Farmland Ecosystems Research Articles

Weather-driven synergistic water-economy-environment regulation of farmland ecosystems

Farmland ecosystems (FEs) constitute the most important source of food production, and water is one of the most important factors influencing FEs. The amount of water can affect the yield and thus the economic efficiency. Water migration can generate environmental effects through the migration of fertilizers. Interlinkages and constraints exist between the water, economy and environment, which require synergistic regulation. Meteorological elements influence the reference crop uptake amount and thus the water cycle processes and are key drivers of regulation at the water-economy-environment nexus. However, the weather-driven, synergistic water-economy-environment regulation of FEs has not been sufficiently researched. As such, this paper employed a dynamic Bayesian prediction of the reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and a quantitative characterization of the total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) contents in agricultural crops and soils via field monitoring and indoor experimental analysis. Consequently, multiobjective optimization modeling was conducted to weigh the mutual trade-offs and constraints between water, the economy and the environment. The proposed method was verified via an example involving the modern agricultural high-tech demonstration park in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China. The results indicated that (1) the effect of meteorological factors gradually decreased over time, but the prediction results were very accurate, and the higher the delay order of the dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) was, the more accurate the predictions; (2) ETo was significantly driven by meteorological elements, and the most important meteorological factor influencing ETo throughout the year was average temperature. When the average temperature was reduced by 10.0 %, ETo was reduced by 1.4 %, the required amount of irrigation water was reduced by 4.9 %, and the economic benefits of a single cube of water increased by 6.3 %; (3) resource-economy-environment multidimensional synergy enabled a 12.8 % reduction in agricultural ecosystem pollutant emissions, while the economic benefits per unit of water increased by 8.2 % and the system synergy increased by 23.2 %.

Key factors promoting the niche establishment of black-winged kite Elanus caeruleus in farmland ecosystems

Human disturbance has modified the ecosystem’s structure and function, reducing the availability of wildlife habitat, while environmental change has driven the migratory behavior birds. Black-winged Kites (Elanus caeruleus, BWK) have changed their migratory behavior to become residents in Taiwan since 2001, with the expansion of their population on the island in the following years. However, there is limited knowledge about the factors that impact the dispersal population of BWK and the areas suitable for this species’ habitat in Taiwan. Here, we aimed to identify important factors promoting the niche establishment of BWK in Taiwan. Our study integrated a fuzzy expert-based approach with empirical data to assess habitat suitability in farmland ecosystems. The results show that the model has high accuracy and that distance to grasslands and landscape ecological integrity are important factors related to BWK habitat. In addition, suitable habitat for BWK accounts for 206,734.91 ha (28.19%) of farmland area, primarily in eastern and southeastern areas of the Taiwan Island. Our findings are likely applicable to support conservation policies, prioritizing resources effectively to protect BWK habitat.

Effects of photovoltaic power station construction on terrestrial ecosystems: A meta-analysis

The rapid increase in construction of solar photovoltaic power stations (SPPs) has motivated ecologists to understand how these stations affect terrestrial ecosystems. Comparing study sites, effects are often not consistent, and a more systematic assessment of this topic remains lacking. Here, we evaluated the effects of SPP construction on carbon emissions, edaphic variables, microclimatic factors and vegetation characteristics in a meta-analysis. We employed log response ratios (as effect sizes) to assess how control plots differed from those beneath solar photovoltaic panels. We found that SPP construction decreased the local air temperature and photosynthetically active radiation, while increasing air humidity, especially in grasslands. Furthermore, plant aboveground biomass and vegetation cover were also enhanced by SPP construction in grassland ecosystems. In farmland ecosystems, photovoltaic panel installation increased plant aboveground biomass, soil available phosphorus and soil pH, while reducing CO2 flux, plant species richness and vegetation cover in woodlands. Thus, while SPP construction had profound ecological impacts in terrestrial ecosystems, the direction and strength of these effects were largely dependent on ecosystem type. Most studies of SPP construction to date have focused on local microclimatic and plant diversity effects, but few studies have examined effects on ecosystem functions and services. Future assessments are needed of both the benefits and disbenefits of SPP construction across different ecosystems, to improve SPP site selection and adaptive management.

