Evaluating climate impacts on carbon balance of the terrestrial ecosystems in the Midwest of the United States with a process-based ecosystem model

The Midwest of the United States includes 12 states and accounts for about a quarter of the total United State land area. In recent years, there is an increasing interest in knowing the biomass potential and carbon balance over this region for the past and the future. In this study, we use the Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (TEM) to evaluate these quantities in the region from 1948 to 2099. We first parameterize the model with field data of major crops, including corn (Zea mays), soybean (Glycine max), and wheat (Triticum spp); then the model is applied to the region for the historical period (1948–2000). Next, we evaluate the simulated forestry biomass with forest inventory data, the agricultural net primary production (NPP) with agricultural statistics data, and the regional NPP with a satellite-based product at the regional scale. Our results show that the simulated annual NPP for the Midwest increased by 1.75% per year and the whole Midwest terrestrial ecosystem acted as a carbon sink during 1948–2005. During the 21st century, vegetation and soil carbon fluxes and pools show an increase trend with a great inter-annual variability. The ecosystems serve as a carbon sink under future climate scenarios. NPP in the Midwest will increase and net ecosystem production (NEP) will also increase and show an even larger interannual variability. This study provides the information of the biomass and NEP at a state- level in the Midwest, which will be valuable for the region stakeholders to better manage their land for the purpose of increasing carbon sequestration on the one hand and meeting the increasing demand of biomass on the other.     

Potential carbon sequestration in China’s forests

Forests are believed to be a major sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide. There are 158.94 million hectares (Mha) of forests in China, accounting for 16.5% of its land area. These extensive forests may play a vital role in the global carbon (C) cycle as well as making a large contribution to the country’s economic and environmental well-being. Currently there is a trend towards increased development in the forests. Hence, accounting for the role and potential of the forests in the global carbon budget is very important.In this paper, we attempt to estimate the carbon emissions and sequestration by Chinese forests in 1990 and make projections for the following 60 years based on three scenarios, i.e. “baseline”, “trend” and “planning”. A computer model F-CARBON 1.0, which takes into account the different biomass density and growth rates for the forests in different age classes, the life time for biomass oxidation and decomposition, and the change in soil carbon between harvesting and reforestation, was developed by the authors and used to make the calculations and projections. Climate change is not modelled in this exercise.We calculate that forests in China annually accumulate 118.1 Mt C in growth of trees and 18.4 Mt in forest soils, and release 38.9 Mt, resulting in a net sequestration of 97.6 Mt C, corresponding to 16.8% of the national CO₂ emissions in 1990. From 1990 to 2050, soil carbon accumulation was projected to increase slightly while carbon emissions increases by 73, 77 and 84%, and net carbon sequestration increases by −21, 52 and 90% for baseline, trend and planning scenarios, respectively. Carbon sequestration by China’s forests under the planning scenario in 2000, 2010, 2030 and 2050 is approximately 20, 48, 111 and 142% higher than projected by the baseline scenario, and 8, 18, 34 and 26% higher than by the trend scenario, respectively. Over 9 Gt C is projected to accumulate in China’s forests from 1990 to 2050 under the planning scenario, and this is 73 and 23% larger than projected for the baseline and trend scenarios, respectively. During the period 2008–2012, Chinese forests are likely to have a net uptake of 667, 565 and 452 Mt C, respectively, for the planning, trend and baseline scenarios. We conclude that China’s forests have a large potential for carbon sequestration through forest development. Sensitivity analysis showed that the biggest uncertainty in the projection by the F-CARBON model came from the release coefficient of soil carbon between periods after harvesting and before reforestation.     

