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Zhou D, Si J, He X, Jia B, Zhao C, Wang C, Qin J, Zhu X, Liu Z. Response of soil water content temporal stability to stand age of Haloxylon ammodendron plantation in Alxa Desert, China. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1099217. [PMID: 36760638 PMCID: PMC9904541 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1099217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Afforestation as an effective measure for wind and sand control has achieved remarkable results in northern China, and has also greatly changed the land use and vegetation characteristics of the region. It is important to study the spatial and temporal dynamics of soil water content (SWC) in different afforestation years and its temporal stability to understand the dynamic characteristics of SWC during afforestation. In order to reveal the spatiotemporal dynamic characteristics of SWC in desert area Haloxylon ammodendron (HA)plantations, in this study, five restorative-aged HA plantations in desert areas were selected and their SWC was measured in stratified layers for the 0-400 cm soil profile; we also analyzed the spatiotemporal dynamics and temporal stability of the SWC. The results showed that the SWC of HA plantations decreased with the increase in planting age in the measurement period, and the SWC of deep layers increased by more than that of shallow layers with planting age. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients for SWC of 0-400 cm in both 5- and 11-year-old HA plantations reached above 0.8 and were highly significantly correlated; the temporal stability of SWC tends to increase as the depth of the soil layer deepens. In contrast, the temporal stability of SWC in deeper layers (200-400 cm) of 22-, 34- and 46-year-old stands showed a decreasing trend with depth. Based on the relative difference analysis, representative sampling points can be selected to monitor the regional average SWC, but for older HA plantations, the uncertainty factor of stand age should be considered in the regional moisture simulation. This study verified that it is feasible to simulate large-scale SWC in fewer observations for HA plantations younger than 11 years old, while large errors exist for older stands, especially for deeper soils. This will help soil moisture management in HA plantations in arid desert areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongmeng Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jianhua Si
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiaohui He
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Faculty of Resources and Environment, Baotou Teachers’ College, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou, China
| | - Bing Jia
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Chunyan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Chunlin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Qin
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xinglin Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zijin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Eco-Hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Zhang Y, Tariq A, Hughes AC, Hong D, Wei F, Sun H, Sardans J, Peñuelas J, Perry G, Qiao J, Kurban A, Jia X, Raimondo D, Pan B, Yang W, Zhang D, Li W, Ahmed Z, Beierkuhnlein C, Lazkov G, Toderich K, Karryeva S, Dehkonov D, Hisoriev H, Dimeyeva L, Milko D, Soule A, Suska-Malawska M, Saparmuradov J, Bekzod A, Allin P, Dieye S, Cissse B, Whibesilassie W, Ma K. Challenges and solutions to biodiversity conservation in arid lands. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 857:159695. [PMID: 36302433 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The strategic goals of the United Nations and the Aichi Targets for biodiversity conservation have not been met. Instead, biodiversity has continued to rapidly decrease, especially in developing countries. Setting a new global biodiversity framework requires clarifying future priorities and strategies to bridge challenges and provide representative solutions. Hyper-arid, arid, and semi-arid lands (herein, arid lands) form about one third of the Earth's terrestrial surface. Arid lands contain unique biological and cultural diversity, and biodiversity loss in arid lands can have a disproportionate impact on these ecosystems due to low redundancy and a high risk of trophic cascades. They contain unique biological and cultural diversity and host many endemic species, including wild relatives of key crop plants. Yet extensive agriculture, unsustainable use, and global climate change are causing an irrecoverable damage to arid lands, with far-reaching consequences to the species, ground-water resources, ecosystem productivity, and ultimately the communities' dependant on these systems. However, adequate research and effective policies to protect arid land biodiversity and sustainability are lacking because a large proportion of arid areas are in developing countries, and the unique diversity in these systems is frequently overlooked. Developing new priorities for global arid lands and mechanisms to prevent unsustainable development must become part of public discourse and form the basis for conservation efforts. The current situation demands the combined efforts of researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and local communities to adopt a socio-ecological approach for achieving sustainable development (SDGs) in arid lands. Applying these initiatives globally is imperative to conserve arid lands biodiversity and the critical ecological services they provide for future generations. This perspective provides a framework for conserving biodiversity in arid lands for all stakeholders that will have a tangible impact on sustainable development, nature, and human well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanming Zhang
- Xinjiang Institute of Ecology & Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xinjiang, China.