Research progress on carbon sources and sinks of farmland ecosystems

Research progress on carbon sources and sinks of farmland ecosystems

Subsoiling reduces CO2 concentrations in soil profile of winter wheat – summer maize rotation ecosystem in the North China Plain: a strategy to achieve carbon neutrality in farmland

ABSTRACT Reducing CO2 emissions from agricultural soils is a key component of the overall carbon reduction strategy. The closed chamber method was used to continuously monitor CO2 concentration in soil profiles of winter wheat-summer maize rotation fields in the North China Plain (NCP) during 2015–2017. Additionally, we evaluated the contribution of different tillage methods (Rotary tillage (RT), Subsoiling (SS), No- tillage (ZT), and conventional tillage (CT) in combination with Straw return (s) and straw removal (0)) to reducing soil CO2 emission. The results showed that the concentration of CO2 increased with the soil depth and peaked at the 150 cm layer. The trend of CO2 concentration in soil profiles under different tillage treatments was CTS > RTS > ZTS > SSS, and the average concentration in maize season was higher than that in wheat season. In addition, soil moisture and temperature in the 0–10 cm soil layer were significantly correlated with soil CO2 concentrations. Thus, our results highlight that the SSs plays a critical role in moderating soil CO2 emissions. This process merits further study to effectively regulate soil CO2 release and achieve carbon neutrality with less carbon emissions in farmland ecosystems.

Nitrogen addition enhanced Per-fluoroalkyl substances’ microbial availability in a wheat soil ecosystem

Per-fluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) have been widely detected in farmland soils and are understood to pose toxicological threats to soil microbiomes and crop safety. Meanwhile, farmland ecosystems have experienced increasing nitrogen loading caused by soil fertilization. Yet it is still unclear how nitrogen additions affect soil's microbial responses to PFASs. In this study, using a laboratory-based ecological experiment, we assessed the microbial availability of PFASs in soils receiving ammonium, nitrate, and urea nitrogen amendments by quantifying the translocation factors of PFASs from soil particle to soil extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Our results showed that nitrogen, specifically ammonium, significantly increased the PFASs' microbial availability (p < 0.05). Second, nitrogen fertilization in PFASs-polluted soils decreased the microbial community diversity and stability at the structural, species, and functional levels (p < 0.05). For soil microbial activities, nitrogen enhanced the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) while it inhibited the catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) (p < 0.01). Congruently, PFASs, as well as the nitrate and nitrite nitrogen, were shown to be the predominant abiotic drivers regulating the soil fungal succession (p < 0.05), while bacteria were mostly regulated by dissolved organic carbon (DOC) (p < 0.01). Furthermore, we revealed that the nitrogen cycling gene hmp (dominates the transformation from NO to NO3−) was the hub gene integrating the microbially available PFASs and the soil nitrogen cycling processes (p < 0.01), indicating that hmp could be the core regulator affecting the accumulation of PFASs in soil EPS. Our study highlighted that decreasing ammonia's amendments could mitigate China's national initiatives to reduce nitrogen fertilization in farmlands, reduce the PFASs' availability to the soil microbiome, and protect the microbial community stability in soil.