Roles of urban vegetation on balance of carbon and oxygen in Guangzhou,China

ＴｈｅｇｒｅｅｎｈｏｕｓｅｅｆｆｅｃｔｈａｓｂｅｅｎｃａｕｓｅｄｂｙｔｈｅｇｒａｄｕａｌｉｎｃｒｅａｓｅｏｆＣＯ2 ｃｏｎｃｅｎｔｒａｔｉｏｎｉｎｔｈｅａｔｍｏｓｐｈｅｒｅｄｕｅｔｏｔｈｅｃｏｎｓｕｍｐｔｉｏｎｏｆｃｈｅｍｉｃａｌｆｕｅｌａｎｄｔｈｅｃｈａｎｇｅｏｆｌａｎｄｕｓｅ(Ｒａｙｎａｕｄ ,1 993 ) .Ｔｈｅｒｅｆｏｒｅ ,ｃａｒｂｏｎｃｙｃｌｉｎｇｏｆｅａｒｔｈｈａｓｂｅｅｎａ“ｈｅａｔｐｏｉｎｔ”ｏｆｔｈｅｇｌｏｂａｌｃｈａｎｇｅ.Ｖｅｇｅｔａｔｉｏｎ ,ｗｈｉｃｈｉｎｃｌｕｄｅｓｔｈａｔｉｎｕ…     

粤港澳大湾区植被CUE变化及与气候变化的关系

基于MOD17数据,采用趋势分析和相关分析法,研究了2000~2019年粤港澳大湾区植被生产力和植被碳利用率（CUE）变化及其与气候变化的关系.结果表明,粤港澳大湾区总初级生产力（GPP）和净初级生产力（NPP）均值分别为1.80和0.89kg·C/m²,呈中部低四周高的空间格局,CUE均值为0.51,呈中部和东南部略高于四周的空间格局;GPP和NPP总体呈增加趋势,其年际变化率均值分别为0.01和0.001kg·C/（m²·a）,GPP年增长率远高于NPP年增长率,不同植被类型GPP和NPP也呈增加趋势.植被CUE则呈逐年下降趋势,其年际变化率均值为-0.002a^-1,由于气候因子变化对光合作用速率和呼吸作用速率产生的不同程度影响,从未来发展趋势看,68.22%的区域表明CUE仍呈下降趋势,植被碳固定能力减弱;不同植被类型CUE存在差异,其中农田CUE平均值最高,为（0.511±0.014）,森林和草地CUE分别为（0.500±0.019）和（0.501±0.020）,从变化趋势看,不同植被类型CUE呈极显著下降趋势（P < 0.01）;GPP与气温、累积降雨和累积净太阳辐射量总体呈正相关关系,其所占比例分别为94.52%、53.36%和90.58%,NPP与气温、累积降雨和累积净太阳辐射量总体上也表现为正相关关系,其所占比例分别为86.86%、71.10%和85.97%.然而,CUE与气候因子的关系却有所不同.CUE与气温和累积降雨呈正相关关系,但与累积太阳辐射呈负相关关系,不同植被类型GPP、NPP和CUE与气温、累积降雨量呈正相关关系,GPP和NPP与累计净太阳辐射呈正相关关系,但CUE与累积太阳辐射却呈负相关关系.     

Satellite Remote Sensing of Terrestrial Net Primary Production for the Pan-Arctic Basin and Alaska

We applied a terrestrial net primary production (NPP) model driven by satellite remote sensing observations of vegetation properties and daily surface meteorology from a regional weather forecast model to assess NPP spatial and temporal variability for the pan-Arctic basin and Alaska from 1982 to 2000. Our results show a general decadal trend of increasing NPP for the region of approximately 2.7%, with respective higher (3.4%) and lower (2.2%) rates for North America and Eurasia. NPP is both spatially and temporally dynamic for the region, driven largely by differences in productivity rates among major biomes and temporal changes in photosynthetic canopy structure and spring and summer air temperatures. Mean annual NPP for boreal forests was approximately 3 times greater than for Arctic tundra on a unit area basis and accounted for approximately 55% of total annual carbon sequestration for the region. The timing of growing season onset inferred from regional network measurements of atmospheric CO₂ drawdown in spring was inversely proportional to annual NPP calculations. Our findings indicate that recent regional warming trends in spring and summer and associated advances in the growing season are stimulating net photosynthesis and annual carbon sequestration by vegetation at high latitudes, partially mitigating anthropogenic increases in atmospheric CO₂. These results also imply that regional sequestration and storage of atmospheric CO₂ is being altered, with potentially greater instability and acceleration of the carbon cycle at high latitudes.     

‘Formiguers’, a historical system of soil fertilization (and biochar production?)

