Spatial and temporal variations of soil moisture in three types of agroforestry boundaries in the Loess Plateau, China

Agroforestry is a ubiquitous landscape on the slopes in Loess Plateau, where soil moisture is a limiting factor for plant growth and development. The spatial and temporal characteristics of soil moisture were studied in three types of agroforestry boundaries： forest-grassland, forest-cropland and shelterbelt-cropland. The result shows that soil moisture content decreased with soil depth increasing from the surface to 110 cm. Soil moisture content differed significantly among the three boundaries all in the rainy season （July-September）, dry season （May-June） and spring （March-April）. The horizontal distribution of soil moisture in different soil layers in the three types of boundaries showed different patterns with line form, wave form, scoop form or ＂W＂ form. The distance of edge influence （DEI） of soil moisture in different types of landscape boundaries was estimated by variance analysis and multiple comparisons. In dry season the DEI in 0-10 cm soil layer was 0.4 H （H, average height of trees）, which ranged from 0.2 H in grassland or in cropland to 0.2 H in forest field for both forest-grassland and forest-cropland boundaries, and 0.7 H （ranged from 0.2 H in cropland to 0.5 H in forest field） for shelterbelt-cropland boundary. In rainy season the DEI at soil depth of 0-110 cm was 0.7 H for the three boundaries. The results indicated that agroforestry type should be carefully selected to maintain soil moisture in land management, especially in restoring degraded land in Loess Plateau.

Vertical variation and storage of nitrogen in an aquic brown soil under different land uses

The vertical variation and storage of nitrogen in the depth of 0-150 cm of an aquic brown soil were studied under 14 years of four land use patterns, i.e., paddy field, maize field, fallow field and woodland in Shenyang Experimental Station of Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in November of 2003. The results showed that different land uses had different profile distributions of soil total nitrogen (STN), alkali N, ammonium (NH4+-N) and nitrate (NO3--N). The sequence of STN storage was woodland >maize field > fallow field > paddy field, while that of NO3--N content was maize field > paddy field > woodland > fallow field, suggesting the different root biomass and biological N cycling under various land uses. The STN storage in the depth of 0-100 cm of woodland averaged to 11.41 thm-1, being 1.65 and 1.25 times as much as that in paddy and maize fields, respec-tively, while there was no significant difference between maize and fallow fields. The comparatively higher amount of NO3--N in maize and paddy fields may be due to nitrogen fertilization and anthropogenic disturbance. Soil alkali N was significantly related with STN, and the correlation could be expressed by a linear regression model under each land use (R20.929, p<0.001). Such a correlation was slightly closer in nature (woodland and fallow field) than in agro ecosystems (paddy and maize fields). Heavy N fertilization induced an excess of crop need, and led to a comparatively higher amount of soil NO3--N in cultivated fields than in fallow field and woodland. It is suggested that agroforestry practices have the potential to make a significant contribution to both crop production and environment protection.

Summer-autumn habitat use by Galliformes in a primary forest,southeastern Tibet

Habitat use by Galliformes in an ornithologically unexplored region,a forest area in southeastern Tibet,was investigated during the summer and autumn periods of 1995.A total of seven species were recorded,most of which preferred habitats on south-facing slopes and avoided those on north-facing slopes where conditions were relatively humid.A hybrid population of White (Crossoptilon crossoptilon) versus Tibetan Eared-pheasants (C.harmani) was predominant among the Galliforme community,followed by Blood Pheasants (Ithaginis cruentus) and Chinese Grouse (Bonasa sewerzowi).A further investigation in 2001 showed that on account of little human activity in the distant primary forests,the birds suffered less of a threat from hunting and habitat disturbance.