Characteristics of Soil Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Ecological Stoichiometry in Vegetable Fields and Orchard in the Coastal Area of Fuzhou

The soil ecological stoichiometric characteristics of different agricultural land use types have a certain indicator function for characterizing the level of soil nutrient supply and are of great significance to the management of nutrient resources in farmland ecosystems. In order to reveal the soil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) contents and their ecological stoichiometric characteristics in different vegetable fields and orchard agricultural land use types, this study took vegetable fields (taro field and jicama field) and orchards (citrus tree orchard, watermelon field, and pear tree orchard) as the research objects in the coastal area of Fuzhou City. The contents of soil C, N, and P and their ecological stoichiometric characteristics in different vegetable fields and orchard agricultural land uses were measured and analyzed. The soil C and N contents were in the order of orchard>vegetable field (P<0.05). The C content in the citrus tree orchard was the highest (4.44 g·kg-1), and the N content in the watermelon field was the highest (1.46 g·kg-1). The soil P content was vegetable field>orchard (P<0.05), and the jicama field had the highest P content (0.19 g·kg-1). The soil carbon and nitrogen ratio (C/N), carbon and phosphorus ratio (C/P), and nitrogen and phosphorus ratio (N/P) were orchard>vegetable field (P<0.05). Among them, the citrus tree orchard had the highest C/N (7.40) and C/P (61.43), and the watermelon field had the highest N/P (10.27). Soil N content was significantly and negatively correlated with bulk density and conductivity (r=-0.49, r=-0.28, P<0.05), and there was a significant and positive correlation with soil water content (r=0.61, P<0.05). C/P and C/N were significantly and positively correlated with SOM (r=0.71, r=0.64, P<0.01). In the process of crop planting and management in the coastal area of Fuzhou City, it is necessary to reasonably add nitrogen fertilizer to compensate for the N limitation, and slow-release nitrogen fertilizer is better for promoting the sustainable supply of nitrogen nutrients in the growth and development of crops.

Assessing the ecosystem services provided by conventional and organic farmlands: A better outcome for organic farmlands?

To assess and compare the value of conventional and organic farmland ecosystem services, this study firstly used the analytic network process to measure the weights of these services to the value. Then, the contingent valuation method was employed to investigate the public’s perception of farmland ecosystems as well as the amount that they would be willing to pay for ecosystem services offered by different types of farmland use. The results of the study revealed that, among seven common farmland use types, farmland cultivated using organic farming methods was perceived to be the most valuable. The estimated results of the regression model revealed that the amount that participants would be willing to pay for farmland ecosystem services was related to their average monthly income and their perception of farmland ecosystem services. This study offered the following recommendations: if the Taiwanese government wishes to increase the value of Taiwan’s farmland ecosystem services, it should introduce farmland afforestation incentives, organic farming incentives, and farmland-friendly incentives to encourage farmers to transform abandoned farmland or farmland cultivated using conventional farming methods into farmland cultivated using organic or environmentally friendly farming methods. Moreover, the government should increase subsidies granted for production environment maintenance to induce farmers to allow farmland to lie fallow. Additionally, the government can guide and promote agricultural experience activities such as 1-day trips to villages and farmland ecosystems to educate the public about farmland ecosystem services and to enable them to develop a positive understanding of farmland ecosystem services.

Experimental study of rock wool on the farmland soil erosion and crop growth of winter wheat and its comprehensive evaluation

Introduction: Droughts and flooding occur frequently due to climate change and human activities, which have significantly affected the ecological environment of farmland and crop production. Rock wool (RW) has some properties like high porosity and water retention capacity, and it is widely used in green roofing and agricultural production to reduce flood and drought disaster.Methods: We set 24 artificial rainfall experiments to analyze the impact of RW on the farmland runoff, soil water storage capacity (SWSC), nitrogen and phosphorus loss and crop growth. Finally, the Critic-Entropy comprehensive evaluation method was used to select the best solution for RW embedding.Results: The result shows that RW could reduce the runoff by 49.6%–93.3%, and it made the SWSC increase by .2%–11% Vol in the 10–70 cm depth. During the runoff process, the concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus decreased with the increase of the RW volume, while the nitrogen and phosphorus loss reduced by 51.9%–96.6% and 72.4%–96.4% respectively when RW was buried in the farmland, so RW could effectively promote soil and water conservation. Finally, RW increased the plant biomass and yield by a maximum of 12.1% and 20.4% respectively due to the large retention of water and nutrients. Therefore, combined with the above experimental result, this study indicates that RW could obtain the best comprehensive benefit in the embedding volume of 536.73 m3/ha.Discussion: When the volume of RW embedding was too large, RW easily caused insufficient water storage in short-duration rainfall or irrigation, which made the RW unable to release water to alleviate the soil water deficit during the critical growth period, which may result in drought events being aggravated and crop yield reduced. Overall, this study is conducive to clarifying the comprehensive application effect of RW in agricultural production, pollution control, and urban landscape, and it provides an important basis for expanding its application field and promoting the stability of farmland ecosystems.

