Spatio-temporal Evaluation of Multi-scale Cultivated Land System Resilience in Black Soil Region from 2000 to 2019:A Case Study of Liaoning Province,Northeast China

It is of great significance to systematically analyze the cultivated land system resilience(CLSR) for the black soil protection and national food security.The CLSR is impacted by planting structure adjustment and cultivated land quality decline,posing major hidden dangers to food security.It is urgent to evaluate the CLSR at multiple spatio-temporal scales.This study took Liaoning Province in the black soil region of Northeast China as an example.Based on the resilience theory,this study constructed the CLSR evaluation system from the input-feedback perspective at the provincial-scale and the city-scale,and used the rank-sum ratio comprehensive evaluation method(RSR) to analyze the key influencing factors of CLSR in Liaoning Province and its 14 cities from 2000 to 2019.The results showed that:1) the time series changes of CLSR at the provincial-scale and the city-scale in Liaoning Province were similar,both showing an increasing trend.2) The CLSR in Liaoning Province presented a spatial pattern of ‘high in the west and low in the east’ at the city-scale.3) There were seven and six main influencing factors of CLSR at the provincial-scale and the city-scale,respectively.In addition to the net income per capita of rural households,other influencing factors of CLSR were different at the provincial-scale and the city-scale.The feedback factors were dominant at the provincial-scale,and the input factors and feedback factors were dominant at the city-scale.The results could provide a reference for the utilization of black soil and draw on the experience of regional agricultural planning and adjustment.

Herbivore and native plant diversity synergistically resist alien plant invasion regardless of nutrient conditions

Alien plant invasion success can be inhibited by two key biotic factors:native herbivores and plant diversity.However,few studies have experimentally tested whether these factors interact to synergistically resist invasion success,especially factoring in changing global environments(e.g.nutrient enrichment).Here we tested how the synergy between native herbivores and plant diversity affects alien plant invasion success in various nutrient conditions.For this purpose,we exposed alien plant species in potmesocosms to different levels of native plant diversity(4 vs.8 species),native generalist herbivores,and high and low soil nutrient levels.We found that generalist herbivores preferred alien plants to native plants,inhibiting invasion success in a native community.This inhibition was amplified by highly diverse native communities.Further,the amplified effect between herbivory and native plant diversity was independent of nutrient conditions.Our results suggest that a higher diversity of native communities can strengthen the resistance of native generalist herbivores to alien plant invasions by enhancing herbivory tolerance.The synergistic effect remains in force in nutrient-enriched habitats that are always invaded by alien plant species.Our results shed light on the effective control of plant invasions using multi-trophic means,even in the face of future global changes.

Integration of Multiple Spectral Data via a Logistic Regression Algorithm for Detection of Crop Residue Burned Areas:A Case Study of Songnen Plain,Northeast China

The burning of crop residues in fields is a significant global biomass burning activity which is a key element of the terrestrial carbon cycle,and an important source of atmospheric trace gasses and aerosols.Accurate estimation of cropland burned area is both crucial and challenging,especially for the small and fragmented burned scars in China.Here we developed an automated burned area mapping algorithm that was implemented using Sentinel-2 Multi Spectral Instrument(MSI)data and its effectiveness was tested taking Songnen Plain,Northeast China as a case using satellite image of 2020.We employed a logistic regression method for integrating multiple spectral data into a synthetic indicator,and compared the results with manually interpreted burned area reference maps and the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS)MCD64A1 burned area product.The overall accuracy of the single variable logistic regression was 77.38%to 86.90%and 73.47%to 97.14%for the 52TCQ and 51TYM cases,respectively.In comparison,the accuracy of the burned area map was improved to 87.14%and 98.33%for the 52TCQ and 51TYM cases,respectively by multiple variable logistic regression of Sentind-2 images.The balance of omission error and commission error was also improved.The integration of multiple spectral data combined with a logistic regression method proves to be effective for burned area detection,offering a highly automated process with an automatic threshold determination mechanism.This method exhibits excellent extensibility and flexibility taking the image tile as the operating unit.It is suitable for burned area detection at a regional scale and can also be implemented with other satellite data.

