Interpreting sedimentation dynamics at Longxi catchment in the Three Gorges Area,China,using Cs-137 activity,particle size and rainfall erosivity

Reservoir sedimentation dynamics were interpreted using Cs-137 activity,particle size and rainfall erosivity analysis in conjunction with sediment profile coring.Two sediment cores were retrieved from the Changshou reservoir of Chongqing,which was dammed in 1956 at the outlet of Longxi catchment in the Three Gorges Area using a gravity corer equipped with an acrylic tube with an inner diameter of 6 cm.The extracted cores were sectioned at 2 cm intervals.All sediment core samples were dried,sieved(<2 mm) and weighed.137 Cs activity was measured by γ-ray spectrometry.The particle size of the core samples was measured using laser particlesize granulometry.Rainfall erosivity was calculated using daily rainfall data from meteorological records and information on soil conservation history was collated to help interpret temporal sedimentation trends.The peak fallout of 137 Cs in 1963 appeared at a depth of 84 cm in core A and 56 cm in core B.The peaks of sand contents were related to the peaks of rainfall erosivity which were recorded in 1982,1989,1998 and 2005,respectively.Sedimentation rates were calculated according to the sediment profile chronological controls of 1956,1963,1982,1989,1998 and 2005.The highest sedimentation rate was around 2.0 cm?a^(-1) between 1982 and 1988 when the Chinese national reform and the Household Responsibility System were implemented,leading to accelerated soil erosion in the Longxi catchment.Since 1990 s,andparticularly since 2005,sedimentation rates clearly decreased,since a number of soil conservation programs have been carried out in the catchment.The combined use of 137 Cs chronology,particle size and rainfall erosivity provided a simple basis for reconstructing reservoir sedimentation dynamics in the context of both physical processes and soil restoration.Its advantages include avoiding the need for full blown sediment yield reconstruction and the concomitant consideration of core correlation and corrections for autochthonous inputs and reservoir trap efficiency.

Soil CO_2 and N_2O Emissions in Maize Growing Season Under Different Fertilizer Regimes in an Upland Red Soil Region of South China

Upland red soils have been identified as major CO2 and N2O sources induced by human activities such as fertilization. To monitor characteristics of soil surface CO2 and N2O fluxes in cropland ecosystems after continuous fertilizer applications over decades and to separate the respective contributions of root and heterotrophic respiration to the total soil CO2 and N2O fluxes, the measurements of soil surface CO2 and N2O fluxes throughout the maize growing season in 2009 were carried out based on a fertilization experiment （from 1990） through of the maize （Zea mays L.） growing season in red soil in southern China. Five fertilization treatments were chosen from the experiment for study： zero-fertilizer application （CK）, nitrogen-phosphorus- potassium （NPK） fertilizer application only, pig manure （M）, NPK plus pig manure （NPKM） and NPK with straw （NPKS）. Six chambers were installed in each plot. Three of them are in the inter-row soil （NR） and the others are in the soil within the row （R）. Each fertilizer treatment received the same amount of N （300 kg ha-1 yr-1）. Results showed that cumulative soil CO2 fluxes in NR or R were both following the order： NPKS〉M, NPKM〉NPK〉CK. The contributions of root respiration to soil CO2 fluxes was 40, 44, 50, 47 and 35% in CK, NPK, NPKM, M and NPKS treatments, respectively, with the mean value of 43%. Cumulative soil N2O fluxes in NR or R were both following the order： NPKS, NPKM〉M〉NPK〉CK, and soil N2O fluxes in R were 18, 20 and 30% higher than that in NR in NPKM, M and NPKS treatments, respectively, but with no difference between NR and R in NPK treatment. Furthermore, combine with soil temperature at -5 cm depth and soil moisWxe （0-20 cm） together could explain 55-70% and 42-59% of soil CO2 and N2O emissions with root interference and 62- 78% and 44-63% of that without root interference, respectively. In addition, soil CO2 and N2O flUXeS per unit yield in NPKM （0.55 and 0.10 kg C t^-1） and M （0.65 and 0.13 g N t^-1） treatments were lower than those in other treatments. Therefore, manure application could be a preferred fertilization strategy in red soils in South China.