Evaluating farmland ecosystem resilience and its obstacle factors in Ethiopia

In the context of global warming, the sustainability of farmland ecosystems is increasingly impacted by multiple disturbances from both natural and human-induced sources. This study constructed a conceptual model and indicator system of farmland ecosystem resilience (FER) based on the disturbance-response processes of farmland ecosystems. FER assessment, supported by 30 specific indicators, was tested in Ethiopia, one of the most food-insecure countries in the world and the factors impending farmland ecosystem sustainability were discussed based on the obstacle degree values (ODVs). The results showed that the FER change rate in Ethiopia was 0.3 %/year during 2003–2018, indicating positive sustainability on the whole. However, in the five years of 2004, 2007, 2008, 2011, and 2017, the FER decreased, among which the largest decline was −0.017 in 2017. Natural comprehensive disturbance (ND), human activity disturbance (HD), resilience of farmland supply (RFS), and resilience of social support (RS) were the key constraints of FER, while the ODVs of ND and RFS showed increasing trends. We also found that there were general antagonistic and synergistic effects among the response factors and the synergistic enhancement between disturbance factors was more pronounced than the antagonistic buffering effect. This study provides a fresh perspective for farmland ecosystem managers and stakeholders to examine disturbance risks and assess the sustainability of farmland ecosystems.

区域生态保护修复碳汇潜力评估方法与应用——基于第一批山水林田湖草生态保护修复工程的研究

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 区域生态保护修复碳汇潜力评估方法与应用——基于第一批山水林田湖草生态保护修复工程的研究 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202202220422 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家重点研发计划专项(2019YFC0507804) Methodology and application of carbon sink potential assessment for regional ecological conservation and restoration: Based on the research of the first batch of pilots for ecological protection and restoration project of mountains-rivers-forests-farmlands-lakes-grasslands system Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:山水林田湖草生态保护修复工程是生态系统恢复的有效措施,借助生态保护与修复提升生态系统固碳潜力,无疑是土地利用碳减排的新路径。基于山水林田湖草沙综合整治视角,从生态系统的格局和质量两个方面评估了第一批山水林田湖草生态保护修复工程的实施效果,并借助InVEST模型定量化地分析了工程实施前后的生态系统碳汇能力。结果如下:(1)山水林田湖草生态保护修复试点工程加速了各类生态系统间的相互转化,主要表现为城镇生态系统的增加、农田生态系统的减少;工程区植被覆盖度整体提高,NDVI值平均水平不断上升、高值区逐步扩大,劣质、低质生态系统改造成果显著,陆地生态系统质量有效提升。(2)试点区生态系统碳汇能力和潜力得到有效改善,工程累积增加碳汇面积22.68%,其中工程实施前期增加碳汇面积18.06%,中后期增加面积4.62%;工程实施后2018年碳汇总量增加32.74 Tg,2020年碳汇总量增加31.28 Tg,年均碳汇潜力的提升约1.24%;工程在增加生态系统质与量、碳汇潜力的巩固与提升上具有显著成效。分析结果表明,生态保护修复是实现"双碳"目标的必然选项,这也是生态保护修复在实现"双碳"目标中的基本定位。 Abstract:The ecological protection and restoration project of mountains-rivers-forests-farmlands-lakes-grasslands system is an effective measure for ecosystem restoration. Enhancing the carbon sequestration potential of ecosystems with the help of ecological protection and restoration is undoubtedly a new path for land use carbon reduction. Based on the perspective of comprehensive improvement of mountains-rivers-forests-farmlands-lakes-grasslands system, this paper evaluates the implementation effect of the first batch of landscape, forest, field, lake and grass ecological protection and restoration projects from two aspects of ecosystem pattern and quality, and quantitatively analyzes the ecosystem carbon sink capacity before and after the project implementation with the help of InVEST model. The results are as follows: (1) the pilot project of ecological protection and restoration of mountains-rivers-forests-farmlands-lakes-grasslands system accelerated the mutual transformation of various ecosystems, mainly manifested in the increase of urban ecosystems and the decrease of farmland ecosystems. The overall vegetation cover in the pilot area has increased and the average NDVI value has been rising. The high value area has been gradually expanded, the transformation of poor quality and low quality ecosystems has achieved remarkable results, and the quality of terrestrial ecosystems has effectively improved. (2) The carbon sink capacity and potential of the ecosystem in the pilot area has been effectively improved. The project has increased the carbon sink area by 22.68% cumulatively, including 18.06% in the early stage of the project implementation and 4.62% in the middle and late stages. The total carbon sink increased by 32.74 Tg in 2018 and 31.28 Tg in 2020 after the project implementation, with an increase of 1.24% in the average annual carbon sink potential. The project has significant effectiveness in increasing the quality and quantity of the ecosystem and consolidating and improving the carbon sink potential. The analysis results show that ecological protection and restoration is an inevitable option to achieve the "double carbon" target, which is also its basic position in achieving the "double carbon" target. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Weather-Driven Synergistic Water-Economy-Environment Regulation of Farmland Ecosystems

