Interdecadal variability of summer precipitation in the Three River Source Region: Influences of SST and zonal shifts of the East Asian subtropical westerly jet

Summer precipitation in the Three Rivers Source Region(TRSR)of China is vital for the headwaters of the Yellow,Yangtze,and Lancang rivers and exhibits significant interdecadal variability.This study investigates the influence of the East Asian westerly jet(EAWJ)on TRSR rainfall.A strong correlation is found between TRSR summer precipitation and the Jet Zonal Position Index(JZPI)of the EAWJ from 1961 to 2019(R=0.619,p<0.01).During periods when a positive JZPI indicates a westward shift in the EAWJ,enhanced water vapor anomalies,warmer air,and low-level convergence anomalies contribute to increased TRSR summer precipitation.Using empirical orthogonal function and regression analyses,this research identifies the influence of large-scale circulation anomalies associated with the Atlantic–Eurasian teleconnection(AEA)from the North Atlantic(NA).The interdecadal variability between the NA and central tropical Pacific(CTP)significantly affects TRSR precipitation.This influence is mediated through the AEA via a Rossby wave train extending eastward along the EAWJ,and another south of 45°N.Moreover,the NA–CTP Opposite Phase Index(OPI),which quantifies the difference between the summer mean sea surface temperatures of the NA and the CTP,is identified as a critical factor in modulating the strength of this teleconnection and influencing the zonal position of the EAWJ.

Persistence of fertilization effects on soil organic carbon in degraded alpine wetlands in the Yellow River source region

In the restoration of degraded wetlands,fertilization can improve the vegetation-soil-microorganisms complex,thereby affecting the organic carbon content.However,it is currently unclear whether these effects are sustainable.This study employed Biolog-Eco surveys to investigate the changes in vegetation characteristics,soil physicochemical properties,and soil microbial functional diversity in degraded alpine wetlands of the source region of the Yellow River at 3 and 15 months after the application of nitrogen,phosphorus,and organic mixed fertilizer.The following results were obtained:The addition of nitrogen fertilizer and organic compost significantly affects the soil organic carbon content in degraded wetlands.Three months after fertilization,nitrogen addition increases soil organic carbon in both lightly and severely degraded wetlands,whereas after 15 months,organic compost enhanced the soil organic carbon level in severely degraded wetlands.Structural equation modeling indicates that fertilization decreases the soil pH and directly or indirectly influences the soil organic carbon levels through variations in the soil water content and the aboveground biomass of vegetation.Three months after fertilization,nitrogen fertilizer showed a direct positive effect on soil organic carbon.However,organic mixed fertilizer indirectly reduced soil organic carbon by increasing biomass and decreasing soil moisture.After 15 months,none of the fertilizers significantly affected the soil organic carbon level.In summary,it can be inferred that the addition of nitrogen fertilizer lacks sustainability in positively influencing the organic carbon content.

Characteristics of transfer zones under the influence of preexisting faults and regional stress transformation:Wenchang A subsag,Zhujiang River Mouth Basin,northern South China Sea

A transfer zone in rift basins preserves important information on regional tectonic evolution and plays significant roles in hydrocarbon accumulation.Based on the systematic analysis of 3D seismic data and hydrocarbon accumulation conditions,the geometry,kinematics,and reservoir control of a large synthetic overlapping transfer zone in the south of the Wenchang A subsag in the Zhujiang(Pearl)River Mouth basin were investigated.Results indicate that the development and evolution of the transfer zone was controlled by the interaction between pre-existing faults and regional stress transformation.The intense rifting of the main faults of the transfer zone controlled the development of source rocks and faultcontrolled slope break paleogeomorphology.The strike-slip overprint since the Oligocene is conducive to the formation of a large-scale fault-anticline trap,and the secondary faults in the transfer zone contribute to the hydrocarbon transportation.The conjugate intersection area of the NE-and NW-trending faults offers more opportunity for hydrocarbon migration and accumulation.

