Vegetation Evolution with Degenerating Soil Ecology Under Unequal Competition

A vegetation evolution model influenced by a degeneration of soil ecological functions was set up. Three ideal communities of a) trees, b) shrubs, and c) herbage populations were first simulated. Then numerical simulations of the evolutionary and developmental processes of a natural forest community, which is composed of over 100 species,were conducted. Results of the study showed that a) in all communities, soil degeneration not only drove some weaker species to extinction, but also a few dominant ones; b) there were different response scales with species in an ideal tree metapopulation that could persist as long as a thousand years, with shrubs in an ideal shrub metapopulation that could persevere for several hundred years, and with species in an ideal herbage metapopulation that could become extinct within 10 years; and c) each metapopulation experienced three evolutionary stages during adaptation to the environment: a) the stage of compelled adaptation or resistance, b) the adjusted stage, and c) the stabilized stage.

Development of Prataculture and Construction of Landscape City Based on the Rule of Water and Soil Ecology

This paper explored the necessity of protecting and using grasslands, grass mountains, grass slopes and grass shallows, the significance of prataculture for the economic transformation and upgrading and urbanization, feasibility, scientificity and naturalness of landscape city construction. It was proposed that pratacultural development, construction of landscape city, agricultural, water conservancy and planning should all follow the laws of water and soil ecology, the relationship between man, water, soil, vegetation and natural environment should be handled properly, ecological balance should be kept, so as to achieve the harmony between man and nature in addition to economic development.

Water and Soil Conservation in Taiwan Based on Theoretical Research of Water and Soil Ecology

Taiwan has always attached great importance to management of mountain slopes, and its steepslope water and soil conservation system has been a reference for the water and soil conservation in hot and rainy regions. From the perspective of water and soil ecology theory, new forms of water and soil loss emerged since the industrialization and urbanization of Taiwan, also known as hidden water and soil loss, such as soil hardening, change of original landform, destruction of ecological landscape etc.. These losses should be controlled through water and soil conservation measures such as initial involvement, dynamic analysis, systematic treatment and disaster avoidance, all production and construction activities should follow three elements(water, soil and vegetation) and their correlation laws, in order to maintain water and soil ecological balance. By integrating water and soil ecological concepts, water and soil conservation in Taiwan will make more progress.

Philosophical Thinking on Soil and Water Ecology

Any ecosystem is commonly composed of organism and environmental system. Vegetation is primary producer and key factor of biological system,while water and soil are leading factors of environmental system. How to conform to and use nature,protect the integrity and continuity of the ecosystem,play ecological service function of the system,protect and improve eco-environment needs grasping key factor of ecosystem or principal contradiction,namely water,soil and vegetation. Said from the source,all human activities are dealing with water,soil and vegetation,and continuously using and changing water,soil and vegetation for production of material goods and social economic construction,thereby affecting and changing natural environment. Main problems of eco-environment are induced by the interference and destruction on water,soil and vegetation by human activities. But human beings cannot manipulate and change natural phenomenon and rule,such as sunlight,diurnal variation and revolution of the earth. Soil and water ecology is the deepening and development of soil and water conservation view,and innovation and expansion of ecological science,and indicates a kind of ecological equilibrium relationship among soil,water and vegetation on the earth inter-associating,inter-promoting and inter-developing. Broadly speaking,soil and water ecology indicates the sum total of all relations among water,soil and vegetation in motion and evolution process. Cognition of soil and water ecology from the height of philosophy is conducive to further understanding important position and role of soil and water ecology theory in eco-environment,correctly recognizing position and relationship between man and nature,and clearly finding the key of current eco-environment problem and its future and direction,which could provide important theoretic support for maintaining earth's eco-environment and realizing sustainable development of mankind.

Theory and Practice of Soil and Water Ecology

Author of this paper introduced the formation and development, main viewpoints, and framework of the theory of soil and water ecology, as well as the role and value of realizing the sustainable utilization of soil and water ecological resources, the sustainable maintenance of ecological environment, and the sustainable development of economy and society. The paper argued that in the current era, it is imperative to maintain the integrity and continuity of soil and water ecology and culture, emphasize the planning and construction of soil and water ecological infrastructure, and ensure the service functions of urban ecosystem, so as to realize the sustainable utilization of soil and water ecological resources, and the sustainable maintenance of ecological environment, and the sustainable development of economy and society.

