Li ShiQing

A review of soil and water conservation in China

The preservation and sustainable development of soil and water resources is one of the basic principles for the development of China. Throughout the course of history, all the social improvement and economic development are deeply concerned with soil loss and ecological environmental protection. It is now a common sense that soil and water conservation is the safety insurance for national ecology and its development. For the past long period of time, soil and water loss has been recognized as “the No. 1 killer” to the ecological environment. The nation is on the stage of the critical conditions for its development. China has massive mountain and upland area with complicated geological conditions and accelerated human destruction and serious soil and water loss. Based on rich historical documents, renovating experience and detailed analysis of the data collected in field experiments and field surveys for soil and water conservation, this paper aims to review the general characteristics of soil and water loss, to explore the relationship between soil and water conservation and sustainable economic development, and to provide relevant strategies for soil and water conservation in China.

Effect of nitrogen on vertical distribution of canopy nitrogen and chlorophyll relative value (SPAD value) of summer maize in sub-humid areas.

A field experiment was carried out in sub-humid area using Eum Orthic Authrosols as sample soil type. The experiment analyzed the vertical distribution pattern of canopy leaf nitrogen and leaf chlorophyll relative value (SPAD value), differences in different layer-leaves for different nitrogen levels in summer-maize (Zeamays L.) at three growth stages (jointing, grain filling and maturity) and correlation for layer-leaf nitrogen content, leaf SPAD value and applied N. The results show that different layer-leaves have different nitrogen content which obviously diminishes from the upper to middle, then the lower leaf canopy. Based on the average of different leaf layers for the entire growth stage, upper leaf layer is 6.64% higher than middle leaf layer, which in turn is 5.18% higher than the lower leaf layer. With increasing application of nitrogen, the difference between upper and middle leaf layers increases. However, the difference between middle and lower leaf layers decreases with increasing nitrogen application. The vertically changing trend of canopy leaf chlorophyll relative value is similar to that of nitrogen content of leaves. Correlation analysis indicates a significant (R = 0.503**) linear correlation between chlorophyll relative value and leaf nitrogen content throughout the growth stage. Further analysis indicates that the upper leaf layer has the most closed correlation of leaf nitrogen content, chlorophyll relative value with applied nitrogen. So the best diagnosis of nitrogen nutrition for summer-maize is in the upper leaf layer.