Regional Brand and High-quality Development of Fruits in Ethnic Areas of the Yangtze River Economic Belt under the Greater Food Approach

Establishing the Greater Food Approach and promoting the Yangtze River Economic Belt s national major regional development strategy can better support and serve the agricultural power and Chinese-style modernization.This paper introduces the characteristics of fruit industry in 16 autonomous prefectures and 47 autonomous counties under the jurisdiction of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.It studies the intellectual property resources of brand marks from the aspects of geographical indications,collective trademarks,certification trademarks,well-known trademarks in China and national design patents,and analyzes the main problems of brand and high-quality development of fruit industry in these ethnic autonomous areas.Finally,it puts forward some strategies,such as improving the protection of intellectual property rights of geographical indications,using intellectual property rights of brand signs,building modern seed industry upgrading project,drawing lessons from the experience of thousand villages demonstration project,ensuring that large-scale poverty does not occur,and building a diversified food supply system.

Evaluation of Ecological Sustainable Development in the Yangtze River Delta Region Based on Ecological Footprint Theory

The ecological footprint was employed as a quantitative indicator of resource inputs,enabling a detailed account of the structure of biological resources and energy occupancy,as well as the variation of resource productivity in the Yangtze River Delta(YRD)Region.From 2004 to 2018,there were notable variations in the ecological productivity of different types of land on basis of China’s equilibrium factor across the three provinces and one city in the YRD region.Jiangsu Province exhibited the highest ecological productivity of arable land,while Anhui Province exhibited the highest ecological productivity of forest land.Shanghai City exhibited the highest ecological productivity of pasture land,while Zhejiang Province exhibited the highest ecological productivity of water area.In 2018,the proportion of arable land within the total ecological carrying capacity of the YRD region reached 74.35%.Furthermore,the contribution of Jiangsu and Anhui provinces to the YRD’s total ecological carrying capacity was 41.36%and 41.26%,respectively.In the construction of a new development pattern in the YRD region,which is dominated by the domestic cycle as the main body and mutually reinforced by domestic and international double-cycle,the YRD region should combine the utilization of natural forces with innovation in science,technology and cooperation mechanisms.Furthermore,the government should guide the concentration of social capital towards green industries.It is also recommended that the moderate reduction of ecological footprints should be encouraged,and that the security of biological resources and energy,the leadership in the field of cutting-edge science and technology should be ensured in YRD region.This will facilitate the formation of a new development pattern of higher-quality integration at the national level firstly.

Dataset of Comparative Observations for Land Surface Processes over the Semi-Arid Alpine Grassland against Alpine Lakes in the Source Region of the Yellow River

Thousands of lakes on the Tibetan Plateau(TP) play a critical role in the regional water cycle, weather, and climate. In recent years, the areas of TP lakes underwent drastic changes and have become a research hotspot. However, the characteristics of the lake-atmosphere interaction over the high-altitude lakes are still unclear, which inhibits model development and the accurate simulation of lake climate effects. The source region of the Yellow River(SRYR) has the largest outflow lake and freshwater lake on the TP and is one of the most densely distributed lakes on the TP. Since 2011,three observation sites have been set up in the Ngoring Lake basin in the SRYR to monitor the lake-atmosphere interaction and the differences among water-heat exchanges over the land and lake surfaces. This study presents an eight-year(2012–19), half-hourly, observation-based dataset related to lake–atmosphere interactions composed of three sites. The three sites represent the lake surface, the lakeside, and the land. The observations contain the basic meteorological elements,surface radiation, eddy covariance system, soil temperature, and moisture(for land). Information related to the sites and instruments, the continuity and completeness of data, and the differences among the observational results at different sites are described in this study. These data have been used in the previous study to reveal a few energy and water exchange characteristics of TP lakes and to validate and improve the lake and land surface model. The dataset is available at National Cryosphere Desert Data Center and Science Data Bank.