‘Formiguers’ are structures similar to charcoal-kilns that were used to burn piles of biomass with a soil cover in order to produce fertilizers for agricultural plots. Their use was widespread in Spain up to the 1960s and similar structures are still in use in India and Bhutan. Our objective was to study the effects of the ‘formiguer’ on its soil cover in terms of changes in nutrient availability. We built an experimental 0.5-m³ ‘formiguer’ with 68 kg of plant material with a 12% moisture content and 550 kg of soil with a 16% moisture content. The content of organic carbon and mineral nitrogen decreased in the soil cover as a result of burning. After aerobic incubation all samples had a similar content of mineral nitrogen. Exchangeable potassium and total and labile phosphorus increased after burning as a result of the soil cover mixing with the ashes of the biomass as the ‘formiguer’ collapsed during burning in the first two cases, while mineralization of organic compounds produced the increase in labile phosphorus. This input of nutrients for the agricultural plots occurs at a net loss of 0.4–2.5 Mg organic C ha^?1. Very small amounts of charcoal were produced and this may be the reason for their low occurrence in soils today. Burning of ‘formiguers’ required the harvest of vegetation from a considerable forest area (10–25 ha per hectare of agricultural land) and represented a significant disturbance of these systems.     

1980—2014年中亚地区植被净初级生产力对气候和CO2变化的响应

中亚干旱区分布着世界80%以上的温带荒漠,受气候变化影响显著。论文首先收集实验观测数据验证了干旱区生态系统模型（AEM）,然后运用AEM开展数值模拟实验量化研究了1980—2014年中亚净初级生产力（NPP）的时空格局,评估了不同环境因子（降水、温度、CO₂）的相对贡献率及其交互效应。结果表明：过去35 a中亚干旱区年均NPP总量为1 125±129 Tg C（1 T=10¹²）或218±25 g C/m²。哈萨克斯坦北部地区年NPP值较高（349±39 g C/m²）,而南疆地区年NPP值较低（123±45 g C/m²）。1980—2014年间,中亚NPP总体呈减少趋势 [-0.71 g C/(m²·a)],南疆极端干旱区的NPP降低最为显著 [-2.05 g C/(m²·a)]。相较于1980—1984年NPP均值,在1985—2014年中亚区域NPP总体降低了118 Tg（-10%）。其中CO₂施肥效应促进NPP增加了99.7 Tg （+8%）,气温升高的正效应促进NPP增加了35.4 Tg（+2%）,而降水减少导致NPP降低了221 Tg（-18%）。研究区内9%的地区的NPP主要控制因子为温度,主要分布在天山和哈萨克斯坦北部等高纬高寒地区。降水主控区面积占整个研究区的69%,主要分布在荒漠平原特别是南疆等植被受水分限制的区域。CO₂主控区占研究区面积的20%,主要分布在天山中山带森林区和低海拔地区等水热条件好的区域。研究表明新疆南部地区是中亚的关键生态脆弱区,其生态安全面临着气候变化的挑战,但21世纪的升温不大可能因刺激自养呼吸而对中亚区域NPP造成显著影响。     

Net Carbon Exchange Across the Arctic Tundra-Boreal Forest Transition in Alaska 1981–2000

Shifts in the carbon balance of high-latitude ecosystems could result from differential responses of vegetation and soil processes to changing moisture and temperature regimes and to a lengthening of the growing season. Although shrub expansion and northward movement of treeline should increase carbon inputs, the effects of these vegetation changes on net carbon exchange have not been evaluated. We selected low shrub, tall shrub, and forest tundra sites near treeline in northwestern Alaska, representing the major structural transitions expected in response to warming. In these sites, we measured aboveground net primary production (ANPP) and vegetation and soil carbon and nitrogen pools, and used these data to parameterize the Terrestrial Ecosystem Model. We simulated the response of carbon balance components to air temperature and precipitation trends during 1981–2000. In areas experiencing warmer and dryer conditions, Net Primary Production (NPP) decreased and heterotrophic respiration (R _H ) increased, leading to a decrease in Net Ecosystem Production (NEP). In warmer and wetter conditions NPP increased, but the response was exceeded by an increase in R _H ; therefore, NEP also decreased. Lastly, in colder and wetter regions, the increase in NPP exceeded a small decline in R _H , leading to an increase in NEP. The net effect for the region was a slight gain in ecosystem carbon storage over the 20 year period. This research highlights the potential importance of spatial variability in ecosystem responses to climate change in assessing the response of carbon storage in northern Alaska over the last two decades.     

