scholarly journals Recharge and Nitrate Transport Through the Deep Vadose Zone of the Loess Plateau: A Regional‐Scale Model Investigation

2018 ◽  
Vol 54 (7) ◽  
pp. 4332-4346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuvia Turkeltaub ◽  
Xiaoxu Jia ◽  
Yuanjun Zhu ◽  
Ming‐An Shao ◽  
Andrew Binley
Keyword(s):  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Vadose Zone ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Model Investigation ◽  
Scale Model ◽  
Nitrate Transport ◽  
The Loess Plateau

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Regional-Scale Optimal K Rate Based on Sustainable Apple Yield and High-Efficiency K Use in Loess Plateau and Bohai Bay of China: A Meta-Analysis

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1368
Author(s):  
Wenzheng Tang ◽  
Wene Wang ◽  
Dianyu Chen ◽  
Ningbo Cui ◽  
Haosheng Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Loess Plateau ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Fertilizer Application ◽  
Application Rate ◽  
Bohai Bay ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Application Rates ◽  
Relationship Model

In order to meet the growing food demand of the global population and maintain sustainable soil fertility, there is an urgent need to optimize fertilizer application amount in agricultural production practices. Most of the existing studies on the optimal K rates for apple orchards were based on case studies and lack information on optimizing K-fertilizer management on a regional scale. Here, we used the method of combining meta-analysis with the K application rate-yield relationship model to quantify and summarize the optimal K rates of the Loess Plateau and Bohai Bay regions in China. We built a dataset based on 159 observations obtained from 18 peer-reviewed literature studies distributed in 15 different research sites and evaluated the regional-scale optimal K rates for apple production. The results showed that the linear plus platform model was more suitable for estimating the regional-scale optimal K rates, which were 208.33 and 176.61 kg K ha−1 for the Loess Plateau and Bohai Bay regions of China, respectively. Compared with high K application rates, the optimal K rates increased K use efficiency by 45.88–68.57%, with almost no yield losses. The optimal K rates also enhanced the yield by 6.30% compared with the low K application rates.

scholarly journals Hydrologic feasibility of artificial forestation in the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. 2519-2530 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. T. Jin ◽  
B. J. Fu ◽  
G. H. Liu ◽  
Z. Wang
Keyword(s):  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Northern Region ◽  
Shaanxi Province ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Mean Annual Precipitation ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Semi Arid

Abstract. Hydrologic viability, in terms of moisture availability, is fundamental to ecosystem sustainability in arid and semi-arid regions. In this study, we examine the spatial distribution and after-planting variations of soil moisture content (SMC) in black locust tree (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) plantings in the Loess Plateau of China at a regional scale. Thirty sites (5 to 45 yr old) were selected, spanning an area of 300 km by 190 km in the northern region of the Shaanxi Province. The SMC was measured to a depth of 100 cm at intervals of 10 cm. Geographical, topographic and vegetation information was recorded, and soil organic matter was evaluated. The results show that, at the regional scale, SMC spatial variability was most highly correlated with rainfall. The negative relationship between the SMC at a depth of 20–50 cm and the stand age was stronger than at other depths, although this relationship was not significant at a 5 % level. Watershed analysis shows that the after-planting SMC variation differed depending upon precipitation. The SMC of plantings in areas receiving sufficient precipitation (e.g., mean annual precipitation (MAP) of 617 mm) may increase with stand age due to improvements in soil water-holding capacity and water-retention abilities after planting. For areas experiencing water shortages (e.g., MAP = 509 mm), evapotranspiration may cause planting soils to dry within the first 20 yr of growth. It is expected that, as arid and semi-arid plantings age, evapotranspiration will decrease, and the soil profile may gradually recover. In extremely dry areas (e.g., MAP = 352 mm), the variation in after-planting SMC with stand age was found to be negligible. The MAP can be used as an index to divide the study area into different ecological regions. Afforestation may sequentially exert positive, negative and negligible effects on SMCs with a decrease in the MAP. Therefore, future restoration measures should correspond to the local climate conditions, and the MAP should be a major consideration for the Loess Plateau. Large-scale and long-term research on the effects of restoration projects on SMCs is needed to support more effective restoration policies. The interaction between afforestation and local environmental conditions, particularly water availability to plants, should be taken into account in afforestation campaigns in arid and semi-arid areas.

