abandonment of cultivated land. The ratios of MBC,DOC and ROC to SOC also follow the order: Carex lasiocarpa wetland>Calamagrostis angustifolia wetland>forest land>paddy field>dry farmland,while the ratio of CHC to SOC is paddy field>forest field>Carex lasiocarpa wetland>Carex lasiocarpa wetland>dry farmland. When natural wetlands were cultivated,the activity of soil organic carbon tends to reduce in some extent due to the disappearance of heterotrophic environment and the reduction of vegetation residue. Thus,the abandonment of cultivated land is an effective way for restoring soil organic carbon.

Sulfur cycle in the typical meadow Calamagrostis angustifolia wetland ecosystem in the Sanjiang Plain,Northeast China

The sulfur cycle and its compartmental distribution within an atmosphere-plant-soil system was studied using a compartment model in the typical meadow Calamagrostis angustifolia wetland in the Sanjiang Plain Northeast China. The results showed that in the typical meadow C. angustifolia wetland ecosystem, soil was the main storage compartment and current hinge of sulfur in which 98.4% sulfur was accumulated, while only 1.6% sulfur was accumulated in the plant compartment. In the plant subsystem, roots and litters were the main storage compartment of sulfur and they remained 83.5% of the total plant sulfur. The calculations of sulfur turnover through the compartments of the typical meadow C. angustifolia wetland ecosystem demonstrated that the above-ground component took up 0.99 gS/m^2 from the root, of which 0.16 gS/m^2 was translocated to the roots and 0.83 gS/m^2 to the litter. The roots took in 1.05 gS/m^2 from the soil, subsequent translocation back to the soil accounted for 1.31 gS/m^2, while there was 1.84 gS/m^2 in the litter and the net transfer of sulfur to the soil was more than 0.44 gS/（m^2·a）. The emission of H2S from the typical meadow C. angustifolia wetland ecosystem to the atmosphere was 1.83 mgS/（m^2·a）, while carbonyl sulfide （COS） was absorbed by the typical meadow C. angustifolia wetland ecosystem from the atmosphere at the rate of 1.76 mgS/（m^2·a）. The input of sulfur by the rainfall to the ecosystem was 4.85 mgS/m^2 during the growing season. The difference between input and output was 4.78 mgS/m^2, which indicated that sulfur was accumulated in the ecosystem and may cause wetland acidify in the future.

Effect of Reclamation on Soil Environment in Sanjiang Plain

Soil environment in Sanjiang Plain has changed greatly because of the reclamation on a large scale.The physical and chemical properties of soil have changed, and soil erosion, soil saline-alkalization and soil pollution occurred in some areas. These problems have obstructed the sustainable development of agriculture. For the sustainable use of soils in Sanjiang Plain, in this paper we raise some suggestions and countermeasures which might be references for experts and departments concerned.

Quantitative Simulation on Soil Moisture Contents of Two Typical Vegetation Communities in Sanjiang Plain,China

Different types of vegetation occupy different geomorphology and water gradient environments in the San- jiang Plain, indicating that the soil moisture dynamics and water balance patterns of the different vegetation communi- ties might differ from each other. In this paper, a lowland system, perpendicular to the Nongjiang River in the Honghe National Nature Reserve （HNNR）, was selected as the study area. The area was occupied by the non-wetland plant forest and the typical wetland plant meadow. The Microsoft Windows-based finite element analysis software package for simulating water, heat, and solute transport in variably saturated porous media （HYDRUS）, which can quantita- tively simulate water, heat, and/or solute movement in variably-saturated porous media, was used to simulate soil moisture dynamics in the root zone （20-40 cm） of those two plant communities during the growing season in 2005. The simulation results for soil moisture were in a good agreement with measured data, with the coefficient of determi- nation （R2） of 0.44-0.69 and root mean square error （RMSE） ranging between 0.0291 cm3/cm3 and 0.0457 cm3/cm3, and index of agreement （d） being from I）.612 to 0.968. During the study period, the volumetric soil moisture content of meadow increased with the depth and its coefficient of variation decreased with the depth （from 20 cm to 40 cm）, while under the forest the soil moisture content at different depths varied irregularly. The calculated result of water budget showed that the water budget deficit of the meadow was higher than that of the forest, suggesting that the meadow is more likely to suffer from water stress than the forest. The quantitative simulation by HYDRUS in this study did not take surface runoff and plant growth processes into account. Improved root water uptake and surface runoff models will be needed for higher accuracy in further researches.

