长期封育对不同类型草地碳贮量及其固持速率的影响

基于4个长期封育草地,采用成对取样方法(封育-自由放牧草地)分析了长期封育和自由放牧草地地上生物量、地表凋落物、0-100 cm根系和土壤的碳氮贮量,探讨了长期封育草地的碳固持速率。实验结果表明:长期封育显著提高了草地碳氮贮量;经30a围封处理后,草地碳固持量为1401-2858 g C m^-2,平均2126 g C m^-2;草地碳固持速率为46.7-129.2 g C m^-2 a^-1,平均84.2 g C m^-2 a^-1。长期封育草地氮固持速率为2.8-14.7 g N m^-2 a^-1,平均7.3 g N m^-2 a^-1。封育草地碳和氮固持速率表现为:针茅草地＜羊草草地＜退化羊草草地＜补播黄花苜蓿+羊草草地。长期封育草地0-40 cm土壤碳固持速率相对较高,但下层土壤对草地碳固持的贡献也比较大,因此,未来的相关研究应给予下层土壤更大关注。内蒙古典型草地具有巨大的碳固持潜力,长期封育(或禁牧)是实现其碳固持效应最经济、最有效的途径之一。     

Terrestrial carbon storage resulting from CO2 and nitrogen fertilization in temperate grasslands

Abstract. A temperate grassland model has been used to simulate carbon sequestration under various environmental conditions. The results suggest that the CO₂ and nitrogen fertilization that has occurred may contribute appreciably to the so-called missing carbon sink, which it has been suggested must exist to balance the global carbon budget.     

Large losses of soil C and N from soil profiles under pasture in New Zealand during the past 20 years

The conversion of two‐thirds of New Zealand's native forests and grasslands to agriculture has followed trends in other developed nations, except that pastoral grazing rather than cropping dominates agriculture. The initial conversion of land to pasture decreased soil acidity and elevated N and P stocks, but caused little change in soil organic C stocks. However, less is known about C and nutrient stock changes during the last two decades under long‐term pastoral management. We resampled 31 whole soil profiles in pastures spanning seven soil orders with a latitudinal range of 36–46°S, which had originally been sampled 17–30 years ago. We measured total C, total N, and bulk density for each horizon (generally to 1 m) and also reanalyzed archived soil samples of the same horizons for C and N. On average, profiles had lost significant amounts of C (− 2.1 kg C m⁻²) and N (− 0.18 kg N m⁻²) since initial sampling. Assuming a continuous linear decline in organic matter between sampling dates, significant losses averaged 106 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹ (P=0.01) and 9.1 g N m⁻² yr⁻¹ (P=0.002). Removal of C through leaching and erosion appears too small to explain these losses, suggesting losses from respiration exceed the inputs of photosynthate in the soil profile. These results emphasize that resampling soil profiles provide a robust method for detecting soil C changes, and add credence to the suggestion that soil C losses may be occurring in some temperate soil profiles. Further work is required to determine whether these losses are continuing and how losses might be extrapolated across landscapes to determine the implications for New Zealand's national CO₂ emissions and the sustainability of the implied rates of soil N loss.     

高寒放牧草地碳循环研究进展

叠加食草野生动物和人类需求驱使家畜牧食的放牧草地碳循环是食草动物-草地植物-土壤耦合系统吸收、储存和释放碳的过程。食草动物通过牧食、踩踏和粪尿归还等途径影响草地碳循环过程,但其发挥促进碳吸收和增加碳汇的正效应还是促进碳释放的负效应,仍然存在较大不确定性。鉴于此,通过文献综述阐明食草动物对草地碳循环过程的可能影响及作用机制,提出可能的未来研究方向,以期为青藏高原高寒草地碳循环过程与机理研究,及碳增汇管理提供基础。研究发现,虽然高寒草地净生态系统生产力和碳汇强度可观,但由于观测站点分布和草食动物等因素的影响,目前的结果可能存在高估固碳速率的情况,同时基于不同方法所得的结果也存在一定差异;特别在放牧条件下,高寒草地碳固存过程更为复杂,食草动物通过改变草地群落组成、植物多样性、生产力和地上/地下碳分配,显著影响草地植被碳储量和碳循环过程,这些影响同时还收到气候和土壤等多种因素的调控,具有复杂性和不确定性。目前对高寒放牧草地碳循环的研究仍然缺乏考虑食草动物再分配的影响和强度,同时对植被碳分配如何响应放牧强度的机制和认识、以及放牧管理对草地碳循环的影响机理仍然缺乏深入探究。因此,在未来研究中仍需要深入研究食草动物-植被-土壤之间的碳耦联机制,不断整合地面观测与过程模型模拟,发展针对草地碳汇功能管理模式及不同气候情景的遥感-生态过程模型,为未来高寒草地碳汇功能的演变趋势提出适应性的管理对策。     

