Regulations and patterns of soil moisture dynamics and their controlling factors in hilly regions of lower reaches of Yangtze River basin,China

Time-domain reflectometry was used to make continuous measurements of soil moisture to 18 sample points with depth of 2 m for 36 months in a typical artificial secondary oak forest located in a hilly area on Zijin Mountain in the suburbs of Nanjing,China.The data were then used to examine the patterns of soil moisture variations on temporal and spatial scales and predict the relationships between soil moisture and major factors of both meteorology and topography.Water in the topsoil was active,and the upper 30 cm of soil supplied about 43% of the water content variation during the whole year.This difference of water content changes among layers could be due to the distribution conditions of some soil physical properties.When initial soil moisture was in the range from 10% to 40%,the impact of a single storm event on soil moisture was extremely significant,especially on sunny slope.Both climate and slope condition were related to soil moisture change,and the impact of slope gradient on soil moisture was higher that on shady slope.Moreover,root uptake was another important path of soil water consumption.

Anchorage properties at the interface between soil and roots with branches

Roots play an important role in stabilizing and strengthening soil. This article aims to study the mechanical properties of the interface between soil and roots with branches, using the pullout test method in the laboratory. The mechanical properties of the soil-root with branches interface is determined through the pullout-force and root-slippage curve （F-S curve）. The results of investigating 24 Pinus tabulaeformis single roots and 55 P. tabulaeformis roots with branches demonstrated three kinds of pullout test failures： breakage failure on branching root, breakage failure on branching node, and pullout failure. The branch angle had a remarkable effect on the failure mode of the roots with branches： the maximum pullout force increased with the sum of the branch diameters and the branch angle. The peak slippage and the initial force had a positive correlation with the sum of the branch diameter. The sig- nificance test of correlation between branch angle and the initial force, however, showed they had no correlation. Branch angle and branch root diameter affect the anchorage properties between root system and soil. Therefore, it is important to investigate the anchorage mechanics of the roots with branches to understand the mechanism of root reinforcement and anchorage.

Integrated watershed management:evolution,development and emerging trends

Watershed management is an ever-evolving practice involving the management of land, water, biota, and other resources in a defined area for ecological, social, and economic purposes. In this paper, we explore the following questions： How has watershed management evolved？ What new tools are available and how can they be integrated into sustainable watershed management？ To address these questions, we discuss the process of developing integrated watershed management strategies for sustainable manage- ment through the incorporation of adaptive management techniques and traditional ecological knowledge. We address the numerous benefits from integration acrossdisciplines and jurisdictional boundaries, as well as the incorporation of technological advancements, such as remote sensing, GIS, big data, and multi-level social-eco- logical systems analysis, into watershed management strategies. We use three case studies from China, Europe, and Canada to review the success and failure of integrated watershed management in addressing different ecological, social, and economic dilemmas in geographically diverse locations. Although progress has been made in watershed management strategies, there are still numerous issues impeding successful management outcomes; many of which can be remedied through holistic management approaches, incorporation of cutting-edge science and technology, and cross-jurisdictional coordination. We conclude by high- lighting that future watershed management will need to account for climate change impacts by employing techno- logical advancements and holistic, cross-disciplinary approaches to ensure watersheds continue to serve their ecological, social, and economic functions. We present three case studies in this paper as a valuable resource for scientists, resource managers, government agencies, and other stakeholders aiming to improve integrated watershed management strategies and more efficiently and successfully achieve ecological and socio-economic management objectives.

Partitioning tree water usage into storage and transpiration in a mixed forest

Background:Water migration and use are important processes in trees.However,it is possible to overestimate transpiration by equating the water absorbed through the plant roots to that diffused back to the atmosphere through stomatal transpiration.Therefore,it is necessary to quantify the water transpired and stored in plants.Method:The δ^(2)H/δ^(18)O technique and heat ratio method were used to explore the water usage of coniferous and broad-leaved tree species,including the proportions of water used for transpiration and water storage.Results:Platycladus orientalis and Quercus variabilis had strong plasticity in their water usage from different sources.Platycladus orientalis primarily used groundwater(30.5%)and the 60-100-cm soil layer(21.6%)throughout the experimental period and was sensitive to precipitation,absorbing water from the 0-20-cm layer(26.6%)during the rainy season.Quercus variabilis absorbed water from all sources(15.7%-36.5%)except from the 40-60-cm soil layer during the dry season.In addition,it did not change its water source but increased its groundwater uptake during the rainy season.The annual mean water fluxes of P.orientalis and Q.variabilis were 374.69 and 469.50 mm·year−1,with 93.49% and 93.91% of the water used for transpiration,respectively.However,nocturnal sap flow in P.orientalis and Q.variabilis was mainly used for water storage in the trunk rather than transpiration,which effectively alleviated drought stress and facilitated the transport of nutrients.Conclusions:The water stored in both species comprised 6%-7% of the total water fluxes and,therefore,should be considered in water balance models.