Weather-Driven Synergistic Water-Economy-Environment Regulation of Farmland Ecosystems

Effects of Microplastics Addition on Soil Available Nitrogen in Farmland Soil

As microplastics (MPs) are an emerging pollution to farmland ecosystems, the research into the ecological and environmental effects of MPs need to be clarified urgently. Available nitrogen is the determining factor for productivity in most terrestrial ecosystems, especially for the farmland ecosystems with a high productivity. To explore the effects of MPs on soil available nitrogen in farmland soil, an incubation experiment was conducted by adding polyethylene MPs with different concentrations to farmland soil, which was collected from farmland in Fuqing, Fujian Province. The contents of three different nitrogen forms (nitrate, ammonium, and dissolved organic nitrogen) and soil dissolved organic carbon were measured, and the soil mineralization rate was calculated. Bacteria was quantified and bacterial community diversity indexes were measured. The results showed that the MPs addition (T1 and T2) had no significant effect on soil ammonium, nitrate and soil nitrogen mineralization rate compared to the control (p &gt; 0.05). However, a significant increase was observed in soil dissolved organic carbon and dissolved organic nitrogen content (p &lt; 0.05). It can be seen that the influence of PE MPs on the soil dissolved organic nitrogen is greater than that of inorganic nitrogen. The results of this study showed no major detrimental effects of MPs on the abundance of some bacterial families, whereas a significant change in soil bacterial evenness index was observed in T2 treatment compared to the treatment without MPs addition. In the background of current MPs pollution, the research results can provide a scientific basis for reducing nitrogen loss in soil and protecting farmland soil safety.

A novel water use efficiency model based on stomata coupling crop growth and farmland water cycle processes in arid area