Analysis of the Higher Education Research in the Chengdu-Chongqing Region:A Comparative Perspective Based on Three Major Economic Circles in China

Drawing on literature regarding higher education research retrieved from the CNKI database from 1997 to 2021,this paper used CiteSpace to analyze the current status of higher education research in the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle.By comparing it with that in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region,the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area,and the Yangtze River Delta,this paper concluded that the level of higher education research within a region is in line with the level of the region’s economic and social development.As higher education research in the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle draws more and more attention,its research areas and topics are becoming increasingly diversified.However,by comparison,the research in this region features a late start and lower participation of researchers and research institutions,resulting in insufficient research in both quantity and quality.Therefore,it is essential to encourage more experts and scholars to participate in higher education research in the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle.Efforts should also be made to strengthen academic exchanges and cooperation between scholars in Chengdu and Chongqing and establish a long-term cooperation mechanism for higher education research between the two cities.Improved higher education research will definitely facilitate the construction of first-class universities,thus providing human capital and intellectual support for the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic circle.

Changes in the depths of seasonal freezing and thawing and their effects on vegetation in the Three-River Headwater Region of the Tibetan Plateau

Frozen ground degradation plays an important role in vegetation growth and activity in high-altitude cold regions.This study estimated the spatiotemporal variations in the active layer thickness(ALT)of the permafrost region and the soil freeze depth(SFD)in the seasonally frozen ground region across the Three Rivers Source Region(TRSR)from 1980 to 2014 using the Stefan equation,and differentiated the effects of these variations on alpine vegetation in these two regions.The results showed that the average ALT from 1980 to 2014 increased by23.01 cm/10 a,while the average SFD decreased by 3.41 cm/10 a,and both changed intensively in the transitional zone between the seasonally frozen ground and permafrost.From 1982-2014,the increase in the normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI)and the advancement of the start of the vegetation growing season(SOS)in the seasonally frozen ground region(0.0078/10 a,1.83 d/10 a)were greater than those in the permafrost region(0.0057/10 a,0.39 d/10 a).The results of the correlation analysis indicated that increases in the ALT and decreases in the SFD in the TRSR could lead to increases in the NDVI and advancement of the SOS.Surface soil moisture played a critical role in vegetation growth in association with the increasing ALT and decreasing SFD.The NDVI for all vegetation types in the TRSR except for alpine vegetation showed an increasing trend that was significantly related to the SFD and ALT.During the study period,the general frozen ground conditions were favorable to vegetation growth,while the average contributions of ALT and SFD to the interannual variation in the NDVI were greater than that of precipitation but less than that of temperature.

Climate observation of the Three Gorges Region of the Yangtze River in 2019

This report provides a broad overview of the climate and the major weather and climate events over the Three Gorges Region of the Yangtze River(TGR)in 2019.The year 2019,a 0.3℃ warmer year than normal,had a colder winter and warmer spring,summer,and autumn.Annual precipitation in 2019 was 13%less than normal.Below average normal rainfall amounts were received in all four seasons,with 28%and 16%less-than-normal in winter and summer,respectively.The annual mean wind speed in the TGR was higher than normal,and relative humidity was near normal for all four seasons.The intensity of acid rain in 2019 was the weakest since 1999.The major climate events and meteorological disasters in the TGR in 2019 included heat waves,drought,and rainstorms.Heat waves occurred frequently and persisted for long durations.Summer and autumn drought occurred in central and eastern regions of the TGR.The autumn rains of West China occurred earlier this year,which brought much more rainfall than normal in central and western regions of the TGR.

State of the climate over the Three Gorges Region of the Yangtze River in 2018

This report provides a summary of the climate, as well as the major weather and climate events,over the Three Gorges Region of the Yangtze River(TGR) in 2018. The annual mean temperature over the TGR in 2018 was 0.2℃ above normal, and precipitation was near normal. Seasonal highlights included a second warmest spring in the 58-year period of records, with abundant rainfall, which resulted in the wettest March on record. Furthermore, this was the fourth-warmest summer on record in the TGR, which contributed a higher-than-normal number of hot days in2018. Precipitation was 17% and 30% less-than-normal in winter and summer, and 40% and 6% above average in spring and autumn, respectively. The annual mean wind speed in the TGR was higher than normal, and the annual mean relative humidity was near normal. The intensity of acid rain was relatively weak, being the second-weakest year since 1999. The major meteorological disaster types in the TGR include heat waves, drought, rainstorms and flooding, freezing rain, and snow. Heat waves occurred early in the summer and persisted for long durations with strong intensities. Long-term precipitation deficits resulted in drought conditions in summer 2018 across most regions of the TGR. Frequent heavy rainfall caused urban waterlogging. The early-year and late-year cold snaps were accompanied by heavy snowfall and rain over some locations across the TGR, which had adverse impacts on transportation, agriculture, electricity, and people’s lives.

