Studies simulating the large-scale afforestation of the African Sahel constantly find warning signals of increased risk of extreme temperatures and heatwaves resulting from changes in albedo and latent heat flow. We r...Studies simulating the large-scale afforestation of the African Sahel constantly find warning signals of increased risk of extreme temperatures and heatwaves resulting from changes in albedo and latent heat flow. We review the afforestation measures underlying three simulation studies, together with a restoration model in which compartments are formed by greenbelts to enable succession of savanna vegetation, protected from hot wind and drought. Savanna-like vegetation (around 20% woody plants) will show bright reflective surface and drying of leaves during dry season rather than constant green color, with very different impact on albedo and temperatures. We derive that the simulated risks of extreme heat and flooding from rain will strongly depend on species, shape and density of the new vegetation. Ecological restoration concepts are expected to mitigate or prevent such restoration related climatic risks. Compact afforestation of the Sahel does not appear to be necessary or feasible. A restoration model based on compartmentalization and the protected succession of diverse, climatically adaptable vegetation could also be used in populated drylands, as a sustainable and temperature balancing solution to desertification.展开更多
Reed is one of the most frequent and dominant species in wetlands all over the world, with common reed （Phragmites australis （Cav.） Trin. ex Steud.） as the most widely distributed species. In many wetlands, P. aus...Reed is one of the most frequent and dominant species in wetlands all over the world, with common reed （Phragmites australis （Cav.） Trin. ex Steud.） as the most widely distributed species. In many wetlands, P. australis plays a highly ambivalent role. On the one hand, in many wetlands it purifies wastewater, provides habitat for numerous species, and is a potentially valuable raw material, while on the other hand it is an invasive species which expands aggressively, prevents fishing, blocks ditches and waterways, and builds monospecies stands. This paper uses the eutrophic reed-swamp of Wuliangsuhai Lake in Inner Mongolia, northern China, as a case to present the multiple benefits of regular reed cutting. The reed area and aboveground biomass production are calculated based on field data. Combined with data about water and reed nutrient content, the impact of reed cutting on the lake nutrient budget （N and P） is investigated. Currently, at this lake around 100,000 tons of reed are harvested in winter annually, removing 16% and 8% of the total nitrogen and phosphorus influx, respectively. Harvesting all available winter reed could increase the nutrient removal rates to 48% and 24%, respectively. We also consider the effects of summer harvesting, in which reed biomass removal could overcompensate for the nutrient influx but could potentially reduce reed regrowth.展开更多
Background:Anthropogenic disturbances are increasingly affecting the vitality of tropical dry forests.The future condition of this important biome will depend on its capability to resist and recover from these disturb...Background:Anthropogenic disturbances are increasingly affecting the vitality of tropical dry forests.The future condition of this important biome will depend on its capability to resist and recover from these disturbances.So far,the temporal stability of dryland forests is rarely studied,even though identifying the important factors associated with the stability of the dryland forests could serve as a basis for forest management and restoration.Methodology:In a degraded dry Afromontane forest in northern Ethiopia,we explored remote sensing derived indicators of forest stability,using MODIS satellite derived NDVI time series from 2001 to 2018.Resilience and resistance were measured using the anomalies(remainders)after time series decomposition into seasonality,trend and remainder components.Growth stability was calculated using the integral of the undecomposed NDVI data.These NDVI derived stability indicators were then related to environmental factors of climate,topography,soil,tree species diversity,and local human disturbance,obtained from a systematic grid of field inventory plots,using boosted regression trees in R.Results:Resilience and resistance were adequately predicted by these factors with an R^(2) of 0.67 and 0.48,respectively,but the model for growth stability was weaker.Precipitation of the wettest month,distance from settlements and slope were the most important factors associated with resilience,explaining 51%of the effect.Altitude,temperature seasonality and humus accumulation were the significant factors associated with the resistance of the forest,explaining 61%of the overall effect.A positive effect of tree diversity on resilience was also important,except that the impact of species evenness declined above a threshold value of 0.70,indicating that perfect evenness reduced the resilience of the forest.Precipitation of the wettest month was the most important factor explaining 43.52%of the growth stability variation.Conclusion:A combination of climate,topographic factors and local human disturban展开更多