Water use efficiency (WUE) determined by water-carbon coupling process is important to evaluate the relationship between crop growth and water consumption. Aiming to provide a novel WUE dynamic evaluating method at field scale, we developed a crop WUE model based on stomata, which coupled the processes of crop growth and farmland water cycle. In previous work, we developed a stomatal conductance model in which crop stomatal conductance could be described by its relationship to meteorological factors, soil water and salinity. In this study, we coupled crop transpiration and photosynthesis based on stomata. Furthermore, the model described the daily crop growth and hydrological processes. As a result, the developed model could simulate the dynamic changes of crop canopy evapotranspiration (ET), canopy photosynthesis, dry matter accumulation and assimilation distribution, soil water movement, soil salt transport and WUE of farmland ecosystems on a daily scale. Three years field experimental data were used to calibrate the developed model. The results showed that the model could simulate the variation of agricultural hydrology processes properly in sunflower field on the daily scale, with determination coefficient (R2) and Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency coefficient (NSE) of ET, transpiration and WUE all close to 0.60. R2 and NSE of net ecosystem productivity above 0.74 and 0.68, respectively. And the coupling model had a good performance in simulating the dynamic change process of soil moisture and salt with the R2 and NSE above 0.71 and 0.61, respectively. Sensitivity analysis of model parameters showed that the selection of the extinction coefficient had a great influence on the accuracy of the model and the accurate description of soil resistance parameters played a crucial role in the accurate quantification of ET. The developed field WUE model can provide novel method to evaluate daily hydrological processes, agricultural productivity and WUE dynamics.

Spatial Differentiation of the Coupling Characteristics of Soil Carbon and Nitrogen on Mulberry Plantations in China

Soil is the most important carbon pool of the mulberry plantation ecosystem, so understanding the characteristics of the soil carbon pool in mulberry plantations provides an important basis for the research of carbon sinks in economic forest ecosystems and farmland ecosystems. In order to explore the spatial differentiation pattern of the relationship between carbon and nitrogen in mulberry plantation soil, this study analyzed the organic carbon content and total nitrogen content of the surface soil layer (0–20 cm) and the subsurface soil layer (20–40 cm) of 475 mulberry plantations in five major regions of China, Southwest China (SWC), Central South China (CSC), East China (EC), North China (NC), and Northwest China (NWC). The research showed seven key aspects of this system. (1) The soil organic carbon of mulberry plantations was significantly different at the two soil depths. The average content of organic carbon in the surface layer of mulberry plantation soil was 10.71±7.01g kg–1, which was 37.13% higher than that of the subsurface layer. (2) The soil organic carbon of mulberry plantations had significant differences in spatial differentiation, which was manifested as SWC>CSC>EC>NC>NWC. (3) The total nitrogen content in mulberry plantation soil had significant responses to the region, the soil layer depth, and the interaction between the region and soil layer depth. Among the regions, NWC had no significant difference between the surface layer and subsurface layer of the soil. EC had the maximum difference in total nitrogen content, with the total nitrogen content in the surface soil layer being 56.68% higher than that of the subsurface soil layer. The total nitrogen contents of the surface soil layers in the SWC and NC were 34.27% and 20.79% higher than those of the respective subsurface soil layers. (4) The mulberry plantation soil C/N ratios had a significant response to regional differences, as NWC>SWC> EC>CSC>NC, but this ratio had no significant response to soil depth. (5) Soil pH had significant spatial differentiation in relation to soil organic carbon and total nitrogen content in mulberry plantations. NWC had no significant correlation between pH and organic carbon or total nitrogen content, while CSC had a significant positive correlation between pH and both soil organic carbon and total nitrogen content. Other regions showed significant negative correlations between pH and both organic carbon and total nitrogen content. (6) There was a significant negative correlation between the C/N ratio of the surface soil layer and pH in mulberry plantations, which was mainly contributed by SWC, while the other regions' surface soil layers had no significant correlations between C/N ratio and pH. (7) There was no significant correlation between the C/N ratio and pH in the subsurface soil layer in mulberry plantations. These results reveal that in either the research on mulberry plantation carbon pools or the innovation of green and low-carbon planting technology in mulberry plantations, the spatial differentiation characteristics of soil must be considered. Furthermore, the spatial differentiation of soil organic carbon can be used as the basic foundation for the planning and design of mulberry afforestation or ecological restoration projects.