Application of organic manure as a potential strategy to alleviate the limitation of microbial resources in soybean rhizospheric and bulk soils

The development and vigor of soil microorganisms in terrestrial ecosystems are frequently constrained by the limited availability of essential elements such as carbon(C),nitrogen(N),and phosphorus(P).In this study,we investigated the impact of long-term application of varying levels of organic manure,low(7.5 Mg ha^(−1)yr^(−1)),moderate(15.0 Mg ha^(−1)yr^(−1)),and high(22.5 Mg ha^(−1)yr^(−1)),on the stoichiometry of enzymes and the structures of the microbial communities in soybean rhizospheric and bulk soils.The main goal of this research was to examine how soil microbial resource limitations in the rhizosphere respond to different long-term fertilization strategies.The soil enzymatic activities were quantified,and the structure of the microbial community was assessed by analyzing phospholipid fatty acid profiles.When compared to the bulk soil,the rhizospheric soil had significant increases in microbial biomass carbon(MBC),nitrogen(MBN),and phosphorus(MBP),with MBC increasing by 54.19 to 72.86%,MBN by 47.30 to 48.17%,and MBP by 17.37 to 208.47%.Compared with the unfertilized control(CK),the total microbial biomasses of the rhizospheric(increased by 22.80 to 90.82%)and bulk soils(increased by 10.57 to 60.54%)both exhibited increases with the application of organic manure,and the rhizospheric biomass was higher than that of bulk soil.Compared with bulk soil,the activities of C-,N-and P-acquiring enzymes of rhizospheric soil increased by 22.49,14.88,and 29.45%under high levels of organic manure,respectively.Analyses of vector length,vector angle,and scatter plots revealed that both rhizospheric and bulk soils exhibited limitations in terms of both carbon(C)and phosphorus(P)availability.The results of partial least-squares path modelling indicated that the rhizospheric soil exhibited a more pronounced response to the rate of manure application than the bulk soil.The varying reactions of rhizospheric and bulk soils to the extended application of organic manure underscore the crucial function of the rhizosphere in mitigating limitations related to microbial resources,particularly in the context of different organic manure application rates.

The interaction between temperature and precipitation on the potential distribution range of Betula ermanii in the alpine treeline ecotone on the Changbai Mountain

Alpine treeline ecotones are highly sensitive to climate warming.The low temperature-determined alpine treeline is expected to shift upwards in response to global warming.However,little is known about how temperature interacts with other important factors to influence the distribution range of tree species within and beyond the alpine treeline ecotone.Hence,we used a GF-2 satellite image,along with bioclimatic and topographic variables,to develop an ensemble suitable habitat model based on the species distribution modeling algorithms in Biomod2.We investigated the distribution of suitable habitats for B.ermanii under three climate change scenarios(i.e.,low(SSP126),moderate(SSP370)and extreme(SSP585)future emission trajectories)between two consecutive time periods(i.e.,current-2055,and 2055-2085).By 2055,the potential distribution range of B.ermanii will expand under all three climate scenarios.The medium and high suitable areas will decline under SSP370 and SSP585scenarios from 2055 to 2085.Moreover,under the three climate scenarios,the uppermost altitudes of low suitable habitat will rise to 2,329 m a.s.l.,while the altitudes of medium and high suitable habitats will fall to 2,201 and2,051 m a.s.l.by 2085,respectively.Warming promotes the expansion of B.ermanii distribution range in Changbai Mountain,and this expansion will be modified by precipitation as climate warming continues.This interaction between temperature and precipitation plays a significant role in shaping the potential distribution range of B.ermanii in the alpine treeline ecotone.This study reveals the link between environmental factors,habitat distribution,and species distribution in the alpine treeline ecotone,providing valuable insights into the impacts of climate change on high-elevation vegetation,and contributing to mountain biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.

Temporal changes in mixing effects on litter decay and nitrogen release in a boreal riparian forest in northeastern China

In riparian forests,litter decay provides essential energy and nutrients for both terrestrial and fluvial ecosystems.Litter mixing effects(LMEs)are crucial in regulating litter decay and nutrient dynamics,yet how LMEs change over time is unclear in riparian forests.In this study,leaf litter of three common species(Alnus sibirica Fisch.ex Turcz,Betula platyphylla Sukaczev,and Betula fruticosa Pall.)were mixed in an equal mass ratio and LMEs were measured for mass and nitrogen(N)remaining in whole litter mixtures over a 3-year period in a boreal riparian forest,northeastern China.LMEs were also assessed for component litter mass and N remaining by separating litter mixtures by species.During the decay of litter mixtures,antagonistic effects on mass and N remaining were dominant after one and two years of decay,whereas only additive effects were observed after three years.LMEs correlated negatively with functional diversity after the first and two years of decay but disappeared after three years.When sorting litter mixtures by species,non-additive LMEs on mass and N remaining decreased over incubation time.Moreover,non-additive LMEs were more frequent for litter of both B.platyphylla and B.fruticosa with lower N concentration than for A.sibirica litter with higher N concentration.These results indicate that incubation time is a key determinant of litter mixing effects during decay and highlight that late-stage litter mixture decay may be predicted from single litter decay dynamics in boreal riparian forests.

