Zhou Guangsheng

The changes in water-use efficiency and stoma density of Leymus chinensis along Northeast China Transect

Abstract Leymus chinensis is a keystone species in the temperate zone grassland of China. Along the NECT (Northeast China Transect) in 2001, water-use efficiency of L. chinensis was analyzed with δ13C, and changes in the stoma density of its leaves were observed and computed under a microscope. Results showed that the ecological plasticity modulation of the stoma density of L. chinensis and its water-use efficiency were two important mechanisms for its broad ecological adaptability. From east to west along the NECT, the δ13C of the species varied from -27.49‰ to -23.57‰, consisting with the reduction of annual precipitation, soil water and annual average temperature, but increased with the increase of the elevation of sampling sites. The stoma density increased from 96.9/mm2 to 169.5/mm2, indicating that the water-use efficiency for the species was improved along the gradient. The linear coefficient between the two parameters was significant (R2 = 0.7338). The results of a stepwise regression analysis showed that the soil water was the first marked factor for determining the stoma density, and the next was the annual precipitation, which suggested that the water factors were the primary ecological factors influencing the stoma density of L. chinensis. The findings in this study showed that the responses of the stoma density and the water-use efficiency for L. chinensis to environmental changes were very complicated. They may be the outcome operated synthetically by all environmental factors in the long-term adaptation to different ecological environments, including human activity, for L. chinensis.

Evapotranspiration of Phragmites communis community in Panjin wetland and its control factors

Abstract Based on the data in the whole year of 2005 using microclimate gradient observation, eddy covariance observation, and plant ecophysiological observation at Panjin Wetland Ecosystem Research Station, Institute of Atmospheric Environment, China Meteorological Administration, the daily evapotranspiration variation and the control factors of the Phragmites communis community are analyzed. The results show that daily evapotranspiration variation among different months can be expressed as a single-peak curve that is lower in the morning and evening, and higher around noon. Meteorological and biological factors affect the evapotranspiration obviously. According to the correlation analysis, the evapotranspiration variation of Phragmites communis wetland has good correspondence with such environmental factors as net radiation, air temperature, surface temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and soil moisture. Regression analysis indicated that the major factors during the growing season include net radiation, soil moisture, relative humidity, air temperature and surface temperature, while the factors during the non-growing season include net radiation, soil surface temperature and wind speed. At the same time, growth situation and biological characteristics of vegetation have significant effects on the evapotranspiration of Phragmites communis , especially the leaf index and leaf conductance.

Responses of photosynthetic parameters of Quercus mongolica to soil moisture stresses

The effect of drought on plant photosynthetic parameters has not been quantitatively described in the models of plant photosynthetic mechanism, so the seedlings of Quercus mongolica from Northeast China were used to study the responses of the photosynthetic parameters to soil water stresses. The results showed that the relationship between the maximum net leaf photosynthetic rate (Pmax) of Quercus mongolica and soil moisture could be expressed as a quadratic curve (P < 0.01), and Pmax reached the maximum when soil volume moisture was close to 35.45% of the field water holding capacity. The maximum rate of carboxylation (Vcmax), the maximum potential rate of electron transport (Jmax) and triose phosphate utilization (TPU) rate of Quercus mongolica also had quadratic relationships with soil water content (P < 0.01). Namely, Vcmax, Jmax and TPU had similar response curves to soil water, but had different optimal soil water contents. Based on the temperature and responses of plant photosynthetic parameters to water, this function provides researchers with the parameters and methodology for understanding and simulating the responses of plant photosynthetic parameters to drought stress.

Analysis of the variability of canopy resistance over a desert steppe site in Inner Mongolia, China

