Effects of climate,land use and land cover changes on soil loss in the Three Gorges Reservoir area,China

Climate,land use and land cover(LULC)changes are among the primary driving forces of soil loss.Decoupling their effects can help in understanding the magnitude and trend of soil loss in response to human activities and ecosystem management.Here,the RUSLE model was applied to estimate the spatial-temporal variations of soil loss rate in the Three Gorges Reservoir(TGR)area during 2001-2015,followed by a scenario design to decouple the effects of climate and LULC changes.The results showed that increasing rainfall generated as much as 2.90×10^(7)t soil loss in the TGR area.However,such effect was offset by changes in LULC particularly afforestation,which retained about 1.10×10^(7)t soil annually.Other human activities such as dam development and urbanization aggravated soil loss by as much as 1.40×10^(6)t annually.Because of land use policies that favor economic development,distinct spatial variances of soil loss were observed in TGR area.Soil loss in some counties located downstream of the TGR area(i.e.,close to the dam)was more influenced by dam development,but soil loss in the other counties was more influenced by urbanization.As climate change(i.e.,increasing rainfall)did not affect plant performance in TGR area,our findings suggested that ecological restoration was more beneficial to curb the amount of soil loss caused by urbanization and dam construction.

Factors contributing to the oxygen concentration over the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and its contribution rate calculation

A decline in atmospheric oxygen concentration is projected in the 21st century given the background of global warming.The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is located at a high altitude,and thus,it faces a hypoxia challenge;however,knowledge of the factors contributing to its atmospheric oxygen concentration is still lacking.Here,we conducted joint observations of ecosystem oxygen production and carbon sinks and near-surface atmospheric oxygen concentrations on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and meteorological elements at Beijing Fangshan Station.Using seasonal differences and statistical methods,we calculated the relative contribution rates of vegetation to changes in atmospheric oxygen concentration.Our results indicate that solar radiation,atmospheric humidity,and ecosystem oxygen consumption and production have a significant impact on the atmospheric oxygen concentration,and the impact shows temporal and spatial differences.Vegetation significantly impacts the oxygen concentration,with a contribution rate of 16.7%–24.5%,which is underestimated in existing research.Our findings provide important insights into the factors that influence atmospheric oxygen concentration and highlight the contribution of vegetation.To better understand the oxygen dynamics of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau,we recommend further field observations of soil respiration and vegetation photosynthesis to clarify the contributions of carbon storage,carbon sinks and other factors to the near-surface atmospheric oxygen concentration.

气候变化和人类活动对中国北方沙漠地区NDVI变化的影响

Vegetation plays a key role in maintaining ecosystem stability,promoting biodiversity conservation,serving as windbreaks,and facilitating sand fixation in deserts.Based on the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(MODIS NDVI)and climate data,a Theil-Sen median trend analysis combined with the Mann-Kendall test and partial correlation and residual analyses were employed to explore spatiotemporal patterns of vegetation dynamics and key drivers in the Badain Jaran and Tengger deserts and Mu Us Sandy Land.Data were collected during the growing season between 2001 and 2020.Further analyses quantified the relative contribution of climate variation and anthropogenic activities to NDVI changes.Results revealed a predominantly increasing trend for average NDVI.The spread of average annual NDVI and growth trends of the vegetation were determined to be influenced by spatial differences.The area with improved vegetation was greater than that of the degraded region.Climate variability and human activities were driving forces controlling vegetation cover changes,and their effects on vegetation dynamics varied by region.The response of vegetation dynamics was stronger for precipitation than temperature,indicating that precipitation was the main climate variable influencing the NDVI changes.The relative role of human activities was responsible for>70%of the changes,demonstrating that human activities were the main driving factor of the NDVI changes.The implementation of ecological engineering is a key driver of increased vegetation coverage and has improved regional environmental quality.These results enhance our knowledge regarding NDVI change affected by climate variation and human activities and can provide future theoretical guidance for ecological restoration in arid areas.

