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Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment
Elsevier Science Publishers
Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment

Elsevier Science Publishers

0167-8809

Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment/Journal Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment
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    Spatial patterns of county-level arable land productive-capacity and its coordination with land-use intensity in mainland China

    Zhu, DehaiYe, SijingRen, ShuyiSong, Changqing...
    19页
    查看更多>>摘要：Evaluation of arable land ecosystem services capacity and arable land-use intensity (ALUI) is important for recognising key regional factors that impact arable land attributes changes, which is crucial for planning sustainable patterns of arable land use. The chronic lack of coordination between these two types of evaluation studies has made it hard to provide enough information for developing arable land-use management and control policies. Here, we generated a 1-km-grid map of arable land potential yield and county-level arable land productive-capacity. The impact of land-use and land-cover change on county-level total arable land productive-capacity during 1990-2010 had been estimated. Then we determined the aggregation-distribution characteristics of four indexes (i.e. average arable land potential yield, average ALUI, total arable land area and arable land productive-capacity reserves) at the county-level by the k-means algorithm to assess the regional coordination between arable land productive-capacity protection and arable land use. The results show that during 1990-2010, land-use change led to arable land productive-capacity decreases in 2007 of China's 2733 counties (nearly 73.5% of the total counties' count). Most of these counties are in central and southern China, and their corresponding arable land productive-capacity decrement rates are generally < 6.15%. Counties with decrement rates > 6.15% are mainly in the Yangtze and Pearl River delta regions. The geographical detector shows that county-level arable land-area change is a primary factor that drives county-level arable land productive-capacity increase. Its determinant power can be quantified as 74.154%. In contrast, its determinant power to county-level arable land productive-capacity decrease is only 38.542%, which demonstrates that occupy high-capacity arable land and supplement low-capacity arable land have a greater role in causing reduction of county arable land productive-capacity. Total arable land productive-capacity and use intensity show only slight determinant power to county-level arable land productive-capacity decrease. It indicates that insufficient attention has been paid to the protection of arable land productive-capacity and the farmers' willingness in the implementation of China requisition-compensation balance policy. The aggregation-distribution characteristics show that arable land productive-capacity protection is in coordination with arable land use for most of the provinces in China. Arable land with high or medium potential yield tends to be used at high or medium intensity. A lack of coordination is most evident in the insufficient ALUI, particularly in seven of the thirteen major grain-producing provinces. Other evidence of weak coordination is in the low potential yield versus high farming conditions and willingness, where unsuited planting modes should be prevented. Lastly, challenges for exploring sustainable arable land use path have been discussed. This study is greatly instructive for recognising interrelations between natural conditions and arable land-use patterns and for exploring shortcomings that impede regionally sustainable arable land use.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    Reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions through a combination of pig manure and reduced inorganic fertilizer application in a double-rice cropping system: Three-year results