| | - Akash Tariq
- Xinjiang Institute of Ecology & Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xinjiang, China; Cele National Station of Observation and Research for Desert-Grassland Ecosystems, Cele 848300, China
| | - Alice C Hughes
- Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan, China
| | - Deyuan Hong
- Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fuwen Wei
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hang Sun
- Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan, China
| | - Jordi Sardans
- CSIC, Global Ecology Unit, CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Josep Peñuelas
- CSIC, Global Ecology Unit, CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain; CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Gad Perry
- Department of Natural Resource Management, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, USA
| | - Jianfang Qiao
- Xinjiang Institute of Ecology & Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xinjiang, China
| | - Alishir Kurban
- Xinjiang Institute of Ecology & Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xinjiang, China; Sino-Belgian Joint Laboratory for Geo-Information, Urumqi 830011, China
| | - Xiaoxia Jia
- Science Technology Innovation Unit, Secretariat of the UNCCD, Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Borong Pan
- Xinjiang Institute of Ecology & Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xinjiang, China
| | - Weikang Yang
- Xinjiang Institute of Ecology & Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xinjiang, China
| | - Daoyuan Zhang
- Xinjiang Institute of Ecology & Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xinjiang, China
| | - Wenjun Li
- Xinjiang Institute of Ecology & Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xinjiang, China
| | - Zeeshan Ahmed
- Xinjiang Institute of Ecology & Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xinjiang, China
| | | | - Georgy Lazkov
- Institute of Biology, National Academy of Sciences of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
| | - Kristina Toderich
- International Platform for Dryland Research and Education, University of Tottori, Tottori, Japan
| | | | - Davron Dehkonov
- Institute of Botany, Academy Sciences of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan
| | - Hikmat Hisoriev
- Flora and Systematic Botany Department Institute of Botany, Plant Physiology and Genetics, Tajikistan National Academy of Sciences, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
| | - Liliya Dimeyeva
- Laboratory of Geobotany, Institute of Botany & Phytointroduction, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Dmitry Milko
- Institute of Biology, National Academy of Sciences of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
| | - Ahmedou Soule
- Research Center for the Valorization of Biodiversity, Nouakchott, Mauritania
| | - Malgozhata Suska-Malawska
- International Platform for Dryland Research and Education, University of Tottori, Tottori, Japan; Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jumamurat Saparmuradov
- Department of Environmental Protection and Hydrometeorology, Ministry of Agriculture and Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
| | - Alilov Bekzod
- Institute of Botany, Academy Sciences of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan
| | - Paul Allin
- Transfrontier Africa, Hoedspruit, South Africa
| | - Sidy Dieye
- Transfrontier Africa, Hoedspruit, South Africa
| | - Birane Cissse
- Cheikh Anta DIOP University of Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
| | | | - Keping Ma
- Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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Makarieva AM, Nefiodov AV, Nobre AD, Sheil D, Nobre P, Pokorný J, Hesslerová P, Li BL. Vegetation impact on atmospheric moisture transport under increasing land-ocean temperature contrasts. Heliyon 2022; 8:e11173. [PMID: 36325135 PMCID: PMC9618993 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Destabilization of the water cycle threatens human lives and livelihoods. Meanwhile our understanding of whether and how changes in vegetation cover could trigger transitions in moisture availability remains incomplete. This challenge calls for better evidence as well as for the theoretical concepts to describe it. Here we briefly summarize the theoretical questions surrounding the role of vegetation cover in the dynamics of a moist atmosphere. We discuss the previously unrecognized sensitivity of local wind power to condensation rate as revealed by our analysis of the continuity equation for a gas mixture. Using the framework of condensation-induced atmospheric dynamics, we then show that with the temperature contrast between land and ocean increasing up to a critical threshold, ocean-to-land moisture transport reaches a tipping point where it can stop or even reverse. Land-ocean temperature contrasts are affected by both global and regional processes, in particular, by the surface fluxes of sensible and latent heat that are strongly influenced by vegetation. Our results clarify how a disturbance of natural vegetation cover, e.g., by deforestation, can disrupt large-scale atmospheric circulation and moisture transport: an increase of sensible heat flux upon deforestation raises land surface temperature and this can elevate the temperature difference between land and ocean beyond the threshold. In view of the increasing pressure on natural ecosystems, successful strategies of mitigating climate change require taking into account the impact of vegetation on moist atmospheric dynamics. Our analysis provides a theoretical framework to assess this impact. The available data for the Northern Hemisphere indicate that the observed climatological land-ocean temperature contrasts are close to the threshold. This can explain the increasing fluctuations in the continental water cycle including droughts and floods and signifies a yet greater potential importance for large-scale forest conservation. Consideration of condensation dynamics reveals temperature-related tipping points. Additional heat over land can block oceanic moisture import causing severe drought. As the land warms faster than the ocean, these tipping thresholds approach. Deforestation increases sensible heat and exacerbates these water cycle extremes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastassia M. Makarieva
- Theoretical Physics Division, Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, Gatchina, St. Petersburg, 188300, Russia,Institute for Advanced Study, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstrasse 2 a, Garching, D-85748, Germany,USDA-China MOST Joint Research Center for AgroEcology and Sustainability, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521-0124, USA,Corresponding author at: Theoretical Physics Division, Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, Gatchina, St. Petersburg, 188300, Russia.