Dynamics of dissolved organic carbon in the mires in the Sanjiang Plain,Northeast China

Mires in boreal area had proved to be an important dissolved organic carbon （DOC） reserve for the sensitivity to climate change and human interfering. The study was focused on the temporal and spatial dynamics and controlling factors of DOC in a seasonallywaterlogged mire （SLM） and perennially-waterlogged mire （PLM） in the Sanjiang Plain, Northest China. In the two mires, DOC concentrations in both surface water and upper soil strata experienced pronounced seasonal variation. DOC concentrations in the surface waters were the greatest and averagely was 47.82 in SLM and 34.84 mg/L and PLM, whereas that in soil water at 0.3-m depth had little difference （20.25 mg/L in SLM and 26.51 mg/L in PLM）. Results revealed that DOC concentrations declined 5-8 times vertically from the surface down to groundwater. DOC in the groundwater only was in a very small part with the average concentration of 5.18 mg/L. In relation to the surface water, DOC concentrations varied positively with temperature just before 8 August, and only in early spring and later autumn DOC concentrations exhibited identifiable spatial trends along with standing water depths in PLM. It was supposed that the influences from standing water depth took effect only in conditions of low temperature, and temperature should be the most powerful factor controlling DOC dynamics in the mires. Redox potential （Red） showed negative relationship with DOC values while total nitrogen （TN） and the majority of free ions in the soil solution exhibited no relationship. High soil TOC/TN ratio and low redox potentials also led to DOC accumulation in the mires in the Sanjiang Plain.

Response of Regeneration Diversity of Carex Lasiocarpa Community to Different Water Levels in Sanjiang Plain,China

The species diversity at the regeneration stage, inflenced by different water levels, is important for community composition in the later growing season.Regeneration diversity of Carex lasiocarpa community under different water levels was studied at two stages, recruitment and adult, in the Sanjiang Plain, Heilongjiang Province, China.The results showed that, at the two growing stages, important value of C.lasiocarpa population and species richness of the community decreased with the increasing water level, while the Simpson and Shannon-Wiener diversity indexes and Pielou evenness index increased.Under different water levels, community diversities were higher at the recruitment stage, while population important values of C.lasiocarpa were higher at the adult stage.Indexes in vegetation evaluation must be chosen prudentially for successful restoration and effective management of wetlands, and especially for wetland restoration, the optimal time should be selected according to the restoration objectives and costs.

Value Estimation of Greenhouse Gases Exchange in Wetland Ecosystem of Sanjiang Plain,China

The objective of this study is to quantify the values of greenhouse gases(GHGs) exchange in carbon equivalents of marshes and paddy fields in the Sanjiang Plain,Heilongjiang Province,China. We obtained the GHGs exchange values based on comparable price by calculating the carbon sequestration values and the GHGs emission values of marshes and paddy fields respectively in four periods of 1982,1995,2000 and 2005. It is noted that the GHGs emission values are always negative. In this study,the marshes areas decreased from 1438977.0 to 775,132.2ha and the paddy fields areas increased from 417195.8 to 934205.0ha. The values of GHGs exchange of marshes varied from 135877.156×106 to 136882.534×106 yuan(RMB) and those of paddy fields varied from 1006.256×106 to 2767.645×106 yuan. The GHGs exchange values of marshes decreased from 1982 to 2005 on the whole,reversely,those of paddy fields increased,but those in 2005 were lower than those in 2000. In different periods,the GHGs exchange values were always higher in marshes than in paddy fields. The contribution rate of GHGs exchange values per unit area of marshes was also very high in different periods,and the maximum was up to 98.35% in 2005. As far as the whole wetland ecosystem(including marshes and paddy fields) ,assuming a linear change in GHGs exchange values,it represented a cumulative increase of 20926.757×106 yuan from 1982 to 2005. By adding GHGs exchange values increased during those four periods,we obtained a cumulative net increase values of GHGs exchange of wetland ecosystem of 18200.860×106 yuan. The results will be useful for understanding the indirect services provided by marshes and paddy fields.