    Wang, CongMa, XiaofangShen, JianlinChen, Dan...
    12页
    查看更多>>摘要：Manure amendment in croplands is common practice for soil carbon sequestration, and may also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Few studies focus on the effects of manure application on the net greenhouse gas emissions (NGHGE, the global warming impacts of soil carbon sequestration and CH4 and N2O emissions) in double-rice cropping fields. Herein, a field experiment was conducted to analyze the effects of pig manure application in combination with reduced chemical fertilizers on the NGHGE, soil properties, and yields in a double-rice paddy field in 2012-2015. Four treatments were included: 0 N (no nitrogen fertilizer); 1/2 N (chemical nitrogen fertilizer reduced by 50%); N (100% chemical nitrogen fertilizer); and 1/2 N + PM (pig manure complemented with chemical fertilizer application). The average annual CH4 emissions for 1/2 N + PM were 53%, 50%, and 32% higher than those for 0 N, 1/2 N, and N treatments, respectively (p < 0.05). The soil organic carbon sequestration rates (SOCSR) for 1/2 N + PM were 224%, 208%, and 192% higher than those for 0 N, 1/2 N, and N treatments, respectively (p < 0.05). The average annual N2O emissions from 1/2 N + PM were 51% lower than those from the N treatment. Compared to 0 N, 1/2 N and N treatments, the average NGHGE for 1/2 N + PM decreased by 41%, 41%, and 52%, and the average greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI, the yield-scaled NGHGE) from 1/2 N + PM reduced by 67%, 52%, and 53%, respectively. The decreases in NGHGE and GHGI were predominantly due to increased SOCSR (contributions of 187-308% and 81-325%, respectively) in 1/2 N + PM. The average soil nitrate, microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, soil organic carbon contents, and pH value for 1/2 N + PM treatment were higher than those for the 1/2 N and N treatments (p < 0.05). Compared to 0 N and 1/2 N treatments, 1/2 N + PM treatment significantly increased the average rice yield. However, no significant difference in average yield was observed between the 1/2 N + PM and N treatments. Gross margin analysis showed that the economic profit for 1/2 N + PM was higher than that for the other three treatments. Thus, the combined application of reduced chemical fertilizers and pig manure is an effective and economic way to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions and increase soil fertility in double-rice cropping systems.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    Context-dependent foraging habitat selection in a farmland raptor along an agricultural intensification gradient

    Assandri, GiacomoCecere, Jacopo G.Sara, MaurizioCatoni, Carlo...
    12页
    查看更多>>摘要：Gradients of agricultural intensification in agroecosystems may determine uneven resource availability for predators relying on these man-made habitats. In turn, these variations in resource availability may affect predators' habitat selection patterns, resulting in context-dependent habitat selection. We assessed the effects of gradients of landscape composition and configuration on habitat selection of a colonial farmland bird of prey, the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni), relying on 76 GPS-tracked nestling-rearing individuals from 10 populations scattered along an agricultural intensification gradient. Analyses were conducted considering two ecological levels of aggregation (the population and the individual) and two spatial scales of habitat availability (the colony surroundings and the individual home-range). Overall, non-irrigated croplands and semi-natural grasslands were the most preferred habitats at both spatial scales. At the colony scale, lesser kestrels showed a preference for grassland compared to non-irrigated crops, whereas the opposite was the case within individual home-ranges. Conversely, croplands were positively selected with comparable intensity at both spatial scales. Strong selection for grassland at the colony scale highlights the importance of this semi-natural habitat for the species. The weaker preference for grassland at the home-range scale is likely due to the phenology and structure of the vegetation in the late breeding season. Spatial scale differences in selection patterns may thus derive from spatiotemporal changes in resource availability through the breeding season. The strength of selection for the two most used habitats varied markedly among individuals. At the spatial scale of the colony, individual selection strength for grasslands increased with decreasing compositional diversity of the surrounding landscape, suggesting that agroecosystem heterogeneity may at least partly buffer the loss of semi-natural habitats. At the within homerange scale, higher cropland availability reduced the strength of individual preference for this habitat, suggesting a negative functional response possibly related to density-dependent processes acting on foraging movements. Our study provides evidence that farmland species show context-dependent habitat selection patterns in response to landscape gradients shaped by agricultural intensification as well as by intrinsic characteristics and habitat availability. Our findings highlight the importance of addressing both individual and population-level variability and considering multiple spatial scales in studies of habitat selection to inform species' management and conservation.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    Soil organic C and N dynamics as affected by 31 years cropping systems and fertilization in highland agroecosystems