不同林龄胡桃楸林下植物多样性的差异

以黑龙江省帽儿山地区不同林龄胡桃楸(Juglans mandshurica)人工林为对象,在考虑化感物质影响的基础上,研究了不同林龄林分植物多样性的差异.结果表明:随着胡桃楸林龄的增加,林下灌木丰富度指数(IMa)、多样性指数(Isw)及Pielou均匀度指数(J)均呈现递增趋势;林下草本,除均匀度指数外,其他2个指数随着林龄的增长呈递减趋势;随着胡桃楸年龄的增加,草本种类由14种逐渐减少到10种;16年生的胡桃楸林分重要值较大的物种有蔷薇科的山楂叶悬钩子,菊科的一年蓬、蒲公英和蔷薇科的蛇莓委陵菜;23年生胡桃楸林分重要值较大的灌木物种有榆科的春榆和木犀科的暴马丁香,草本植物有禾本科的龙常草和蕨类植物;51年生胡桃楸林分中重要值较大的灌木物种为木犀科的暴马丁香,重要值较大的草本物种为木贼科的木贼和紫草科的山茄子;胡桃楸林植物多样性受胡桃醌的影响较小,土壤有效磷、速效钾对灌木的多样性指数影响较大;灌木与草本植物对pH值的适应范围明显不同;其他土壤指标,如容重、含水率、有机质、全氮等对灌木及草本多样性指数的影响均表现出相反的作用.     

气候变化背景下农林复合系统碳汇功能研究进展

农林复合系统作为一种土地综合利用体系,可以有效吸收和固定CO₂、增加碳储量,在达到收获目的的同时,可有力减轻温室效应.农林复合系统对CO₂的调控作用,使人们认识到农林复合系统较单一作物系统有着明显优势,因此,深入了解不同农林复合系统的碳汇功能及其影响因素,对全球碳循环研究及碳收支准确评估具有重要意义.本文综述了农林复合系统的概念与分类,探讨了农林复合系统不同组分的碳固存潜力及其影响因子,得出不同区域、不同类型农林复合系统内植被的固碳速率相差很大(0.59～11.08 t C·hm^-2·a^-1),其主要受到气候因子和农林复合系统自身特性(物种组成、林木密度和林龄)的影响.农林复合系统内土壤的固碳潜力受到系统内树木和非树木成分输入的生物量多少和质量、土壤质地、土壤结构的影响.不同地区的任何一个农林复合系统的碳储量多少主要依赖于复合系统中各组分的结构和功能.针对目前的研究现状,指出应重点加强农林复合系统优化结构的碳汇功能研究,以及加强农林复合系统碳储量的时空分布格局及其固碳机制的长期研究.     