The Theory of Soil and Water Ecology is a Major Scientific Issue

The theory of soil and water ecology is an important scientific issue related to the fundamental and overall situation of ecological environment and has important strategic significance for the protection of the earth’s ecological environment.Applying the theory of soil and water ecology to soil and water conservation can upgrade soil and water conservation from version 1.0 to version 2.0 of soil and water ecological conservation and further expand the space of soil and water conservation.The paper suggests that while giving full play to the existing strength of soil and water conservation departments,it should establish national soil and water conservation commission for coordinating multi sector forces and vigorously promoting the realization of beautiful and rich China.

Promoting the Construction of Beautiful and Rich China with the Theory of Soil and Water Ecology

Started from the problems and perplexities of ecological environment in China,the scientific principle and value of the theory of soil and water ecology are discussed. It is thought that the theory of soil and water ecology clarifies the complicated problems of ecological environment. Environmental pollution can be controlled,but it is only a matter of time and cost. Soil and water ecology is the root of ecological environment problems. The clean water and green mountain are destroyed,which cannot be restored. With the theory of soil and water ecology,the idea that clean water and green mountain are golden and silver mountains is read,as well as the way of turning clean water and green mountain into golden and silver mountains and its different impacts on eco-environment. The developed and underdeveloped areas should treat the idea that clean water and green mountain are golden and silver mountains. The application of the theory of soil and water ecology in soil and water conservation broadens the space of soil and water conservation,and it is necessary to establish a national commission for the conservation of soil and water ecology. The theory of soil and water ecology is the golden key to solve the problems of contemporary ecological environment and the theoretical basis for building a beautiful and rich China.

Soil and Water Ecology as the Core Issue of Contemporary Biodiversity Conservation:A Case Study of the Population of Elk,an Endemic Species in China

From a new vision of the theory of soil and water ecology,it is discussed that soil and water ecology is the core issue of contemporary biodiversity protection.First,soil and water ecology constitutes the habitat for biological survival,and is the premise and foundation of biodiversity.Second,soil and water ecology is the material and energy source of biological survival and the prerequisite of biodiversity.Human beings are the beneficiaries and operators of soil and water ecology,which is related to the future and destiny of biodiversity on the earth.It should protect and restore the original,diverse,complete and clean soil and water ecology on the earth from three aspects of protecting pure natural soil and water ecology,protecting and restoring natural soil and water ecology,and building and regenerating artificial soil and water ecology,so as to fundamentally achieve biodiversity protection.

On Soil and Water,Soil and Water Ecology,and Soil and Water Ecological Conservation

On the basis of discussing the positions and functions of soil and water in terrestrial ecosystem,the concept of soil and water ecology is put forward.It is thought that the integral concept of inseparability between vegetation and soil,water is an important feature of soil and water ecology.Meanwhile,a new definition for soil and water ecological conservation is given,and it is divided into four types:ecological,natural,production and construction.At the height of soil and water ecology,it is an active,organic and holistic concept of soil and water conservation,and is deepening and development of the cognitive view on soil and water conservation to understand and control soil and water loss from the source and linkage of elements,which will make soil and water ecological conservation enter a new era.

The Theory of Soil and Water Ecology is the Common Theoretical Basis in the Field of Ecological Environment

From the perspective of system concept and practical needs,the field of ecological environment needs new theories that can grasp the whole and command the overall situation.Soil and water ecology is the holistic view of nature of seeing both macrocosm and microcosm,is the largest common divisor of various types of ecosystems on the earth and will effectively integrate all ecological processes related to human beings,animals and plants.Starting from the principle of soil and water ecology,the paper resolved that:①the essence of landscape,forest,field,lake,grass,sand and ice is soil and water ecology and;②the fundamental reason of the ecological and environmental crises of climate change,global warming and loss of biodiversity lies in the change and destruction of the earth’s soil and water ecology.The theory of soil and water ecology is a major scientific issue related to the fundamental and overall situation of the ecological environment,is the golden key to understand and solve contemporary ecological and environmental issues and is the common theoretical basis in the field of ecological environment.

Protection and Restoration of Soil and Water Ecology to Achieve Harmonious Coexistence between Human and Nature

At present,the ecological environment crisis of global concern,such as climate warming and biodiversity loss,the fundamental reason is the change and destruction of the earth's soil and water ecology.Therefore,protecting and restoring the authenticity,diversity,cleanliness and integrity of soil and water ecology,we should coordinate and deal with the relationship between human beings and soil and water ecology,and realize the harmonious coexistence between human beings and nature from the three aspects of protecting natural soil and water ecology,protecting and restoring natural soil and water ecology,building and regenerating artificial soil and water ecology.

