Fibrous carrot root responses to irrigation and compaction of sandy and organic soils

Field experiments were performed in Southern Finland on fine sand and organic soil in 1990 and 1991 to study carrot roots. Fall ploughed land was loosened by rotary harrowing to a depth of 20 cm or compacted under moist conditions to a depth of 25–30 cm by three passes of adjacent wheel tracks with a tractor weighing 3 Mg, in April were contiguously applied across the plot before seed bed preparation. Sprinkler irrigation (30 mm) was applied to fine sand when moisture in the 0–15 cm range of soil depth was 50% of plant-available water capacity. For root sampling, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) cylinders (30 × 60 cm) were installed in the rows of experimental plots after sowing, and removed at harvest. Six carrot plants were grown in each of in these soil colums in situ in the field.Fine root length and width were quantified by image analysis. Root length density (RLD) per plant was 0.2–1.0 cm cm^-3 in the 0–30 cm range. The fibrous root system of one carrot had total root lengths of 130–150 m in loose fine sand and 180–200 m in compacted fine sand. More roots were observed in irrigated than non-irrigated soils. In the 0–50 cm range of organic soil, 230–250 m of root length were removed from loosened organic soils and 240–300 m from compacted soils. Specific root surface area (surface area divided by dry root weight) of a carrot fibrous root system averaged 1500–2000 cm² g^-1. Root length to weight ratios of 250–350 m g^-1 effectively compare with the ratios of other species.Fibrous root growth was stimulated by soil compaction or irrigation to a depth of 30 cm, in both the fine sand and organic soils, suggesting better soil water supply in compacted than in loosened soils. Soil compaction increased root diameters more in fine sand than it did in organic soil. Most of the root length in loosened soils (fine sand 90%, organic soil 80%) and compacted soils (fine sand 80%, organic soil 75%) was composed of roots with diameters of approximately 0.15 mm. With respect to dry weight, length, surface area and volume of the fibrous root system, all the measurements gave significant resposes to irrigation and soil compaction. Total root volumes in the 0–50 cm of soil were 4.3 cm³ and 9.8 cm³ in loosened fine sand and organic soils, respectively, and 6.7 cm³ and 13.4 cm³ in compacted sand and organic soils, respectively. In fine sand, irrigation increased the volume from 4.8 to 6.3 cm³.     

How does the fire regime change after creating a protected area in the Brazilian Cerrado?

Fire is a natural factor maintaining biodiversity and several ecological processes. The Brazilian Cerrado, considered the savanna with the highest biodiversity, is characterized by climatic seasonality, vegetation mosaics and topographic variations that together with fire determine its different plant physiognomies. The Chapada das Mesas National Park (CMNP), located in the south of the state of Maranhão (Brazil), has different savanna plant physiognomies with high ecological potential and archaeological and water wealth. The aim of the present study was to reconstruct the fire history over 28 years for the park and its surroundings (20 km buffer area), endeavouring to understand the impact of the creation of this National Park on its fire regime. Landsat satellite images were used from the TM, ETM + and OLI sensors to map the fire scars, which were identified and vectorized manually. The database created was used to analyze the total annual burned area, burned area percentage, density ignition, mean burn scar area and fire frequency during the mapped period. In total, 86 % of the CMNP was burn at least once between 1990 and 2017, while 72 % of the buffer area was burn. The creation of the park had significant effects on the density ignition when the periods before (1990–2005) and after (2006–2017) its creation were compared, and showed no significant effects on total annual area burned and average burn scar area. Despite the amount of burned area over time did not change significantly between the years before and after, the main change was observed in the fire seasonality after the creation of the park. In the park, 38 % of the area had a frequency of burn areas higher than ten times in the 28-year interval while 13 % of the buffer area was burn more than 10 times. In contrast, 23 % and 15 % had a fire frequency of 2 to 4 times on the buffer and the park respectively. Although the park was created to mitigate the human impacts of fire, the geographic isolation, the current occupation of the park by local populations and the pressure from agricultural expansion in the surroundings are influencing these conservation measures. Understanding the spatial–temporal distribution of fire in protected areas of the Cerrado contributes to improving management, preservation and conservation actions, so that in future studies other factors can be included to better understand the dynamic of fire occurrence in the region of the CMNP and in other protected areas of the Cerrado.     