Impact of Land-use Patterns on Distributed Groundwater Recharge and Discharge——A Case Study of Western Jilin,China

The impact of land-use on distributed groundwater recharge and discharge in the western Jilin (WJ) was analyzed in this study. WJ is a transitional, semi-arid zone with a fragile, hydrological closed ecosystem in the Songhua River Basin (SRB). The research tool includes a seamlessly linked MODFLOW, WetSpass, the Seepage packages, and ArcGIS. The model calibration showed good agreement between simulated water table elevation and measured water table depths, while predicted groundwater discharge zones showed strong correlations with field occurrences of drainage systems and wetlands. Simulated averages for distributed recharge, water table elevation and groundwater drawdown were 377.42mm/yr, 194.43m, and 0.18m respectively. Forest vegetation showed the highest recharge, followed by ag- ricultural farmlands, while open-water and other drainage systems constituted groundwater exit zones. When present land-use conditions were compared with the hypothetical natural pre-development scenario, an overall loss of ground- water recharge (24.09mm/yr) was observed, which for the project area is 18.05×108m3. Groundwater abstraction seemed to be the cause of water table drawdown, especially in the immediate vicinities of the supply wells. An important issue of the findings was the ability of the hypothetical forest vegetation to protect, and hence sustain aquifer reserves and dependent ecosystems. The profound data capture capability of ArcGIS makes it particularly useful in spa- tio-temporal hydroecological modeling.

Soil N Pools and Transformation Rates Under Different Land Uses in a Subalpine Forest-Grassland Ecotone

Soil nitrogen pools (NP), denitrification (DN), gross nitrification (GN), N2O and CO2 flux rates with their responses to temperature increases were determined under five different land uses and managements in a subalpine forest-grassland ecotone of the eastern Tibetan Plateau. Land uses consisted of 1) sparse woodland, 2) shrub-land, 3) natural pasture, 4)fenced pasture, and 5) tilled pasture mimicking a gradient degenerating ecosystem under grazing impacts. The NO3--N content was higher than the NH4+-N content. Comparing tilled pasture with fenced pasture showed that higher intensive management (tillage) led to a significant decrease of soil organic matter (SOM) (P ＜ 0.05) in the soils, which was in contrast to the significant increases (P ＜0.05) of DN, GN, N2O and CO2 flux rates. GN (excluding tilled pasture) and CO2 flux rates increased with a temperature rise, but DN and N2O flux rates normally reached their maximum values at 12-14 ℃ with tilled pasture (the highest management intensity) being very sensitive to temperature increases. There was a difference between net nitrification and GN, with GN being a betterindicator of soil nitrification.

Research on Institutional Innovation of Non-public Forestry

This article analyzes the form and the mechanism of non-public forestry＇s institution obstacles by classical economies, institution economics＇, legal economics and economic theories of modern forestry. Regarding the proprietary institution as the core, and cost-income as the main clewf-it defines the concept and eategory, of non-public forestry subsidy and compensation. And oecorrling to the relased control and efficiency principle of market econonf-this paper establishes a set of institution that accords with the development of non-public forestry, offers both theoretical supports and decision- making references to remove institution obstacles of nan-public forestry, and coordinates the policies of non-public forestry with those of the public-owned forestry.

Land Use Structure in Wuhai City on Basis of Ecological Green Equivalence

The paper took Wuhai District as an example, bases on the contrast be-tween the land use condition in 2005 and 2010, and applied the ecological green equivalence to establish a mathematic model of ecological optimization of land use structure, to establish the ecology green equivalent mathematical model and survey the value of region green equivalent, and then assess the ecological environment situation. The results show that the ecological environment has been deteriorated in Wuhai from 2005 to 2010, so the ecological environment was poor. In order to in-crease eco-efficiency of land use, garden, urban green space and woodland area should be raised in the optimization program.

Optimization of Land Use Structure Based on Ecological GREEN Equivalent

Optimization of land use structure consists of economic and social and ecological optimization.Applying the minds of system engineering and principles of ecology,this paper presents such thoughts:the optimal forest_coverage rate calculated according to the reality of a district is set as main standard of ecological rationality in the district;through considering the value of ecosystem services of the land with GREEN equivalent (mainly cultivated land and grassland)and based on the rule,GREEN equivalent,this paper introduces the area conversion between woodland and cultivated land,also between woodland and grassland;this paper establishes a multi_dimension controlling model of optimization of land use structure.In addition,a multi_objective linear programming model for optimization of land use structure is designed.In the end,this paper tests and verifies this theory of ecological optimization,taking Qionghai city in Hainan Province as an example.