| | - Andrei V. Nefiodov
- Theoretical Physics Division, Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, Gatchina, St. Petersburg, 188300, Russia
| | - Antonio Donato Nobre
- Centro de Ciência do Sistema Terrestre INPE, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, 12227-010, Brazil
| | - Douglas Sheil
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 47, Wageningen, 6700 AA, the Netherlands,Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Kota Bogor, 16115, Jawa Barat, Indonesia,Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Paulo Nobre
- Center for Weather Forecast and Climate Studies INPE, São José dos Campos, São Paulo, 12227-010, Brazil
| | - Jan Pokorný
- ENKI, o.p.s., Dukelská 145, Třeboň, 379 01, Czech Republic
| | | | - Bai-Lian Li
- USDA-China MOST Joint Research Center for AgroEcology and Sustainability, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521-0124, USA
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4
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Vegetation coverage and carbon sequestration changes in China’s forest projects area. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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5
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The Carbon Neutral Potential of Forests in the Yangtze River Economic Belt of China. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13050721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Prediction of forest carbon sink in the future is important for understanding mechanisms concerning the increase in carbon sinks and emission reduction, and for realizing the climate goals of the Paris Agreement and global carbon neutrality. Based on stand volume data of permanent monitoring plots of the successive national forest inventories from 2004 to 2018, and combined with multiple variables, such as climatic factors, soil properties, stand attributes, and topographic features, the random forest algorithm was used to predict the stand volume growth-loss and then calculated the forest biomass and its carbon sink potential between 2015 to 2060 in the Yangtze River Economic Belt of China. From 2015 to 2060, the predicted forest biomass carbon storage and density increased from 3053.27 to 6721.61 Tg C and from 33.75 to 66.12 Mg C hm−2, respectively. The predicted forest biomass carbon sink decreased from 90.58 to 73.98 Tg C yr−1, and the average forest biomass carbon storage and sink were ranked in descending order: Yunnan, Sichuan, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou, Hubei, Zhejiang, Chongqing, Anhui, Jiangsu, and Shanghai. The forest biomass carbon storage in the Yangtze River Economic Belt will increase by 3.67 Pg C from 2015 to 2060. The proportion of forest C sinks on the regional scale to C emissions on the national scale will increase from 2.9% in 2021–2030 to 4.3% in 2041–2050. These results indicate higher forest carbon sequestration efficiency in the Yangtze River Economic Belt in the future. Our results also suggest that improved forest management in the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River will help to enhance forest carbon sink in the future.
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Cai W, He N, Li M, Xu L, Wang L, Zhu J, Zeng N, Yan P, Si G, Zhang X, Cen X, Yu G, Sun OJ. Carbon sequestration of Chinese forests from 2010 to 2060: spatiotemporal dynamics and its regulatory strategies. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2022; 67:836-843. [PMID: 36546236 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2021.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Forestation is important for sequestering atmospheric carbon, and it is a cost-effective and nature-based solution (NBS) for mitigating global climate change. Here, under the assumption of forestation in the potential plantable lands, we used the forest carbon sequestration (FCS) model and field survey involving 3365 forest plots to assess the carbon sequestration rate (CSR) of Chinese existing and new forestation forests from 2010 to 2060 under three forestation and three climate scenarios. Without considering the influence of extreme events and human disturbance, the estimated average CSR in Chinese forests was 0.358 ± 0.016 Pg C a-1, with partitioning to biomass (0.211 ± 0.016 Pg C a-1) and soil (0.147 ± 0.005 Pg C a-1), respectively. The existing forests account for approximately 93.5% of the CSR, which will peak near 2035, and decreasing trend was present overall after 2035. After 2035, effective tending management is required to maintain the high CSR level, such as selective cutting, thinning, and approximate disturbance. However, new forestation from 2015 in the potential plantable lands would play a minimal role in additional CSR increases. In China, the CSR is generally higher in the Northeast, Southwest, and Central-South, and lower in the Northwest. Considering the potential losses through deforestation and logging, it is realistically estimated that CSR in Chinese forests would remain in the range of 0.161-0.358 Pg C a-1 from 2010 to 2060. Overall, forests have the potential to offset 14.1% of the national anthropogenic carbon emissions in China over the period of 2010-2060, significantly contributing to the carbon neutrality target of 2060 with the implementation of effective management strategies for existing forests and expansion of forestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weixiang Cai
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Nianpeng He
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Center for Ecological Research, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China.
| | - Mingxu Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Li Xu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Longzhu Wang
- Beijing Representative Office, the Nature Conservancy, Beijing 100600, China
| | - Jianhua Zhu
- Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
| | - Nan Zeng
- Beijing Representative Office, the Nature Conservancy, Beijing 100600, China
| | - Pu Yan
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Guoxin Si
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiaoquan Zhang
- Beijing Representative Office, the Nature Conservancy, Beijing 100600, China
| | - Xiaoyu Cen
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Guirui Yu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Osbert Jianxin Sun
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
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7
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Zhang L, Sun P, Huettmann F, Liu S. Where should China practice forestry in a warming world? GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:2461-2475. [PMID: 34962005 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
As a nature-based and cost-effective solution, forestation plays a crucial role in combating global warming, biodiversity collapse, environmental degradation, and global well-being. Although China is acknowledged as a global leader of forestation and has achieved considerable overall success in environmental improvements through mega-forestation programs, many negative effects have also emerged at local scales due to the planting of maladapted tree species. To better help achieve carbon neutrality and the new vision of an ecological civilization, China has committed to further increase forestation. However, where forestation lands and such efforts should really be located is not so well understood yet and agreed upon, especially in the face of rapid climate change. Based on an ensemble-learning machine, we predicted the spatial habitats (ecological niche) of the forest, grassland, shrubland, and desert under present and future climate conditions based on the natural climax vegetation distribution across China. We show that the potential forestation lands are mainly located in eastern China, which is east of the Hu Line (also known as the Heihe-Tengchong Line). Under future climate change, forests will shift substantially in the latitudinal, longitudinal, and elevational distribution. Potential forestation lands will increase by 33.1 million hectares through the 2070s, mainly due to the conversions of shrub and grassland to forests along the Hu Line. Our prediction map also indicates that grassland rehabilitation is the universal optimal vegetation restoration strategy in areas west of the Hu Line. This analysis is consistent with much of the observed evidence of forestation failures and recent climate-change-induced forest range shifts. Our results provide an overview and further show the importance of adaptive science-based forestation planning and forest management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Silviculture of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Pengsen Sun