Biodiversity,carbon stocks and sequestration potential in aboveground biomass in smallholder farming systems of western Kenya

While Carbon (C) sequestration on farmlands may contribute to mitigate CO₂ concentrations in the atmosphere, greater agro-biodiversity may ensure longer term stability of C storage in fluctuating environments. This study was conducted in the highlands of western Kenya, a region with high potential for agroforestry, with the objectives of assessing current biodiversity and aboveground C stocks in perennial vegetation growing on farmland, and estimating C sequestration potential in aboveground C pools. Allometric models were developed to estimate aboveground biomass of trees and hedgerows, and an inventory of perennial vegetation was conducted in 35 farms in Vihiga and Siaya districts. Values of the Shannon index (H), used to evaluate biodiversity, ranged from 0.01 in woodlots through 0.4–0.6 in food crop plots, to 1.3–1.6 in homegardens. Eucalyptus saligna was the most frequent tree species found as individual trees (20%), in windrows (47%), and in woodlots (99%) in Vihiga and the most frequent in woodlots (96%) in Siaya. Trees represented the most important C pool in aboveground biomass of perennial plants growing on-farm, contributing to 81 and 55% of total aboveground farm C in Vihiga and Siaya, respectively, followed by hedgerows (13 and 39%, respectively) and permanent crop stands (5 and 6%, respectively). Most of the tree C was located in woodlots in Vihiga (61%) and in individual trees growing in or around food crop plots in Siaya (57%). The homegardens represented the second C pool in importance, with 25 and 33% of C stocks in Vihiga and Siaya, respectively. Considering the mean total aboveground C stocks observed, and taking the average farm sizes of Vihiga (0.6 ha) and Siaya (1.4 ha), an average farm would store 6.5 ± 0.1 Mg C farm^?1 in Vihiga and 12.4 ± 0.1 Mg C farm^?1 in Siaya. At both sites, the C sequestration potential in perennial aboveground biomass was estimated at ca. 16 Mg C ha^?1. With the current market price for carbon, the implementation of Clean Development Mechanism Afforestation/Reforestation (CDM A/R) projects seems unfeasible, due to the large number of small farms (between 140 and 300) necessary to achieve a critical land area able to compensate the concomitant minimum transaction costs. Higher financial compensation for C sequestration projects that encourage biodiversity would allow clearer win–win scenarios for smallholder farmers. Thus, a better valuation of ecosystem services should encourage C sequestration together with on-farm biodiversity when promoting CDM A/R projects.     

气候变化和人类活动对我国典型草原区植被恢复的影响

草原区作为影响我国陆地生态系统碳水循环和生态安全的重点区域,对气候变化和人类活动极为敏感.然而,有关气候变化和人类活动对该区域植被恢复相对贡献的认识尚存分歧.以生态系统净初级生产力(NPP)为评价指标,通过对比MODIS观测的实际NPP和基于Thornthwaite Memorial模型估算的潜在NPP的趋势差异,量化了2000～2020年气候变化和人类活动对我国典型草原区(北方温性草原区和青藏高原高寒草原区)植被恢复的相对作用.结果表明,研究区内93%的草地植被呈恢复趋势,NPP平均增加速率达(以C计)2.12 g·(m²·a)^-1(P<0.01),其中,近一半植被恢复区受气候变化和人为活动共同控制,约36%和10%植被恢复区分别受气候变化和人类活动的独立控制;此外,不同草地类型气候变化主导植被恢复的面积占比差异大,主要表现为高寒草地明显高于温性草地,气候条件越干旱,气候主导面积占比越大.人类活动不是北方温性草原区和青藏高原高寒草原区植被恢复的主要原因,但在气候条件恶化地区,人类活动可降低甚至抵消气候变化对植被的负面影响.未来需加强长...     