Variation Characteristics of Root Traits of Different Alfalfa Cultivars under Saline-Alkaline Stress and their Relationship with Soil Environmental Factors

Soil salinization is the main factor that threatens the growth and development of plants and limits the increase of yield.It is of great significance to study the key soil environmental factors affecting plant root traits to reveal the adaptation strategies of plants to saline-alkaline-stressed soil environments.In this study,the root biomass,root morphological parameters and root mineral nutrient content of two alfalfa cultivars with different sensitivities to alkaline stress were analyzed with black soil as the control group and the mixed saline-alkaline soil with a ratio of 7:3 between black soil and saline-alkaline soil as the saline-alkaline treatment group.At the same time,the correlation analysis of soil salinity indexes,soil nutrient indexes and the activities of key enzymes involved in soil carbon,nitrogen and phosphorus cycles was carried out.The results showed that compared with the control group,the pH,EC,and urease(URE)of the soil surrounding the roots of two alfalfa cultivars were significantly increased,while soil total nitrogen(TN),total phosphorus(TP),organic carbon(SOC),andα-glucosidase activity(AGC)were significantly decreased under saline-alkaline stress.There was no significant difference in root biomass and root morphological parameters of saline-alkaline tolerant cultivar GN under saline-alkaline stress.The number of root tips(RT),root surface area(RS)and root volume(RV)of AG were reduced by 61.16%,44.54%,and 45.31%,respectively,compared with control group.The ratios of K^(+)/Na^(+),Ca^(2+)/Na^(+)and Mg^(2+)/Na^(+)of GN were significantly higher than those of AG(p<0.05).The root fresh weight(RFW)and dry weight(RDW),root length(RL),RV and RT of alfalfa were positively regulated by soil SOC and TN,but negatively regulated by soil pH,EC,and URE(p<0.01).Root Ca^(2+)/Na+ratio was significantly positively correlated with soil TN,TP and SOC(p<0.01).The absorption of Mg and Ca ions in roots is significantly negatively regulated by soilβ-glucosidase activity(BGC)and acid phosphatase activity(APC)(p<0.05).This study improved knowledge of the relationship between root traits and soil environmental factors and offered a theoretical framework for elucidating how plant roots adapt to saline-alkaline stressed soil environments.

Trade-off and Synergy of Rural Functions Under County Depopulation in the Typical Black Soil Region of Northeast China

As the population continues to shrink in the black soil region of Northeast China since 2000,it is critical to master the impact of population shrinkage on rural functions to realize rural revitalization and sustainable development.In this study,we focused on the impacts of depopulation on the evolution and interrelationship of rural subfunctions.Based on the rural function indexes system,the TOPSIS(Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution)method,spatial analysis method,and mathematical statistics analysis method were used to summarize the spatial and temporal characteristics of rural function development,as well as the effect of population shrinkage in the typical black soil region of Northeast China.The results showed that depopulation varied in the extent and duration between the forested region and plain areas,which both impacted the trajectories of rural subfunctions evolution.For the economic development function and ecological conservation function,the effect of continuous slight depopulation was beneficial,while the effect of rapid depopulation was adverse,which was exactly opposite to the agricultural production function.All forms of population shrinkage were conducive to the development of the social security function.With the deepening population shrinkage,depopulation mainly promoted the collaborative development between subfunctions in this study,except the relationship between agricultural production and social security function.But effects of depopulation on the interrelationship of rural subfunctions varied between the forested region and plain areas in some cases.The results provided evidence for the cognition that population shrinkage had complicated effects on rural subfunctions.

