Air warming and CO2 enrichment increase N use efficiency and decrease N surplus in a Chinese double rice cropping system.

Effectiveness of N might be modified in rice cultivation under future climate change with elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]). At present, limited information is available to understand how plant N uptake and N use efficiency respond to elevated [CO2] and/or temperature in Chinese double rice cropping systems. A four-year field experiment was therefore conducted using open-top chambers with varying [CO2] (ambient, ambient +60 µmol mol-1) and varying temperature (ambient, ambient +2 °C) in Hubei Province, Central China. Compared with ambient conditions, elevated [CO2] increased plant N uptake and N use efficiency, as measured by fertilizer N recovery efficiency (NRE), N agronomic efficiency (NAE), N physiological efficiency (NPE) and apparent system N use efficiency (NUEsys), in both early rice and late rice. CO2 enrichment tended to decrease soil mineral N concentration since more N was assimilated by plants. Elevated temperature led to lower plant N uptake and decreased NRE and NAE in early rice, due to a reduction in grain yield induced by heat injury. In contrast, warming increased plant N uptake and N use efficiency in late rice as no heat stress existed. Warming tended to increase soil mineral N concentration in early rice but had negligible effects in late rice. When elevated [CO2] and temperature were combined, the positive effects of CO2 enrichment for N utilization were able to compensate for the negative effects of warming in early rice, while the interaction was synergetic in late rice. Hence, co-elevation of [CO2] and temperature led to higher N use efficiency (64.6% for NUEsys across four years) and decreased annual N surplus by 28.6-36.5 kg N ha-1 compared with ambient conditions. Our findings confirm that CO2 enrichment and air warming can improve N use efficiency at both crop level and system level in Chinese double rice cultivation.

A framework for assessing the effects of afforestation and South-to-North Water Transfer on nitrogen and phosphorus uptake by plants in a critical riparian zone.

The uptake of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) by plants in riparian zones can significantly decrease the water pollution risk. Moreover, the vegetation area in riparian zone can be impacted by raising of water level and afforestation. As the largest reservoir in North China, the Miyun Reservoir is affected by the South-to-North Water Transfer (SNWT) and large-scale afforestation. However, few efficient technology frameworks that can be used to assess the effects of similar anthropogenic projections on N and P uptake by plants at riparian zone catchment scale have been reported. Therefore, this study proposed a framework including an ecological simulation tool coupled with multi-source data and scenario setting methods to identify the effects of these two projects on the uptake of N and P by plants in Miyun Reservoir riparian zone from April to September in 2015. The results show that the total N and P uptake by plants in Miyun Reservoir riparian zone are 1214.18 t and 148.66 t in growing seasons. After afforestation, the N (P) removal will increase by 2.56 (2.17) times in the impacted area (below 160 m in elevation). When the water level rises to 150 m in elevation, the joint effects of afforestation and SNWT will increase the total N and P removals by 851.18 t and 83.33 t. This implies that the afforestation can offset the negative effect on N (P) removal caused by SNWT. Overall, this study can provide useful scientific reference for the design and effective management of the riparian zone.

[Spatiotemporal dynamics of land cover in northern Tibetan Plateau with responses to climate change].

By using the 2001-2008 MOMS land cover products (MCDl2Ql) and based on the modified classification scheme embodied the characteristics of land cover in northern Tibetan Plateau, the annual land cover type maps of the Plateau were drawn, with the dynamic changes of each land cover type analyzed by classification statistics, dynamic transfer matrix, and landscape pattern indices. In 2001-2008, due to the acceleration of global climate warming, the areas of glacier and snow-covered land in the Plateau decreased rapidly, and the melted snow water gathered into low-lying valley or basin, making the lake level raised and the lake area enlarged. Some permanent wetlands were formed because of partially submersed grassland. The vegetation cover did not show any evident meliorated or degraded trend. From 2001 to 2004, as the climate became warmer and wetter, the spatial distribution of desert began to shrink, and the proportions of sparse grassland and grassland increased. From 2006 to 2007, due to the warmer and drier climate, the desert bare land increased, and the sparse grassland decreased. From 2001 to 2008, both the landscape fragmentation degree and the land cover heterogeneity decreased, and the differences in the proportions of all land cover types somewhat enlarged.