[Research advances in critical transition and its ecological mechanisms of terrestrial ecosystems.] / é™†åœ°ç”Ÿæ€ç³»ç»Ÿä¸´ç•Œè½¬æ¢ç†è®ºåŠå ¶ç”Ÿæ€å­¦æœºåˆ¶ç ”ç©¶è¿›å±•.

With the exacerbating disturbances of climate changes and human activities to terrestrial ecosystems, more and more studies realize that ecosystems are at the risk of shifts without warning in structural and functional states and recovery from perturbations require more time. Developing an early warning model to identify critical transition and understanding its ecological mechanism of typical ecosystems have become hotspot in ecological researches. At present, based on theoretical and experimental researches across multiple spatiotemporal scales, a variety of theoretical frameworks and indicators of early warning signals (EWSs) were proposed to signal terrestrial ecosystem critical transition. Here, in order to more thoroughly understand and construct theoretical frameworks and indicators of early warning signals, we reviewed advances in critical transitions from aspects of theoretical methods and processing mechanisms. Catastrophe theory and critical slowing down (CSD) are the two basic theories for early-warning ecosystem state transitions. Self-organization and feedback mechanisms are the primary ecological mechanisms to shape alternative stable state. Understanding cascade effects networks (CENet) among biological and environmental elements, and clarifying the equilibrium relationships between input and output of key ecosystem parameters are theoretical foundation of critical transition model. These theoretical cognitions could provide useful references to early warning of ecosystem disasters, ecological environment management and restoration.

[Effects of alien species Robinia pseudoacacia on plant community functional structure in hilly-gully region of Loess Plateau, China.] / 外来物种刺槐对黄土丘陵区植物群落功能结构的影响.

To investigate the effects of the introduction of Robinia pseudoacacia on the functional structure of plant communities, we selected paired-plots of R. pseudoacacia communities and native plant communities across different vegetation zones, i.e., steppe zone, forest-steppe zone, forest zone in hilly-gully region of Loess Plateau, China. We measured several functional characteristics and then compared the functional structures of R. pseudoacacia and native plant communities in different vegetation zones. The results showed that the variation of the functional traits across different vegetation zones were consistent in R. pseudoacacia community and native plant community, including leaf carbon concentration, leaf nitrogen concentration, leaf phosphorus concentration, specific leaf area, and leaf tissue density. The leaf carbon concentration, leaf nitrogen concentration, and specific leaf area of the R. pseudoacacia community were significantly higher than those of the native plant community. The trend of change that the functional diversity indices, i.e., FRic, FEve, FDiv, FDis, Rao of the R. pseudoacacia community and the native plant community with vegetation zones were different. The introduction of R. pseudoacacia enhanced the plant community functional diversity in the forest zone but reduced community functional diversity in the steppe zone.

[Trait-based responses and adaptation of Artemisia sacrorum to environmental changes].

The paper focused on Artemisia sacrorum in the stable natural plant community in three vegetation zones (forest, forest steppe and steppe) in the Yanhe River catchment. The following plant functional traits were measured at each sample site, i.e., specific leaf area (SLA), leaf tissue density (LTD), leaf nitrogen concentration (LNC), leaf phosphorus concentration (LPC), leaf nitrogen phosphorus ratio (LNP), specific root length (SRL), root tissue density (RTD), root nitrogen concentration (RNC), root phosphorus concentration (RPC) and root nitrogen phosphorus ratio (RNP). These 10 plant functional traits were chosen because they were easily measurable and adequately reflected plant survival strategies. We analyzed intraspecific differences in A. sacrorum functional traits in the different habitat zones, and the influence of climate and terrain factors on A. sacrorum functional traits. We also studied the relationships among A. sacrorum plant functional traits. The results showed that some A. sacrorum functional traits were significantly different among sample sites, such as LPC, LNP, SRL, RTD and RNP, while the other 5 functional traits had no significant differences. The functional traits were not significantly different between sites with different slopes and aspects. SLA was very significantly negatively correlated with LTD, SRL was significantly negatively correlated with RTD and RNP, RTD was significantly positively correlated with RNC and RNP, and there were no significant relationships among LTD, LNC and LNP and the other functional traits. This showed that A. sacrorum adapted to the environment by coordinating adjustment among leaf and root functional traits. Different climate factors had different effects on plant traits, with the effects of mean annual precipitation > mean annual temperature > annual average evaporation capacity.

[Relationships among leaf traits and their expression in different vegetation zones in Yanhe River basin, Northwest China].

This article selected zonal plant communities as the research objects in different vegetation zones in Yanhe River basin. We measured six leaf traits of the dominant species and main accompanying species in each community, and then analyzed the relationships and their changes along with environmental gradients between these traits in order to understand the plant adaptation strategies to the environment changes. The results showed that the specific leaf area was significantly negatively correlated to leaf tissue density, area-based leaf nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, and significantly positively correlated to mass-based leaf phosphorus concentration. Both the scaling relationships among these traits and plant life strategies were different among the three vegetation zones, the scaling-dependent relationship between leaf tissue density and specific leaf area was stronger in steppe and forest-steppe zones than in forest zone, but the correlations among area-based leaf nitrogen/phosphorus concentrations and specific leaf area and leaf tissue density were more significant in forest zone than in steppe zone. In the arid grassland and forest-steppe zone, plants give priority to defensive and stress resistance strategies, and in relatively moist nutrient-rich forest zone, plants give priority to fast growth and resource optimization allocation strategies.