Canopy resistance substantially affects the partitioning of available energy over vegetated surfaces. This study analyzed the variability of canopy resistance and associated driving environmental factors over a desert steppe site in Inner Mongolia, China, through the use of eddy-flux and meteorological data collected from 2008 to 2010. Distinct seasonal and interannual variabilities in canopy resistance were identified within those three years, and these variabilities were controlled primarily by precipitation. Strong interannual variability was found in vapor pressure deficit (VPD), similar to that of air temperature. Based on the principal component regression method, the analysis of the relative contribution of five major environmental factors [soil-water content (SWC), leaf-area index (LAI), photosynthetically active radiation (Kp), VPD, and air temperature] to canopy resistance showed that the canopy-resistance variation was most responsive to SWC (with > 35% contribution), followed by LAI, especially for water-stressed soil conditions (> 20% influence), and VPD (consistently with an influence of approximately 20%). Canopy-resistance variations did not respond to Kp due to the small interannual variability in Kp during the three years. These analyses were used to develop a new exponential function of water stress for the widely used Jarvis scheme, which substantially improved the calculation of canopy resistance and latent heat fluxes, especially for moist and wet soils, and effectively reduced the high bias in evaporation estimated by the original Jarvis scheme. This study highlighted the important control of canopy resistance on plant evaporation and growth for the investigated desert steppe site with a relatively low LAI.

A new methodology for estimating forest NPP based on forest inventory data—A case study of Chinese pine forest

Accurately estimating forest net primary productivity (NPP) plays an important role in study of global carbon budget. A NPP model reflecting the synthetic effects of both biotic (forest stand age, A and stem volume, V) and climatic factors (mean annual actual evapotranspiration, E) was developed for Chinese pine (Pinus tabulaeformis) forest by making full use of Forest Inventory Data (FID) and dynamically assessing forest productivity. The NPP of Chinese pine forest was estimated by using this model and the fourth FID (1989–1993), and the spatial pattern of NPP of Chinese pine forest was given by Geography Information System (GIS) software. The results indicated that mean NPP value, of Chinese pine forest was 7.82 t m−2·a−1 and varied at the range of 3.32–11.87 t hm−2·a−1. NPP distribution of Chinese pine forests was significantly different in different regions, higher in the south and lower in the north of China. In terms of the main distribution regions of Chinese pine, the NPPs of Chinese pine forest in Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces were in middle level, with an average NPP of 7.4 t hm−2·a−1, that in the southern and the eastern parts (e.g. Shichuang Hunan, Henan, and Liaoning provinces) was higher (over 7.7 t hm−2·a−1), and that in the northern part and western part (e.g. Neimenggu and Ningxia provinces) was lower (below 5 t hm−2·a−1). This study provides an efficient way for using FID to understand the dynamics of foest NPP and evaluate its effects on global climate change.

Toward a general evaluation model for soil respiration(GEMSR)

Soil respiration is an important component of terrestrial carbon budget. Its accurate evaluation is essential to the study of terrestrial carbon source/sink. Studies on soil respiration at present mostly focus on the temporal variations and the controlling factors of soil respiration, but its spatial variations and controlling factors draw less attention. Moreover, the evaluation models for soil respiration at present include only the effects of water and heat factors, while the biological and soil factors controlling soil respiration and their interactions with water and heat factors have not been considered yet. These models are not able to accurately evaluate soil respiration in different vegetation/terrestrial ecosystems at different temporal and spatial scales. Thus, a general evaluation model for soil respiration (GEMSR) including the interacting meteorological (water and heat factors), soil nutrient and biological factors is suggested in this paper, and the basic procedure developing GEMSR and the research tasks of soil respiration in the future are also discussed.

Seasonal dynamics of soil respiration and carbon budget of maize (Zea mays L.) farmland ecosystem

In this investigation, we continually measured the soil respiration in a maize farmland ecosystem from late April to late September 2005. Soil heterotrophic respiration is indirectly evaluated by established linear regression relations between soil respira- tion rates and dry root weights. Soil respiration fluctuates greatly during the growing season of 2005. The mean soil respiration rate is 3.16 µmol (CO2)・m −2 ・s −1 ; with a maximum of 4.77 µmol (CO2)・m −2 ・s −1 on July 28 and a minimum of 1.31 µmol (CO2)・m −2 ・s −1 on May 4. The proportions of soil heterotrophic respiration to soil respiration are 45.5%, with a range of 36.4%~56.9%. Assuming that all sequestered C in the grains and straws is not removed from the fields by harvest, net carbon budget of the maize ecosystem is −1 127.0 g (C)・m −2 , with a range of carbon exchange rate of 0.52~ −18.05 g (C)・m −2 ・ d −1 . Maize ecosystems serve as a minor