Monitoring and verifying agricultural practices related to soil carbon sequestration with satellite imagery

The Kyoto Protocol entering into force on 16 February 2005 continues to spur interest in development of carbon trading mechanisms internationally and domestically. Critical to the development of a carbon trading effort is verification that carbon has been sequestered, and field level measurement of C change is likely cost prohibitive. Estimating C change based on agricultural management practices related to carbon sequestration seems more realistic, and analysis of satellite imagery could be used to monitor and verify these practices over large areas. We examined using Landsat imagery to verify crop rotations and quantify crop residue biomass in north central Montana. Field data were collected using a survey of farms. Standard classification tree analysis (CTA) and boosted classification and regression tree analysis (BCTA) were used to classify crop types. Linear regression (LM), regression tree analysis (RTA), and stochastic gradient boosting (SGB) were used to estimate crop residue. Six crop types were classified with 97% accuracy (BCTA) with class accuracies of 88–99%. Paired t-tests were used to compare the difference between known and predicted mean crop residue biomass. The difference between known and predicted mean residues using SGB was not different than 0 (p-value = 0.99); however root mean square error (RMSE) was large (1981 kg ha⁻¹), implying that SGB accurately predicted regional crop residue biomass but not local predictions (i.e., field or farm level). The results of this study, and previous research classifying tillage practices and estimating soil disturbance, supports using satellite imagery as an effective tool for monitoring and verifying agricultural management practices related to carbon sequestration over large areas.     

武陵山区植被净初级生产力遥感模拟与分析

论文利用碳水耦合的BEPS遥感过程模型对2010年武陵山区植被NPP进行模拟估算,并利用森林样点实测数据、各县粮食产量统计资料、MODIS NPP产品和已发表文献中各植被类型的NPP模拟值与实测值进行验证。在分析了NPP空间分布格局及其年内变化趋势的基础上,文中还重点分析了NPP与高程、坡度和坡向等主要地形因子间的关系。结果表明：① 2010年武陵山区植被NPP平均值为555.17 g C/(m²·a),年总NPP为92.96 Tg C,与MODIS NPP产品相比,论文模拟的NPP高低值分布更加合理,而且包含了更多地形信息;② 月NPP随季节而变化,2010年研究区所有植被类型的NPP季节变化均呈双峰形态,其中灌丛和常绿阔叶林的季节变化幅度最大,农作物的变化幅度最小;③ NPP随高程增加有着明显的先增后减的变化趋势,NPP随坡度增加则呈现出先增后减然后再上升的规律,而在所有坡向中,南坡的平均NPP最高,北坡的NPP最低。     

An approach for estimating net primary productivity and annual carbon inputs to soil for common agricultural crops in Canada

The current interest in characterizing, predicting and managing soil C dynamics has focused attention on making estimates of C inputs to soil more accurate and precise. Net primary productivity (NPP) provides the inputs of carbon (C) in ecosystems and determines the amount of photosynthetically fixed C that can potentially be sequestered in soil organic matter. We present a method for estimating NPP and annual C inputs to soil for some common Canadian agroecosystems, using a series of plant C allocation coefficients for each crop type across the country. The root-derived C in these coefficients was estimated by reviewing studies reporting information on plant shoot-to-root (S:R) ratios (n = 168). Mean S:R ratios for annual crops were highest for small-grain cereals (7.4), followed by corn (5.6) and soybeans (5.2), and lowest for forages (1.6). The review also showed considerable uncertainty (coefficient of variation for S:R ratios of ∼50% for annual crops and ∼75% for perennial forages) in estimating below-ground NPP (BNPP) in agroecosystems; uncertainty was similar to that for Canadian boreal forests. The BNPP (including extra-root C) was lower for annual crops (∼20% of NPP) than for perennial forages (∼50%). The latter was similar to estimates for relative below-ground C allocation in other Canadian natural ecosystems such as mixed grasslands and forests. The proposed method is easy to use, specific for particular crops, management practices, and driven by agronomic yields. It can be readily up-dated with new experimental results and measurements of parameters used to quantify the accumulation and distribution of photosynthetically fixed C in different types of crops.     