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Nature Conservation, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Falk Huettmann
- EWHALE lab-Institute of Arctic Biology, Department of Biology & Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
| | - Shirong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Nature Conservation, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
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Xu Y, Price M, Yang B, Zhang K, Yang N, Tang X, Ran J, Yi Y, Wang B. Have China's national forest reserves designated since 1990 conserved forests effectively? JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 306:114485. [PMID: 35033892 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.114485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
China's forests were severely degraded by human activities during the latter half of the 20th century. Therefore, China enacted ambitious programs of natural forest protection and afforestation to protect and expand forests. Yet it is unclear how the programs, especially the designation of forest reserves, have affected forest cover and fragmentation. We evaluated the effectiveness of China's national forest reserves designated since 1990 in conserving forests, by analyzing four forest metrics (i.e., percentage forest cover, mean forest patch size, mean forest patch radius of gyration, and forest patch cohesion index) derived from a newly produced 30 m annual China land cover dataset from 1990 to 2019. We found that overall forest cover increased and fragmentation decreased from baseline years, when reserves were designated, to 2019 in both reserves and their surrounding areas, and only the increase in forest cover relative to baseline was significantly greater in reserves than in surrounding areas. The designation time of reserves under national protection had no considerable effect on changes in the four metrics, but for zonation, the core zone showed a significantly higher increase in forest patch cohesion index relative to baseline than the buffer and transition zones. Nevertheless, forest cover declined and fragmentation increased in highly forested reserves, suggesting destructive human activities and ineffective management. Thus, forest protection and regeneration programs were moderately successful. We recommend that there is significant improvement needed to ensure greater protection of existing forests and reduction of threats to promote effective management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Xu
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern China, School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550001, China
| | - Megan Price
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Biao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637009, China
| | - Kai Zhang
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern China, School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550001, China
| | - Nan Yang
- Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xiaoxin Tang
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern China, School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550001, China
| | - Jianghong Ran
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
| | - Yin Yi
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern China, School of Life Sciences, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550001, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, 637009, China.
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9
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Zhao H, Wu R, Yang F, Hu J, Wang J, Guo Y, Feng Z, Zhang C, Wang Y, Zhou J. Spatiotemporal patterns of vegetation conversion under the Grain for Green Program in southwest China. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Haiwei Zhao
- Conservation Biogeography Research Group, Institute of International Rivers and Eco‐security Yunnan University Kunming China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco‐security Yunnan University Kunming China
| | - Ruidong Wu
- Conservation Biogeography Research Group, Institute of International Rivers and Eco‐security Yunnan University Kunming China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco‐security Yunnan University Kunming China
| | - Feiling Yang
- Conservation Biogeography Research Group, Institute of International Rivers and Eco‐security Yunnan University Kunming China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco‐security Yunnan University Kunming China
| | - Jinming Hu
- Conservation Biogeography Research Group, Institute of International Rivers and Eco‐security Yunnan University Kunming China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco‐security Yunnan University Kunming China
| | - Junjun Wang
- Conservation Biogeography Research Group, Institute of International Rivers and Eco‐security Yunnan University Kunming China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco‐security Yunnan University Kunming China
| | - Yang Guo
- Conservation Biogeography Research Group, Institute of International Rivers and Eco‐security Yunnan University Kunming China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco‐security Yunnan University Kunming China
| | - Zhixue Feng
- Conservation Biogeography Research Group, Institute of International Rivers and Eco‐security Yunnan University Kunming China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco‐security Yunnan University Kunming China
| | - Chen Zhang
- Conservation Biogeography Research Group, Institute of International Rivers and Eco‐security Yunnan University Kunming China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco‐security Yunnan University Kunming China
| | - Yiting Wang
- Conservation Biogeography Research Group, Institute of International Rivers and Eco‐security Yunnan University Kunming China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco‐security Yunnan University Kunming China
| | - Jian Zhou
- Conservation Biogeography Research Group, Institute of International Rivers and Eco‐security Yunnan University Kunming China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of International Rivers and Transboundary Eco‐security Yunnan University Kunming China
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10
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Kang L, Marlene R. WITHDRAWN: Health risk appraisal of rural population in poverty. Work 2021:WOR205370. [PMID: 34308885 DOI: 10.3233/wor-205370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Ahead of Print article withdrawn by publisher.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Kang
- School of Business Administration, Hubei University of Economics, Wuhan, China
| | - Rodrigues Marlene
- College of Fine, Performing & Communication Arts, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
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11
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China’s Key Forestry Ecological Development Programs: Implementation, Environmental Impact and Challenges. FORESTS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/f12010101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Forest ecosystems are in serious trouble globally, largely due to the over-exploitation. To alleviate environmental problems caused by deforestation, China has undertaken a series of key forestry ecological development programs, including the Natural Forest Protection Program (NFPP), the Conversion of Cropland into Forests Program (CCFP), the Desertification Combating Program around Beijing and Tianjing (DCBT), the Key Shelterbelt Development Programs in the Three-North Region and in the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River (KSDP) and the Nature Reserve Development Program in Forestry Sector (WCNR). This article aims to make a documentation of the specific contents (duration, major aims, geographic coverage and investment), and environmental impacts of these programs from peer-reviewed literature, official reports and journals. Environmental impact is measured with land area afforested (except the WCNR) and the consequent changes in ecosystem function. Overall, with the huge investment and long-term efforts, these programs have made tremendous progress in increasing vegetative coverage, enhancing carbon sequestration, controlling soil erosion, conservation of biodiversity, etc. For proper implementation and remarkable achievement, a more balanced approach with flexible planning, suitable measures and proper management should be adopted. Meanwhile, the scientific communities need to be more actively involved in execution and assessment of these programs. The environmental impact of the DCBT, the KSDP, and the WCNR deserve more research concern.