Shrub species are used in restoration projects on dryland for their facilitation effects,which include environmental improvements and protection from herbivore feeding.Facilitation effects on forage grasses are potent...Shrub species are used in restoration projects on dryland for their facilitation effects,which include environmental improvements and protection from herbivore feeding.Facilitation effects on forage grasses are potentially important in improving grazing capacity on rangelands.However,the morphology-dependent performance of benefactor plants in facilitating forage species growth and supplementation under moderate grazing intensity remains unclear.Here,our main purpose was to measure facilitation performance in terms of the survival of a native forage grass,Agropyron cristatum(L.)Gaertn.(Gramineae).,in accordance with the growth conditions of a sand-fixing benefactor shrub,Caragana microphylla Lam.,in the Hulun Buir Grassland,northern China.Six study sites with patches of A.cristatum and C.microphylla were established at the foot of fixed sand dunes.At each site,five quadrats were set in places where C.microphylla coverage was 100%and A.cristatum grew among the shrubs(shrub quadrats),and another five were set where A.cristatum grew alone without C.microphylla(grass quadrats).We measured the morphological traits of C.microphylla and A.cristatum in all 60 quadrats,along with the soil water content and soil temperature.The data were compared between the shrub and grass quadrats by generalized linear mixed-effect models to assess the shrub's facilitation effects.We also used such models to elucidate the relationship between the average height of C.microphylla and the morphological traits of A.cristatum in the shrub quadrats.The maximum height,average grazed height,and the number of seed heads of A.cristatum were greater in the shrub quadrats than in the grass quadrats.The soil surface temperature was lower in the shrub quadrats.The maximum height and seed head number of A.cristatum were positively associated with the average height of C.microphylla.These results suggest that the grazing impact and heat stress were smaller in shrub quadrats than in grass quadrats,and that the degree of this protective effect depended on展开更多
Afghanistan is threatened by rangeland degradation.A quantitative visual analysis of Google Earth Imagery was used to systematically locate,characterize and quantify the current extent of rangelands in Afghanistan deg...Afghanistan is threatened by rangeland degradation.A quantitative visual analysis of Google Earth Imagery was used to systematically locate,characterize and quantify the current extent of rangelands in Afghanistan degraded as a consequence of dryland agriculture.Climate data were used in conjunction with dryland agriculture locations to establish a climate envelope comprised by temperature and mean annual precipitation to create a geographical mask known to contain dryland agriculture.Within this mask we created a grid of 100 km2 cells that we analyzed individually to access dryland agriculture extent.Climatic limits to sustainable dryland agriculture and areas of high restoration priority were also assessed as was the distribution of rain-fed agriculture with respect to the location of traditional migration routes for extensive livestock producers.The extents of agriculture in Afghanistan,at both upper and lower elevations,correlated most closely with mean annual temperature（MAT） at the upper elevation limits,and with mean annual precipitation（MAP） at the lower elevation limits.In total,dryland agriculture comprised 38,980 km2 of former native rangeland.Conversion was highest in the northwestern,northern and northeastern provinces of Herat,Badghis,Faryab,Jawzjan,Sar-e-Pul,Samangan,Balkh,Baghlan,Kunduz,Takhar and Badakhshan,with the highest percentage of conversion occurring in Takhar.An MAP value of 〈400 mm is perceived by farmers as the current climatic limit to sustainable dryland agriculture across the northern regions of the country.Uder this MAP value,approximately 27,677 km2 of converted rangeland met the need for restoration priority.Climate projections indicate that Afghanistan will become warmer and drier in the coming decades.One consequence of this trend is that the MAP threshold of 〈400 mm to sustainable dryland agriculture will become obsolete in the coming decades.Restoration of currently converted rangelands is needed to restore critical grazing areas as is the adoption of prudent rang展开更多
文摘Studies simulating the large-scale afforestation of the African Sahel constantly find warning signals of increased risk of extreme temperatures and heatwaves resulting from changes in albedo and latent heat flow. We review the afforestation measures underlying three simulation studies, together with a restoration model in which compartments are formed by greenbelts to enable succession of savanna vegetation, protected from hot wind and drought. Savanna-like vegetation (around 20% woody plants) will show bright reflective surface and drying of leaves during dry season rather than constant green color, with very different impact on albedo and temperatures. We derive that the simulated risks of extreme heat and flooding from rain will strongly depend on species, shape and density of the new vegetation. Ecological restoration concepts are expected to mitigate or prevent such restoration related climatic risks. Compact afforestation of the Sahel does not appear to be necessary or feasible. A restoration model based on compartmentalization and the protected succession of diverse, climatically adaptable vegetation could also be used in populated drylands, as a sustainable and temperature balancing solution to desertification.