A study on scheme of soil and water conservation regionalization in China

Regionalization of soil and water conservation is a base for the planning of soil and water conservation in China. It can provide scientific basis for constructing healthy eco-environment and regional management and development. It makes a brief review of related regionalization of study and makes clear the concept of regionalization of soil and water conservation. In this paper, based on synthetical analysis of the characteristics of eco-environments of China, the principles, indices and nomenclature of the regionalization of soil and water conservation are proposed. Through the construction of the regionalization of soil and water conservation collaboration platform and data reporting system, combined with existing soil and water conservation research, this paper uses the top-down and bottom-up and the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to build soil and water conservation regionalization preliminary scheme, with 8 regions, 41 sub-regions and 117 sections divided in China.

Impact of vegetation restoration on hydrological processes in the middle reaches of the Yellow River,China

Sediment discharge from the Yellow River originates mainly from the drainage area between Hekouzhen and Longmen, i.e., the Helong area. Spatial-temporal variations of the vegetation cover in this area during the 1981-2007 period have been investigated using GIMMS and SPOT VGT NDVI data. We have also analyzed the interannual variations in vegetation cover and changes in annual runoff and sediment discharge, the consequences from precipitation change and the Grain for Green Project （GGP）. The results show that vegetation cover of the Helong area has increased during the 1981-2007 period. The northwestern part the Helong area, where the flat sandy lands are covered by grass, has experienced the largest increase. The region where the vegetation cover has declined is largely found in the southern and southeastern Helong area, which is a gullied hilly area or forested. Although precipitation was relatively low during the 1999-2007 period, the vegetation cover showed a significant increase in the Helong area, due to the implementation of the GGP. During this period, the most significant improvement in the vegetation cover occurred mainly in the gullied hilly areas of the Loess Plateau, such as the drainage basins of the Kuyehe and Tuweihe rivers and the middle and lower reaches of the Wudinghe and Yanhe rivers. A comparison of the average annual maximum NDVI between the earlier （1998-2002） stage and the next five years （2003-2007） of the GGP indicates that the areas with increases of 10% and 20% in NDVI account for 72.5% and 36.4% of the total area, respectively. Interannual variation of annual runoff and sediment discharge shows a declining trend, especially since the 1980s, when the decrease became very obvious. Compared with the 1950-1969 period, the average runoff during the 1980-2007 period was reduced by 34.8 × 10^8 m3 and the sediment discharge by 6.4 ×10^8 t, accounting for 49.4% and 64.9% of that in the 1950-1969 period, respectively. There is a positive correlation between the annual maximum NDVI and annual runoff and sediment discharge. This correlation was reversed since the implementation of the GGP in 1999 and vegetation cover in the He- long area has increased, associated with the decrease in runoff and sediment discharge. Less precipitation has been an important fac- tor driving the decrease in runoff and sediment discharge during 1999 2007. However, restoration and improvement of the vegetation cover may also have played a significant role in accelerating the decrease in annual runoff and sediment discharge by enhancing evapotranspiration and alleviating soil erosion.

Quantitative comparison of semi- and fully-distributed hydrologic models in simulating flood hydrographs on a mountain watershed in southwest China

To investigate the performance of fully- and semi-distributed hydrologic models in simulating the process of transformation from rainfall to runoff in mountain areas, the fully-distributed models Basin Pollution Calculation Center （BPCC） and HEC- HMS are calibrated for the Zhenjiangguan watershed located in the upper stream of Minjiang River Southwest China using streamflow observations at the basin outlet. Semi-automatical optimization method is implemented to both models to improve simulated resuits by removing artificial errors. Based on the consistency of the simulated hydrographs with the observed ones, the statistical coefficients such as the relative error, the probability distribution and the correlation coefficient, are further introduced to evaluate quantitatively the performance of the two models. Analyses indicate that the hydrographs simulated by the BPCC are relatively closer to the observed ones than those simulated by the HEC-HMS in view of the spatial heterogeneity in terrain, soil texture, land cover and meteorological conditions in mountain areas.