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12
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Stanturf JA, Mansourian S. Forest landscape restoration: state of play. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:201218. [PMID: 33489272 PMCID: PMC7813234 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.201218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Tree planting has been widely touted as an inexpensive way to meet multiple international environmental goals for mitigating climate change, reversing landscape degradation and restoring biodiversity restoration. The Bonn Challenge and New York Declaration on Forests, motivated by widespread deforestation and forest degradation, call for restoring 350 million ha by 2030 by relying on forest landscape restoration (FLR) processes. Because the 173 million ha commitments made by 63 nations, regions and companies are not legally binding, expectations of what FLR means lacks consensus. The frequent disconnect between top-level aspirations and on-the-ground implementation results in limited data on FLR activities. Additionally, some countries have made landscape-scale restoration outside of the Bonn Challenge. We compared and contrasted the theory and practice of FLR and compiled information from databases of projects and initiatives and case studies. We present the main FLR initiatives happening across regional groups; in many regions, the potential need/opportunity for forest restoration exceeds the FLR activities underway. Multiple objectives can be met by manipulating vegetation (increasing structural complexity, changing species composition and restoring natural disturbances). Livelihood interventions are context-specific but include collecting or raising non-timber forest products, employment and community forests; other interventions address tenure and governance.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A. Stanturf
- Institute of Forestry and Rural Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 5, 51014 Tartu, Estonia
- InNovaSilva, Højen Tang 80, 7100 Vejle, Denmark
| | - Stephanie Mansourian
- Mansourian.org, 36 Mont d'Eau du Milieu, 1276 Gingins, Switzerland
- University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Wang Y, Zhang Q, Bilsborrow R, Tao S, Chen X, Sullivan-Wiley K, Huang Q, Li J, Song C. Effects of payments for ecosystem services programs in China on rural household labor allocation and land use: Identifying complex pathways. LAND USE POLICY 2020; 99:105024. [PMID: 33223592 PMCID: PMC7679076 DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.105024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) is increasingly used in developing countries to secure the sustainable provision of vital ecosystem services. The largest PES programs in the world are embedded in China's new forest policies, which aim to expand forest cover for soil and water conservation and improve livelihoods of rural people. The objective of this study is to identify the complex pathways of impacts of two PES programs - the Conversion of Cropland to Forest Program (CCFP) and the Ecological Welfare Forest Program (EWFP) - on household livelihood decisions, and to quantify the direct and indirect impacts along the identified pathways. We fulfill this objective by developing an integrated conceptual framework and applying a Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM), based on household survey data from Anhui, China. Labor allocation (for on-farm work, local paid work, local business, and out-migration) and land use decisions (i.e., rent in, maintain, rent out, or abandon cropland) for participating households are key to understand PES program effects on livelihoods. Results show that the PES programs have only small direct effects but significant indirect effects via the mediating factor of capital assets. Moreover, group heterogeneity analysis shows that lower-income households do not benefit any more than the better-off households from the PES, while households with medium wealth increase dependence on agriculture. In addition, household demographics, individual attributes, and geographic settings differ in their impacts on labor allocation and land use decisions. We conclude that CCFP and EWFP programs would be more efficient in conserving the environment while improving the economic welfare of lower-income households if capital assets were taken into account in the design of compensation schemes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- School of Public Administration, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Richard Bilsborrow
- Department of Geography, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27516, USA
| | - Shiqi Tao
- Graduate School of Geography, Clark University, Worcester, MA 01610, USA
| | - Xiaodong Chen
- Department of Geography, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Kira Sullivan-Wiley
- Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Qingfeng Huang
- School of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui 230036, China
| | - Jiangfeng Li
- School of Public Administration, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Conghe Song
- Department of Geography, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27516, USA
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14
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Monitoring Land Cover Change on a Rapidly Urbanizing Island Using Google Earth Engine. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/app10207336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Island ecosystems are particularly susceptible to climate change and human activities. The change of land use and land cover (LULC) has considerable impacts on island ecosystems, and there is a critical need for a free and open-source tool for detecting land cover fluctuations and spatial distribution. This study used Google Earth Engine (GEE) to explore land cover classification and the spatial pattern of major land cover change from 1990 to 2019 on Haitan Island, China. The land cover classification was performed using multiple spectral bands (RGB, NIR, SWIR), vegetation indices (NDVI, NDBI, MNDWI), and tasseled cap transformation of Landsat images based on the random forest supervised algorithm. The major land cover conversion processes (transfer to and from) between 1990 and 2019 were analyzed in detail for the years of 1990, 2000, 2007, and 2019, and the overall accuracies ranged from 88.43% to 91.08%, while the Kappa coefficients varied from 0.86 to 0.90. During 1990–2019, other land, cultivated land, sandy land, and water area decreased by 30.70%, 13.63%, 3.76%, and 0.95%, respectively, while forest and built-up land increased by 30.94% and 16.20% of the study area, respectively. The predominant land cover was other land (34.49%) and cultivated land (26.80%) in 1990, which transitioned to forest land (53.57%) and built-up land (23.07%) in 2019. Reforestation, cultivated land reduction, and built-up land expansion were the major land cover change processes on Haitan Island. The spatial pattern of forest, cultivated land, and built-up land change is mainly explained by the implementation of a ‘Grain for Green Project’ and ‘Comprehensive Pilot Zone’ policy on Haitan Island. Policy and human activities are the major drivers for land use change, including reforestation, population growth, and economic development. This study is unique because it demonstrates the use of GEE for continuous monitoring of the impact of reforestation efforts and urbanization in an island environment.
