Water and salt movement in different soil textures under various negative irrigating pressures

supported by the National High-Tech R＆D Program of China （2013AA102901）

Influence of vegetation type and topographic position on volumetric soil water content dynamics and similarity among surface and deep soil layers

Clarifying the mechanisms governing volumetric soil water content(VSWC)dynamics in soil profiles is essential,as it can help to elucidate soil water transport processes and improve the prediction accuracy of soil hydrological processes.Using Spearman's rank correlation and wavelet coherence analysis methods,similarity in soil profile VSWC dynamics and factors governing VSWC soil profile dynamics in upslopes and downslopes under three vegetation types(evergreen forest[EG],secondary deciduous forest mixed with shrubs[SDFS],and deforested pasture[DP])at different time scales(hourly,daily,weekly,and monthly)and in different seasons were analyzed.The results revealed significant similarity in the VSWC of different soil depths(P<0.01),with the similarity decreasing in accordance with the increment in soil depth.Greater VSWC similarity was found in EG than SDFS and DP sites and in upslope than downslope areas at both forest sites.The average significant coherence area(SCA)of VSWC similarity among surface and deep soil layers varied with the time scale,which was in the order of monthly(58.6%)>weekly(42.8%)>daily(21.8%).The effects of soil properties(e.g.,texture,saturated hydraulic conductivity),rainfall,and potential evapotranspiration(ET_(p))on VSWC similarity were related to the time scale and season in which VSWC monitoring took place.Soil properties had apparent effects on VSWC similarity at longer time scales(i.e.,monthly),with a high SCA.In contrast,the effects of rainfall and ET_(p) on VSWC similarity were concentrated at weekly and daily scales,with a relatively low SCA.Rainfall and ET_(p) dominated VSWC dynamics in the summer and fall,respectively.These results imply the use of measured VSWC at one soil depth to predict the VSWC at other soil depths was a reliable method.While the in-fluence of time scale effects and seasonal variations on prediction accuracy of VSWC should be considered.

Construction of Forecast and Early Warning System of Meteorological and Geological Disasters in Qinghai Province

Based on the meteorological and geological disaster data, ground observation data set, CLDAS grid point data set, and EC, BJ and other model product data during 2008-2020, the temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of meteorological and geological disasters and precipitation were analyzed, and the causes of the occurrence of meteorological geological disasters and the deviation of model precipitation forecast were revealed. Besides, an objective precipitation forecast system and a forecast and early warning system of meteorological and geological disasters were established. The results show that meteorological and geological disasters and precipitation were mainly concentrated from May to October, of which continuous precipitation appeared frequently in June and September, and convective precipitation was mainly distributed in July-August;the occurrence frequency of meteorological and geological disasters was basically consistent with the distribution of accumulated precipitation and short-term heavy precipitation, and they were mainly concentrated in the southern and eastern parts of Qinghai. Meteorological and geological disasters were basically caused by heavy rain and above, and meteorological and geological disasters were divided into three types: continuous precipitation(type I), short-term heavy precipitation(type II) and mixed precipitation(type III). For type I, the early warning conditions of meteorological and geological disasters in Qinghai are as follows: if the soil volumetric water content difference between 0-10 and 10-40 cm is ≤0.03 mm^(3)/mm^(3), or the soil volumetric water content at one of the depths is ≥0.25 mm^(3)/mm^(3), the future effective precipitation reaches 8.4 mm in 1 h, 10.2 mm in 2 h, 11.5 mm in 3 h, 14.2 mm in 6 h, 17.7 mm in 12 h, and 18.2 mm in 24 h, and such warning conditions are mainly used in Yushu, Guoluo, southern Hainan, southern Huangnan and other places. For type II, when the future effective precipitation is up to 11.5 mm in 1 h, 14.9 mm in 2 h, 16.2 mm in 3 h, 19.9 mm in 6 h, 25.3 mm in 12 h, and 26.3 mm in 24 h, such precipitation thresholds are mainly used in Hainan, Huangnan, and eastern Guoluo;as it is up to 13.3 mm in 1 h, 15.5 mm in 2 h, 16.6 mm in 3 h, 19.9 mm in 6 h, 31.1 mm in 12 h, and 34.0 mm in 24 h, such precipitation thresholds are mainly used in Hehuang valley. The precipitation thresholds of type III are between type I and type II, and closer to that of type II;such precipitation thresholds are mainly used in Hainan, Huangnan, and northern Guoluo. The forecasting ability of global models for heavy rain and above was not as good as that of mesoscale numerical prediction model, and global models had a wet bias for small-scale precipitation and a dry bias for large-scale precipitation;meso-scale models had a significantly larger precipitation bias. The forecast ability of precipitation objective forecast system constructed by frequency matching and multi-model integration has improved. At the same time, the constructed grid forecast and early warning system of meteorological and geological disasters is more precise and accurate, and is of instructive significance for the forecast and early warning of meteorological and geological disasters.