Evaluation of land-use pattern change in West Bhanugach Reserved Forest,Bangladesh,using remote sensing and GIS techniques

A study was conducted to investigate the land-use pattern change over a period of 18 years （1988-2006） by using remote sens- ing and Geographical Information System （GIS） technologies, in the West Bhanugach Reserved Forest, a hill forest, in Sylhet Forest Divi- sion of Bangladesh, The images were processed using ERDAS Imagine software. Both supervised and unsupervised approaches were ap- plied and ground control points were collected using a GPS. Maps were prepared using GIS software. Results showed that vegetation cover drastically decreased from the year 1988 to 1996 （l 826 ha to l 714.85 ha）, but increased gradually from the year 1996 to 2006 （l 714.85 ha to l 847.83 ha） due to the initiation of co-management practice involving local communities. Change in bare land was inversely proportionate to the amount of vegetation cover changes unless any other land-uses were converted into bare land. The area of water bodies increased from the year 1988 to 1996 （307.67 ha to 379.53 ha）, but decreased from the year 1996 to 1997, then remained invariabile from the year 1997 to 2006. Some recommendations were also made for applying the RS and GIS techniques to study the land-use pattern change in the Bhanugach Reserved Forest and to create a GIS data base for the study area.

Impacts of Sloping Land Conversion Program on the vegetation in loess hilly and gully area of northern Shaanxi

Aiming at alleviating the serious soil erosion, the Chinese government initiated the Sloping Land Conversion Program （SLCP） in 1999. Now; after 8 years of project implementation, the ecological recovery effects of the SLCP have become the hot issue of academic circle. This paper; raking the loess hill and gully area of northern Shaanxi as an example, presents a methodology for assessing the vegetation restoration effect of SLCP with normalized difference vegetation index （NDVI）. The key components include calculation of the Growing Season NDVI （GSNDVI）, and estimation of the NVDI change induced by climate and SLCP, respectively. Based on the method, the NDVI change between 2000 and 2006 was obtained using the GSNDVI that excluded the noise from snow and ice. After the part of total NDVI change caused to： climate variation was estimated using empiric formulae, we obtained the part induced by human factors, i.e. the SLCP The human induced part of ND VI change was considered as an approximation indicating the effect of the SLCP on the vegetation. Finally, we analyzed the ND VI change characters of the whole study area, different slope lands and different land use types by spatial statistics method. Results show that the vegetation condition is significantly improved by the SLCP, particularly land types that directly involved in the SLCP, such as steeply slope farmlands, degraded grasslands, etc.

Mapping and Assessing Typhoon-induced Forest Disturbance in Changbai Mountain National Nature Reserve Using Time Series Landsat Imagery

Monitoring forest disturbances is important for understanding changes in ecosystems. The 1986 Typhoon Vera was a serious disturbance that severely impacted the forest ecosystems of Changbai Mountain National Nature Reserve. Although the typhoon disturbance occurred more than two decades ago, the effects of the typhoon still remain within the study area. Few studies have focused on mapping and assessing disturbances across broad spatial and temporal scales. For this study, we first generated a map of forest composition prior to the typhoon disturbance, which served as a baseline data for the extraction of disturbed area. Then, the Disturbance Index(DI) method was tested for mapping the extent and magnitude of disturbance in the study area by applying a Tasseled Cap transformation to the Landsat imagery. The Landsatbased DI method estimated that an area of 13,764.78 ha of forest was disturbed by the typhoon. Based on visual assessments, these results correspond closely with the reference map derived from ground surveys. These results also revealed the influence of local topographic features on the distribution of windthrow areas. Windthrow areas were more pronounced inareas with elevations ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 m, slopes of less than 10 degrees, and southwestern to northwestern aspects. In addition, the relatively long(25 years) post-typhoon recovery period assessed by this study provided a more comprehensive analysis of the dynamics of forest recovery processes over time. Windthrow areas did not recover immediately after the typhoon, likely due to forest management practices enacted at the time. So far, forest recovery has proceeded more rapidly at elevations below 1,400 m, particularly on western slopes within the study area. Finally, a time series of DI values within the study period suggests a secondary disturbance may have occurred between 2000 and 2001.