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Butterfly Conservation in China: From Science to Action. INSECTS 2020; 11:insects11100661. [PMID: 32992975 PMCID: PMC7600441 DOI: 10.3390/insects11100661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2020] [Revised: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
About 10% of the Earth's butterfly species inhabit the highly diverse ecosystems of China. Important for the ecological, economic, and cultural services they provide, many butterfly species experience threats from land use shifts and climate change. China has recently adopted policies to protect the nation's biodiversity resources. This essay examines the current management of butterflies in China and suggests various easily implementable actions that could improve these conservation efforts. Our recommendations are based on the observations of a transdisciplinary group of entomologists and environmental policy specialists. Our analysis draws on other successful examples around the world that China may wish to consider. China needs to modify its scientific methodologies behind butterfly conservation management: revising the criteria for listing protected species, focusing on umbrella species for broader protection, identifying high priority areas and refugia for conservation, among others. Rural and urban land uses that provide heterogeneous habitats, as well as butterfly host and nectar plants, must be promoted. Butterfly ranching and farming may also provide opportunities for sustainable community development. Many possibilities exist for incorporating observations of citizen scientists into butterfly data collection at broad spatial and temporal scales. Our recommendations further the ten Priority Areas of China's National Biodiversity Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (2011-2030).
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16
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Abstract
Restoration depends on purpose and context. At the core it entails innovation to halt ongoing and reverse past degradation. It aims for increased functionality, not necessarily recovering past system states. Location-specific interventions in social-ecological systems reducing proximate pressures, need to synergize with transforming generic drivers of unsustainable land use. After reviewing pantropical international research on forests, trees, and agroforestry, we developed an options-by-context typology. Four intensities of land restoration interact: R.I. Ecological intensification within a land use system, R.II. Recovery/regeneration, within a local social-ecological system, R.III. Reparation/recuperation, requiring a national policy context, R.IV. Remediation, requiring international support and investment. Relevant interventions start from core values of human identity while addressing five potential bottlenecks: Rights, Know-how, Markets (inputs, outputs, credit), Local Ecosystem Services (including water, agrobiodiversity, micro/mesoclimate) and Teleconnections (global climate change, biodiversity). Six stages of forest transition (from closed old-growth forest to open-field agriculture and re-treed (peri)urban landscapes) can contextualize interventions, with six special places: water towers, riparian zone and wetlands, peat landscapes, small islands and mangroves, transport infrastructure, and mining scars. The typology can help to link knowledge with action in people-centric restoration in which external stakeholders coinvest, reflecting shared responsibility for historical degradation and benefits from environmental stewardship.
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Guo J, Costa OS, Wang Y, Lin W, Wang S, Zhang B, Cui Y, Fu H, Zhang L. Accumulation rates and chronologies from depth profiles of 210Pb ex and 137Cs in sediments of northern Beibu Gulf, South China sea. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2020; 213:106136. [PMID: 31983445 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2019.106136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2019] [Revised: 09/28/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Beibu Gulf is a highly dynamic and complex coastal environment that is currently experiencing one of the largest rates of development and urbanization in west China. Little is known about the effects of this increased human activity on coastal sedimentation processes and on the rates of sediment accumulation and the variation of organic materials to the coast. In this study, four sediment cores were collected and applied the 210Pb dating method to reconstruct sedimentation rates and historical changes of materials to the northern Beibu Gulf over the past century. Depth profiles of excess 210Pb (210Pbex) showed highest activity values at the surface (28.4-104.0 Bq kg-1) followed by a linear or exponential decay with depth for all but one study site. 137Cs activity ranged between 0.236 and 2.034 Bq kg-1, and a distinct peak activity - representing the 1963 fallout maximum - was observed at all but one site. Sediment chronologies were determined using the Constant Rate of Supply (CRS) model. Calculated accumulation rates in the studied sites were the lowest in the late 1920s and early 1930s (mass accumulation rate (MAR): 0.06 ± 0.01 g cm-2 y-1; sediment accumulation rate (SAR): 0.08 ± 0.01 cm y-1) and increased gradually until reaching maximum values in the 2010s (MAR: 0.22 ± 0.09 g cm-2 y-1; SAR: 0.46 ± 0.32 cm y-1). Current accumulation rates are up to 800% higher than rates observed in the 1920s, with most of the increase happening after 1970, coinciding with the increasing rate of urbanization and development in the region. The highest increase in SAR over the last century (+877%) was observed in Sanniang Bay, with the lowest rate of increase (+283%) observed in Lianzhou Bay. TOC content in these sediments has also increased over the last 100 years. Current values (0.98-1.28%) are about 170% higher than historical concentrations (before 1970). The positive correlations between TOC and population density and GDP growth in major cities surrounding the gulf, provide further indication that human activities have significantly altered the sedimentary environment in recent decades along the northern Beibu Gulf coast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Guo
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning, 530004, China; School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China; College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China; School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University at Mansfield, Mansfield, OH, 44906, USA
| | - Ozeas S Costa
- School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University at Mansfield, Mansfield, OH, 44906, USA
| | - Yinghui Wang
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning, 530004, China; School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China.