The carbon budget of California

The carbon budget of a region can be defined as the sum of annual fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) greenhouse gases (GHGs) into and out of the regional surface coverage area. According to the state government's recent inventory, California's carbon budget is presently dominated by 115 MMTCE per year in fossil fuel emissions of CO₂ (>85% of total annual GHG emissions) to meet energy and transportation requirements. Other notable (non-ecosystem) sources of carbon GHG emissions in 2004 were from cement- and lime-making industries (7%), livestock-based agriculture (5%), and waste treatment activities (2%). The NASA-CASA (Carnegie Ames Stanford Approach) simulation model based on satellite observations of monthly vegetation cover (including those from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, MODIS) was used to estimate net ecosystem fluxes and vegetation biomass production over the period 1990–2004. California's annual NPP for all ecosystems in the early 2000s (estimated by CASA at 120 MMTCE per year) was roughly equivalent to its annual fossil fuel emission rates for carbon. However, since natural ecosystems can accumulate only a small fraction of this annual NPP total in long-term storage pools, the net ecosystem sink flux for atmospheric carbon across the state was estimated at a maximum rate of about 24 MMTCE per year under favorable precipitation conditions. Under less favorable precipitation conditions, such as those experienced during the early 1990s, ecosystems statewide were estimated to have lost nearly 15 MMTCE per year to the atmosphere. Considering the large amounts of carbon estimated by CASA to be stored in forests, shrublands, and rangelands across the state, the importance of protection of the natural NPP capacity of California ecosystems cannot be overemphasized.     

Potential and sustainability for carbon sequestration with improved soil management in agricultural soils of China

Arable land soils generally have lower organic carbon (C) levels than soils under native vegetation; increasing the C stocks through improved management is suggested as an effective means to sequester CO₂ from the atmosphere. China's arable lands, accounting for 13% of the world's total, play an important role in soil C sequestration, but their potential to enhance C sequestration has not yet been quantitatively assessed. The C sequestration by agricultural soils is affected by many environmental factors (such as climate and soil conditions), biological processes (crop C fixation, decomposition and transformation), and crop and soil management (e.g. tillage and manure application). Estimation of the C sequestration potential requires the quantification of the combined effects of these factors and processes. In this study, we used a coupled remote sensing- and process-based ecosystem model to estimate the potential for C sequestration in agricultural soils of China and evaluated the sustainability of soil C uptake under different soil management options. The results show that practicing no-tillage on 50% of the arable lands and returning 50% of the crop residue to soils would lead to an annual soil C sequestration of 32.5 Tg C, which accounts for about 4% of China's current annual C emission. Soil C sequestration with improved soil management is highly time-dependent; the effect lasted for only 20–80 years. Generally, practicing no-tillage causes higher rate and longer sustainability of soil C sequestration than only increasing crop residue into soils. The potential for soil C sequestration varied greatly among different regions due to the differences in climate, soil conditions and crop productivity.     

广州城市绿地系统碳的贮存、分布及其在碳氧平衡中的作用

在研究广州城市绿地植物生物量和净第一性生产量的基础上,通过对城市绿地碳的贮存、分布和固碳放氧能力的估算,探讨城市绿地对城市碳氧平衡的作用。结果表明,城市绿地植物生物量和净生产量分别为287150t和1058122t/a;植物碳贮量和净生产量中的碳量分别为1328649t和462624t/a;绿地光合作用释放的氧量为2242788t/a。植物的光合作用固碳和放氧量分别相当于人口呼吸释放碳和消耗氧量的1.7和1.9倍,但远小于化学燃料燃烧放出的碳和消耗的氧量。如果广州城市绿地能得到适当的保护和改良,其对碳氧平衡的作用将大大提高。     

山西省自然保护区生态系统格局及稳定性变化趋势研究

掌握自然保护区生态系统格局信息,对于摸清生态环境现状,评估保护成效,进而提出保护对策具有重要的意义。论文以2000和2010年为时间点,利用生态系统转移矩阵和正向逆向转换指数（Positive and Negative Transformation Index,PNTI）模型分析山西省自然保护区生态系统格局转换趋势,并运用Shannon-Wiener多样性指数和净初级生产力（Net Primary Productivity,NPP）分级标准分析生态系统稳定性变化特征。结果表明：山西省自然保护区以森林生态系统为主,其次为草地生态系统和耕地生态系统;2000—2010年间,保护区生态系统格局朝着有利的方向发展,生态系统阻抗稳定性和恢复稳定性也呈增强趋势;保护区植被生长状况得到了较好的改善,且森林生态系统保护区的保护作用最为突出,其他保护区生态系统稳定性较弱,尤其需加强对野生动物保护区的管理与修复。     

Long-term impact of a gliricidia-maize intercropping system on carbon sequestration in southern Malawi