Response of Rice Growth and Nutrient Absorption in a SalineAlkali Paddy to Different Nitrogen Fertilizer Applications

Nitrogen(N),phosphorus(P)and carbon(C)are essential nutrients for rice growth and development,but the response of nutrient absorption by rice plants to different types of nitrogen fertilizer(N-fertilizer)under saline-alkali conditions is unclear.This study conducted a 147-day field-scale experiment to evaluate rice biomass and nutrient absorption capacity with five N-fertilizer applications.The results showed that the biomass.

Nutritional Composition and Distribution of Heracleum dissectum Ledeb.at Different Growth Stages

Heracleum dissectum Ledeb.(HD)with high edible and medicinal values is distributed in Northeast Asia.To provide a reference for selecting appropriate parts and periods to harvest HD,the nutrient contents in different parts of HD at three growth stages were determined.The nutrients being determined are essential nutrients closely related to human needs,and the crude protein content of HD was 3.58‒28.43 g•100 g^(-1)DW(dry weight),sugar content was 2.33‒30.92 g•100 g^(-1)DW,and soluble dietary fiber content was 9.71‒26.09 g•100 g^(-1)DW.Crude protein was mainly distributed in leaf blades and inflorescences,sugar was primarily found in roots,and dietary fiber was predominantly located in leaves.From the leaf development stage to the flowering stage and then to the late seed harvest stage,the content of moisture,crude protein and soluble sugar first decreased and then increased.In contrast,the content of dietary fiber and crude fat first increased and then decreased.

Evaluation and Driving Force Analysis of Cultivated Land Quality in Black Soil Region of Northeast China

Cultivated land is an important natural resource to ensure food,ecological and economic security.The cultivated land quality evaluation(CQE)is greatly significant for protecting and managing cultivated land.In this study,320 counties in the black soil region of Northeast China(BSRNC)represent the research units used to construct the CQE system measuring the soil properties(SP),cultivated land productivity(CLP),ecological environment(EE)and social economy(SE).The total of 19 factors were selected to calculate the integrated fertility index(IFI)and divided into grades.Simultaneously,we used the coupling coordination degree model to comprehensively analyze the spatial pattern of the cultivated land quality(CLQ)in the BSRNC,and use the structural equation model(SEM)to analyze the driving mechanism.The results show the following:1)The CLQ of 262 counties in the BSRNC is in a state of coupling and coordination,and the coupling and coordination degree presents a spatial distribution pattern of‘high in the southwest and northeast,low in the northwest and southeast’.The coordinated development degree of 271 counties is between 0.4 and 0.6,which is in a transitional state between coordination and disorder.2)The CLQ in the BSRNC is generally good,with an average grade of 3.High-quality cultivated land accounts for 58.45%of all counties,middle-and upper-quality cultivated land accounts for 27.05%,and poor-quality cultivated land accounts for 14.49%.3)The SEM analysis shows that the SP,CLP,EE,and SE all influence the CLQ.Among them,the SP has the largest driving force on the CLQ,while the SE has the smallest driving force on it.The results confirm that the main factors affecting the evaluation results are crop productivity level,normalized difference vegetation index,ratio vegetation index,difference vegetation index,and organic carbon content.When implementing protection measures in counties with a low CLQ,considering a balanced coordination of multiple systems and reasonably controlling the quality degradation are important.This study provides the current situation and driving factors of the CLQ in the BSRNC and will play an important role in black soil governance and utilization.

Microbial Responses of Soil Fertility to Depth of Tillage and Incorporation of Straw in a Haplic Chernozem in Northeast China

Straw is widely incorporated into soil worldwide,but most studies have concentrated on the effects of straw mulching or incorporation with topsoil.To determine the effect of depth of straw incorporation on bacterial and fungal communities,we established a field experiment in a region in Northeast China with Haplic Chernozems using four treatments:conventional tillage(CT,tillage to a depth of 15 cm with no straw incorporation),straw incorporation with conventional tillage(SCT,tillage to a depth of 15 cm),inversion tillage(IT,tillage to a depth of 35 cm)and straw incorporation with inversion tillage(SIT,tillage to a depth of 35 cm).The soils were managed by inversion to a depth of 15 or 35 cm after harvest.The results show that soil organic carbon content was significantly higher and pH and bulk density were significantly lower in the 15–35 cm layer in IT and SIT than CT and SCT.Fungal abundance was higher with straw incorporation,but fungal diversity was lower in the 0–15 cm layer in SCT and SIT than in CT and IT.Path length in the bacterial network was shorter and connectivity was higher in CT+SCT than in IT+SIT,leading to a more complex ecosystem,and the fungal network had opposite patterns.The key taxa in the phylum Actinobacteriota and Ascomycota in the microbial networks changed dramatically at the genus level following inversion tillage with straw amendment,which may increase bacterial network resistance to environmental disturbances and unstable fungal networks,resulting in large changes in the fungal community involved in the decomposition of recalcitrant straw-derived C and the more efficient acquisition of limiting resources.