EFFECTS OF AGRICULTURE RECLAMATION ON THE HYDROLOGIC CHARACTERISTICS IN THE SANJIANG PLAIN, CHINA

The Sanjiang Plain is the largest and most concentrated wetland region in China, the total area is about 1.088×107ha with rich marsh resources and biodiversity. Before 1949, the Sanjiang Plain was a large untravelled wild plant and waterfowl habitat, and there were some rare swans, red-crowned cranes and thousands of hydrophytes. From 1950, the local government began to reclaim the marsh in the Sanjiang Plain, built the commodity grain base of Northeast China, and developed the industry of grain processing, animal husbandry, etc. Up to now, there are 54 farms which control 3.5087×106ha agriculture field. The marsh areas are reduced by 1/2; many rare animals and plants are near extinction. The human activities and agriculture reclamation made a great change on the environment, especially made water balance change and regional climate change. So to study and protect the wetland ecosystem and marsh resource are extremely urgent. This paper focus on the hydrology change and climate change before and after marsh reclamation, including evapotranspiration, run off, soil character, micro-climate on both marsh and agriculture field, and the reason that cause seasonal drought, waterlogging and degeneration of marsh.

Effects of Wetland Reclamation on Soil Nutrient Losses and Reserves in Sanjiang Plain,Northeast China

The carbon （C）, nitrogen （N） and phosphorus （P） variations of a temperate wetland soil under continuous cultivation for 40 yr were determined and evaluated in the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China. The results showed that the soil organic carbon （SOC） and total nitrogen （TN） contents in each soil layer decreased sharply after cultivation for 2-3 yr, and exhibited minor differences after cultivation for 11 yr, which showed an exponential decline curve with the increase of cultivation years. The reduction rates of carbon and nitrogen reserves were 14.79% and 28.53% yr^-1 at the initial reclamation stages of 2-3 yr and then decreased to 2.02-3.08% yr^-1 and 1.98-2.93% yr^-1 after cultivation for 20 yr, respectively. Soil total phosphorus （TP） reserves decreased within cultivation for 5 yr, and then gradually restored to the initial level after cultivation for 17 yr. Both SOC and TN could be restored slightly when the farmland was left fallow for 8 yr after reclamation for 11 yr, whereas TP had no significant difference. These results demonstrated that wetland cultivation was one of the most important factors influencing on the nutrient fate and reserves in soil, which could lead to the rapid nutrient release and slow restoration through abandon cultivation, therefore protective cultivation techniques preventing nutrients from loss should be immediately established after wetland reclamation.

Contribution of winter fluxes to the annual CH_4, CO_2 and N_2O emissions from fres hwater marshes in the Sanjiang Plain

Wetlands at the interface of the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems are intensive sites for mineralization of organic matter, but the contribution of winter season fluxes of CH4, CO2 and N2O from wetland ecosystems to annual budgets is poorly known. By using the static opaque chamber and GC techniques, fluxes of CH4, CO2 and N2O at two freshwater marshes in the Sanjiang Plain were measured during the winter seasons of 2002/2003 and 2003/2004 with contrasting snow conditions and flooding regimes. The results showed that there were significant interannual and spatial differences in CH4, CO2 and N2O fluxes. The Carex lasiocarpa marsh emitted more CH4 and CO2 while absorbed less N2O than the Deyeuxia angustifolia marsh during the winter seasons. Over the winter season, emissions of CH4, CO2 and N2O ranged from 0.42 to 2.41 gC/m^2, from 24.13 to 50.16 gC/m^2, and from -25,20 to -148.96 mgN/m^2, respectively. The contributions of winter season CH4 and CO2 emission to the annual budgets were 2.32% 4.62% and 22.17%- 27.97%, respectively. Marshes uptake N2O during the freezing period, while release N2O during the thawing period. The winter uptake equaled to 13.70%-86.69% of the growing-season loss. We conclude that gas exchange between soil/snow and the atmosphere in the winter season contributed greatly to the annual budgets and cannot be ignored in a cool temperate freshwater marsh in Northeast China.

