Brief communication: Evaluation and inter-comparisons of Qinghai–Tibet Plateau permafrost maps based on a new inventory of field evidence

Many maps have been produced to estimate permafrost distribution over the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP), but the errors and biases among them are poorly understood due to limited field evidence. Here we evaluate and inter-compare the results of six different QTP permafrost maps with a new inventory of permafrost presence or absence comprising 1475 field sites compiled from various sources. Based on the in situ measurements, our evaluation results showed a wide range of map performance, with Cohen's kappa coefficient from 0.21 to 0.58 and an overall accuracy between about 55 % and 83 %. The low agreement in areas near the boundary between permafrost and non-permafrost and in spatially highly variable landscapes highlights the need for improved mapping methods that consider more controlling factors at both medium–large and local scales.

Field-Scale Time of Weed Removal in Canola

Field-scale experiments were conducted at several western Canada locations to determine the importance of early weed removal over variable landscapes. In eight of 10 cases, imidazolinone-resistant (IR) canola yield decreased linearly as herbicide application (15/15 g/ha imazamox/imazethapyr or 15/15 g/ha imazamox/imazethapyr plus 150 g/ha clopyralid) was delayed beyond the one- to two-leaf stage. In two of 10 cases, canola oil content also decreased as herbicide treatment was delayed. Canola yields at all environments (location by year combinations) averaged 2,073, 1,872, or 1,650 kg/ha when treated at the one- to two-, three- to five-, or six- to seven-leaf stage, respectively. Assuming canola prices from a low of $250/t to a high of $650/t, growers could lose $50 to $131/ha, respectively, by delaying herbicide application from the one- to two- to the three- to five-leaf stage, or $106 to $275/ha, respectively, by delaying herbicide application from the one- to two- to the six- to seven-leaf stage.

Predicting a ceiling for soil carbon sequestration on variable landscapes under no-till in eastern Canada

Much of the crop production in eastern Canada occurs on landscapes where erosion/deposition has occurred. The potential to sequester C by reducing tillage will be greatest in those parts of landscapes where the organic carbon (OC) stocks are below a ceiling (OCc). However, the physical/biochemical basis for OCc is not understood and therefore it is difficult to predict where C sequestration will occur in landscapes with variable topography. In this research we tested two hypotheses proposed as the physical/biochemical basis for OCc: (1) OCc coincides with the steady state OC (OCss) stocks on non-eroded sites and (2) OCc coincides with a critical proportion of the capacity of the clay and silt fraction to absorb and retain OC (i.e., a critical saturation ratio). Comparison of data from sites with level and variable topography disproved the first hypothesis; OC stocks on level sites were, on average, 14 Mg ha-1 larger than OCc 15 yr after implementing no-till (NT) on variable landscapes. Further analyses of data from sites with variable topography indicated the saturation ratio in the surface 10 cm of soil must be less than 0.45 before NT results in C sequestration in the profile. Although the analyses are not incompatible with the second hypothesis, the critical saturation ratio is surprisingly small compared with values obtained from level sites. Additional tests of the second hypothesis are warranted on sites with variable topography in which C sequestration has been documented. Key words: Erosion, C capacity, saturation ratio, spatial variability, C sequestration