Effects of Groundwater with Various Salinities on Evaporation and Redistribution of Water and Salt in Saline-sodic Soils in Songnen Plain,Northeast China

Groundwater mineralization is one of the main factors affecting the transport of soil water and salt in saline-sodic areas.To investigate the effects of groundwater with different levels of salinity on evaporation and distributions of soil water and salt in Songnen Plain,Northeast China,five levels of groundwater sodium adsorption ration of water(SARw)and total salt content(TSC mmol/L)were conducted in an oil column lysimeters.The five treated groundwater labeled as ST0:0,ST0:10,ST5:40,ST10:70 and ST20:100,were prepared with NaCl and CaCl2 in proportion,respectively.The results showed the groundwater evaporation(GWE)and soil evaporation(SE)increased firstly and then decreased with the increase of groundwater salinity.The values of GWE and SE in ST10:70 treatment were the highest,which were 2.09 and 1.84 times the values in the ST0:0 treatment with the lowest GWE and SE.There was a positive linear correlation between GWE and the Ca^(2+)content in groundwater,with R^(2)=0.998.The soil water content(SWC)of ST0:0 treatment was significantly(P<0.05)less than those of other treatments during the test.The SWC of the ST0:0 and ST0:10 treatments increased with the increase of soil depth,while the other treatments showed the opposite trend.Statistical analysis indicated the SWC in the 0–60 cm soil layer was positively correlated with the groundwater TSC and its ion contents during the test.Salt accumulation occurred in the topsoil and the salt accumulation in the 0–20 cm soil layer was significantly(P<0.05)greater than that in the subsoil.This study revealed the effects of the salinity level of groundwater,especially the Ca^(2+)content and TSC of groundwater,on the GWE and distributions of soil water and salt,which provided important support for the prevention and reclamation of soil salinization and sodificaton in shallow groundwater regions.

Withdrawal Intention of Farmers from Vacant Rural Homesteads and Its Influencing Mechanism in Northeast China: A Case Study of Jilin Province

The effective use of land in Northeast China is of great significance for ensuring national food security and regional rural revitalization.In this study,based on the survey data collected from Jilin Province,Northeast China,we analyzed the vacancy rates of rural homesteads in suburban,outer suburban,and remote villages,as well as the withdrawal intention of rural-settled farmers,urbansettled farmers,and farmers with urban and rural dual residency from vacant homesteads.From the perspective of farmers’perceptions,this study constructed a theoretical framework of the influence mechanism of their withdrawal intention and analyzed such mechanism by constructing a structural equation model.The results indicated that:1)rural homestead vacancy rates increased with distance from the village to the city.2)rural-settled farmers showed a low withdrawal intention for vacant rural homesteads,followed by urban and rural dual-residence farmers,and urban-settled farmers showed the highest withdrawal intention.3)the relative importance of the factors influencing withdrawal intention is in the following order:policy awareness>interest perception>living environment perception>family characteristics.Finally,this study discussed the reformation of the homestead system and rural homestead transition in Northeast China,which can provide policy support to increase the potential of cultivated land and promote sustainable rural development and urban-rural coordination.

Residue Return Effects Outweigh Tillage Effects on Soil Microbial Communities and Functional Genes in Black Soil Region of Northeast China