基金the financial support of the project "Sustainable Water Management and Wetland Restoration in Settlements of Continental-arid Central Asia" (Su Wa Rest) by the Kurt-Eberhard-Bode Foundation within the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft
文摘Reed is one of the most frequent and dominant species in wetlands all over the world, with common reed （Phragmites australis （Cav.） Trin. ex Steud.） as the most widely distributed species. In many wetlands, P. australis plays a highly ambivalent role. On the one hand, in many wetlands it purifies wastewater, provides habitat for numerous species, and is a potentially valuable raw material, while on the other hand it is an invasive species which expands aggressively, prevents fishing, blocks ditches and waterways, and builds monospecies stands. This paper uses the eutrophic reed-swamp of Wuliangsuhai Lake in Inner Mongolia, northern China, as a case to present the multiple benefits of regular reed cutting. The reed area and aboveground biomass production are calculated based on field data. Combined with data about water and reed nutrient content, the impact of reed cutting on the lake nutrient budget （N and P） is investigated. Currently, at this lake around 100,000 tons of reed are harvested in winter annually, removing 16% and 8% of the total nitrogen and phosphorus influx, respectively. Harvesting all available winter reed could increase the nutrient removal rates to 48% and 24%, respectively. We also consider the effects of summer harvesting, in which reed biomass removal could overcompensate for the nutrient influx but could potentially reduce reed regrowth.
基金PhD IRO grant from KU Leuven and We Forest Ethiopia supported the data collection.It is one of the chapters of a PhD research and there is no specific ID attached to the funds。
文摘Background:Anthropogenic disturbances are increasingly affecting the vitality of tropical dry forests.The future condition of this important biome will depend on its capability to resist and recover from these disturbances.So far,the temporal stability of dryland forests is rarely studied,even though identifying the important factors associated with the stability of the dryland forests could serve as a basis for forest management and restoration.Methodology:In a degraded dry Afromontane forest in northern Ethiopia,we explored remote sensing derived indicators of forest stability,using MODIS satellite derived NDVI time series from 2001 to 2018.Resilience and resistance were measured using the anomalies(remainders)after time series decomposition into seasonality,trend and remainder components.Growth stability was calculated using the integral of the undecomposed NDVI data.These NDVI derived stability indicators were then related to environmental factors of climate,topography,soil,tree species diversity,and local human disturbance,obtained from a systematic grid of field inventory plots,using boosted regression trees in R.Results:Resilience and resistance were adequately predicted by these factors with an R^(2) of 0.67 and 0.48,respectively,but the model for growth stability was weaker.Precipitation of the wettest month,distance from settlements and slope were the most important factors associated with resilience,explaining 51%of the effect.Altitude,temperature seasonality and humus accumulation were the significant factors associated with the resistance of the forest,explaining 61%of the overall effect.A positive effect of tree diversity on resilience was also important,except that the impact of species evenness declined above a threshold value of 0.70,indicating that perfect evenness reduced the resilience of the forest.Precipitation of the wettest month was the most important factor explaining 43.52%of the growth stability variation.Conclusion:A combination of climate,topographic factors and local human disturban
基金supported by the Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting(TEMM)JSPS KAKENHI(JP19H04316).We thank the staff of the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences(CRAES)the Overseas Environmental Cooperation Center(OECC),Japan for their support during the field survey.