The Interaction of Population,Industry and Land in Process of Urbanization in China:A Case Study in Jilin Province

Urbanization is a complex process that covers a wide range of topics, of which population, industry and land urbanization are three important aspects. Jilin Province is an important agricultural province in China. The contradiction between population, industry and land urbanization is especially prominent here, and its coupling development is of great practical significance. In this paper, the coupling degree of population-industry-land urbanization in Jilin Province in 1990, 2000 and 2010 is measured by coupling mode. The spatial pattern of the coupling degree is analyzed by trend surface analysis and global and local spatial autocorrelation. The influence factors and their spatial differentiation are discussed using multiple linear regression(MLR) model and geographic weighted regression(GWR) model. The results show that: 1) the coupling degree of population-industry-land urbanization in Jilin Province is at a low level. Judging from the change of time scale, the urbanization of most research units is becoming more and more coordinated. From the comparison of spatial scales, there is significant spatial difference in the research units of different administrative levels. 2) Judging from the global change trend, the coupling degree of population-industry-land urbanization in the central region is higher than that in western and eastern regions. The coordination of urbanization in the central region is relatively good, and the distribution of the cold and hot spots is basically the same as that overall. 3) The spatial pattern of the coupling degree is related to the cold and hot spot distribution of the influence coefficient of urban population density and per capita urban construction land. The variation of the coupling degree spatial pattern is synchronous with the spatial change of the urban population density influence coefficient. 4) The degree of agglomeration of the urban population is the main factor promoting the coupling pattern of population-industry-land urbanization in Jilin Province, and the extent of its influence is gradually increasing. In addition, the level of city administrative, the efficiency of urban expansion and the capacity of market consumption also have an important influence on the coupling pattern.

Change of Soil Organic Carbon after Cropland Afforestation in ′Beijing-Tianjin Sandstorm Source Control′ Program Area in China

Land use change is one of the major factors that affect soil organic carbon （SOC） variation and global carbon balance. However, the effects of land use change on SOC are always variable. In this study, using a series of paired-field experiments, we estimated the effects of revegetation types and environmental conditions on SOC stock and vertical distribution after replacement of cropland with poplar （Populus tomentosa） and korshinsk peashrub （Caragana korshinskt＇i） in three climate regions （Chifeng City, Fengning City and Datong City of the ＇Beijing-Tianjin Sandstorm Source Control＇ （BTSSC） program area. The results show that SOC sequestration rate ranges from 0.15 Mg/（ha-yr） to 3.76 Mg/（ha-yr） in the soil layer of 0-100 cm in early stage after cropland afforestation in the BTSSC program area. The SOC accumulation rates are the highest in Fengning for both the two vegetation types. Compared to C. korshinskii, P tomentosa has greater effects on SOC accumulation in the three climate regions, but significantly greater effect only appears in Datong. The SOC density increases by 20%-111% and 15%-59% for P. tomentosa and 9%-63% and 0-73% for C. korshinskii in the 0-20 cm and 20-100 cm soil layers, respectively. Our results indicate that cropland afforestation not only affects SOC stock in the topsoil, but also has some effects on subsoil carbon. However, the effect of cropland afforestation on SOC accumulation varied with climate regions and revegetation types. Considering the large area of revegetation and relatively high SOC accumulation rate, SOC sequestration in the BTSSC program should contribute significantly to decrease the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere.