Crop switching could be a win-win solution for improving both the productivity and sustainability in a typical dryland farming region-Loess Plateau, China

Increasing crop yield and reducing environmental impacts are conductive to regional sustainable food production, while integrated evaluation of them is still lacking. To fill this gap, a new systematic analysis method was developed to quantify crop yield, economic input and environment impact of farmland. Taking the farmland ecosystems of Loess Plateau (LP) in China during 2014–2018 as a case, this new systematic analysis method was applied to quantify the ecological environment, systematic sustainability, and socioeconomic characteristics (indicators) of the farmland ecosystems in dry farming. Then, by exploring the relationships of these indicators and combining with crop switching analysis, the relatively unsustainable counties in farming and the improving potential of sustainable crop production was clarified, respectively. Several interesting results were explored. (1) The counties with the farmland of grey-water footprints exceeding 500 m3/t or soil erosion empowers exceeding 1.5E+12 sej/ha could be categorized as the relatively unsustainable counties in farming. (2) Maize and sorghum showed superior performance in terms of both environmental sustainability and crop productivity, and had promotion advantages in LP. (3) Crop switching could reduce grey water footprint and soil erosion of farmland by up to 27.41% and 35.14% respectively, and increase emergy sustainability index and crop yield by up to 10.35% and 19.90% respectively. The integrated systematic analysis method and crop switching method has high application value for regional sustainable crop production, especially for dryland regions with fragile ecological environment and prominent food demand-supply conflict.

Evolution and Simulation of Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Storage and Sustainability Assessment in Karst Areas: A Case Study of Guizhou Province.

Against the background of "carbon neutrality" and sustainable development goals, it is of great significance to assess the carbon storage changes and sustainability of terrestrial ecosystems in order to maintain the coordinated sustainable development of regional ecological economies and the balance of terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, the terrestrial ecosystem carbon storage in Guizhou from 2010 to 2020 was assessed with the InVEST model. Using the PLUS model, the distribution of terrestrial ecosystem carbon storage by 2030 and 2050 was predicted. The current sustainable development level of the terrestrial ecosystem of Guizhou was evaluated after establishing an index system based on SDGs. The results showed the following: (1) From 2010 to 2020, the terrestrial ecosystem carbon storage decreased by 1106.68 × 104 Mg. The area and carbon storage of the forest and farmland ecosystems decreased while the area and carbon storage of the grassland and settlement ecosystems increased. (2) Compared with 2020, the terrestrial ecosystem carbon storage will be reduced by 4091.43 × 104 Mg by 2030. Compared with 2030, the terrestrial ecosystem carbon storage will continue to decrease by 3833.25 × 104 Mg by 2050. (3) In 2020, the average score of the sustainable development of the terrestrial ecosystem was 0.4300. Zunyi City had the highest sustainable development score of 0.6255, and Anshun had the lowest sustainable development score of 0.3236. Overall, the sustainable development of the terrestrial ecosystem of Guizhou was found to be high in the north, low in the south, high in the east, and low in the west. The sustainable regional development of the terrestrial ecosystem of Guizhou was found to be unbalanced, and the carbon storage of the terrestrial ecosystem will keep decreasing in the future. In order to improve the sustainable development capacity of the terrestrial ecosystem, the government needs to take certain measures, such as returning farmland to forests and grasslands, curbing soil erosion, and actively supervising.

Bird community structure is driven by urbanization level, blue-green infrastructure configuration and precision farming in Taizhou, China

Land use/land cover (LULC) changes and high urbanization rates are the main drivers of avian habitat loss in developing countries. However, few studies have examined the effects of urbanization intensity on avian diversity distribution and its importance in guiding eco-friendly urban planning. We surveyed bird distribution (n = 67 species) in different seasons using local ecological knowledge (LEK) and transect line methods in Jiangyan District from July 2018 to May 2019. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess the effects of urbanization levels on birds relative density and richness during spring-summer (breeding season) and autumn-winter seasons (non-breeding season). Generalized linear models (GLM) were identified for the landscape composition and configuration that drive relative density and richness in native bird communities. Using redundancy analysis (RDA), we identified the landscape composition and configuration factors affecting bird foraging and roosting at urbanization levels. The results showed high dependency of waders and granivores on paddy fields and dry arable land respectively during the breeding season. During non-breeding season, wetland abundance, land cover, connectivity and total area of BGI were important habitat factors in attracting birds. Moreover, the landscape composition and configuration factors of BGI: wetlands as well as farmland habitats, are the main environmental cues that influence bird foraging. Therefore, to increase habitat suitability over landscape matrix, we propose creation of multiple waterbodies and green corridors of variable types and sizes on natural patches to improve the connectivity of ecological network. We also recommend land management interventions in farmland ecosystems, which could contribute to natural habitat restoration and improve bird biodiversity in urban areas.

