Pattern and Process in Northern Rocky Mountain Headwaters: Ecological Linkages in the Headwaters of the Crown of the Continent1

Abstract: The Crown of the Continent is one of the premiere ecosystems in North America containing Waterton‐Glacier International Peace Park, the Bob Marshall‐Great Bear‐Scapegoat Wilderness Complex in Montana, various Provincial Parks in British Columbia and Alberta, several national and state forest lands in the USA, and Crown Lands in Canada. The region is also the headwater source for three of the continent’s great rivers: Columbia, Missouri and Saskatchewan that flow to the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, respectively. Headwaters originate in high elevation alpine environs characterized by high snow accumulations in winter and rainstorms in summer. Most headwaters of the region contain high quality waters with few ions in solution and extremely low nutrient concentrations. Alpine streams have few species of aquatic organisms; however, they often possess rare species and have hydrogeomorphic features that make them vulnerable to climatic change. Subalpine and valley bottom streams of the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem (CCE) flow through well forested watersheds. Along the elevation gradient, the streams and rivers of the CCE flow through series of confining and nonconfining valleys resulting in distinct canyon and floodplain reaches. The alluvial floodplains are characterized by high species diversity and bioproduction maintained by the hydrologic linkages of habitats. The streams and rivers of the CCE have low nutrient concentrations, but may be significantly affected by wildfire, various resource extraction activities, such as logging or mining and exurban encroachment. Wildfire has been shown to increase nutrient loading in streams, both during a fire and then following the fire for as much as 5 years. Logging practices increase nutrient loading and the algal productivity of stream periphyton. Logging and associated roads are also known to increase sediment transport into Crown of the Continent streams directly affecting spawning success of native trout. The CCE is one of the fastest growing regions in the USA because of the many recreational amenities of the region. And, while the region has many remarkably pristine headwater streams and receiving rivers, there are many pending threats to water quality and quantity. One of the most urgent threats comes from the coal and gas fields in the northern part of the Crown of the Continent, where coal deposits are proposed for mountain‐top removal and open‐pit mining operations. This will have significant effects on the waters of the region, its native plants and animals and quality of life of the people.     

模拟升温和放牧对高寒草甸土壤微生物群落的影响

通过开顶式温室(Open top chambers,OTCs)升温以及刈割+施加牛粪处理,应用磷脂脂肪酸(Phospholipid fatty acids,PLFAs)方法,研究了青藏高原东部高寒草甸土壤微生物群落结构对气候变暖和放牧的响应.结果表明,高寒草甸在生长季节,微生物群落以细菌为主.平均1.17℃的土壤升温使土壤微生物PLFAs总量增加34.58%,而春季割草结合牛粪施加使微生物PLFAs总量增加65.77%.模拟变暖和放牧均引起土壤微生物群落结构的显著变化.升温使细菌相对含量增加8.80%,而使真菌相对含量降低17.48%,细菌与真菌之比由7.3变为9.6.放牧使细菌相对含量增加8.40%,真菌相对含量降低14.04%,细菌与真菌之比由7.3变为9.2.OTCs升温+放牧处理比单独的升温或放牧处理对土壤微生物总量和细菌与真菌比值的影响更加明显.本研究表明,气候变暖和人类活动能够在短期内显著地改变青藏高原高寒草甸土壤微生物群落结构,进而可能影响这一地区的生态系统碳收支和养分循环.     

乌拉盖综合经济开发区土地垦殖状况调查

1993年2月,乌拉盖综合开发区建立。2000年后引起国内多家媒体和生态学人士等的多方关注,新闻媒体说：＂开发区面积5013平方公里,大约相当于10个上海市的面积,是全国面积最大的开发区,开发10多年后不仅难见经济效益,而且造成草原生态破坏,开发面积大得吓人、经济总量小得可怜、生态安全遭遇挑战＂。2008年自治区生态环境监测站对此事进行了调查。调查结果显示：5013平方公里是乌拉盖综合经济开发区行政区面积,实际开发面积没有那么大。草原生态破坏程度比较严重。     

Effects of long-term nutrient addition on meso-micro soil arthropod communities in a Stipa baicalensis grassland北大核心CSCD