The competition between Bidens pilosa and Setaria viridis alters soil microbial composition and soil ecological function

Bidens pilosa is recognized as one of the major invasive plants in China.Its invasion has been associated with significant losses in agriculture,forestry,husbandry,and biodiversity.Soil ecosystems play an important role in alien plant invasion.Microorganisms within the soil act as intermediaries between plants and soil ecological functions,playing a role in regulating soil enzyme activities and nutrient dynamics.Understanding the interactions between invasive plants,soil microorganisms,and soil ecological processes is vital for managing and mitigating the impacts of invasive species on the environment.In this study,we conducted a systematic analysis focusing on B.pilosa and Setaria viridis,a common native companion plant in the invaded area.To simulate the invasion process of B.pilosa,we constructed homogeneous plots consisting of B.pilosa and S.viridis grown separately as monocultures,as well as in mixtures.The rhizosphere and bulk soils were collected from the alien plant B.pilosa and the native plant S.viridis.In order to focus on the soil ecological functional mechanisms that contribute to the successful invasion of B.pilosa,we analyzed the effects of B.pilosa on the composition of soil microbial communities and soil ecological functions.The results showed that the biomass of B.pilosa increased by 27.51% and that of S.viridis was significantly reduced by 66.56%.The organic matter contents in the bulk and rhizosphere soils of B.pilosa were approximately 1.30 times those in the native plant soils.The TN and NO_(3)^(-)contents in the rhizosphere soil of B.pilosa were 1.30 to 2.71 times those in the native plant soils.The activities of acid phosphatase,alkaline phosphatase,and urease in the rhizosphere soil of B.pilosa were 1.98-2.25 times higher than in the native plant soils.Using high-throughput sequencing of the16S rRNA gene,we found that B.pilosa altered the composition of the soil microbial community.Specifically,many genera in Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria were enriched in B.pilosa soils.Further correlation analyses verified that these genera had significantly positive relationships with soil nutrients and enzyme activities.Plant biomass,soil p H,and the contents of organic matter,TN,NO_(3)^(-),TP,AP,TK,and AK were the main factors affecting soil microbial communities.This study showed that the invasion of B.pilosa led to significant alterations in the composition of the soil microbial communities.These changes were closely linked to modifications in plant traits as well as soil physical and chemical properties.Some microbial species related to C,N and P cycling were enriched in the soil invaded by B.pilosa.These findings provide additional support for the hypothesis of soil-microbe feedback in the successful invasion of alien plants.They also offer insights into the ecological mechanism by which soil microbes contribute to the successful invasion of B.pilosa.Overall,our research contributes to a better understanding of the complex interactions between invasive plants,soil microbial communities,and ecosystem dynamics.

Biochar Decreases Soil Cadmium(Cd) Availability and Regulates Expression Levels of Cd Uptake/Transport-Related Genes to Reduce Cd Translocation in Rice

Biochar has been used as a soil amendment for heavy metal-contaminated soils, and it has the potential to mitigate Cd accumulation in plants. In this study, we used rice straw biochar(RSB) and kitchen waste biochar(KWB) to clarify the effect of biochar on Cd-contaminated neutral soil, the physiological responses to biochar application, and the gene regulatory networks in a rice genotype.

Subsoil tillage enhances wheat productivity,soil organic carbon and available nutrient status in dryland fields

Tillage practices during the fallow period benefit water storage and yield in dryland wheat crops.However,there is currently no clarity on the responses of soil organic carbon(SOC),total nitrogen(TN),and available nutrients to tillage practices within the growing season.This study evaluated the effects of three tillage practices(NT,no tillage;SS,subsoil tillage;DT,deep tillage)over five years on soil physicochemical properties.Soil samples at harvest stage from the fifth year were analyzed to determine the soil aggregate and aggregate-associated C and N fractions.The results indicated that SS and DT improved grain yield,straw biomass and straw carbon return of wheat compared with NT.In contrast to DT and NT,SS favored SOC and TN concentrations and stocks by increasing the soil organic carbon sequestration rate(SOCSR)and soil nitrogen sequestration rate(TNSR)in the 0-40 cm layer.Higher SOC levels under SS and NT were associated with greater aggregate-associated C fractions,while TN was positively associated with soluble organic nitrogen(SON).Compared with DT,the NT and SS treatments improved soil available nutrients in the 0-20 cm layer.These findings suggest that SS is an excellent practice for increasing soil carbon,nitrogen and nutrient availability in dryland wheat fields in North China.