Changes in stress within grassland ecosystems in the three counties of the source regions of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers

Based on a database of more than 40 years of second production process and energy flow records for Maduo,Qumalai and Yushu counties,a dynamic model of the stress within grassland ecosys-tems was established using a nonlinear regression method for this source regions of the Yangtze and Yel-low Rivers.The results show that dynamic curves of stress within grassland ecosystems in the three coun-ties were in the shape of an inverted 'U' during the period 1965-2007.It also revealed that the variation in actual amount of livestock inventories reflected the general trends of the stress within the grassland eco-systems in the source regions,although there were many other factors for the increase or reduction in grassland ecosystem stress.

State of the climate in the Three Gorges Region of the Yangtze River basin in 2020

In 2020,the average air temperature in the Three Gorges Region(TGR)of the Yangtze River basin was 17.2℃,which was close to normal,there were exceptionally fewer days than normal with high temperatures,and the high-temperature events mainly occurred in August.Meanwhile,the average precipitation was 1530.8 mm,which was a remarkable 29%more than usual,and the second-highest since 1961.The precipitation was obviously above-normal in summer,and the precipitation in both June and July was the second-highest of the same period in history.The average number of rainstorm days was higher than normal,and the second-highest since 1961.The average wind speed in the TGR was apparently higher than normal;the average relative humidity was slightly higher than normal;and there were no instances of acid rain,with the rain acidity showing a significant weakening trend over the previous 15 years.In the summer of 2020,the TGR experienced heavy rainstorms and flood disasters.Analysis shows that the frequent southward movement of cold air and abundant warm water vapor from the southwest were the direct causes of the abnormally high precipitation in the TGR from June to July.After the spring of 2020,the continuously high sea surface temperature in the Indian Ocean led to a continuously strong western Pacific subtropical high and its average location being situated more to the south than normal,which might have been an important cause for the abnormal climate conditions in the Yangtze River basin from June to July.

Risk prevention and control strategies for the severely affected areas of snow disaster in the Three Rivers Source Region(TRSR), China

Historically,frequent and heavy snow disaster(SD)has caused serious livestock death and casualties,resulting in a devastating impact on animal husbandry development in the Three Rivers Source Region(TRSR).From winter in 2018 to spring in 2019,the largest SD occurred in this area over the past 10 years,especially in core zones of the Lancang River Source Region.Field research results show that the main causes of the major SD include weak infrastructure(i.e.,roads,communications,warm sheds,and insufficient forage reserve),low rate of domestic animals for sale before the SD,and low loss settlement rate.SD occurrence could furtherly reduce the ability of disaster prevention,mitigation and relief of disaster loss.In the future,heavily affected SD areas should improve the forecasting ability of snowfall incidents,strengthen infrastructure construction,implement grass and livestock balance strategies,optimize livestock structure,improve loss settlement rate,and develop a modern compound model of animal husbandry development model that combines breeding,slaughtering and deep processing of animal product.