[Responses of plant functional traits to micro-topographical changes in hilly and gully region of the Loess Plateau, China].

Plant functional traits are closely tied to the performance of plants in specific microenvironments, and reflect their ability to adapt to those microenvironments. In areas with complex topography, analyzing the responses of plant functional traits to microtopographical changes is crucial to understanding the adaptive strategies of plants in diverse environments. This paper analyzed fluctuations in soil nutrients as well as correlations between plant functional traits and changes in topography at the family and community levels in selected natural vegetation communities in the foreststeppe zone of the loess hilly and gully region in Loess Plateau of China. Significant differences in plant functional traits were primarily driven by the phylogenetic background or species composition of the community. Slope aspect exerted less impact while slope positions had no significant effect on plant traits at the community level. No significant changes in plant functional traits were observed with changes in topography at the community level. However, leaf nitrogen and root nitrogen contents of Leguminous and Compositae species differed significantly With slope positions. The root tissue density of Graminaceous species differed significantly with slope positions. Root density exhibited significant positive correlations with soil nutrient and carbon contents at the community level. Both leaf nitrogen and root nitrogen contents of Leguminous species were positively correlated with soil phosphorus content, while leaf nitrogen and root nitrogen contents of both Graminaceous and Compositae species were significantly positively related to soil nitrogen content. The results demonstrate the different responses of species of different families to changes in micro-topography and their distinctive adaptive strategies to the environment.

Soil nutrient assessment based on attribute recognition model in the Loess Plateau of China.

Soil fertility is important factors for growth and productivity of vegetation. The relationship between vegetation and soil fertility deserves attention due to its scientific importance and practical applications. However, the effects of soil fertility on vegetation development and succession are poorly documented. Here we study soil fertility in Yanhe watershed at northern Shaanxi on five different land uses, namely shrubland, farmland, natural grassland, woodland, and artificial grassland, and in soil under restoration for 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25. Attribute recognition model based on entropy weight was used to evaluate the soil fertility of typical region in the Loess Plateau of China, which contained 52 soil samples with 6 physical and chemical indexes, including soil organic matter, soil total nitrogen, total phosphorus, etc. The results show that (1) Land use has an obvious effect on soil bulk density, total porosity and capillary porosity of surface layers, but not significant in the subsurface layer; (2) SOM, Ntotal, Nhydro and Kavail are the most in shrubland and woodland while Ptotal and Pavail in farmland, respectively; (3) Vegetation succession on eroded soil result in significant changing of soil fertility; and (4) Vegetation succession on eroded soil result in significant changing of soil fertility.

Soil water storage capacity under chronosequence of revegetation in Yanhe watershed on the Loess Plateau, China.

The relationship between vegetation and soil moisture deserves attention due to its scientific importance and practical applications. However, the effects of soil moisture on vegetation development and succession are poorly documented. Here we study soil water storage in Yanhe watershed at northern Shaanxi on five different land uses, namely shrubland, farmland, natural grassland, woodland, and artificial grassland, and in soil under restoration for 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25. The results show that (1) soil water in soil 0-60 cm below ground is the highest in farmland, and lower in shrubland, artificial grassland, natural grassland and woodland; (2) soil water in artificial grassland and woodland decreases rapidly as the soil depth increases; whereas soil water in farmland, natural grassland, shrubland and woodland decreases; (3) soil water storage of farmland is greater than that of shrubland, artificial grassland, natural grassland and woodland; and (4) the vegetation succession in soil undergo restoration for different years on eroded soil results in a decrease in soil water storage.

[Extraction of structured vegetation cover index for Loess Area in North Shaanxi based on TM images].

Based on the concept of structured vegetation cover index (Cs) and by using TM images as the information source, the extraction way of Cs for Loess Area in North Shaanxi by using remote sensing techniques was explored. In study area, Cs was better than the traditional projected vegetation coverage index in expressing the relationships between vegetation structure and soil erosion. The Cs was closely related to the remote sensing vegetation indices, such as green indices NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and MSAVI (Modified Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index), and yellow indices NDSVI (Difference Senescent Vegetation Index) and NDTI (Normalized Difference Tillage Index). The combination of the green and yellow indices could better express the effects of vegetation on soil erosion, compared with the single index. Among these remote sensing vegetation indices, the MSAVI and NDTI could be the ideal green and yellow vegetation indices for the extraction of Cs from TM images. It was possible to extract the Cs from remote sensing data through the regression analysis of Cs and remote sensing vegetation indices. However, this method was just validated and applied to the study area. Whether it could be applied to other regions was needed to be further validated due to the phonological differences from one region to another.

[Prediction and mapping of potential vegetation distribution in Yanhe River catchment in hilly area of Loess Plateau].

The prediction and mapping of potential vegetation distribution is of instructive to the ecological restoration planning. By using generalized additive model (GAM) and in combining with GIS spatial analyst and environmental stratification sampling techniques, a distribution model for 24 dominant species in Yanhe River catchment was developed, and, based on the interspecific relationships in plant communities and the distribution probability, the spatial distribution of plant species was calculated, and the distribution of 37 plant communities and of the potential vegetation in Yanhe River catchment was predicted. The results showed that there were no significant differences between predictive values and actual data, and the predictive spatial distribution of vegetation could actually reflect the distribution of potential vegetation in Yanhe River catchment, suggesting that the established model had good ability for the vegetation distribution prediction, which was of significance to the goal-setting and planning of vegetation restoration.