Carbon Storage Capacity of Different Plantation Types Under Sandstorm Source Control Program in Hebei Province, China

Afforestation and reforestation are effective and ecological ways of mitigating elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide(CO2) concentration and increasing carbon(C) storage in terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, we measured the above-ground(tree, herbaceous plants and litter) and below-ground(root and soil) C storage in an aspen plantation(Populus davidiana) monoculture(PD), a larch plantation(Larix pincipis-rupprechtii) monoculture(LP), a pine plantation(Pinus tabulaeformis) monoculture(PT), a larch and birch mixed plantation(L. pincipis-rupprechtii and Betula platyphlla mixed)(MLB), and an apricot plantation(Armeniaca sibirica) monoculture(AS) under the Desertification Combating Program in Hebei Province, the northern China. The objective was to assess the effect of afforestation species on ecosystem C pools of different plantation types. Results showed that C storage of LP stand(258.0 Mg/ha) and MLB(163.4 Mg/ha) were significantly higher than the C storage in PD(45.5 Mg/ha), PT(58.9 Mg/ha) and AS(49.4 Mg/ha), respectively. Soil C was the main carbon pool of the ecosystem C storage in the five plantation stands, ranging from 31.4 Mg/ha to 232.5 Mg/ha, which accounted for 69.0%–90.1% of the total ecosystem C storage. The C storage in tree layer was about 5.2%–23.2% of ecosystem C storage. The herbaceous plants and litter layers contained 1.0%–6.0% and 1.5%–3.3% of ecosystem C storage, respectively. Our results suggest that tree species should be incorporated to accurately develop regional C budget of afforestation program, and also imply that substantial differences in ecosystem C stocks among plantation types can facilitate decision making on C management.

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.

Hydrochemical characteristics and geochemistry evolution of groundwater in the plain area of the Lake Baiyangdian watershed,North China Plain

Water cycle and water quality in the Lake Baiyangdian watershed of the North China Plain have undergone great changes due to over-pumping of groundwater and wastewater discharge.In this paper,hydrogeochemical data was collected to analyze the hydrochemical characteristics and geochemistry evolution of groundwater.The study area was divided into two typical parts.One was in the upstream plain area,where over-pumping had resulted in significant decline of groundwater level;the other one was located in the downstream area near the Fu River and Lake Baiyangdian(Lake BYD region).In addition to the natural weathering of minerals,excessive fertilizer was also a main factor of higher ion concentration in groundwater.According to studies,due to good permeability,these regions were easy to be polluted even with deep groundwater depth.However,upstream shallow groundwater and surface water,including lake water,domestic along with industrial wastewater were all sources of present shallow groundwater in the Lake BYD region.Results indicated that anthropogenic activities rather than minerals much matter to the groundwater in these regions.Particularly,wastewater largely decided the groundwater quality,which suggested that the management and restoration of surface water quality was crucial to groundwater protection.

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.

Carbon sequestration of plantation in Beijing-Tianjin sand source areas

The Beijing-Tianjin Sand Source Control Project(BTSSCP), a national ecological restoration project, was launched to construct an ecological protection system in the Beijing-Tianjin sand source areas to reduce dust hazards. The carbon sequestration dynamics can be used to assess the ecological effects of an ecological restoration project. Here, we conducted vegetation and soil study to assess the carbon sequestration in the plantations with 10 years old stands in Beijing-Tianjin sand source areas. The results at the site scales indicated that the average net increase of plantation ecosystem carbon stock was 33.8 Mg C ha^(-1), with an annual increase rate of 3.38 Mg C ha^(-1) yr^(-1). The average net increase of carbon varied among regions, vegetation types, and forest management activities. Soil bulk density in the top soil decreased slightly after 10-year implementation of the project. Coniferous forests and shrubs are suitable plant species for sand source areas.Natural restoration in the plantations is a practical and feasible and promising approach for enhancing ecosystem carbon sequestration potential.