scholarly journals A universal multifractal approach to assessment of spatiotemporal extreme precipitation over the Loess Plateau of China

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 809-826 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianjun Zhang ◽  
Guangyao Gao ◽  
Bojie Fu ◽  
Cong Wang ◽  
Hoshin V. Gupta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Extreme Precipitation ◽  
East Asian Monsoon ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Atmospheric Circulation Patterns ◽  
External Agent ◽  
Daily Data ◽  
Formal Framework

Abstract. Extreme precipitation (EP) is a major external agent driving various natural hazards in the Loess Plateau (LP), China. However, the characteristics of the spatiotemporal EP responsible for such hazardous situations remain poorly understood. We integrate universal multifractals with a segmentation algorithm to characterize a physically meaningful threshold for EP (EPT). Using daily data from 1961 to 2015, we investigate the spatiotemporal variation of EP over the LP. Our results indicate that (with precipitation increasing) EPTs range from 17.3 to 50.3 mm d−1, while the mean annual EP increases from 35 to 138 mm from the northwestern to the southeastern LP. Further, historically, the EP frequency (EPF) has spatially varied from 54 to 116 d, with the highest EPF occurring in the mid-southern and southeastern LP where precipitation is much more abundant. However, EP intensities tend to be strongest in the central LP, where precipitation also tends to be scarce, and get progressively weaker as we move towards the margins (similarly to EP severity). An examination of atmospheric circulation patterns indicates that the central LP is the inland boundary with respect to the reach and impact of tropical cyclones in China, resulting in the highest EP intensities and EP severities being observed in this area. Under the control of the East Asian monsoon, precipitation from June to September accounts for 72 % of the total amount, and 91 % of the total EP events are concentrated between June and August. Further, EP events occur, on average, 11 d earlier than the wettest part of the season. These phenomena are responsible for the most serious natural hazards in the LP, especially in the central LP region. Spatiotemporally, 91.4 % of the LP has experienced a downward trend in precipitation, whereas 62.1 % of the area has experienced upward trends in the EP indices, indicating the potential risk of more serious hazardous situations. The universal multifractal approach considers the physical processes and probability distribution of precipitation, thereby providing a formal framework for spatiotemporal EP assessment at the regional scale.

scholarly journals Does Anthropogenic Land Use Change Play a Role in Changes of Precipitation Frequency and Intensity over the Loess Plateau of China?

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1818 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhengjia Liu ◽  
Yansui Liu
Keyword(s):  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Precipitation Amount ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Precipitation Frequency ◽  
Intensity Changes ◽  
Vegetation Cover Change

Human transformation of landscapes is pervasive and accelerating across the Earth. However, existing studies have not provided a comprehensive picture of how precipitation frequency and intensity respond to vegetation cover change. Therefore, this study took the Loess Plateau as a typical example, and used satellite-based Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data and daily gridded climatic variables to assess the responses of precipitation dynamics to human-induced vegetation cover change. Results showed that the total precipitation amount exhibited little change at the regional scale, showing an upward but statistically insignificant (p > 0.05) trend of 7.6 mm/decade in the period 1982–2015. However, the frequency of precipitation with different intensities showed large variations over most of the Loess Plateau. The number of rainy days (light, moderate, heavy, very heavy and severe precipitation) increased in response to increased vegetation cover, especially in the central-eastern Loess Plateau. Anthropogenic land cover change is largely responsible for precipitation intensity changes. Additionally, this study also observed high spatially explicit heterogeneity in different precipitation intensities in response to vegetation cover change across the Loess Plateau. These findings provide some reference information for our understanding of precipitation frequency and intensity changes in response to regional vegetation cover change in the Loess Plateau.

scholarly journals The Joint Effects of Precipitation Gradient and Afforestation on Soil Moisture across the Loess Plateau of China

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 285 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qindi Zhang ◽  
Wei Wei ◽  
Liding Chen ◽  
Lei Yang
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Mean Annual Precipitation ◽  
Precipitation Gradient ◽  
Vegetation Types ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Deep Soil ◽  
Ecological Regions ◽  
Caragana Korshinskii