The effects of elevated CO2 on symbiotic N2 fixation: a link between the carbon and nitrogen cycles in grassland ecosystems

The response of plants to elevated CO₂ is dependent on the availability of nutrients, especially nitrogen. It is generally accepted that an increase in the atmospheric CO₂ concentration increases the C:N ratio of plant residues and exudates. This promotes temporary N-immobilization which might, in turn, reduce the availability of soil nitrogen. In addition, both a CO₂ stimulated increase in plant growth (thus requiring more nitrogen) and an increased N demand for the decomposition of soil residues with a large C:N will result under elevated CO₂ in a larger N-sink of the whole grassland ecosystem. One way to maintain the balance between the C and N cycles in elevated CO₂ would be to increase N-import to the grassland ecosystem through symbiotic N₂ fixation. Whether this might happen in the context of temperate ecosystems is discussed, by assessing the following hypothesis: i) symbiotic N₂ fixation in legumes will be enhanced under elevated CO₂, ii) this enhancement of N₂ fixation will result in a larger N-input to the grassland ecosystem, and iii) a larger N-input will allow the sequestration of additional carbon, either above or below-ground, into the ecosystem. Data from long-term experiments with model grassland ecosystems, consisting of monocultures or mixtures of perennial ryegrass and white clover, grown under elevated CO₂ under free-air or field-like conditions, supports the first two hypothesis, since: i) both the percentage and the amount of fixed N increases in white clover grown under elevated CO₂, ii) the contribution of fixed N to the nitrogen nutrition of the mixed grass also increases in elevated CO₂. Concerning the third hypothesis, an increased nitrogen input to the grassland ecosystem from N₂ fixation usually promotes shoot growth (above-ground C storage) in elevated CO₂. However, the consequences of this larger N input under elevated CO₂ on the below-ground carbon fluxes are not fully understood. On one hand, the positive effect of elevated CO₂ on the quantity of plant residues might be overwhelming and lead to an increased long-term below-ground C storage; on the other hand, the enhancement of the decomposition process by the N-rich legume material might favour carbon turn-over and, hence, limit the storage of below-ground carbon.     

Changes in productivity and carbon storage of grasslands in China under future global warming scenarios of 1.5°C and 2°C

AimsThe impacts of future global warming of 1.5°C and 2°C on the productivity and carbon (C) storage of grasslands in China are not clear yet, although grasslands in China support ~45 million agricultural populations and more than 238 million livestock populations, and are sensitive to global warming.     

内蒙古放牧草地土壤碳固持速率和潜力

放牧是典型草地最重要的利用方式,弄清放牧对草地碳固速率的影响,将为我国内蒙古地区草地碳汇管理提供重要的科学依据。通过在平坦草地和斜坡草地设置相同的放牧梯度实验 (放牧强度0、1.5、3.0、4.5、6.0、7.5、9.0 羊/hm²),探讨了放牧和地形对草地土壤碳固持速率的影响。实验结果表明:轻度放牧草地表现为碳固持,重度放草地表现为碳流失;对放牧草地而言,存在碳源/碳汇的转化阈值(或放牧强度),且坡地阈值低于平地。为了实现草地碳增汇目的,平坦草地的放牧强度应低于 4.5羊/hm²(放牧期6-9月),斜坡草地应低于3 羊/hm²。地形因素(平地VS斜坡)使准确评估放牧草地土壤的碳固持速率变得更加复杂。总之,内蒙古地区放牧草地具有较大的碳固持潜力,通过控制放牧强度是实现其碳固持潜力的重要途径之一。     

Nitrogen Management Affects Carbon Sequestration in North American Cropland Soils

Agricultural soils in North America can be a sink for rising atmospheric CO₂ concentrations through the formation of soil organic matter (SOM) or humus. Humification is limited by the availability of nutrients such as nitrogen (N). Recommended management practices (RMPs) that optimize N availability foster humus formation. This review examines the management practices that contribute to maximizing N availability for optimizing sequestration of atmospheric CO₂ into soil humus. Farming practices that enhance nutrient use, reduce or eliminate tillage, and increase crop intensity, together, affect N availability and, therefore, C sequestration. N additions, from especially, livestock manure and leguminous cover crops are necessary for increasing grain and biomass yields and returning crop residues to the soil thereby increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration. Conservation tillage practices enhance also the availability of N and increase SOC concentration. Increase in cropping intensity and/or crop rotations produce higher quantity and quality of residues, increase availability of N, and therefore foster increase in C sequestration. The benefit of C sequestration from N additions may be negated by CO₂ and N₂O emissions associated with production and application of N fertilizers. More studies need to be conducted to ascertain the benefits of adding N via manuring versus N fertilizer additions. Furthermore, site specific adaptive research is needed to identify RMPs that optimize soil N use efficiency while improving crop yield and C sequestration thereby curbing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Due to the wide range of climate in North America, there is a large range of C sequestration potential in agricultural soils through N management. Humid croplands may have the potential to sequester 8–298 Tg C yr^?1 while dry croplands may sequester 1–35 Tg C yr^?1. These estimates, however, are highly uncertain and wide-ranging. Clearly, more research is needed to quantify, more precisely, the C sequestration potential across different N management scenarios especially in Mexico and Canada.     