The Effect of Land Use Change on Soil and Water Quality in Northern Iran

Rapid urbanization has led to extensive land-use changes,particularly in developing countries.This research is aimed to investigate the role of land use and its effect on soil and water quality in Ziarat watershed focusing on four land uses:forest,pasture,cultivated and urban development.Soil samples were taken from a depth of 0-30 cm on each land use and were analyzed by completely randomized split-plot design in two geographical directions.Results showed that bulk density(BD),electrical conductivity(EC),pH,calcium carbonate equivalent(CCE),and soil particle density(DS) of the soil samples in pastures,cultivated and urban areas increased and the mean weight diameter(MWD),soil porosity(F),organic carbons(OC),total nitrogen(TN),exchangeable cations(Ca 2+,Mg 2+,K +,Na +),cation exchange capacity(CEC) and soil microbial respirations(SMR) decreased,respectively in comparison with the forest soils.For water quality evaluations,sodium adsorption ratio(SAR),electrical conductivity(EC),pH,total dissolved solids(TDS),bicarbonate(HCO 3),chloride(Cl),total hardness(TH),calcium(Ca 2+),potassium(K +),sodium(Na +) and magnesium(Mg 2+) were investigated in two areas:Nahrkhoran and Abgir stations.Results showed that the concentration of TDS,EC and HCO 3 in Naharkhoran station is higher than that in Abgir station.On the other hand,the concentration of TDS,EC and HCO 3 in Abgir station are the relatively higher due to its location.Total hardness had the same trend during the study years except in the last three years;however,TH showed an increase of 25% TH in Naharkhoran for the last two years.Cl,K + and SAR in Naharkhoran station increased by 61%,22%,78% and 56% respectively,in comparison with Abgir station.This study demonstrated that the trend of soil degradation and mismanagement of land use may increase the frequency of urban floods and human health problems.

Landform Instability and Land-use Dynamics in Tropical High Mountains, Central Mexico

This investigation is an analysis of the influence of landform instability on the distribution of land-use dynamics in a hydrographical basin, located in the Mexican Volcanic Belt mountain range (central Mexico), currently affected by substantial changes in land use and deforestation. A landform map was produced, in addition to seven attribute maps - altimetry, drainage density, slope, relief energy, potential erosion, geology and tectonics - which were considered as factors for determining landform instability through Multi-criteria Evaluation Analysis. Likewise, the direction and rhythm of land-use dynamics were analyzed in four dates - between 1976 and 2000 - and cross tabulations were made between them, in order to analyze the trends and processes of land-use dynamics. Afterwards, the databases obtained were cross tabulated with the landform variables to derive areas, percentages and correlation indices. In the study area, high-instability landforms are associated with most ancient volcanic and sedimentary landforms, where high altitude, drainage density, slope and potential to develop gravitational and fluvial processes are the major factors favouring a land-use pattern, dominated by the conservation of extensive forest land, abandonment of human land use and regeneration of disturbed areas. In contrast, low-instability landforms correspond to alluvial plains and lava hills covered by pyroclasts, where low potential erosion to develop fluvial processes, added to water and soil availability and accessibility, have favoured a land-use pattern dominated by the expansion of agroforestry plantations and human settlements, showing a marked trend towards either intensification or permanence of the current land use and with little abandonment and regeneration.

Spatial assessment of forest cover and land-use changes in the Hindu-Kush mountain ranges of northern Pakistan

Anthropogenic activities and natural processes are continuously altering the mountainous environment through deforestation, forest degradation and other land-use changes. It is highly important to assess, monitor and forecast forest cover and other land-use changes for the protection and conservation of mountainous environment. The present study deals with the assessment of forest cover and other land-use changes in the mountain ranges of Dir Kohistan in northern Pakistan, using high resolution multi-temporal SPOT-5 satellite images. The SPOT-5 satellite images of years 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2013 were acquired and classified into land-cover units. In addition, forest cover and land-use change detection map was developed using the classified maps of 2004 and 2013. The classified maps were verified through random field samples and Google Earth imagery(Quick birds and SPOT-5). The results showed that during the period 2004 to 2013 the area of forest land decreased by 6.4%, however, area of range land and agriculture land have increased by 22.1% and 2.9%, respectively. Similarly, barren land increased by 1.1%, whereas, area of snow cover/glacier is significantly decreased by 21.3%. The findings from the study will be useful for forestry and landscape planning and can be utilized by the local, provincial and national forest departments; and REDD+ policy makers in Pakistan.