Spatial patterns of ecosystem vulnerability changes during 2001–2011 in the three-river source region of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China

The three-river source region (TRSR, including Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers), located in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China, is a typical alpine zone with apparent ecosystem vulnerability and sensitivity. In this paper, we introduced many interdisciplinary factors, such as landscape pattern indices (Shannon diversity index and Shannon evenness index) and extreme climate factors (number of extreme high temperature days, number of extreme low temperature days, and number of extreme precipitation days), to establish a new model for evaluating the spatial patterns of ecosystem vulnerability changes in the TRSR. The change intensity (CI) of ecosystem vulnerability was also analyzed. The results showed that the established evaluation model was effective and the ecosystem vulnerability in the whole study area was intensive. During the study period of 2001–2011, there was a slight degradation in the eco-environmental quality. The Yellow River source region had the best eco-environmental quality, while the Yangtze River source region had the worst one. In addition, the zones dominated by deserts were the most severely deteriorated areas and the eco-environmental quality of the zones occupied by evergreen coniferous forests showed a better change. Furthermore, the larger the change rates of the climate factors (accumulative temperature of ≥10°C and annual average precipitation) are, the more intensive the CI of ecosystem vulnerability is. This study would provide a scientific basis for the eco-environmental protection and restoration in the TRSR.

Changing Spring Phenology Dates in the Three-Rivers Headwater Region of the Tibetan Plateau during 1960–2013

The variation of the vegetation growing season in the Three-Rivers Headwater Region of the Tibetan Plateau has recently become a controversial topic. One issue is that the estimated local trend in the start of the vegetation growing season(SOS)based on remote sensing data is easily affected by outliers because this data series is short. In this study, we determine that the spring minimum temperature is the most influential factor for SOS. The significant negative linear relationship between the two variables in the region is evaluated using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer–Normalized Difference Vegetation Index data for 2000–13. We then reconstruct the SOS time series based on the temperature data for 1960–2013.The regional mean SOS shows an advancing trend of 1.42 d(10 yr)during 1960–2013, with the SOS occurring on the 160th and 151st days in 1960 and 2013, respectively. The advancing trend enhances to 6.04 d(10 yr)during the past 14 years. The spatiotemporal variations of the reconstructed SOS data are similar to those deduced from remote sensing data during the past 14 years. The latter exhibit an even larger regional mean trend of SOS [7.98 d(10 yr)] during 2000–13. The Arctic Oscillation is found to have significantly influenced the changing SOS, especially for the eastern part of the region,during 2000–13.

Pollen Assemblage Features of Modern Water Samples from the Shiyang River Drainage, Arid Region of China

Pollen analysis of 30 modem water samples from the Shivang River, an internal river system located between the Tengger and Badain Jaran deserts, Northwest China was carried out to examine the river's capacity to carry pollen and spores, and to assess the contribution of the water-borne pollen to pollen assemblages in lake sediments at the end of the river system. Results indicate the pollen assemblages in water samples consist of both local and upland pollen. Percentages of upland pollen reach 30% - 60%, and pollen assemblages in water samples do not indicate the nature of local vegetation at the sampling sites. Fluvial currents have the capacity to transport large quantities of pollen long distances, and the contribution of this fluvial transported pollen is relatively high, For example, percentages of Picea Dietr. pollen in water samples at sampling sites 130 km and 145 km away from Picea forests reach 16.5% and 7.7%, respectively. Fluvial pollen transport occurs primarily during flood periods, and pollen concentrations from the flood samples are 17.1 - 12.5 times those from normal fluvial flow. Reservoirs affect pollen transportation since pollen is deposited at reservoir inlets and pollen concentrations are much reduced at reservoir outlets. Human activity can thus change natural features of pollen transportation and deposition. The main factors influencing pollen concentrations and assemblages are sampling time, sampling location, and rainfall intensity.

Creation of "Regional Characteristic" in Planning and Design of Farmers' Residential Area at the South of Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River

After analysis of location feature of the south of lower reaches of Yangtze River and its construction of urban and rural integration,the paper pointed out harmonious combination between natural and artificial factors had been neglected in planning and design of farmers' residential area at the south of lower reaches of Yangtze River,"regional characteristic" losing,residential area in the form of "city community" and buildings in European style.In view of these problems,relevant planning and design thoughts and methods had been proposed as to how to create "regional characteristic" from the perspective of planning,architecture and landscape design.It discussed with emphasis the importance of construction base type and combination of environment with residential area construction;inspirations and design methods obtained from traditional architectures;and the content of landscape overall planning and specific design.It was hoped to enlighten designers to shoulder social and historical responsibility,make exploration unremittingly,and construct beautiful homelands for people.