    Su, FuyuanHao, MingdeWei, Xiaorong
    12页
    查看更多>>摘要：Cropping systems and fertilization have important effects on soil organic carbon (OC) and nitrogen (N) turnover and availability; however, little information exists about the interaction of cropping system and fertilization. Herein, we analyzed the dynamics of soil OC and N in a 31-year experiment in a highland agroecosystem to understand how the effects of fertilization vary with cropping systems. The experiment included different cropping systems, and each system included various fertilization treatments. The cropping systems were continuous alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), continuous winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and grain-legume rotation of winter wheat + millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) -pea (Pisum sativum L.) -winter wheat. The fertilization treatments were the control (CK), phosphorous (P), P and nitrogen (NP) and NP and manure (NPM). A bare fallow treatment that did not receive any crop and fertilizer was designed to compare the effects of the cropping systems. The soil samples were collected at different times of the experiment. The contents of OC, N, and labile OC were measured, and the carbon management index was calculated. When averaged across the experimental periods, soil OC, N, labile OC and carbon management index were significantly higher in the pure legume (i.e., continuous alfalfa) system than in the bare fallow and nonlegume system (i.e., continuous winter wheat) due to the higher C and N inputs from root biomass. The NP and NPM significantly increased these soil variables, and the effects of NPM were greater than those of NP due to the higher supplying of C and N in NPM treatment than NP treatment. However, the effects of NP or NPM on soil OC and N contents were similar among the cropping systems. The effects of P were greater in the continuous alfalfa system but smaller in the continuous winter wheat system in comparison with those in the grain-legume rotation system. Therefore, at the conditions of our study, legume-included cropping systems with large root biomass and manure combined with chemical fertilizers have the potential to increase OC and N and their availability in highland soils, which could be important strategies for improving soil fertility and quality and sequestrating C in soils. Moreover, P fertilizer was recommended for the legume-included cropping systems.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    Subsoil carbon input by cover crops depends on management history

    Rasmussen, JimLiang, ZhiMortensen, Esben OsterDe Notaris, Chiara...
    5页
    查看更多>>摘要：Cover crops represents an agricultural management option, which has the potential to increase soil carbon (C) stocks and contribute to atmospheric CO2 reduction. However, there is a scarcity of studies quantifying the C inputs from cover crops, particularly into subsoil layers. Furthermore, estimates of plant C inputs to soils often lack accounting of root fragments (here defined as roots in the size class of 0.25-4 mm) and net phyllo-and rhizodeposition. Based on a field experiment with multiple C-13-CO2 pulse labeling, we investigated the shortterm C inputs from cover crop mixtures to 1-m depth in two long-term cropping systems with organic and conventional management. We used a novel C-13-based approach to quantify the amount of C in root fragments, as young fragile cover crop roots are challenging to sample in soils. The results showed that the total below ground C input to 1-m depth (570-1000 kg C ha(-1)) was similar across long-term management (organic and conventional, with or without a history of cover crops), but with a higher belowground C input for mixtures established without winter vetch (Vicia villosa Roth). The C input to the subsoil (> 25 cm) by cover crops accounted for 11-42% of the total plant belowground C input, which was significantly and negatively correlated to the soil fertility measured as the initial mineral nitrogen (N) content in the topsoil. The results suggest that root exploitation, and thus plant C inputs into the subsoil, was enhanced in relatively N poor cropping systems. Root fragments and net phyllo-and rhizodeposition accounted for 39-59% and 5-37%, respectively, of the total cover crop belowground C input, i.e., both representing significant pools of plant C input. We conclude that future studies on the effects of cover crops on soil C storage need to account for subsoil C pools including root fragments and rhizodeposition to achieve a comprehensive estimation of plant C inputs.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    Hedgerows as a habitat for forest plant species in the agricultural landscape of Europe

    Litza, KathrinAlignier, AudreyClosset-Kopp, DeborahErnoult, Aude...
    14页
    查看更多>>摘要：Hedgerows are semi-natural wooded habitats and an important element in agricultural landscapes across Western and North-Western Europe. They reduce erosion, function as carbon sinks and thus provide essential ecosystem services. Moreover, they form a structurally diverse ecosystem for numerous taxa and connect otherwise fragmented forest habitats. This study compiled data from the hedgerow-rich oceanic regions of Europe, covering a gradient from Southern Sweden to Northern France, to analyse the influence of management, landscape context and climate variables on the number of herbaceous forest specialists in hedgerows. The species frequencies in hedgerows were related to their functional traits to identify plant characteristics that are beneficial for species dispersal and persistence in hedgerows. Our results show that numerous forest plant species, but not all, can thrive in hedgerows. Those are likely thermophilic, tolerant against regular disturbance and able to disperse efficiently. Hedgerows in regions that are warm or that are impacted by heat and drought events contain fewer forest species. Intensive adjacent land-use had a negative impact on forest species richness, while the surrounding forest cover was not significantly important. In congruence with previous regional studies, wider hedgerows contain more forest species, which is most likely caused by a more effective buffering of the microclimate. Thus, hedgerow width gains in importance in times of climate change and increasing extreme weather events. It is a key factor for habitat quality also on a European scale that needs to be considered for future management strategies.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    The impact of land consolidation on arable land productivity: A differentiated view of soil and vegetation productivity