Conservation tillage as an effective alternative to mitigate soil degradation has attracted worldwide attention,but the influences of conservation tillage on soil microbial community and especially function remain unclear.Shotgun metagenomics sequencing was performed to examine the taxonomic and functional community variations of black soils under three tillage regimes,namely no-tillage with residue(maize straw)return(NTS),moldboard plow with residue return(MPS),and moldboard plow without residue return(MPN)in Northeast China.The results revealed:1)Soil bacterial and archaeal communities differed significantly under different tillage regimes in contrast to soil fungal community.2)The overlay of less tillage and residues return under NTS led to unique soil microbial community composition and functional composition.Specifically,in contrast to other treatments,NTS increased the relative abundances of some taxa such as Bradyrhizobium,Candidatus Solibacter,and Reyranella,along with the relative abundances of some taxa such as Sphingomonas,Unclassified Chloroflexi and Nitrososphaera decreased;NTS had a unique advantage of increasing the relative abundances of genes involved in‘ATP-binding cassette(ABC)transporters’and‘quorum sensing(QS)’pathways,while MPN favored the genes involved in‘flagellar assembly’pathway and some metabolic pathways such as‘carbon’and‘glyoxylate and dicarboxylate’and‘selenocompound’metabolisms.3)Significantly different soil bacterial phyla(Acidobacteria,Gemmatimonadetes,and Chloroflexi)and metabolic pathways existed between MPN and another two treatments(NTS and MPS),while did not exist between NTS and MPS.4)Dissolved organic carbon(DOC)and soil bulk density were significantly affected(P<0.05)by tillage and accounted for the variance both in microbial(bacterial)community structure and functional composition.These results indicated that a change in tillage regime from conventional to conservation tillage results in a shift of microbial community and functional genes,and we inferred that residue return played a more prominent role than less tillage in functional shifts in the microbial community of black soils.

Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) Identification Method for Agricultural Soil Stratification in a Typical Mollisols Area of Northeast China

In order to achieve a rapid and accurate identification of soil stratification information and accelerate the development of smart agriculture,this paper conducted soil stratification experiments on agricultural soils in the Mollisols area of Northeast China using Ground Penetrating Radar(GPR)and obtained different types of soil with frequencies of 500 MHz,250 MHz,and 100 MHz antennas.The soil profile data were obtained for 500 MHz,250 MHz,and 100 MHz antennas,and the dielectric properties of each type of soil were analyzed.In the image processing procedure,wavelet analysis was first used to decompose the pre-processed radar signal and reconstruct the high-frequency information to obtain the reconstructed signal containing the stratification information.Secondly,the reconstructed signal is taken as an envelope to enhance the stratification information.The Hilbert transform is applied to the envelope signal to find the time-domain variation of the instantaneous frequency and determine the time-domain location of the stratification.Finally,the dielectric constant of each soil horizon is used to obtain the propagation velocity of the electromagnetic wave at the corresponding position to obtain the stratification position of each soil horizon.The research results show that the 500 MHz radar antenna can accurately delineate Ap/Ah,horizon and the absolute accuracy of the stratification is within 5 cm.The effect on the soil stratification below the tillage horizon is not apparent,and the absolute accuracy of the 250 MHz and 100 MHz radar antennas on the stratification is within 9 cm.The overwhelming majority of the overall calculation errors are kept to within 15%.Based on the three central frequency antennas,the soil horizon detection rate reaches 93.3%,which can achieve accurate stratification of soil profiles within 1 m.The experimental and image processing methods used are practical and feasible;however,the GPR will show a missed detection for soil horizons with only slight differences in dielectric properties.Overall,this study can quickly and accurately determine the information of each soil stratification,ultimately providing technical support for acquiring soil configuration information and developing smart agriculture.

Inversion tillage with straw incorporation affects the patterns of soil microbial co-occurrence and multi-nutrient cycling in a Hapli-Udic Cambisol

Inversion tillage with straw amendment is widely applied in northeastern China, and it can substantially increase the storage of carbon and improve multiple subsoil functions. Soil microorganisms are believed to be the key to this process,but research into their role in subsoil amelioration is limited. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted in 2018 in a region in northeastern China with Hapli-Udic Cambisol using four treatments: conventional tillage(CT, tillage to a depth of 15 cm with no straw incorporation), straw incorporation with conventional tillage(SCT, tillage to a depth of 15 cm),inversion tillage(IT, tillage to a depth of 35 cm) and straw incorporation with inversion tillage(SIT, tillage to a depth of 35 cm). The soils were managed by inversion to a depth of 15 or 35 cm every year after harvest. The results indicated that SIT improved soil multi-nutrient cycling variables and increased the availability of key nutrients such as soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, available nitrogen, available phosphorus and available potassium in both the topsoil and subsoil.In contrast to CT and SCT, SIT created a looser microbial network structure but with highly centralized clusters by reducing the topological properties of average connectivity and node number, and by increasing the average path length and the modularity. A Random Forest analysis found that the average path length and the clustering coefficient were the main determinants of soil multi-nutrient cycling. These findings suggested that SIT can be an effective option for improving soil multi-nutrient cycling and the structure of microbial networks, and they provide crucial information about the microbial strategies that drive the decomposition of straw in Hapli-Udic Cambisol.