Phytolith occluded organic carbon in Fagopyrum (Polygonaceae) plants: Insights on the carbon sink potential of cultivated buckwheat planting.

Crop cultivation has great potential to result in a phytolith carbon sink and can play important roles in the long-term stable carbon sequestration of terrestrial ecosystems. Buckwheat, an important multigrain crop with a very long cultivation history, is widely planted around the world. The phytolith carbon sink potential of buckwheat planting is still limited in the in-depth understanding of biogeochemical carbon sequestration in croplands. In order to estimate the phytolith carbon sink potential of buckwheat planting, in the present study, six species including 17 populations of Fagopyrum plants were selected as study materials. Firstly, their phytoliths were extracted using the wet oxidation method; then, the phytolith-occluded organic carbon (PhytOC) contents were determined using the spectrophotometry method; finally, the phytolith carbon sink potential of buckwheat planting was estimated. Results showed the following: 1) The PhytOC content range of the six Fagopyrum species studied was 0.006%~0.038%, which was significantly lower than that of rice, wheat, sugarcane, and some cereal and oil crops. There were significant differences in total silicon, phytolith, and PhytOC content of Fagopyrum plants among the different species, different organs (root, stem, and leaf), and different living forms (annual, partly perennial, and completely perennial). There were significant positive relationships between PhytOC and phytolith content and between phytolith and total silicon content. 2) The average phytolith carbon sequestration rate of Fagopyrum esculentum and Fagopyrum tataricum planting was 2.62 × 10-3 and 1.17 × 10-3t CO2 hm-2·a-1, respectively, being approximately equal to that of terrestrial shrub vegetation. 3) The global total amount of phytolith carbon sequestration of buckwheat planting reached 5,102.09 t CO2 in 2018, and the Chinese total amount of phytolith carbon sequestration of buckwheat cultivation was 624.79t CO2 in 2020. The phytolith carbon sink of buckwheat planting had significant potential for playing obvious roles in the carbon cycle. The present results are of great significance in crop phytolith studies and provide important references for phytolith carbon sink potential estimation of farmland ecosystems.

Study on extra services of integrated agricultural landscapes: A case study conducted on the Coastal Bench Terrace System

The unit area value-based method has been widely used in ecosystem service value assessment research. This method assumes that the area of landscape elements and their ecosystem service values are linearly related. However, the landscape pattern will have a greater impact on the ecosystem services of the whole landscape. This research proposes the concept of “extra services” and takes the Coastal Bench Terrace System, which is a potential agricultural heritage system, as the research object. We evaluated the ecosystem services value of its landscape elements and the ecosystem service value of the whole landscape to judge whether there were extra services in the agricultural landscape. The results show the following: (1) The total ecosystem service value of the Coastal Bench Terrace System was 1.512 billion CNY.11Chinese currency, 1USD = 7.2488 CNY, Access data: September 28, 2022. (2) The ecosystem service value of farmland ecosystems was 603 million CNY. The ecosystem service value of aquatic ecosystems was 826 million CNY. (3) There are extra services in the Coastal Bench Terrace System. Its value was 83 million CNY, accounting for 5.5% of the total value. The research shows that the ecosystem service value of landscape elements and the area of landscape elements may not be purely linear, and these results can provide a reference for landscape ecosystem service value evaluation research.