Understanding the dependence of soil moisture changes following afforestation on the precipitation gradient and afforested vegetation types is crucial for improving ongoing afforestation projects, and to guide future restoration strategies in water-limited regions. For this study, we characterized afforestation-induced changes in soil moisture at depths of 0–3.0 m across a precipitation gradient in the semi-arid Loess Plateau of China. A paired experiment was conducted across 15 sites, where native grasslands served as the baseline hydrology. The results showed that korshinsk peashrub (Caragana korshinskii Kom.), sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.), and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) afforestation caused an overall strong decline in soil moisture content at depths of below 2.2 m. The degree of soil moisture decline at the regional scale did not vary between different afforested vegetation types but was contingent on precipitation. With decreasing precipitation gradients, afforestation increased the cost of deep soil moisture. Precipitation restrictions began to appear at mean annual precipitation (MAP) = 520 mm, and were intensified at MAP = 380 mm, which could be employed to divide the Loess Plateau into different ecological regions. Because of this, different strategies should be assigned in future restoration practices to these ecological regions to align with localized precipitation conditions. It will likely be prudent to encourage afforestation in areas with MAP of more than 520 mm, while advocating alternative grassland restoration in areas with MAP of less than 380 mm.

Soil moisture decline following the plantation of Robinia pseudoacacia forests: Evidence from the Loess Plateau

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
HaiBin Liang ◽  
Zongshan Li
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Robinia Pseudoacacia ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Influential Factor ◽  
Mean Annual Precipitation ◽  
Drought Severity ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
The Loess Plateau

<p>Soil moisture is the foundation of ecosystem sustainability in arid and semi-arid regions, and the spatial–temporal details of soil moisture dynamics of afforested areas can benefit for land use management in watershortage regions such as the Loess Plateau of China. In this study, spatial–temporal variations in soil moisture under Robinia pseudoacacia plantations on the Loess Plateau were analyzed. A total of 147 observations of soil moisture content (SMC) data to a depth of 500 cm soil profile were collected in 23 counties via field transect surveys and analyses of published literature. The results suggested that (1) the depth-averaged SMC was generally lower under forest sites than under cropland, both in the shallow layers and in the deep profiles. This finding implied that, compared with the native vegetation, the introduced R. pseudoacacia plantations caused intense reductions in soil moisture. (2) SMC was positively correlated with climatic factors (mean annual precipitation (MAP), mean annual temperature (MAT), and the Palmer drought severity index (PDSI)), indicating that the SMC under R. pseudoacacia plantations was highly consistent with the hydrothermal conditions at the regional scale. (3) The decreasing amplitude of SMC was linearly related to the increasing number of restoration years, especially in the areas below the 500–550 mm precipitation threshold. This finding showed that the restoration ageing sequence was an influential factor that affected the regional SMC variation in R. pseudoacacia plantations on the Loess Plateau. Our results suggest that afforestation activities should be avoided if the local total precipitation is insufficient for replenishing the soil moisture and that local tree species with a lower demand for water resources should be considered a top priority for further afforestation of the Loess Plateau.</p>

Regional Scale Distribution of Gully in Loess Plateau Based on High Resolution Google Earth Satellite Imagery

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianhua Su ◽  
Chunmei Wang ◽  
Guowei Pang ◽  
Qinke Yang ◽  
Xin Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Yellow River ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Spatial Differentiation ◽  
Earth Satellite ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Scientific Management ◽  
Visual Interpretation ◽  
The Loess Plateau