Attribution of Maize Yield Increase in China to Climate Change and Technological Advancement Between 1980 and 2010

Crop yields are affected by climate change and technological advancement.Objectively and quantitatively evaluating the attribution of crop yield change to climate change and technological advancement will ensure sustainable development of agriculture under climate change.In this study,daily climate variables obtained from 553 meteorological stations in China for the period 1961-2010,detailed observations of maize from 653 agricultural meteorological stations for the period 1981-2010,and results using an Agro-Ecological Zones（AEZ） model,are used to explore the attribution of maize（Zea mays L.） yield change to climate change and technological advancement.In the AEZ model,the climatic potential productivity is examined through three step-by-step levels：photosynthetic potential productivity,photosynthetic thermal potential productivity,and climatic potential productivity.The relative impacts of different climate variables on climatic potential productivity of maize from 1961 to 2010 in China are then evaluated.Combined with the observations of maize,the contributions of climate change and technological advancement to maize yield from 1981 to 2010 in China are separated.The results show that,from 1961 to 2010,climate change had a significant adverse impact on the climatic potential productivity of maize in China.Decreased radiation and increased temperature were the main factors leading to the decrease of climatic potential productivity.However,changes in precipitation had only a small effect.The maize yields of the 14 main planting provinces in China increased obviously over the past 30 years,which was opposite to the decreasing trends of climatic potential productivity.This suggests that technological advancement has offset the negative effects of climate change on maize yield.Technological advancement contributed to maize yield increases by 99.6%-141.6%,while climate change contribution was from-41.4%to 0.4%.In particular,the actual maize yields in Shandong,Henan,Jilin,and Inner Mongolia increased by 98.4,90.4,98.7,and 121.5 kg hm^（-2） yr^（-1） over the past 30 years,respectively.Correspondingly,the maize yields affected by technological advancement increased by 113.7,97.9,111.5,and 124.8 kg hm^（-2） yr^（-1）,respectively.On the contrary,maize yields reduced markedly under climate change,with an average reduction of-9.0 kg hm^（-2） yr^（-1）.Our findings highlight that agronomic technological advancement has contributed dominantly to maize yield increases in China in the past three decades.

Doctors Contribute to China-India Relations

An India-China Joint Medical Mission was launched on January 14 to help improve rural public health in the two countries.The joint mission was set up to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Indian Medical Mission.The mission was sent to China in 1938 to provide medical assistance during China’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression(1937-45). Chinese Premier Wen J iabao and visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh attended the launch ceremony of the joint medical mission in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing and presented certificates to the mission mem-

Cadmium found in peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) kernels mainly originates from root uptake rather than shell absorption from soil

Roots and shells are two potential organs through which peanut plants absorb cadium(Cd)from soils;however,the relative contributions of the two uptake pathways(root uptake and shell absorption)to kernel Cd accumulation and their translocation characteristics are poorly understood.In this study,the relative contributions of the two pathways to Cd accumulation in two peanut cultivars,Xianghua2008(XH)and Yueyou43(YY),were accurately assessed by labeling rooting and podding zone soils with 113Cd and 111Cd isotopes(0.3 mg kg^(-1) dry soil),respectively,in a split-pot design.The results showed that approximately 96%of the Cd accumulated in the peanut kernels was derived from root uptake,while only 4%originated from shell absorption.Only 1%of the Cd accumulated in whole peanut plants was attributed to shell absorption,of which 41%–44%was retained in shells and 56%–59%was translocated to kernels.In contrast,the Cd absorbed by roots was efficiently translocated into all plant organs,of which 80%–84%was distributed in shoots.Although YY accumulated 1.3 times more Cd in whole plants than XH,the relative contributions of the two pathways to Cd accumulation in each plant organ were barely affected by peanut cultivars.Due to the strong retention effect of shells,shell-derived Cd was approximately 2 times higher than root-derived Cd in shells.These results would improve the understanding of Cd accumulation processes in peanut plants,revealing that the root uptake pathway contributes predominantly to the Cd concentration in peanut kernels,based on which strategies and technology for the reduction of Cd in peanut plants could be designed and developed.