To analyze the effect of nutrient addition on small- and medium-sized soil arthropod communities in a Stipa Baikal meadow grassland, a nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) addition experiment was designed in the Stipa Baikal meadow grassland at Ewenki Banner, Hulunbeier City, Inner Mongolia, China in 2010. Changes in the structure and diversity of soil arthropod communities and their relationship with environmental factors were studied. Soil arthropod samples were collected during the forage greening (May), growth (August), and yellowing (end of September) periods in 2019. The results showed that: (1) compared to the control sample, N-added and NP-added samples had higher number of soil arthropods by 1.38 and 1.15 times, respectively, and an increase of 28.57% and 21.43% in the number of soil arthropod groups. The numbers of individual as well as groups of soil arthropods tended to increase with P addition; however, this response did not reach a significant level. (2) The water and heat conditions during the vegetation growth period in the test area were more suitable for the development of soil fauna communities. (3) The redundancy analysis (RDA) results further indicated that the community composition of soil fauna is mainly regulated by pH and plant evenness, and soil pH is particularly important in mediating changes in small- and medium-sized soil fauna communities. This study suggests that long-term nutrient addition has a positive impact on small- and medium-sized soil arthropod communities by changing plant evenness and soil pH, and the contribution of soil pH is greater than that of plant evenness. © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.     

Instream Restoration to Improve the Ecohydrologic Function of a Subalpine Meadow: Pre‐implementation Modeling with HEC‐RAS

Vegetation in subalpine meadows in the Sierra Nevada Mountains is particularly vulnerable to lowering of groundwater levels because wet meadow vegetation is reliant upon shallow groundwater during the dry summer growing season. These ecosystems are especially vulnerable to channel incision as meadow aquifers are hydrologically connected to tributaries, and many have not yet recovered from previous anthropogenic influences. While instream restoration projects have become a common approach, lack of postrestoration monitoring and communication often result in a trial‐and‐error approach. In this study we demonstrate that preimplementation modeling of possible instream restoration solutions, chosen to raise stream stage and subsequently groundwater levels, is a useful tool for evaluating and comparing potential channel modifications. Modeling allows us to identify strategic locations and specific methods. Results show additional sediment depth and roughness on tributaries along with introduced woody debris (simulated by high roughness) on the Tuolumne River are the most effective means of raising stream stage. Results demonstrate that restoration efforts are most efficient in tributary streams. Managers and planners can more efficiently direct resources while minimizing the potential for negative impacts or failed restoration projects by modeling the possible effects of multiple restoration scenarios before implementation.     

川西亚高山暗针叶林恢复初期土壤酶活性研究

研究以川西亚高山暗针叶林恢复过程中初级阶段的鲜类阔叶林（MBLF）、鲜类针阔混交林（MCBLF）和箭竹阔叶林（BBLF）土壤为研究对象,针对不同森林类型采用多点分层[0-10 cm（A层）、10-20 cm（B层）、20-30 cm（C层）和30-40 cm（D层）]采样、测定混合样的方式,研究了不同森林类型不同土层土壤的pH值、有机碳、全氮、全磷含量及脲酶、酸性磷酸酶、淀粉酶、过氧化氢酶、蛋白酶和蔗糖酶活性。研究结果表明,MBLF、MCBLF、BBLF不同土层土壤pH值均低于5.0,有机碳、全氮、全磷含量呈下降趋势,且有机碳、全氮与A层土壤差异显著（P〈0.05）。MBLF和BBLF随土层深度的增加脲酶活性较A层呈显著下降趋势（P〈0.05）,而MCBLF土壤脲酶活性以B、C层活性最高,分别为A层的1.22和1.08倍。蔗糖酶和酸性磷酸酶活性呈现先升后降的趋势,均以MCBLF活性最高;在林型MCBLF和BBLF中,随着土层深度的增加,蛋白酶和淀粉酶活性较A层显著降低（P〈0.05）,而MBLF、MCBLF、BBLF过氧化氢酶活性则一直呈显著下降趋势（P〈0.05）,D层过氧化氢酶活性分别为A层的60.21%、73.37%和46.84%。     

高寒草甸不同植被类型土壤全氮含量变化动态分析

采用凯氏定氮法对高寒草甸不同植被类型土壤全氮进行季节动态测定分析,结果表明:在整个生长季中0～20 cm层土壤全氮质量分数的顺序为:藏嵩草沼泽化草甸(Kobresia-swamp meadow)>露梅灌丛草甸(Dasiphoru fruticosa shrubs)>人工燕麦草地(Avena sativa artficial grassland)>矮嵩草草甸(Kobresia humilis meadow)>矮嵩草退化草地(Kobresia humilis-degraded grassland).原生植被草甸类型下单位面积土壤全氮含量远高于退化草地.藏嵩草沼泽化草甸土壤每平方米的全氮含量最高,达到0.712 kg,金露梅草甸次之,两者之间差异性不显著(p>0.05);其他三种草地类型单位面积土壤全氮含量差异性显著(p<0.05);原生草甸矮嵩草草甸每平方米全氮平均含量为0.406 kg,而退化的矮嵩草草地每平方米全氮平均含量为0.301 kg,可以推算,土地退化导致土壤全氮流失的量为0.105kg,即高寒草地退化导致25.86%氮流失.随着季节的变化,土壤全氮质量分数随生长季均有所增加,最高值都出现在8月份,但各月份之间土壤全氮质量分数变化差异性不显著(p>0.05).原生植被0～10 cm层土壤全氮含量高于10～2O cm层,人工草地与退化草地差异性不显著.     