Unveiling evapotranspiration patterns and energy balance in a subalpine forest of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau:observations and analysis from an eddy covariance system

Evapotranspiration is an important parameter used to characterize the water cycle of ecosystems.To under-stand the properties of the evapotranspiration and energy balance of a subalpine forest in the southeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,an open-path eddy covariance system was set up to monitor the forest from November 2020 to October 2021 in a core area of the Three Parallel Rivers in the Qing-hai-Tibet Plateau.The results show that the evapotranspira-tion peaked daily,the maximum occurring between 11:00 and 15:00.Environmental factors had significant effects on evapotranspiration,among them,net radiation the greatest(R^(2)=0.487),and relative humidity the least(R^(2)=0.001).The energy flux varied considerably in different seasons and sensible heat flux accounted for the main part of turbulent energy.The energy balance ratio in the dormant season was less than that in the growing season,and there is an energy imbalance at the site on an annual time scale.

Hydrological and water cycle processes of inland river basins in the arid region of Northwest China

The increasing shortage in water resources is a key factor affecting sustainable socio-economic development in the arid region of Northwest China(ARNC). Water shortages also affect the stability of the region's oasis ecosystem. This paper summarizes the hydrological processes and water cycle of inland river basins in the ARNC, focusing on the following aspects: the spatial-temporal features of water resources(including air water vapor resources, runoff, and glacial meltwater) and their driving forces; the characteristics of streamflow composition in the inland river basins; the characteristics and main controlling factors of baseflow in the inland rivers; and anticipated future changes in hydrological processes and water resources. The results indicate that:(1) although the runoff in most inland rivers in the ARNC showed a significant increasing trend, both the glaciated area and glacial ice reserves have been reduced in the mountains;(2) snow melt and glacier melt are extremely important hydrological processes in the ARNC, especially in the Kunlun and Tianshan mountains;(3) baseflow in the inland rivers of the ARNC is the result of climate change and human activities, with the main driving factors being the reduction in forest area and the over-exploitation and utilization of groundwater in the river basins; and(4) the contradictions among water resources, ecology and economy will further increase in the future. The findings of this study might also help strengthen the ecological, economic and social sustainable development in the study region.

Characteristics of grassland degradation and driving forces in the source region of the Yellow River from 1985 to 2000

The source region of the Yellow River is located in the middle east of the Tibetan Plateau in northwest China. The total area is about 51,700 km^2, mainly covered by grassland （79%）, unused land （16%） and water （4%）. The increasing land utilization in this area has increased the risk of environmental degradation. The land use/cover data （1985 and 2000） provided by the Data Center of Resources and Environment in the Chinese Academy of Sciences were used to analyze the land cover change in the source region of the Yellow River. DEM （1：250,000） data, roads and settlement data were used to analyze the spatial characteristics of grasslands degradation. The ArcGIS 9 software was used to convert data types and do the overlay, reclassification and zonal statistic analysis. Results show that grassland degradation is the most important land cover change in the study area, which occupied 8.24% of the region＇s total area. Human activities are the main causes of the grassland degradation in the source region of the Yellow River： 1） the degradation rate is higher on the sunny slope than on the shady slope; 2） the grassland degradation rate decreases with an increase in the elevation, and it has a correlation coefficient of -0.93; 3） the nearer to the settlements the grassland is, the higher the degradation rate. Especially within a distance range of 12 km to the settlements, the grassland degradation rate is highly related with the distance, with a coefficient of -0.99; and 4） in the range of 4 km, the degradation rate decreases with the increase of distance to the roads, with a correlation coefficient of -0.98. Besides some physical factors, human activities have been the most important driving forces of the grassland degradation in the source region of the Yellow River since 1985. To resolve the degradation problems, population control is essential, and therefore, it can reduce the social demand of livestock products from the grassland. To achieve sustainable development, it needs to improve the management of grassland ecosystem.