Effects of Nitrogen Addition on Plant Functional Traits in Freshwater Wetland of Sanjiang Plain,Northeast China

To clarify the responses of plant functional traits to nitrogen(N) enrichment, we investigated the whole-plant traits(plant height and aboveground biomass), leaf morphological(specific leaf area(SLA) and leaf dry mass content(LDMC)) and chemical traits(leaf N concentration(LNC) and leaf phosphorus(P) concentration(LPC)) of Deyeuxia angustifolia and Glyceria spiculosa following seven consecutive years of N addition at four rates(0 g N/(m2·yr), 6 g N/(m2·yr), 12 g N/(m2·yr) and 24 g N/(m2·yr)) in a freshwater marsh in the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China. The results showed that, for both D. angustifolia and G. spiculosa, N addition generally increased plant height, leaf, stem and total aboveground biomass, but did not cause changes in SLA and LDMC. Moreover, increased N availability caused an increase in LNC, and did not affect LPC. Thus, N addition decreased leaf C∶N ratio, but caused an increase in leaf N∶P ratio, and did not affect leaf C∶P ratio. Our results suggest that, in the mid-term, elevated N loading does not alter leaf morphological traits, but causes substantial changes in whole-plant traits and leaf chemical traits in temperate freshwater wetlands. These may help to better understand the effects of N enrichment on plant functional traits and thus ecosystem structure and functioning in freshwater wetlands.

Assessment of Point and Nonpoint Sources Pollution in Songhua River Basin,Northeast China by Using Revised Water Quality Model

Individual participation of pollutants in the pollution load should be estimated even if roughly for the appropriate environmental management of a river basin.It is difficult to identify the sources and to quantify the load, especially in modeling nonpoint source.In this study a revised model was established by integrating point and nonpoint sources into one-dimensional Streeter-Phelps(S-P) model on the basis of real-time hydrologic data and surface water quality monitoring data in the Jilin Reach of the Songhua River Basin.Chemical oxygen demand(COD) and ammonia nitrogen(NH 3-N) loads were estimated.Results showed that COD loads of point source and nonpoint source were 134 958 t/yr and 86 209 t/yr, accounting for 61.02% and 38.98% of total loads, respectively.NH 3-N loads of point source and nonpoint source were 16 739 t/yr and 14 272 t/yr, accounting for 53.98% and 46.02%, respectively.Point source pollution was stronger than nonpoint source pollution in the study area at present.The water quality of upstream was better than that of downstream of the rivers and cities.It is indispensable to treat industrial wastewater and municipal sewage out of point sources, to adopt the best management practices to control diffuse pollutants from agricultural land and urban surface runoff in improving water quality of the Songhua River Basin.The revised S-P model can be successfully used to identify pollution source and quantify point source and nonpoint source loads by calibrating and validating.

Symbiosis of Marshes and Permafrost in Da and Xiao Hinggan Mountains in Northeastern China

Recently, the degradation of permafrost and marsh environments in the Da and Xiao Hinggan Mountains has become a great concern as more human activities and pronounced climate warming were observed during the past 30 years and projected for the near future. The distr/bution patterns and development mechanisms of the permafrost and marshes have been examined both in theories and in field observations, in order to better understand the symbiosis of permafrost and marshes. The permafrost and marshes in the Da and Xiao Hinggan Mountains display discernible zonations in latitude and elevation. The marsh vegetation canopy, litter and peat soil have good thermal insulation properties for the underlying permafrost, resulting in a thermal offset of 3 ℃ to 4℃ and subsequently suppressing soil temperature. In addition, the much higher thermal conductivity of frozen and ice-rich peat in the active layer is conducive to the development or in favor of the protection of permafrost due to the semi-conductor properties of the soils overlying the permafrost. On the other hand, because permafrost is almost impervious, the osmosis of water in marsh soils can be effectively reduced, timely providing water supplies for helophytes growth or germination in spring. In the Da and Xiao Hinggan Mountains, the permafrost degradation has been accelerating due to the marked climate warming, ever increasing human activities, and the resultant eco-environmental changes. Since the permafrost and marsh environments are symbiotic and interdependent, they need to be managed or protected in a well-coordinated and integrated way.