    Chen, XiLin, ChenHou, XuanWu, Zijing...
    12页
    查看更多>>摘要：Changes in agricultural land productivity have become a crucial criterion for assessing the effectiveness of land consolidation (LC). In this study, agricultural land productivity under LC was observed and monitored in terms of two important factors: vegetation productivity and soil productivity, which were represented by net primary productivity (NPP) and soil organic matter (SOM), respectively. Based on spatial and temporal variations before and after the implementation of LC, the response of vegetation and soil productivity to LC was further discussed. The main results are as follows: (1) The effectiveness of LC could be quantitatively confirmed in terms of both vegetation and soil productivity. Compared with vegetation productivity, soil productivity had stronger and more positive response to LC. (2) The effectiveness of LC was characterized by temporal attenuation, which specifically showed that the improvement of vegetation and soil productivity followed a trajectory of "increase-stability" after the implementation of LC. (3) The effectiveness of LC was seasonal, coinciding with the farming period. In other words, the effectiveness of LC became completely prominent with the implementation of agricultural activities. This phenomenon was particularly more pronounced from the aspect of soil productivity.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    The effect of organic manure or green manure incorporation with reductions in chemical fertilizer on yield-scaled N2O emissions in a citrus orchard

    Zhou, WeiMa, QingxuWu, LeiHu, Ronggui...
    10页
    查看更多>>摘要：Excess chemical fertilizer application results in substantial N2O emission. Manure application into agricultural soil can reduce chemical fertilizer input while maintaining crop yield. However, little is known about the potential effects of reduction in chemical fertilizer with green manure or organic manure on yield-scaled N2O emissions in orchards. A two-year experiment was carried out in a citrus orchard, including (i) chemical fertilizer (urea), 0%, 70%, 85% and 100% of N supplied, respectively (CK, C70, C85, CF), (ii) organic manure (rapeseed cake) incorporation with 0%, 70%, 85% and 100% of N supplied from chemical fertilizer (OM, OMC70, OMC85, OMCF), (iii) green manure (smooth vetch) incorporation with 0%, 70%, 85% and 100% of N supplied from chemical fertilizer (GM, GMC70, GMC85, GMCF) treatments. The soil physical-chemical properties, N2O emissions and yields were measured during 2018-2019. N2O emissions were 1.57 and 1.80 kg N ha- 1 yr- 1 under CF treatment in 2018 and 2019, respectively, and decreased by 25.4%-31.6% under C70, 32.5%-55.4% under OMC70 and OMC85 treatments and by 16.1-32.2% under GMC70 and GMC85 treatments. The 70% N rate of chemical fertilizer was the optimal N rate for maximizing yield in no manure, organic manure and green manure treatments, respectively. The C70, OMC70 and GMC70 treatments both significantly decreased yield-scaled N2O emission with the lowest emission in OMC70 treatment relative to CF treatment. N2O fluxes in OMC70 and OMC85 treatments were mainly controlled by the DOC/NO3- ratio, while soil NH4+ was the dominant factor controlling N2O fluxes in GMC70 and GMC85 treatments, suggesting that more NH4+ provided from green manure than from organic manure contributed to higher N2O emission. We conclude that applying organic manure incorporation with 30% reductions of chemical fertilizer is a fertilizer management strategy worth pursuing for sustainable productivity and environmental protection in citrus orchards.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    How weed management influence plant community composition, taxonomic diversity and crop yield: A long-term study in a Mediterranean vineyard