Interactive Effects of Fire, Elevated Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen Deposition, and precipitation on a California Annual Grassland

Although it is widely accepted that elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrogen (N) deposition, and climate change will alter ecosystem productivity and function in the coming decades, the combined effects of these environmental changes may be nonadditive, and their interactions may be altered by disturbances, such as fire. We examined the influence of a summer wildfire on the interactive effects of elevated CO₂, N deposition, and increased precipitation in a full-factorial experiment conducted in a California annual grassland. In unburned plots, primary production was suppressed under elevated CO₂. Burning alone did not significantly affect production, but it increased total production in combination with nitrate additions and removed the suppressive effect of elevated CO₂. Increased production in response to nitrate in burned plots occurred as a result of the enhanced aboveground production of annual grasses and forbs, whereas the removal of the suppressive effect of elevated CO₂ occurred as a result of increased aboveground forb production in burned, CO₂-treated plots and decreased root production in burned plots under ambient CO₂.The tissue nitrogen–phosphorus ratio, which was assessed for annual grass shoots, decreased with burning and increased with nitrate addition. Burning removed surface litter from plots, resulting in an increase in maximum daily soil temperatures and a decrease in soil moisture both early and late in the growing season. Measures of vegetation greenness, based on canopy spectral reflectance, showed that plants in burned plots grew rapidly early in the season but senesced early. Overall, these results indicate that fire can alter the effects of elevated CO₂ and N addition on productivity in the short term, possibly by promoting increased phosphorus availability.     

The role of grasslands in food security and climate change

Background

Grasslands are a major part of the global ecosystem, covering 37 % of the earth''s terrestrial area. For a variety of reasons, mostly related to overgrazing and the resulting problems of soil erosion and weed encroachment, many of the world''s natural grasslands are in poor condition and showing signs of degradation. This review examines their contribution to global food supply and to combating climate change.

Scope

Grasslands make a significant contribution to food security through providing part of the feed requirements of ruminants used for meat and milk production. Globally, this is more important in food energy terms than pig meat and poultry meat. Grasslands are considered to have the potential to play a key role in greenhouse gas mitigation, particularly in terms of global carbon storage and further carbon sequestration. It is estimated that grazing land management and pasture improvement (e.g. through managing grazing intensity, improved productivity, etc) have a global technical mitigation potential of almost 1·5 Gt CO₂ equivalent in 2030, with additional mitigation possible from restoration of degraded lands. Milk and meat production from grassland systems in temperate regions has similar emissions of carbon dioxide per kilogram of product as mixed farming systems in temperate regions, and, if carbon sinks in grasslands are taken into account, grassland-based production systems can be as efficient as high-input systems from a greenhouse gas perspective.

Conclusions

Grasslands are important for global food supply, contributing to ruminant milk and meat production. Extra food will need to come from the world''s existing agricultural land base (including grasslands) as the total area of agricultural land has remained static since 1991. Ruminants are efficient converters of grass into humanly edible energy and protein and grassland-based food production can produce food with a comparable carbon footprint as mixed systems. Grasslands are a very important store of carbon, and they are continuing to sequester carbon with considerable potential to increase this further. Grassland adaptation to climate change will be variable, with possible increases or decreases in productivity and increases or decreases in soil carbon stores.