Yield and water use responses of winter wheat to irrigation and nitrogen application in the North China Plain

With increasing water shortage resources and extravagant nitrogen application, there is an urgent need to optimize irrigation regimes and nitrogen management for winter wheat（Triticum aestivum L.） in the North China Plain（NCP）. A 4-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of three irrigation levels（W1, irrigation once at jointing stage; W2, irrigation once at jointing and once at heading stage; W3, irrigation once at jointing, once at heading, and once at filling stage; 60 mm each irrigation） and four N fertilizer rates（N0, 0; N1, 100 kg N ha-（-1）; N2, 200 kg N ha-（-1）; N3, 300 kg N ha-（-1）） on wheat yield, water use efficiency, fertilizer agronomic efficiency, and economic benefits. The results showed that wheat yield under W2 condition was similar to that under W3, and greater than that under W1 at the same nitrogen level. Yield with the N1 treatment was higher than that with the N0 treatment, but not significantly different from that obtained with the N2 and N3 treatments. The W2 N1 treatment resulted in the highest water use and fertilizer agronomic efficiencies. Compared with local traditional practice（W3 N3）, the net income and output-input ratio of W2 N1 were greater by 12.3 and 19.5%, respectively. These findings suggest that two irrigation events of 60 mm each coupled with application of 100 kg N ha-（–1） is sufficient to provide a high wheat yield during drought growing seasons in the NCP.

Response of Vegetation Cover Change to Drought at Different Time-scales in the Beijing-Tianjin Sandstorm Source Region,China

Dominated by an arid and semiarid continental climate,the Beijing-Tianjin Sandstorm Source Region(BTSSR)is a typical ecologically fragile region with frequently occurring droughts.To provide information for regional vegetation protection and drought prevention,we assessed the relations between vegetation cover change(measured by the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index,NDVI)and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index(SPEI)at different time-scales,in different growth stages,in different subregions and for different vegetation types based on the Pearson's correlation coefficient in the BTSSR from 2000 to 2017.Results showed that 88.19%of the vegetated areas experienced increased NDVI in the growing season;48.3%of the vegetated areas experi-enced significantly increased NDVI(P<0.05)and were mainly in the south of the BTSSR.During the growing season,a wetter climate contributed to the increased vegetation cover from 2000 to 2017,and NDVI anomalies were closely related to SPEI.The maximum correlation coefficient in the growing season(Rmax)was significantly positive(P<0.05)in 97.84%of the total vegetated areas.In the vegetated areas with significantly positive Rmax,pixels with short time-scales(1-3 mon)accounted for the largest proportion(33.9%).The sensitivity of vegetation to the impact of drought rose first and then decreased in the growing season,with a peak in July.Compared with two subregions in the south,subregions in the north of the BTSSR were more sensitive to the impacts of drought variations,especially in the Xilingol Plateau and Wuzhumuqin Basin.All four major vegetation types were sensitive to the effects of drought variations,especially grasslands.The time-scales of the most impacting droughts varied with growth stages,regions,and vegetation types.These results can help us understand the relations between vegetation and droughts,which are important for ecological restoration and drought prevention.

Advances in Quantifying Impact and Extent of Water-Land-Food Nexus for Food Security in Africa

Food systems have the potential to promote human health and enhance environmental sustainability;yet most African countries have decadal starvation and malnourishment due to unstable food systems lacking basic nutritional profiles. To understand the key questions of the African food production and food security crisis, it is important to evaluate the past and the present balance of food production and consumption quantitatively and comprehensively and identify resource constraints. This continental study analyzed water-land-food (WLF) nexus in recent decades (1997-2017) and accessed whether these resources cope with different population growth projections, dietary changes and agricultural water management. The findings revealed that in 2017, total production in Africa for the four major crops was 83.3, 34.1, 21.0 and 26.7 million tons for, respectively, maize, rice, sorghum and wheat. Together with the imported food, 38 countries experienced an increase in kcal by food supply, while 7 countries encountered a decrease. However, only 6 countries were above the 1500 kcal∙capita−1∙day−1—the global average food consumption from the four major crops. The study also found that in the context of food production and out of the total African population, 268 million (21.6%) have enough land and water, 310 million (25.0%) is without enough land and water, further 279 million (22.5%) have enough water but not enough land, and 381 million (30.8%) encounter enough land but not enough water. This is the first WLF nexus study for the African continent and emphasizes the need for efficient and rapid changes in the food systems of the African population, both in production and consumption, in order to provide sustainable and secure food systems, and ultimately approach the first three Sustainable Development Goals.