Evaluating Reflected GPS Signal as a Potential Tool for Cotton Irrigation Scheduling

Accurate soil moisture content measurements are vital to precision irrigation management. Remote sensing using the microwave spectrum (such as GPS signals) has been used for measuring large area soil moisture contents. In our previous work, we estimated surface soil moisture contents for bare soil using a GPS Delay Mapping Receiver (DMR) developed by NASA. However, the effect of vegetation was not considered in these studies. Hence the objectives of this study were to: 1) investigate the feasibility of using DMR to determine soil moisture content in cotton production fields;2) evaluate the attenuation effect of vegetation (cotton) on reflected GPS signal. Field experiments were conducted during the 2013 and 2014 growing seasons in South Carolina. GPS antennas were mounted at three heights (1.6, 2.7, and 4.2 m) over cotton fields to measure reflected GPS signals (DMR readings). DMR readings, soil core samples, and plant measurements were collected about once a week and attenuation effect of plant canopy was calculated. Results showed that DMR was able to detect soil moisture changes within one week after precipitation events that were larger than 25 mm per day. However, the DMR readings were poorly correlated with soil volumetric water content during dry periods. Attenuation effect of plant canopy was not significant. For irrigation purpose, the results suggested that the sensitivity of reflected GPS signals to soil moisture changes needed to be further studied before this technology could be utilized for irrigation scheduling in cotton production. Refinement of this technology will expand the use of advanced remote sensing technology for site-specific and timely irrigation scheduling. This would eliminate the need to install moisture sensors in production fields, which can interfere with farming operations and increase production costs.

How precipitation and grazing influence the ecological functions of drought-prone grasslands on the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains, China?

Drought-prone grasslands provide a critical resource for the millions of people who are dependent on livestock for food security.However,this ecosystem is potentially vulnerable to climate change(e.g.,precipitation)and human activity(e.g.,grazing).Despite this,the influences of precipitation and grazing on ecological functions of drought-prone grasslands in the Tianshan Mountains remain relatively unexplored.Therefore,we conducted a systematic field investigation and a clipping experiment(simulating different intensities of grazing)in a drought-prone grassland on the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains in China to examine the influences of precipitation and grazing on aboveground biomass(AGB),soil volumetric water content(SVWC),and precipitation use efficiency(PUE)during the period of 2014–2017.We obtained the meteorological and SVWC data using an HL20 Bowen ratio system and a PR2 soil profile hydrometer,respectively.We found that AGB was clearly affected by both the amount and seasonal pattern of precipitation,and that PUE may be relatively low in years with either low or excessive precipitation.The PUE values were generally higher in the rapid growing season(April–July)than in the entire growing season(April–October).Overall,moderate grazing can promote plant growth under water stress conditions.The SVWC value was higher in the clipped plots than in the unclipped plots in the rapid growing season(April–July),but it was lower in the clipped plots than in the unclipped plots in the slow growing season(August–October).Our findings can enhance the understanding of the ecological effects of precipitation and grazing in drought-prone grasslands and provide data that will support the effective local grassland management.