Assessment of the eco-environmental quality in the Nanweng River Nature Reserve, Northeast China by remote sensing.

Scientific and rapid assessment of the ecological environment quality based on remote sensing can provide basis for regional protection, management and planning. In this study, using Landsat TM/OLI/TIRS in 1990, 2000 and 2015 as data sources, four indices including the wetness component of the tasseled cap transformation (WET), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), normalized difference built-up and soil index (NDSI), and land surface temperature (LST) were derived, with the weights being determined by principal components analysis (PCA). Remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) was used to evaluate the eco-environmental quality of Nanweng River Nature Reserve from 1990 to 2015. Results showed that RSEI was an effective indicator for evaluating spatio-temporal dynamics of eco-environmental quality. From 1990 to 2015, the mean value of RSEI of Nanweng River Nature Reserve increased from 0.55 to 0.83, the proportion of area with excellent and good levels of RSEI trended to increase, probably due to the increase of forests at those levels. Meanwhile, 91.4% of the total land area in the reserve had an improved eco-environmental quality. Such improvement was attributed to the establishment of the reserve and implement of a series of engineering and non-engineering protection measures. In the north of core area and buffer area, decrease of eco-environmental quality was due to forest fires which destroyed a large area of forest vegetation. In the road side and southeast of the experimental area, intensified human activities led to the decrease of regional eco-environmental quality.

[Dynamics of habitat suitability for waterfowls from 1990 to 2015 in the ecological function zone of Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China]. / 1990­2015å¹´ä¸‰æ±Ÿå¹³åŽŸç”Ÿæ€åŠŸèƒ½åŒºæ°´ç¦½æ –æ¯åœ°é€‚å®œæ€§åŠ¨æ€.

As a wetland of international importance, the ecological function zone of the Sanjiang Plain (EFZSP) plays an important role in maintaining waterfowl habitat. With the increasing disturbance of human beings, land use and climate changes, habitat suitability for waterfowls (HSW) has drawn greater attention of ecologists. In this study, Landsat TM/ETM+/OLI and HJ-1B images in 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2015 were used to obtain land cover classification by object-based image analysis, and the entropy and analytic hierarchy process methods were adopted to determine the factors and their weights, the factors selected in this study included water condition (lake and river density), disturbance factor (residence and road density), shelter condition (land cover type and slope), and food abundance (NDVI). Finally, the evaluation results of habitat suitability of year 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2015 were achieved based on the habitat suitability index (HSI) system, and the spatio-temporal dynamics and driving forces causing the changes were analyzed. The results showed that the excellent level of HSW mainly distributed in abundant water areas, especially along the riparian zone of the Heilongjiang River, Naoli River, Ussuri River, Muling River and Xingkai Lake. Its area decreased by 3.2% from 1990 to 2015 because of wetland reclamation. The good level of HSW concentrated in Raohe County over the past 25 years, the condition of Hulin County and Fuyuan County were improved to a good level from 2010 to 2015 due to the substantial increase of paddy field areas. The fair level of HSW distributed dispersedly, and the areas first increased from 1990 to 2000 and then decreased during 2000-2010 and 2010-2015 periods. The areas of poor le-vel increased by 6.7% from 1990 to 2000 and decreased by 3.1% from 2000 to 2015. The change of HSW level in this study area was dominated by land cover change, and both of the increasing population and economy and the drying and worming climate resulted in the decline of the HSW level, whereas the establishment of nature reserves is crucial to protect habitat for waterfowls.

[Wetlands of priority restoration in Northeast China based on spatial analysis].

By using GIS/RS technology, and from the aspects of landscape structure, river- and road densities, wetness index, geomorphology, and cultivated land productivity, a spatial analysis was made on the potentiality of wetland restoration in Northeast China, with the regions of priority and secondary priority restoration wetlands determined. Then, by using the coordinated development index of crop production and wetland as well as the landscape indices, the wetland restoration effect was verified. In Northeast China, the wetland area of priority restoration was 1.78 x 10(6) hm2, among which, farmland and grassland were the main types for restoration, accounting for 96.7% of the total, and mainly located in the Sanjiang Plain in the northeastern part and the Songnen Plain in the central part of Northeast China. The wetland area of secondary priority restoration was 1.03 x 10(6) hm2. After the restoration of the wetlands, the wetland area in Northeast China would be increased by 37.4%, compared with the present wetland area, and the value of the coordinated development index of crop production and wetland would increase from 0.539 before restoration to 0.733 after restoration. The landscape pattern would be more benefit to the performance of the ecological functions of the wetlands. This study revealed that the restoration scheme of the wetlands in Northeast China based on spatial analysis was practicable, which could provide data support for the implement of wetland restoration and the improvement of ecological environment in Northeast China.

[Spatial and temporal variability of soil C/N ratio in Songnen Plain maize belt].

The C/N ratio of soils is a sensitive indicator of soil quality, and an indicator for assessing carbon and nitrogen nutrition balance of soils. Its variation is significant in reflecting the carbon and nitrogen cycling of soils. Based on field investigation, sample collection and analysis, and application of geostatistics and GIS technology, spatial and temporal variation of C/N ratio was analyzed and studied from 1980 to 2005 in Songnen Plain maize belt. The results indicated that the mean value of C/N ratio is 10.56 and 12.30 in 1980 and 2005, respectively. Spatial correlation distance of soil C/N ratio in two periods is 196.3 km and 51.1 km, showing a decreasing trend, which indicated that farming management factors were enhancing. In the past 25 years, 84.88% of soil C/N ratio was on rise with the highest value in the west of the study area, but parts of Dehui County and Jiutai County decreased. As for different land use types, soil C/N ratios in the upland, paddy land, forest and woodland and grassland showed upward trends, with the highest increase from 10.03 +/- 1.12 in 1980 to 12.61 +/- 0.87 in 2005 in grassland and higher in upland and paddy land than the national average. The increasing soil C/N ratio illustrated that soil carbon increased faster than nitrogen. To maintain the steady growth of soil C/N ratio, it is suggested that the return of carbon be paid more attention when the input of nitrogen, such as incorporating crop residues into soil and inputting more organic fertilizers into soils for future farming practices.

[Spatial characteristics of soil organic carbon and nitrogen storages in Songnen Plain maize belt].

By using the data of 382 typical soil profiles from the second soil survey at national and county levels, and in combining with 1:500000 digital soil maps, a spatial database of soil profiles was established. Based on this, the one meter depth soil organic carbon and nitrogen storage in Songnen Plain maize belt of China was estimated, with the spatial characteristics of the soil organic carbon and nitrogen densities as well as the relationships between the soil organic carbon and nitrogen densities and the soil types and land use types analyzed. The soil organic carbon and nitrogen storage in the maize belt was (163.12 +/- 26.48) Tg and (9.53 +/- 1.75) Tg, respectively, mainly concentrated in meadow soil, chernozem, and black soil. The soil organic carbon and nitrogen densities were 5.51-25.25 and 0.37-0.80 kg x m(-2), respectively, and the C/N ratio was about 7.90 -12.67. The eastern and northern parts of the belt had much higher carbon and nitrogen densities than the other parts of the belt, and upland soils had the highest organic carbon density [(19.07 +/- 2.44) kg x m(-2)], forest soils had the highest nitrogen density [(0.82 +/- 0.25) kg x m(-2)], while lowland soils had the lower organic carbon and nitrogen densities.