Analysis of the phenolic compounds in root exudates produced by a subalpine coniferous species as responses to experimental warming and nitrogen fertilisation

In terrestrial ecosystems, plant root exudates clearly play a crucial role in the belowground ecosystem. However, there have been few reports on root exudates from field-grown plants or mature trees in situ, especially when exposed to experimental warming. In this study, we adopted and modified a culture-based cuvette system developed especially for root exudation collection in the field to collect soluble root exudates of a subalpine coniferous species, Abies faxoniana, under experimental warming and nitrogen fertilisation treatments. We then analysed the chemical composition and relative abundance of root exudates using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The major chemical constituents of root exudates were phenols and their derivatives of all the different treatments, such as 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol. Experimental warming had significant effects on the relative contents of major compounds and an increase effect on the total phenolic acid compounds. By contrast, there were small significant effects of N fertilisation on root exudation and no significant effects of the warming×N fertilisation interaction. Meanwhile, warming also markedly increased soil polyphenol oxidase activity and it may be soil ecological adjustment response to changes of root exudation under global climate warming.     

离子强度和离子类型对土霉素在草甸土中被吸附的影响

土霉素是四环素类抗生素中使用较为广泛的一种,探索土霉素在土壤中的吸附解吸规律对抗生素环境风险评价与污染控制具有重要的理论与现实意义。通过改变土壤水溶液中离子强度及类型研究其对土霉素在草甸土中吸附的影响,以期为评价该种抗生素对草甸土土壤环境风险提供科学依据。土霉素测定方法选择高效液相色谱法。以V（乙腈）∶V[NaH2PO4（0.01mol·L-1）]=25∶75为流动相,在流速为1 mL·min-1,检测波长为355 nm条件下进行测定。试验以OECD Guideline 106为基础,采用批平衡法研究不同离子强度（0.01、0.03、0.05、0.08、0.10 mol·L-1CaCl2溶液）和不同阳离子（0.01 mol·L-1的NaCl、KCl、MgCl2溶液）对土霉素在草甸土中的吸附影响。结果表明：随着CaCl2浓度的增加,土霉素在草甸土中的吸附量呈降低趋势,且不同浓度的土霉素在草甸土中吸附量受离子强度的影响是不同的。土霉素浓度较低时,其在草甸土中吸附能力受离子强度影响较土霉素浓度高时小。以土壤吸附系数Kd衡量土壤吸附抗生素能力,当土壤样品中离子强度增大时,其对应Kd值呈非线性趋势减小。这说明,在某一Ca2＋浓度范围内,其对吸附的影响较其他浓度范围要大。对相邻CaCl2浓度处理得出的Kd值进行t检验,在CaCl2溶液浓度在0.01与0.03 mol·L-1间得出的Kd值存在显著性差异（p≤0.05）,在0.03、0.05、0.08、0.10 mol·L-1浓度间得出的Kd值均没有显著性差异（p〉0.05）。这一结果说明当CaCl2溶液浓度在0.01~0.03 mol·L-1时,其对土霉素在草甸土中的吸附影响较其他浓度范围大。以Freundlich方程对NaCl、KCl、MgCl2溶液条件下土霉素在草甸土中的吸附进行拟合,土样lg Kf值为lg Kf（Mg2＋）0.05）。这说明,不同阳离子对土霉素在草甸土上的吸附量（lg Kf）影响的差异并不显著。     

气候变化对长江源地区高寒草甸生态系统的影响

近十几年来,长江源区气候暖干化趋势明显,冰川退缩、湖泊萎缩、草场退化、土地沙漠化、水土流失等环境问题日益严重。高寒草甸是长江源地区主要的植被类型之一,在全球变化影响下,以耐低温寒冷的嵩草属（Kobresia）植物为建群种的高寒草甸将面临更严重的生态胁迫。以长江源地区高寒草甸生态系统为研究对象,采用国际通用的生物地球化学模型模拟高寒草甸生物量、生产力和土壤有机质等的动态变化,并综合考虑人类活动对生态系统生产力和营养元素生物地球化学循环的影响,探讨了全球气候变化对高寒草甸生态系统可能造成的影响。