Tree/crop systems under agroforestry practice are capable of sequestering carbon (C) in the standing biomass and soil. Although studies have been conducted to understand soil organic C increases in some agroforestry technologies, little is known about C sequestered in simultaneous tree/crop intercropping systems. The main objective of this study was to determine the effect of agroforestry practice on C sequestration and CO₂-C efflux in a gliricidia-maize intercropping system. The experiment was conducted at an experimental site located at the Makoka Agricultural Research Station, in Malawi. The studies involved two field plots, 7-year (MZ21) and 10-year (MZ12), two production systems (sole-maize and gliricidia-maize simultaneous intercropping systems). A 7-year-old grass fallow (Grass-F) was also included. Gliricidia prunings were incorporated at each time of tree pruning in the gliricidia-maize. The amount of organic C recycled varied from 0.8 to 4.8 Mg C ha⁻¹ in gliricidia-maize and from 0.4 to 1.0 Mg C ha⁻¹ in sole-maize. In sole-maize, net decreases of soil carbon of 6 Mg C ha⁻¹ at MZ12 and 7 Mg C ha⁻¹ at MZ21 in the topsoil (0–20 cm) relative to the initial soil C were observed. After 10 years of continuous application of tree prunings C was sequestered in the topsoil (0–20 cm) in gliricidia-maize was 1.6 times more than in sole-maize. A total of 123–149 Mg C ha⁻¹ were sequestered in the soil (0–200 cm depth), through root turnover and pruning application in the gliricidia-maize system. Carbon dioxide evolution varied from 10 to 28 kg ha⁻¹ day⁻¹ in sole-maize and 23 to 83 kg ha⁻¹ day⁻¹ in gliricidia-maize. We concluded that gliricidia-maize intercropping system could sequester more C in the soil than sole-maize.     

Are soils of Iowa USA currently a carbon sink or source? Simulated changes in SOC stock from 1972 to 2007

Upscaling the spatial and temporal changes in carbon (C) stocks and fluxes from sites to regions is a critical and challenging step toward improving our understanding of the dynamics of C sources and sinks over large areas. This study simulated soil organic C (SOC) dynamics within 0–100 cm depth of soils across the state of Iowa in the USA from 1972 to 2007 using the General Ensemble biogeochemical Modeling System (GEMS). The model outputs with variation coefficient were analyzed and assembled from simulation unit to the state scale based upon major land use types at annual step. Results from this study indicate that soils (within a depth of 0–100 cm) in Iowa had been a SOC source at a rate of 190 ± 380 kg C ha^?1 yr^?1. This was likely caused by the installation of a massive drainage system which led to the release of SOC from deep soil layers previously protected under poor drainage conditions. The annual crop rotation was another major force driving SOC variation and resulted in spatial variability of annual budgets in all croplands. Annual rate of change of SOC stocks in all land types depended significantly on the baseline SOC levels; soils with higher SOC levels tended to be C sources, and those with lower levels tended to be C sinks. Management practices (e.g., conservation tillage and residue management practices) slowed down the C emissions from Iowa soils, but could not reverse the general trend of net SOC loss in view of the entire state due mainly to a high level of baseline SOC stocks.     

西南地区陆地植被生态系统NPP时空演变及驱动力分析

研究西南地区陆地植被生态系统净初级生产力(NPP)的时空演变特征及其驱动力,对区域生态环境保护具有重要的现实意义.利用2000～2021年MODIS NPP、1999～2021年基于站点的气象数据和2000～2020年土地利用类型等数据,结合主成分分析、残差分析、Theil-Sen Median趋势分析和偏相关分析等方法,研究西南地区陆地植被生态系统NPP时空演变及其对驱动力的响应特征.结果表明,时间上,2000～2021年西南地区植被NPP呈波动上升趋势,速率为3.54g·(m²·a)^-1.气候变化和人类活动影响下,农田、草地和森林生态系统NPP均呈上升趋势,但农田生态系统NPP的上升趋势最为显著.空间上,西南地区植被NPP呈上升趋势的面积占比为89.06%,显著上升和极显著上升的区域主要分布在广西南部、四川东部、重庆西部,以及云南和贵州交界处.气候变化和人类活动对西南地区植被生长具有双重影响,气候变化和人类活动影响下农田生态系统NPP呈上升趋势的面积占比均高于草地和森林生态系统.西南地区植被NPP与各气象因子的相关性呈明显地域差异.区域尺...