<p>Gully erosion is one of the most important erosion gully types in the Loess Plateau. Its generation and development seriously affect and destroy the ecological environment. Therefore, it is the premise of scientific management to make clear the spatial distribution of gully region scale. At present, scholars at home and abroad mainly focus on the spatial distribution of gully in a specific small watershed, and there are few reports on the regional scale. In view of this, this study, based on Google Earth sub meter image combined with GIS method, uses the means of manual visual interpretation to conduct sampling survey of gully in the Loess Plateau. A total of 137 sampling units were set up, and the area of each sampling unit was about 0.2 square kilometers. The results showed that: (1) there were 75 gullies in 54.7% of the survey units, with a total of 712 gullies. The sampling units with gullies were mainly located in the northeast of the Loess Plateau (yan'an-dongsheng area on both sides of the Shanxi Shaanxi Yellow River) and the middle of the Loess Plateau (the border area of Guyuan, Ningxia and Huining, Dingxi, Gansu), with an average gulley density of 3.32km/km<sup>2</sup> and a maximum of 19.94km/km<sup>2</sup>; (2) the grassland was the most gullied area The main land use types of gully development accounted for 40.03%, followed by cultivated land and forest land, accounting for 30.06% and 20.08% respectively, and 9.83% of gully development was in bare land, orchard and residential land, collectively referred to as other land; (3) the average values of gully width, length and distance from watershed were 7.76m, 69.81m and 79.19m, respectively, and the gully width was mainly distributed in 3-5M, accounting for 50% 39.6％。 The length of gully was mainly distributed in 30-70m, accounting for 46.3%. The distance between  and watershed was mainly 25-50m, accounting for 41.6%; (4)  existed most in sub region I of Loess Plateau (22.7%), followed by sub region III of Loess Plateau (20.0%), sub region V of Loess Plateau (12.0%) and sub region II of Loess Plateau (9.3%); (5) according to the existing erosion classification standards,  erosion intensity of Loess Plateau reached strong level No. The gully density and gully length show obvious spatial differentiation characteristics. The highest density area is in yan'an-dongsheng area on both sides of Shanxi Shaanxi Yellow River, and the gully length in this area is about 100m. This study will help to better understand the spatial distribution characteristics of  in the Loess Plateau, support  management in the Loess Plateau, and promote scientific decision-making of  control in the Loess Plateau.</p>

Investigation of Factors Controlling the Regional-Scale Distribution of Dried Soil Layers Under Forestland on the Loess Plateau, China

2011 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 311-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunqiang Wang ◽  
Ming’an Shao ◽  
Zhipeng Liu ◽  
David N. Warrington
Keyword(s):  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Soil Layers

scholarly journals Soil Respiration Characteristics and Influencing Factors for Apple Orchards in Different Regions on the Loess Plateau of Shaanxi Province

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 4780
Author(s):  
Tingting Hou ◽  
Yanping Wang ◽  
Fuxing Guo ◽  
Qiong Jia ◽  
Xinnan Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Respiration ◽  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Shaanxi Province ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽  
The Loess Plateau

To explore the characteristics of the spatial and temporal variation in soil respiration (SR) in orchard ecosystems in different regions of the Loess Plateau of Shaanxi Province and to distinguish the controlling factors, representative orchards were studied from April to October 2019. We conducted SR measurements in five locations, including Mizhi dangta (MZ), Ansai Liuzhuang (AS), Luochuan houzitou (LC), Fuping meijiaping (FP), and Yangling Wuquan (YL). The results indicated that the SR of each orchard showed clear seasonal variation. The SR increased with the distance from the trunk at the tree scale, while gradually increasing from north to south on the regional scale (p < 0.05). The soil temperature and soil moisture were the main factors controlling the seasonal changes in SR in the orchards. On the tree scale, the fine root biomass was the main factor causing the tree-scale spatial variability. At the regional scale, SR was mainly influenced by the differences in the soil temperature, soil moisture, soil organic carbon, soil bulk density and pH. In agricultural management practices, the cumulative soil respiration was higher with irrigated treatment than with non-irrigated (NI) treatment (p < 0.05). In addition, traditional surface drip irrigation (SDI) and root injection irrigation (RII) showed great differences in soil respiration in the early and late stages of irrigation (p < 0.05), and the soil moisture was the main controlling factor. Compared with no tillage (NI), green cover (GC), deep tillage (DT), and shallow tillage (ST) increased the SR by 57%, 36% and 14%, respectively (p < 0.05). Due to the great temporal and spatial variation in the SR in our study area, we determined that the soil respiration in the orchards was affected not only by environmental factors but also by agricultural measures. Therefore, greater attention should be paid to human factors when exploring SR to ensure that orchard management can promote the economic benefits of the orchards without greatly impacting the environment.

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