Manipulating mRNA splicing by base editing in plants

Precursor-mRNAs(pre-mRNA) can be processed into one or more mature m RNA isoforms through constitutive or alternative splicing pathways. Constitutive splicing of pre-mRNA plays critical roles in gene expressional regulation, such as intronmediated enhancement(IME), whereas alternative splicing(AS) dramatically increases the protein diversity and gene functional regulation. However, the unavailability of mutants for individual spliced isoforms in plants has been a major limitation in studying the function of mRNA splicing. Here, we describe an efficient tool for manipulating the splicing of plant genes. Using a Cas9-directed base editor, we converted the 5′ splice sites in four Arabidopsis genes from the activated GT form to the inactive AT form. Silencing the AS of HAB 1.1(encoding a type 2 C phosphatase) validated its function in abscisic acid signaling, while perturbing the AS of RS31 A revealed its functional involvement in plant response to genotoxic treatment for the first time. Lastly,altering the constitutive splicing of Act2 via base editing facilitated the analysis of IME. This strategy provides an efficient tool for investigating the function and regulation of gene splicing in plants and other eukaryotes.

Spatio-temporal variations in extreme drought in China during 1961–2015

Understanding the past variations in extreme drought is especially beneficial to the improvement of drought resistance planning and drought risk management in China. Based on the monitoring data of meteorological stations from 1961 to 2015 and a meteorological drought index, the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index(SPEI), the spatio-temporal variations in extreme drought at inter-decadal, inter-annual and seasonal scales in China were analyzed. The results revealed that 12 months cumulative precipitation with 1/2 to 5/8 of average annual precipitation will trigger extreme drought. From the period 1961–1987 to the period 1988–2015, the mean annual frequency of extreme drought(FED) increased along a strip extending from southwest China(SWC) to the western part of northeast China(NEC). The increased FED showed the highest value in spring, followed by winter, autumn and summer. There was a continuous increase in the decadal-FED from the 1990 s to the 2010 s on the Tibetan Plateau(TP), the southeast China(SEC) and the SW. During the period 1961–2015, the number of continuous drought stations was almost the same among 4 to 6 months and among 10 to 12 months of continuous drought, respectively. It can be inferred that drought lasting 6 or 12 months may lead to more severe drought disasters due to longer duration. The range of the longest continuous drought occurred in the 21 st century had widely increased compared with that in the 1980 s and the 1990 s. Our findings may be helpful for water resources management and reducing the risk of drought disasters in China.

Shortening the sgRNA-DNA interface enables SpCas9 and eSpCas9(1.1)to nick the target DNA strand

The length of the sgRNA-DNA complementary sequence is a key factor influencing the cleavage activity of Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9(SpCas9)and its variants.The detailed mechanism remains unknown.Here,based on in vitro cleavage assays and base editing analysis,we demonstrate that reducing the length of this complementary region can confer nickase activity on SpCas9 and eSpCas9(1.1).We also show that these nicks are made on the target DNA strand.These properties encouraged us to develop a dual-functional system that simultaneously carries out double-strand DNA cleavage and C-to-T base conversions at separate targets.This system provides a novel tool for achieving trait stacking in plants.

Different growing strategies of two winter wheat cultivars under rainfed conditions during dry years in North China Plain

The North China Plain(NCP)is a severe water shortage region,especially during the wheat growing season.Understanding the response of grain yield and water availability in winter wheat cultivars(Triticum aestivum L.)is important to adjust planting structure under groundwater reducible exploitation in rainfed dry years of NCP.Field experiments were conducted at the Luancheng Agroecosystem Experiment Station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences,Hebei,China.Two different drought resistant winter wheat cultivars(Jinmai47 and Shiluan02-1)were grown under rainfed conditions during four years of 2010-2011,2011-2012,2012-2013 and 2013-2014.Grain yield and its components,aboveground biomass(AB),dry matter accumulation translocation efficiency,water consumption,water use efficiency at field scale,and photosynthetic characteristics were measured.The results showed that Jinmai47 rapidly accumulated AB by higher tiller and photosynthetic potential comparing with those of Shiluan02-1.Its grain yield was 16.49%higher than that of the drought-sensitive winter wheat variety Shiluan02-1 during the four rainfed years.However,the dry matter remobilization efficiency(DMRE)and contribution of dry matter remobilization from heading stage to maturity stage to grain(CDMRE)of Shiluan02-1 was higher than those of Jinmai47.The average water use efficiency at grain yield level(WUEy),WUE at aboveground biomass level(WUEab),and WUE at grain yield under rainy conditions(WUEr)of Jinmai47 were 11.08%,16.41%,and 17.21%higher than those of Shiluan02-1.There was a significant difference in the WUEab and WUEr between the two wheat cultivars.The two wheat varieties under drought condition have different growing strategies.Jinmai47 has more tiller number,earlier vigor,and higher AB than Shiluan02-1,helping it to adapt to the fluctuations in the environment.