| | - Wuhui Lin
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning, 530004, China; School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Shaopeng Wang
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning, 530004, China; School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning, 530004, China; School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Yefeng Cui
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning, 530004, China; School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Hao Fu
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning, 530004, China; School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Linlin Zhang
- Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning, 530004, China; School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
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18
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Evidence of Carbon Uptake Associated with Vegetation Greening Trends in Eastern China. REMOTE SENSING 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/rs12040718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Persistent and widespread increase of vegetation cover, identified as greening, has been observed in areas of the planet over late 20th century and early 21st century by satellite-derived vegetation indices. It is difficult to verify whether these regions are net carbon sinks or sources by studying vegetation indices alone. In this study, we investigate greening trends in Eastern China (EC) and corresponding trends in atmospheric CO2 concentrations. We used multiple vegetation indices including NDVI and EVI to characterize changes in vegetation activity over EC from 2003 to 2016. Gap-filled time series of column-averaged CO2 dry air mole fraction (XCO2) from January 2003 to May 2016, based on observations from SCIAMACHY, GOSAT, and OCO-2 satellites, were used to calculate XCO2 changes during growing season for 13 years. We derived a relationship between XCO2 and surface net CO2 fluxes from two inversion model simulations, CarbonTracker and Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate (MACC), and used those relationships to estimate the biospheric CO2 flux enhancement based on satellite observed XCO2 changes. We observed significant growing period (GP) greening trends in NDVI and EVI related to cropland intensification and forest growth in the region. After removing the influence of large urban center CO2 emissions, we estimated an enhanced XCO2 drawdown during the GP of −0.070 to −0.084 ppm yr−1. Increased carbon uptake during the GP was estimated to be 28.41 to 46.04 Tg C, mainly from land management, which could offset about 2–3% of EC’s annual fossil fuel emissions. These results show the potential of using multi-satellite observed XCO2 to estimate carbon fluxes from the regional biosphere, which could be used to verify natural sinks included as national contributions of greenhouse gas emissions reduction in international climate change agreements like the UNFCC Paris Accord.
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Forest management in southern China generates short term extensive carbon sequestration. Nat Commun 2020; 11:129. [PMID: 31913268 PMCID: PMC6949300 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13798-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Land use policies have turned southern China into one of the most intensively managed forest regions in the world, with actions maximizing forest cover on soils with marginal agricultural potential while concurrently increasing livelihoods and mitigating climate change. Based on satellite observations, here we show that diverse land use changes in southern China have increased standing aboveground carbon stocks by 0.11 ± 0.05 Pg C y-1 during 2002-2017. Most of this regional carbon sink was contributed by newly established forests (32%), while forests already existing contributed 24%. Forest growth in harvested forest areas contributed 16% and non-forest areas contributed 28% to the carbon sink, while timber harvest was tripled. Soil moisture declined significantly in 8% of the area. We demonstrate that land management in southern China has been removing an amount of carbon equivalent to 33% of regional fossil CO2 emissions during the last 6 years, but forest growth saturation, land competition for food production and soil-water depletion challenge the longevity of this carbon sink service.
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Gerlein-Safdi C, Keppel-Aleks G, Wang F, Frolking S, Mauzerall DL. Satellite Monitoring of Natural Reforestation Efforts in China's Drylands. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2019.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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21
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Assessment of Land-Use and Land-Cover Change in Guangxi, China. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2189. [PMID: 30778157 PMCID: PMC6379481 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-38487-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
It is increasingly acknowledged that land-use and land-cover change has become a key subject that urgently needs to be addressed in the study of global environmental change. In the present study, supported by the long-time-series of land-use and land-cover data from 1990, 2000, and 2017, we used the land-use transition matrix, Markov chain model and Moran’s I to derive detailed information of the spatial patterns and temporal variation of the land-use and land-cover change; additionally, we highlight the deforestation/afforestation conversion process during the period of 1990–2017. The results show that a total of 4708 km2 (i.e., 2.0% of the total area) changed in Guangxi from 1990 to 2017, while 418 km2 of woodland has been lost in this region. The woodland lost (deforestation) and woodland gained (afforestation) were collocated with intensive forest practices in the past 27 years. The conversions from woodland to cropland and from woodland to grassland were the dominant processes of deforestation and afforestation, respectively. Steep slope cropland was one of the major conversion patterns of afforestation after 2000. This result is mainly explained by the implementation of the “Grain for Green Program” policy and the large-scale development of eucalyptus plantations. Further efforts should be made to control deforestation in this area. These findings can also be used as a reference in the formulation and implementation of sustainable woodland management policies.
