Historical evolution and the effects of ecological management in Tarim Basin, China

The Tarim Basin, in northwestern China, is the largest continental basin in the world, and hosts desert landscapes as well as extensive oasis agriculture. Many horticultural products come from this basin. However, since the 1950s, frequent river flow interruptions have occurred in the lower reaches of the Tarim River. Thus, the natural ecology of the basin has undergone significant changes because of recent human economic and social activities. In particular, water resource development and utilization along with climate changes have had a significant impact on the area. To prevent further deterioration of the environment, the Central Government implemented a water conveyance project in 2000. Based on this project, Chinese scientists, together with those from overseas, have conducted extensive research on the historical evolution of the area, and the physiological and ecological responses of the natural vegetation around the Tarim Desert Highway. Progress has been made in the areas of environmental protection and ecological conservation

Spatial-temporal variation in soil respiration and its controlling factors in three steppes of Stipa L. in Inner Mongolia, China

National Natural Science Foundation of China [40730105, 40673067, 40973057]; National Key Technology Research and Development Program [2007BAC03A11

Natural vegetation restoration is more beneficial to soil surface organic and inorganic carbon sequestration than tree plantation on the Loess Plateau of China

Natural vegetation restoration and tree plantation are the two most important measures for ecosystem restoration on the Loess Plateau of China. However, few studies have compared the effects of the two contrasting measures on soil organic and inorganic carbon (SOC and SIC) sequestration or have further used SOC and SIC isotopes to analyze the inherent sequestration mechanism. This study examined a pair of neighboring small watersheds with similar topographical and geological backgrounds. Since 1954, natural vegetation restoration has been conducted in one of these watersheds, and tree plantation has been conducted in the other. The two watersheds have now formed completely different landscapes (naturally restored grassland and artificial forestland). Differences in soil bulk density, SOC and SIC content and storage, and SOC and SIC delta C-13 values were investigated in the two ecosystems in the upper 1 m of the soil. We found that SOC storage was higher in the grassland than in the forestland, with a difference of 14.90 Mg ha(-1). The vertical changes in the delta C-13(SOC) value demonstrated that the two ecosystems have different mechanisms of soil surface organic carbon accumulation. The SIC storage in the grassland was lower than that in the forestland, with a difference of 38.99 Mg ha(-1). The delta C-13(SIC) values indicated that the grassland generates more secondary carbonate than the forestland and that SIC was most likely transported to the rivers from the grassland as dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). The biogeochemical characteristics of the grassland were favorable for the formation of bicarbonate. Thus, more DIC derived from the dissolution of root and microbial respired CO2 into soil water could have been transported to the rivers through flood runoff. It is necessary to study further the transportation of DIC from the grassland because this process can produce a large potential carbon sink.</p

干旱半干旱区CO2浓度升高对生态系统的影响及碳氮耦合研究进展/Effect of Elevated CO2 on Ecosystem and C-N Coupling in Arid and Semi-arid Region[J]

大气CO2浓度升高已成为全球备受关注的环境问题.CO2排放量的增加加剧了地球表层的温室效应,也对生态系统的结构和功能产生了重要影响.生态系统对CO2浓度升高的响应是一个长期的过程.在干旱半干旱区,CO2浓度的升高对生态系统生产力、植物、土壤和微生物等都有影响,尤其改变了生态系统中的碳循环,并加剧了生态系统对氮的需求.碳循环是生态系统重要的能量流通渠道;氮是生态系统最重要的营养元素之一,也是生态系统固碳能力的限制因子.因此,加强碳氮耦合关系的探讨对研究全球气候及生态系统变化具有重要意义.对干旱半干旱区CO2浓度升高对生态系统的影响及碳氮耦合的研究进展进行了综述和讨论,为进一步研究干旱半干旱区碳、氮循环提供参考