Evaluating Beijing’s human carrying capacity from the perspective of water resource constraints

As the demands on limited water resources intensify, concerns are being raised about the human carrying capacity of these resources. However, few researchers have studied the carrying capacity of regional water resources. Beijing, the second-largest city in China, faces a critical water shortage that will limit the city’s future development. We developed a method to quantify the carrying capacity of Beijing’s water resources by considering water-use structures based on the proportions of water used for agricultural, industrial, and domestic purposes. We defined a reference structure as 45:22:33 (% of total, respectively), an optimized structure as 40:20:40, and an ideal structure as 50:15:35. We also considered four domestic water quotas: 55, 75, 95, and 115 m 3 /(person·yr). The urban carrying capacity of 10–12 million was closest to Beijing’s actual 2003 population for all three water-use structures with urban domestic water use of 75 m 3 /(person·yr). However, after accounting for our underlying assumptions, the adjusted carrying capacity is closer to 5–6 million. Thus, Beijing’s population in 2003 was almost twice the adjusted carrying capacity. Based on this result, we discussed the ecological and environmental problems created by Beijing’s excessive population and propose measures to mitigate these problems.     

Soil temperature and moisture sensitivities of soil CO2 e ux before and after tillage in a wheat field of Loess Plateau, China

As a conventional farming practice, tillage has lasted for thousands of years in Loess Plateau, China. Although recent studies show that tillage is a prominent culprit to soil carbon loss in croplands, few studies have investigated the influences of tillage on the responses of soil CO2 e ux (SCE) to soil temperature and moisture. Using a multi-channel automated CO2 e ux chamber system, we measured SCE in situ continuously before and after the conventional tillage in a rain fed wheat field of Loess Plateau, China. The changes in soil temperature and moisture sensitivities of SCE, denoted by the Q10 value and linear regression slope respectively, were compared in the same range of soil temperature and moisture before and after the tillage. The results showed that, after the tillage, SCE increased by 1.2–2.2 times; the soil temperature sensitivity increased by 36.1%–37.5%; and the soil moisture sensitivity increased by 140%–166%. Thus, the tillage-induced increase in SCE might partially be attributed to the increases in temperature and moisture sensitivity of SCE.     

军山湖河蚬的种群动态及生产量研究

2005年4月-2006年3月年间对军山湖河蚬进行了周年逐月采集,对河蚬的种群动态进行了分析,并采用Brey经验公式测算了军山湖河蚬周年生产量。结果表明,河蚬周年平均生物量为115.84 g/m2,平均密度为51.93 ind./m2。种群密度及生物量峰值出现在58、月5,月分别为90.67 ind./m21,87.39 g/m2;8月分别为72 ind./m2,170.67 g/m2。密度及生物量在次年3月份为最低值,分别为27.2 ind./m2,58.88 g/m2。河蚬周年生产量(AFDW)为10.86(g/m2.yr),P/B系数为0.52,结果较为合理。P/B系数较低,说明这一资源日趋贫乏,需要合理的保护利用。     

PCR-DGGE技术解析针叶和阔叶凋落物混合分解对土壤微生物群落结构的影响

为深入理解凋落物类型和微生物群落之间的相互关系,通过小盆+凋落袋控制实验,运用PCR-DGGE技术解析了南方红壤丘陵区典型针叶树种马尾松和湿地松的凋落物分别与白栎、青冈两个阔叶树种凋落物混合分解对土壤微生物基因型多样性的影响.结果表明:1)针叶凋落物中加入阔叶后细菌群落结构未发生显著变化,将所有处理归为一类的相似度达72%,其差异仅表现在马尾松+白栎和湿地松+青冈处理土壤微生物群落16S rDNA的丰富度和多样性分别显著高于单一马尾松和湿地松;2)针叶凋落物中加入阔叶后真菌群落结构发生了显著变化,单一针叶处理与针阔混合处理间18S rDNA基因泳道带型的相似度只有28%,并且单一马尾松处理土壤18S rDNA的丰富度和多样性显著高于马尾松+白栎和马尾松+青冈,单一湿地松处理土壤18S rDNA的丰富度也显著高于湿地松+白栎和湿地松+青冈,多样性显著高于湿地松+白栎处理;3)土壤真菌18S rDNA的丰富度与凋落物初始C含量呈显著正相关,与凋落物初始N含量呈显著负相关.针叶凋落物中引入阔叶凋落物后,增加了凋落物中N的比重,C的比重则下降,显著影响了土壤真菌群落的结构.     

中国森林生态系统的异戊二烯排放研究

植被的非甲烷碳氢化合物(non-methane hydrocarbon,NMHC)排放对大气环境变化有重要的影响,异戊二烯是对流层最主要的NMHC之一.本文应用Guenther的光温影响模型,对1993年中国森林生态系统的异戊二烯排放量进行了估算.结果发现:中国森林生态系统异戊二烯总的排放量约为0.03～8.6Tg/a,对全球碳的贡献量以碳计为0.026～7.589Tg/a,年最大可能排放量约占全球年排放总量的1.5%～4.3%;排放有较大的空间(地域)差异,年排放大值区分布在南方多林区和东北地区,以云南和黑龙江2省最大,对全国排放的贡献率分别为22%和11%;不同植被对总排放量的贡献率有较大差异,贡献率较大的杨树和栎类分别达到52.28%和44.29%.     