A dynamic soil freezing characteristic curve model for frozen soil

The soil freezing characteristic curve(SFCC)plays a fundamental role in comprehending thermohydraulic behavior and numerical simulation of frozen soil.This study proposes a dynamic model to uniformly express SFCCs amidst varying total water contents throughout the freezing-thawing process.Firstly,a general model is proposed,wherein the unfrozen water content at arbitrary temperature is determined as the lesser of the current total water content and the reference value derived from saturated SFCC.The dynamic performance of this model is verified through test data.Subsequently,in accordance with electric double layer(EDL)theory,the theoretical residual and minimum temperatures in SFCC are calculated to be-14.5℃to-20℃for clay particles and-260℃,respectively.To ensure that the SFCC curve ends at minimum temperature,a correction function is introduced into the general model.Furthermore,a simplified dynamic model is proposed and investigated,necessitating only three parameters inherited from the general model.Additionally,both general and simplified models are evaluated based on a test database and proven to fit the test data exactly across the entire temperature range.Typical recommended parameter values for various types of soils are summarized.Overall,this study provides not only a theoretical basis for most empirical equations but also proposes a new and more general equation to describe the SFCC.

Straw return increases crop production by improving soil organic carbon sequestration and soil aggregation in a long-term wheat-cotton cropping system

Straw return is a promising strategy for managing soil organic carbon(SOC)and improving yield stability.However,the optimal straw return strategy for sustainable crop production in the wheat(Triticum aestivum L.)-cotton(Gossypium hirsutum L.)cropping system remains uncertain.The objective of this study was to quantify the long-term(10 years)impact of carbon(C)input on SOC sequestration,soil aggregation and crop yields in a wheat-cotton cropping system in the Yangtze River Valley,China.Five treatments were arranged with a single-factor randomized design as follows:no straw return(Control),return of wheat straw only(Wt),return of cotton straw only(Ct),return of 50%wheat and 50%cotton straw(Wh-Ch)and return of 100%wheat and 100%cotton straw(Wt-Ct).In comparison to the Control,the SOC content increased by 8.4 to 20.2%under straw return.A significant linear positive correlation between SOC sequestration and C input(1.42-7.19 Mg ha^(−1)yr^(−1))(P<0.05)was detected.The percentages of aggregates of sizes>2 and 1-2 mm at the 0-20 cm soil depth were also significantly elevated under straw return,with the greatest increase of the aggregate stability in the Wt-Ct treatment(28.1%).The average wheat yields increased by 12.4-36.0%and cotton yields increased by 29.4-73.7%,and significantly linear positive correlations were also detected between C input and the yields of wheat and cotton.The average sustainable yield index(SYI)reached a maximum value of 0.69 when the C input was 7.08 Mg ha^(−1)yr^(−1),which was close to the maximum value(SYI of 0.69,C input of 7.19 Mg ha^(−1)yr^(-1))in the Wt-Ct treatment.Overall,the return of both wheat and cotton straw was the best strategy for improving SOC sequestration,soil aggregation,yields and their sustainability in the wheat-cotton rotation system.

Assessment of soil erosion in the Irga watershed on the eastern edge of the Chota Nagpur Plateau,India

Human activities to improve the quality of life have accelerated the natural rate of soil erosion.In turn,these natural disasters have taken a great impact on humans.Human activities,particularly the conversion of vegetated land into agricultural land and built-up area,stand out as primary contributors to soil erosion.The present study investigated the risk of soil erosion in the Irga watershed located on the eastern fringe of the Chota Nagpur Plateau in Jharkhand,India,which is dominated by sandy loam and sandy clay loam soil with low soil organic carbon(SOC)content.The study used the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation(RUSLE)and Geographical Information System(GIS)technique to determine the rate of soil erosion.The five parameters(rainfall-runoff erosivity(R)factor,soil erodibility(K)factor,slope length and steepness(LS)factor,cover-management(C)factor,and support practice(P)factor)of the RUSLE were applied to present a more accurate distribution characteristic of soil erosion in the Irga watershed.The result shows that the R factor is positively correlated with rainfall and follows the same distribution pattern as the rainfall.The K factor values in the northern part of the study area are relatively low,while they are relatively high in the southern part.The mean value of the LS factor is 2.74,which is low due to the flat terrain of the Irga watershed.There is a negative linear correlation between Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI)and the C factor,and the high values of the C factor are observed in places with low NDVI.The mean value of the P factor is 0.210,with a range from 0.000 to 1.000.After calculating all parameters,we obtained the average soil erosion rate of 1.43 t/(hm^(2)•a),with the highest rate reaching as high as 32.71 t/(hm^(2)•a).Therefore,the study area faces a low risk of soil erosion.However,preventative measures are essential to avoid future damage to productive and constructive activities caused by soil erosion.This study also identifies the spatial distribution of soil erosion rate,which will help policy-makers to implement targeted soil erosion control measures.