文摘Shrub species are used in restoration projects on dryland for their facilitation effects,which include environmental improvements and protection from herbivore feeding.Facilitation effects on forage grasses are potentially important in improving grazing capacity on rangelands.However,the morphology-dependent performance of benefactor plants in facilitating forage species growth and supplementation under moderate grazing intensity remains unclear.Here,our main purpose was to measure facilitation performance in terms of the survival of a native forage grass,Agropyron cristatum(L.)Gaertn.(Gramineae).,in accordance with the growth conditions of a sand-fixing benefactor shrub,Caragana microphylla Lam.,in the Hulun Buir Grassland,northern China.Six study sites with patches of A.cristatum and C.microphylla were established at the foot of fixed sand dunes.At each site,five quadrats were set in places where C.microphylla coverage was 100%and A.cristatum grew among the shrubs(shrub quadrats),and another five were set where A.cristatum grew alone without C.microphylla(grass quadrats).We measured the morphological traits of C.microphylla and A.cristatum in all 60 quadrats,along with the soil water content and soil temperature.The data were compared between the shrub and grass quadrats by generalized linear mixed-effect models to assess the shrub's facilitation effects.We also used such models to elucidate the relationship between the average height of C.microphylla and the morphological traits of A.cristatum in the shrub quadrats.The maximum height,average grazed height,and the number of seed heads of A.cristatum were greater in the shrub quadrats than in the grass quadrats.The soil surface temperature was lower in the shrub quadrats.The maximum height and seed head number of A.cristatum were positively associated with the average height of C.microphylla.These results suggest that the grazing impact and heat stress were smaller in shrub quadrats than in grass quadrats,and that the degree of this protective effect depended on
基金funded by the U.S.Agency for International Development (306-A-00-06-00521-00)
文摘Afghanistan is threatened by rangeland degradation.A quantitative visual analysis of Google Earth Imagery was used to systematically locate,characterize and quantify the current extent of rangelands in Afghanistan degraded as a consequence of dryland agriculture.Climate data were used in conjunction with dryland agriculture locations to establish a climate envelope comprised by temperature and mean annual precipitation to create a geographical mask known to contain dryland agriculture.Within this mask we created a grid of 100 km2 cells that we analyzed individually to access dryland agriculture extent.Climatic limits to sustainable dryland agriculture and areas of high restoration priority were also assessed as was the distribution of rain-fed agriculture with respect to the location of traditional migration routes for extensive livestock producers.The extents of agriculture in Afghanistan,at both upper and lower elevations,correlated most closely with mean annual temperature（MAT） at the upper elevation limits,and with mean annual precipitation（MAP） at the lower elevation limits.In total,dryland agriculture comprised 38,980 km2 of former native rangeland.Conversion was highest in the northwestern,northern and northeastern provinces of Herat,Badghis,Faryab,Jawzjan,Sar-e-Pul,Samangan,Balkh,Baghlan,Kunduz,Takhar and Badakhshan,with the highest percentage of conversion occurring in Takhar.An MAP value of 〈400 mm is perceived by farmers as the current climatic limit to sustainable dryland agriculture across the northern regions of the country.Uder this MAP value,approximately 27,677 km2 of converted rangeland met the need for restoration priority.Climate projections indicate that Afghanistan will become warmer and drier in the coming decades.One consequence of this trend is that the MAP threshold of 〈400 mm to sustainable dryland agriculture will become obsolete in the coming decades.Restoration of currently converted rangelands is needed to restore critical grazing areas as is the adoption of prudent rang