密云水库上游地区农田土壤有机碳储量及变化模拟

农田土壤有机碳(SOC)库对粮食安全和全球气候变化具有重要影响,因此,开展农田土壤有机碳储量及其动态变化研究在政治经济和生态环境层面具有重要意义.采用农业生物地球化学模型--DNDC对密云水库上游地区农田土壤有机碳储量及其变化进行模拟研究,首先应用当地实测结果进行模型验证,然后根据当地气候条件、土壤性质和现行农业耕作管理特点等建立GIS区域数据库,并在数据库的支持下进行区域模拟和分析.结果表明:2006年密云水库上游地区214 920 hm~2农田土壤(0～25 cm)的总有机碳储量为7 646×10~6 kg,其中位于河北省境内的该地区63.1%的农田储存了全区68.1%的SOC;平均每公顷农田SOC储量为35 576.1 kg,低于全国平均水平;由于化肥和有机肥投入的增加,经过1 a耕种后,2006年该地区农田SOC储量增加142.5×10~6 kg,整个地区及各区县农田土壤碳收支均为正,是大气CO_2的一个汇.情景分析表明,气温升高对该地区农田SOC积累具有显著的负效应;而提高秸秆还田比例、适量施用化肥、增施有机肥、增加灌溉和采取免耕方式等措施均能有效增加土壤有机碳的积累.     

美国湖泊调查评价技术及对我国湖泊生态环境管理的启示

自2006年起,美国环保署(EPA)在美国本土开展了两次湖泊生态状况调查和评估,从营养状态、生物健康和休闲娱乐的关键指标开展评估,旨在摸清美国湖泊生态环境现状和影响湖泊生态健康的关键胁迫因子。EPA逐步形成了涵盖水文、水质、水生生物等多重指标在内的湖泊调查评估体系,该体系已成为美国湖泊环境管理系统的重要组成部分,为湖泊环境保护和水生态系统恢复提供了有力支持。本文从清单建立、重点调查湖泊清单筛选、采样布点、监测指标、评估方法等方面系统研究总结美国湖泊调查评估的关键技术方法体系,以期为我国湖泊生态环境保护和环境管理工作提供借鉴。     

Nonpoint Source Pollution Responses Simulation for Conversion Cropland to Forest in Mountains by SWAT in China

Several environmental protection policies have been implemented to prevent soil erosion and nonpoint source (NPS) pollutions in China. After severe Yangtze River floods, the “conversion cropland to forest policy” (CCFP) was carried out throughout China, especially in the middle and upper reaches of Yangtze River. The research area of the current study is located in Bazhong City, Sichuan Province in Yangtze River watershed, where soil erosion and NPS pollution are serious concerns. Major NPS pollutants include nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). The objective of this study is to evaluate the long-term impact of implementation of the CCFP on stream flow, sediment yields, and the main NPS pollutant loading at watershed level. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a watershed environmental model and is applied here to simulate and quantify the impacts. Four scenarios are constructed representing different patterns of conversion from cropland to forest under various conditions set by the CCFP. Scenario A represented the baseline, i.e., the cropland and forest area conditions before the implementation of CCFP. Scenario B represents the condition under which all hillside cropland with slope larger than 25° was converted into forest. In scenario C and D, hillside cropland with slope larger than 15° and 7.5° was substituted by forest, respectively. Under the various scenarios, the NPS pollution reduction due to CCFP implementation from 1996–2005 is estimated by SWAT. The results are presented as percentage change of water flow, sediment, organic N, and organic P at watershed level. Furthermore, a regression analysis is conducted between forest area ratio and ten years’ average NPS load estimations, which confirmed the benefits of implementing CCFP in reducing nonpoint source pollution by increasing forest area in mountainous areas. The reduction of organic N and organic P is significant (decrease 42.1% and 62.7%, respectively) at watershed level. In addition, this study also proves that SWAT modeling approach can be used to estimate NPS pollutants’ impacts of land use conversions in large watershed.     

Changes in nitrogen budget and potential risk to the environment over 20 years (1990-2010) in the agroecosystems of the Haihe Basin, China

The nitrogen balance can serve as an indicator of the risk to the environment of nitrogen loss from agricultural land. To investigate the temporal and spatial changes in agricultural nitrogen application and its potential threat to the environment of the Haihe Basin in China, we used a database of county-level agricultural statistics to calculate agricultural nitrogen input, output, surplus intensity, and use efficiency. Chemical fertilizer nitrogen input increased by 51.7% from 1990 to 2000 and by 37.2% from 2000 to 2010, concomitant with increasing crop yields. Simultaneously, the nitrogen surplus intensity increased by 53.5% from 1990 to 2000 and by 16.5% from 2000 to 2010, presenting a continuously increased environmental risk. Nitrogen use efficiency decreased from 0.46 in 1990 to 0.42 in 2000 and remained constant at 0.42 in 2010, partly due to fertilizer composition and type improvement. This level indicates that more than half of nitrogen inputs are lost in agroecosystems. Our results suggest that although the improvement in fertilizer composition and types has partially offset the decrease in nitrogen use efficiency, the environmental risk has still increased gradually over the past 20 years, along with the increase in crop yields and nitrogen application. It is important to achieve a better nitrogen balance through more effective management to significantly reduce the environmental risk, decrease nitrogen surplus intensity, and increase nitrogen use efficiency without sacrificing crop yields.