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Wu SH, Huang BH, Gao J, Wang S, Liao PC. The effects of afforestation on soil bacterial communities in temperate grassland are modulated by soil chemical properties. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6147. [PMID: 30648012 PMCID: PMC6330960 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Grassland afforestation dramatically affects the abiotic, biotic, and ecological function properties of the original ecosystems. Interference from afforestation might disrupt the stasis of soil physicochemical properties and the dynamic balance of microbiota. Some studies have suggested low sensitivity of soil properties and bacterial community to afforestation, but the apparent lack of a significant relationship is probably due to the confounding effects of the generalist habitat and rare bacterial communities. In this study, soil chemical and prokaryotic properties in a 30-year-old Mongolia pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica Litv.) afforested region and adjacent grassland in Inner Mongolia were classified and quantified. Our results indicate that the high richness of rare microbes accounts for the alpha-diversity of the soil microbiome. Few OTUs of generalist (core bacteria) and habitat-specialist bacteria are present. However, the high abundance of this small number of OTUs governs the beta-diversity of the grassland and afforested land bacterial communities. Afforestation has changed the soil chemical properties, thus indirectly affecting the soil bacterial composition rather than richness. The contents of soil P, Ca2+, and Fe3+ account for differentially abundant OTUs such as Planctomycetes and subsequent changes in the ecologically functional potential of soil bacterial communities due to grassland afforestation. We conclude that grassland afforestation has changed the chemical properties and composition of the soil and ecological functions of the soil bacterial community and that these effects of afforestation on the microbiome have been modulated by changes in soil chemical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Hong Wu
- School of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Bing-Hong Huang
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jian Gao
- Faculty of Resources and Environment, Baotou Teachers' College, Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Siqi Wang
- School of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Pei-Chun Liao
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
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Abstract
China is one of the most dynamic countries of the world and it shelters some amazing levels of biodiversity, including some very special primate species. However, primarily as a result of forest loss, most of which occurred in historical times, approximately 70% of China’s primate species have less than 3 000 individuals. Here I evaluate one road for future conservation/development that could produce very positive gains for China’s primates; namely forest restoration. I argue that for a large scale restoration project to be possible two conditions must be met; the right societal conditions must exist and the right knowledge must be in hand. This evaluation suggests that the restoration of native forest to support many of China’s primates holds great potential to advance conservation goals and to promote primate population recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin A Chapman
- Department of Anthropology, McGill University, Montréal Québec H3A 2T7, Canada; E-mail: .,Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx New York 10460, USA.,Section of Social Systems Evolution, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama 484-8506, Japan
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Cannon CH, Kua CS. Botanic gardens should lead the way to create a "Garden Earth" in the Anthropocene. PLANT DIVERSITY 2017; 39:331-337. [PMID: 30159526 PMCID: PMC6112317 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2017.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Revised: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The strength and expertise that botanic gardens bring to conservation are based on their detailed knowledge and understanding of the care, management, and biology of a diversity of plant species. This emphasis on the organism has led to many ex-situ and in-situ conservation programs aimed at protecting endangered species, restoring threatened populations, and establishing living plant and seed collections of endangered species. In China, the scale and pace of change in land and resource use, often leading to environmental degradation, has created a strong emphasis on improving environmental conditions. If done properly, being "green" can be a surprisingly complex issue, because it should encompass and exploit the whole of plant diversity and function. Unfortunately, 'green' often includes a small portion of this whole. Earth's rich plant diversity presents considerable opportunity but requires expertise and knowledge for stable and beneficial management. With the dawning of the Anthropocene, we should strive to live on a "Garden Earth", where we design and manage our environments, both built and natural, to create a healthy, beneficial living landscape for people and other organisms. The staff of botanic gardens worldwide and the living collections they maintain embody the best examples of sustainable, beautiful, and beneficial environments that thrive on plant diversity. This expertise should be a fundamental resource for agencies in all sectors responsible for managing and designing "green" infrastructure. Botanic gardens should actively engage and contribute to these opportunities, from large public infrastructure projects to small private conservation efforts. Here, we discuss several ongoing conservation efforts, primarily in China, and attempt to identify areas where botanic gardens could make a significant and meaningful difference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles H. Cannon
- The Center for Tree Science, The Morton Arboretum, Illinois Route 53, Lisle, IL 60532, USA
| | - Chai-Shian Kua
- The Center for Tree Science, The Morton Arboretum, Illinois Route 53, Lisle, IL 60532, USA
- Science and Conservation, The Morton Arboretum, Illinois Route 53, Lisle, IL 60532, USA
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Urban Tree Ecology and Applications, Shanghai, 200020, China
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25
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More than half the Earth. Nat Ecol Evol 2017; 1:1587. [PMID: 29066814 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0369-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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26
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangyuan Hua
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Kunming Yunnan 650201 China
- Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs; Princeton University; Princeton NJ 08544 USA
- State Key Laboratory of BioControl, College of Ecology and Evolution/School of Life Sciences; Sun Yat-Sen University; Guangzhou Guangdong 510275 China
| | - Jianchu Xu
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Kunming Yunnan 650201 China
- World Agroforestry Center; East and Central Asia; Kunming Yunnan 650201 China
| | - David S. Wilcove
- Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs; Princeton University; Princeton NJ 08544 USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Princeton University; Princeton NJ 08544 USA
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