中亚热带4种森林类型土壤活性有机碳的季节动态特征

2011年12月至2012年9月, 在湘中丘陵区杉木(Cunninghamia lanceolata)人工林、马尾松(Pinus massoniana)-石栎(Lithocarpus glaber)针阔混交林、南酸枣(Choerospondias axillaries)落叶阔叶林、石栎(Lithocarpus glaber)-青冈(Cyclobalanopsis glauca)常绿阔叶林1 hm²的长期定位观测样地, 采集0-15 cm、15-30 cm土层土壤样品, 测定土壤微生物生物量碳(MBC)、可矿化有机碳(MOC)、易氧化有机碳(ROC)、水溶性有机碳(DOC)含量, 分析4种森林土壤MBC、MOC、ROC、DOC含量的季节变化特征, 为揭示天然林保护与恢复对土壤有机碳(SOC)库的影响机理过程提供基础数据。结果表明: 森林土壤MBC、MOC、ROC、DOC含量具有明显的季节动态, 且不同森林同一土壤活性有机碳组分的季节变化节律基本一致, MBC、MOC、ROC含量表现为夏、秋季较高, 春、冬季较低; DOC含量表现为春、夏、冬季较高, 秋季最低; 同一森林不同土壤活性有机碳组分含量的季节变化节律不同; 土壤MBC、MOC、ROC、DOC含量与土壤自然含水率、SOC、全N、水解N、全P (除杉木人工林土壤MBC、MOC、ROC外)、速效P含量显著或极显著正相关, 与土壤pH值、全K、速效K含量相关性不显著, 表明不同森林类型外源碳库投入和土壤理化性质的差异是导致不同森林类型土壤活性有机碳含量差异显著的主要原因, 该区域森林土壤活性有机碳各组分含量的季节变化与各森林类型组成树种生长节律及其土壤水分含量和SOC、N、P的可利用性, 以及土壤活性有机碳各组分的来源有关, 森林土壤MBC、MOC、ROC、DOC含量可作为衡量森林土壤C、N、P动态变化的敏感性指标。     

川西山地主要人工林种群根系生物量与生产力

采用标准地法,对四川西部山地主要人工林的根系进行了研究,结果表明(1)用D2H估测单株林木根系生物量的适合模型均以幂函数模型为最佳,所筛选统计模型的相关系数较高,在0.94～0.99之间;(2)根系总生物量大小排序为日本落叶松＞峨眉冷杉＞四川红杉＞川西云杉,分别为37.832、24.907、18.320t/hm2和15.982 t/hm2,各级根的生物量占总根量的比例各不相同;(3)根系生物量集中在分布土层0.00～40.00cm,川西云杉占97.88%,四川红杉占96.78%,峨眉冷杉占95.65%,日本落叶松占99.72%;尤其在0.00～20.00cm土层分布的根最多,分别占77.13%,77.13%,65.02%和80.66%;在0.00～20.00cm,20.00～40.00cm和40.00～60.00cm的各层根系生物量分配比例,川西云杉为34121,四川红杉为2461,峨眉冷杉为1571,日本落叶松为63141;(4)川西云杉、四川红杉、峨眉冷杉和日本落叶松人工林种群根系的生物量密度分别为10.782t/(hm2·m),8.230t/(hm2·m),14.546 t/(hm2·m)和13.211 t/(hm2·m);(5)川西云杉、四川红杉、峨眉冷杉和日本落叶松人工林种群根系生产力分别为0.57、0.83、0.71 t/(hm2·a)和1.64 t/(hm2·a).     

Human footprints in the Global South accelerate biomass carbon loss in ecologically sensitive regions

Human activities have placed significant pressure on the terrestrial biosphere, leading to ecosystem degradation and carbon losses. However, the full impact of these activities on terrestrial biomass carbon remains unexplored. In this study, we examined changes in global human footprint (HFP) and human-induced aboveground biomass carbon (AGBC) losses from 2000 to 2018. Our findings show an increasing trend in HFP globally, resulting in the conversion of wilderness areas to highly modified regions. These changes have altered global biomes' habitats, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. We also found accelerated AGBC loss driven by HFP expansion, with a total loss of 19.99 ± 0.196 PgC from 2000 to 2018, especially in tropical regions. Additionally, AGBC is more vulnerable in the Global South than in the Global North. Human activities threaten natural habitats, resulting in increasing AGBC loss even in strictly protected areas. Therefore, scientifically guided planning of future human activities is crucial to protect half of Earth through mitigation and adaptation under future risks of climate change and global urbanization.     

喀斯特峰丛洼地植被演替过程中土壤养分的积累及影响因素

以桂西北环江县典型喀斯特峰丛洼地为对象,利用空间代替时间的方法,于2009年分析了植被演替过程中表层土壤(0～15 em)养分的变化及其主要控制因素.结果表明:随着植被正向演替(草地-灌丛-次生林-原生林),表层土壤的有机碳、全氮和全磷等含量显著增加,分别由演替初期(草地)的29.1、2.48和0.72 g·kg-1增加为演替后期(原生林)的73.9、8.10和1.6g·kg-1.土壤阳离子交换量与有机碳和全氮密切相关,是喀斯特土壤C、N积累的主要控制因素;凋落物中的P含量、C/P和N/P是土壤全磷积累的主要控制因素,较高的凋落物P含量、N/P以及较低的C/P有利于土壤中P的积累;而坡度、坡向和裸岩率等地形因子对土壤养分的影响较小.