Manure substitution improves maize yield by promoting soil fertility and mediating the microbial community in lime concretion black soil

Synthetic nitrogen(N)fertilizer has made a great contribution to the improvement of soil fertility and productivity,but excessive application of synthetic N fertilizer may cause agroecosystem risks,such as soil acidification,groundwater contamination and biodiversity reduction.Meanwhile,organic substitution has received increasing attention for its ecologically and environmentally friendly and productivity benefits.However,the linkages between manure substitution,crop yield and the underlying microbial mechanisms remain uncertain.To bridge this gap,a three-year field experiment was conducted with five fertilization regimes:i)Control,non-fertilization;CF,conventional synthetic fertilizer application;CF_(1/2)M_(1/2),1/2 N input via synthetic fertilizer and 1/2 N input via manure;CF_(1/4)M_(3/4),1/4 N input synthetic fertilizer and 3/4 N input via manure;M,manure application.All fertilization treatments were designed to have equal N input.Our results showed that all manure substituted treatments achieved high soil fertility indexes(SFI)and productivities by increasing the soil organic carbon(SOC),total N(TN)and available phosphorus(AP)concentrations,and by altering the bacterial community diversity and composition compared with CF.SOC,AP,and the soil C:N ratio were mainly responsible for microbial community variations.The co-occurrence network revealed that SOC and AP had strong positive associations with Rhodospirillales and Burkholderiales,while TN and C:N ratio had positive and negative associations with Micromonosporaceae,respectively.These specific taxa are implicated in soil macroelement turnover.Random Forest analysis predicted that both biotic(bacterial composition and Micromonosporaceae)and abiotic(AP,SOC,SFI,and TN)factors had significant effects on crop yield.The present work strengthens our understanding of the effects of manure substitution on crop yield and provides theoretical support for optimizing fertilization strategies.

Enhancing Deep Learning Soil Moisture Forecasting Models by Integrating Physics-based Models

Accurate soil moisture(SM)prediction is critical for understanding hydrological processes.Physics-based(PB)models exhibit large uncertainties in SM predictions arising from uncertain parameterizations and insufficient representation of land-surface processes.In addition to PB models,deep learning(DL)models have been widely used in SM predictions recently.However,few pure DL models have notably high success rates due to lacking physical information.Thus,we developed hybrid models to effectively integrate the outputs of PB models into DL models to improve SM predictions.To this end,we first developed a hybrid model based on the attention mechanism to take advantage of PB models at each forecast time scale(attention model).We further built an ensemble model that combined the advantages of different hybrid schemes(ensemble model).We utilized SM forecasts from the Global Forecast System to enhance the convolutional long short-term memory(ConvLSTM)model for 1–16 days of SM predictions.The performances of the proposed hybrid models were investigated and compared with two existing hybrid models.The results showed that the attention model could leverage benefits of PB models and achieved the best predictability of drought events among the different hybrid models.Moreover,the ensemble model performed best among all hybrid models at all forecast time scales and different soil conditions.It is highlighted that the ensemble model outperformed the pure DL model over 79.5%of in situ stations for 16-day predictions.These findings suggest that our proposed hybrid models can adequately exploit the benefits of PB model outputs to aid DL models in making SM predictions.

Time-lagged Effects of the Spring Atmospheric Heat Source over the Tibetan Plateau on Summer Precipitation in Northeast China during 1961–2020:Role of Soil Moisture

The spring atmospheric heat source(AHS)over the Tibetan Plateau(TP)has been suggested to affect the Asian summer monsoon and summer precipitation over South China.However,its influence on the summer precipitation in Northeast China(NEC)remains unknown.The connection between spring TP AHS and subsequent summer precipitation over NEC from 1961 to 2020 is analyzed in this study.Results illustrate that stronger spring TP AHS can enhance subsequent summer NEC precipitation,and higher soil moisture in the Yellow River Valley-North China region(YRVNC)acts as a bridge.During spring,the strong TP AHS could strengthen the transportation of water vapor to East China and lead to excessive rainfall in the YRVNC.Thus,soil moisture increases,which regulates local thermal conditions by decreasing local surface skin temperature and sensible heat.Owing to the memory of soil moisture,the lower spring sensible heat over the YRVNC can last until mid-summer,decrease the land–sea thermal contrast,and weaken the southerly winds over the East Asia–western Pacific region and convective activities over the South China Sea and tropical western Pacific.This modulates the East Asia–Pacific teleconnection pattern,which leads to a cyclonic anomaly and excessive summer precipitation over NEC.