Contribution of aboveground litter to soil respiration in Populus davidiana Dode plantations at different stand ages

Soil respiration from decomposing aboveground litter is a major component of the terrestrial carbon cycle. However, variations in the contribution of aboveground litter to the total soil respiration for stands of varying ages are poorly understood. To assess soil respiration induced by aboveground litter, treatments of litter and no litter were applied to 5-, l0-, and 20-year-old stands of Populus davidiana Dode in the sandstorm source area of Beijing-Tianjin, equations were applied to China. Optimal nonlinear model the combined effects of soil temperature and soil water content on soil respiration. Results showed that the monthly average contribution of aboveground litter to total soil respiration were 18.46% ± 4.63%, 16.64% ± 9.31%, and 22.37% ± 8.17% for 5-, 10-, and ao-year-old stands, respectively. The relatively high contribution in 5- and 20-year-old stands could be attributed to easily decomposition products and high accumulated litter, resoectivelv. Also. it fluctuated monthly for all stand ages due to substrate availability caused by phenology and environmental factors. Litter removal significantly decreased soil respiration and soil water content for all stand ages （P 〈 0.05） but not soil temperature （P 〉 0.05）. Variations of soil respiration could be explained by soil temperature at 5-cm depth using an exponential equation and by soil water content at lo-cm depth using a quadratic equation, whereas soil respiration was better modeled using the combined parameters of soil temperature and soil water content than with either soil temperature or soil water content alone. Temperature sensitivity （Q10） increased with stand age in both the litter and the no litter treatments. Considering the effects of aboveground litter, this study provides insights for predicting future soil carbon fluxes and for accurately assessing soil carbon budgets.

Ecological Consequences of Land Use Change: Forest Structure and Regeneration across the Forest-grassland Ecotone in Mountain Pastures in Nepal

The ecotone, the spatial transition zone between two vegetation communities, is claimed to have more species than the adjoining communities. However, empirical studies do not always confirm higher richness at the ecotone. The ecotone position and structure are dynamic over time and space and it is driven by the changes in climate, land use or their interaction. In this context, we assessed the forest- grassland ecotone of temperate mountains in central Nepal by i） comparing species composition and richness across the ecotone, ii） analyzing if the forestgrassland ecotone is shifting towards the grassland center by colonizing them with trees, and iii） discussing the consequence of changed disturbance regime in the dynamics of this ecotone and the surrounding grasslands. We analyzed vegetation data sampled from belt transects laid across the forest- grassland ecotone in semi-natural grassland patches. Vegetation data consisting of species richness and composition, and size structure and regeneration of the two most dominant tree species, namely Rhododendron arboreum and Abies spectabilis, from the transects, were used to analyze the trend of the forest-grassland ecotone. Forest and grasslands were different in terms of floristic composition and diversity. Vascular plant speciesrichness linearly increased while moving from forest interior to grassland center. Spatial pattern of tree size structure and regeneration infers that forest boundary is advancing towards the grasslands at the expense of the grassland area, and tree establishment in the grasslands is part of a suceessional process. Temporally, tree establishment in grasslands started following the gradual decline in disturbance. We argue that local processes in terms of changed land use may best explain the phenomenon of ecotone shift and consequent forest expansion in these grasslands. We underpin the need for further research on the mechanism, rate and spatial extent of ecotone shift by using advaneed tools to understand the process indepth.

Comparison and Analysis of Agricultural and Forest Land Changes in Typical Agricultural Regions of Northern Mid-latitudes

The northeastern China, the United States, and the western Europe are important agricultural regions both on the global and regional scales. The westem Europe has a longer history of agricultural land development than the eastem United States. These two regions have changed from the deforestation and reclamation phase in the past to the current land abandonment and reforestation phase. Compared with the two regions, large-scale land exploitation has only been practiced in the northeastern China during the last century. After a short high-intensity deforestation and reclamation period, agricultural and forest lands are basically in a dynamic steady state. By comparing domestic and international agro-forestry development and considering the ecological environment and socio-economic bene- fits that can be derived from agro-forestry, this paper suggests that large area of reforestation would be inevitable in future though per- sistent and large agricultural demand in coming decades even more. And local reforestation at slope farmland with ecological vulner- ability should be imperative at present to avoid severer damage. At the same time, from the perspective of Land Change Science, the results demonstrate that the research on land use change in the agro-forestry ecotone is typical and critical, particularly those dealing with the analysis of spatial and temporal characteristics and the simulation of climate, hydrology, and other environmental effects.