National assessment of soil erosion and its spatial patterns in China

The spatial patterns of soil erosion(SE)are an important part of ecological security patterns and critical to erosion control.We assessed the SE and its spatial distribution in China based on geographic information system(GIS)and spatial data sets using the Universal Soil Loss Equation(USLE).The soil erosion area(SEA)and soil erosion amount(SEM)totaled 173.06 million ha and 8.87 billion Mg,respectively,with an average soil erosion rate(SER)of 9.39 Mg·ha^(-1)·yr^(-1).Slight erosion dominated from the aspect of SEA,whereas extreme erosion contributed the most in terms of SEM.Spatial heterogeneity in soil erosion was obvious in China,with heavily eroded areas mainly concentrated in the Loess Plateau,the Three Gorges reservoir area,and the hot,dry valley of the Jinsha River.Regionally,the provinces of Tibet,Sichuan,Yunnan,Xinjiang,Inner Mongolia,Gansu,Shaanxi,Shanxi,Guizhou,and Guangxi,and the basins of the Yangtze River,Yellow River,and southwestern rivers made a large contribution to the SEA and SEM.Geographically,soil erosion increased,then decreased with increasing slope and elevation.Slopes of 15-25°and 8-15°and elevations of 1000-2000 m were the most seriously eroded.Cropland and grassland ecosystems were major sources of SE,with their SEA and SEM accounting for 64.44%and 77.96%of the total.This study revealed the current situation and spatial characteristics of SE in China on the national scale,which can serve as a scientific basis for regional SE control and decision-making policy.

Effects of disturbance on regeneration of Abies fabri forests at the upper reaches of the Yangtze River

Mudflow is the principal disturbance in Abies fabri forests. In the Gongga Mountain areas of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, the intensities and periodicity of different scale mudflows vary. Small-scale mudflows are more frequent, occurring every one or two years while large-scale mudflows may occur once in more than one hundred years. Through a field study of A.fabri forests during different stages of growth, we analyzed their structural characteristics and discovered that after different sizes of mudflow, poplar and birch often occupy the dominant canopy at the expense of the slow growing A. fabri, for only a small number of saplings are A. fabri that occurs in the first regeneration stage. However, a large number of seed resources can be found in mature A. fabri forests and as a unique regeneration species, A. fabri will gradually replace all the other species and form a stable community of strong shade-tolerant trees. Because of the intimate relationship between growing conditions and soil and water conservation at the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, we should carry out some artificial measurements to control and promote the slow regeneration process ofA. fabri.

Development and experimental verification of a mathematical expression for the discharge rate of a semi-circular open channel

Semi-circular open channel plays an important role in various applications and the measurement of its discharge is of interests.In this study,theoretical formulae for free overflow in a semi-circular channel are developed and presented for the discharge and wetted area relationship.The traditional discharge formulation and available experimental data are used to verify and validate the proposed relationships.The discharges calculated by using the proposed relationship show very good agreement with the experimental data sets.The results from this study supply the basis for circular weir development.

Satellite-observed changes in terrestrial vegetation growth trends across the Asia-Pacific region associated with land cover and climate from 1982 to 2011

The Asia-Pacific(AP)region has experienced faster warming than the global average in recent decades and has experienced more climate extremes,however little is known about the response of vegetation growth to these changes.The updated Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies third-generation global satellite Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer Normalized Difference Vegetation Index dataset and gridded reanalysis climate data were used to investigate the spatiotemporal changes in both trends of vegetation dynamic indicators and climatic variables.We then further analyzed their relations associated with land cover across the AP region.The main findings are threefold:(1)at continental scales the AP region overall experienced a gradual and significant increasing trend in vegetation growth during the last three decades,and this NDVI trend corresponded with an insignificant increasing trend in temperature;(2)vegetation growth was negatively and significantly correlated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation index and the El Niño/Southern Oscillation(ENSO)in AP;and(3)at pixel scales,except for Australia,both vegetation growth and air temperature significantly increased in the majority of study regions and vegetation growth spatially correlated with temperature;In Australia and other water-limited regions vegetation growth positively correlated with precipitation.