Evapotranspiration Estimation Based on MODIS Products and Surface Energy Balance Algorithms for Land(SEBAL) Model in Sanjiang Plain,Northeast China

In this study,the Surface Energy Balance Algorithms for Land(SEBAL) model and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS) products from Terra satellite were combined with meteorological data to estimate evapotranspiration(ET) over the Sanjiang Plain,Northeast China.Land cover/land use was classified by using a recursive partitioning and regression tree with MODIS Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI) time series data,which were reconstructed based on the Savitzky-Golay filtering approach.The MODIS product Quality Assessment Science Data Sets(QA-SDS) was analyzed and all scenes with valid data covering more than 75% of the Sanjiang Plain were selected for the SEBAL modeling.This provided 12 overpasses during 184-day growing season from May 1st to October 31st,2006.Daily ET estimated by the SEBAL model was misestimaed at the range of-11.29% to 27.57% compared with that measured by Eddy Covariance system(10.52% on average).The validation results show that seasonal ET from the SEBAL model is comparable to that from ground observation within 8.86% of deviation.Our results reveal that the time series daily ET of different land cover/use increases from vegetation on-going until June or July and then decreases as vegetation senesced.Seasonal ET is lower in dry farmland(average(Ave):491 mm) and paddy field(Ave:522 mm) and increases in wetlands to more than 586 mm.As expected,higher seasonal ET values are observed for the Xingkai Lake in the southeastern part of the Sanjiang Plain(Ave:823 mm),broadleaf forest(Ave:666 mm) and mixed wood(Ave:622 mm) in the southern/western Sanjiang Plain.The ET estimation with SEBAL using MODIS products can provide decision support for operational water management issues.

Land Surface Albedo Variations in Sanjiang Plain from 1982 to 2015: Assessing with GLASS Data

As a key parameter for indicating the fraction of surface-reflected solar incident radiation, land surface albedo plays an important role in the Earth’s surface energy budget(SEB). Since the Sanjiang Plain has been severely affected by human activities(e.g., reclamation and shrinking of wetlands), it is important to assess the spatiotemporal variations of surface albedo in this region using a long-term remote sensing dataset. In order to investigate the surface albedo climatology, trends, and mechanisms of change, we evaluated the surface albedo variations in the Sanjiang Plain, China from 1982 to 2015 using the Global LAnd Surface Satellite(GLASS) broadband surface albedo product. The results showed that: 1) an increasing annual trend(+0.000 58/yr) of surface albedo was discovered in the Sanjiang Plain based on the GLASS albedo dataset, with a much stronger increasing trend(+0.001 26/yr) occurring during the winter. Most of the increasing trends occurred over the cultivated land, unused land, and land use conversion types located in the northeastern Sanjiang Plain. 2) The increasing trend of land surface albedo in Sanjiang Plain can be largely explained by the changes of both snow cover extent and land use. The surface albedo in winter is highly correlated with the snow cover extent in the Sanjiang Plain, and the increasing trend of surface albedo can be further enhanced by the land use changes.

Mapping the fallowed area of paddy fields on Sanjiang Plain of Northeast China to assist water security assessments

Rice growth requires a large amount of water,and planting rice will increase the contradiction between supply and demand of water resources.Paddy field fllowing is important for the sustainable development of an agricultural region,but it remains a great challenge to accurately and quickly monitor the extent and area of fallowed paddy fields.Paddy fields have unique physical features associated with paddy rice during the flooding and transplanting phases.By comparing the differences in phenology before and after paddy field fllowing,we proposed a phenology-based fallowed paddy field mapping algorithm.We used the Google Earth Engine(GEE)cloud computing platform and Landsat 8 images to extract the fllowed paddy field area on Sanjiang Plain of China in 2018.The results indicated that the Landsat8,GEE,and phenology-based fllowed paddy field mapping algorithm can effectively support the mapping of fallowed paddy fields on Sanjiang Plain of China.Based on remote sensing monitoring,the total fallowed paddy field area of Sanjiang Plain is 91543 ha.The resultant fallowed paddy field map is of high accuracy,with a producer(user)accuracy of 83%(81%),based on validation using ground-truth samples.The Landsat-based map also exhibits high consistency with the agricultural statistical data.We estimated that paddy field fallowing reduced irigation water by 384-521 million cubic meters on Sanjiang Plain in 2018.The research results can support subsidization grants for fallowed paddy fields,the evaluation of fallowed paddy field effects and improvement in subsequent fallowed paddy field policy in the future.