    Guerra, J. G.Cabello, F.Fernandez-Quintanilla, C.Pena, J. M....
    12页
    查看更多>>摘要：Agricultural expansion and intensification is a major driver of biodiversity loss. Conventional weed management (e.g. tillage, herbicide) has encouraged the promotion of a few more competitive species over a wide range of arable plants that are now in decline. A reduction in plant diversity would negatively affect the provision of key ecosystem services in agroecosystems. In vineyards, the use of plant covers has emerged as the principal alternative to conventional weed management, providing multiple ecosystem services such as enhance biodiversity, but usually with a decrease in yields in Mediterranean vineyards. This long-term study assessed how weed management (herbicide, mowing, tillage) influenced plant community composition, taxonomic diversity and vineyard yield. Plant surveys and grape yield measurements were carried out from 2015 to 2018 in an experiment established in 2008. Effects on plant community composition were analysed, focusing on two groups: noxious grapevine weeds and terophytic grassland species. In addition, three fundamental components of taxonomic diversity were measured: beta-diversity, evenness and species richness. Linear mixed models and generalised linear mixed model were used to examine the response of different variables to weed management. Position (row, inter-row) as well as the indirect effect of adjacent management on the subplots were also included as fixed factors. Furthermore, the percentage of bare soil, related to disturbance degree associated with management, was explored as a potential predictor of taxonomic diversity and vineyard yield. Results indicated that plant community composition was affected by weed management and to a lesser extent by position. Noxious grapevine weeds were more abundant in herbicide-sprayed rows, while terophytic grasslands species showed a higher presence in mown subplots. Weed management had a strong effect on bare soil, which proved to be a good predictor of the variables studied. Indeed, the highest species richness were associated with the lowest percentages of bare soil (mown subplots), while the lowest values were found at high percentages of bare soil (tilled subplots). Herbicide showed intermediate values, with a response dependent on adjacent management. On the other hand, vineyard yields were higher with increased bare soil, although with the consequent loss of species richness. Conversely, mowing in spontaneous plant covers caused a decrease in yield, but still production was within the maximum limit established by the Regulatory Council, while increasing the species richness and a significant presence of therophytic grasslands species. These findings could foster the development of more sustainable management in Mediterranean vineyards.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    Heavy rainfall in peak growing season had larger effects on soil nitrogen flux and pool than in the late season in a semiarid grassland

    Li, LinfengHao, YanbinZheng, ZhenzhenWang, Weijin...
    10页
    查看更多>>摘要：Increasing heavy rainfalls can strongly affect ecosystem nitrogen (N) cycling processes and thereby alter soil N fluxes and pools. However, the effects of heavy rainfalls on soil N fluxes and pools are poorly understood, particularly with regards to high rainfall timing under field conditions. We conducted a 3-year (2014-2016) manipulative experiment in which heavy rainfall was imposed in middle (plant peak growing stage) or late (plant senescent growth stage) growing season in a semiarid grassland of Inner Mongolia, China to explore the responses of N2O fluxes and soil total N contents and the underlying microbial mechanisms. Mid-season heavy rainfall promoted soil N2O emissions by 65% on average across the three years, attributable mainly to increases in denitrifying nirK and nirS abundances induced large denitrification at higher soil water contents. However, archaeal and bacterial amoA and narG genes did not change significantly due probably to counteracting effects of increased soil water content (positive) and soil pH (negative). Mid-season heavy rainfall led to 17% reduction in soil total N by the end of the last year of the study (2016), partly due to the enhanced accumulated N2O emissions over the three years. In contrast, late-season heavy rainfall did not change N2O emissions and soil total N contents even though soil water content, soil pH and nirK and nirS abundance were significantly increased, perhaps due to limitation by low temperature. Timing of the heavy rainfall events during the plant growing season strongly influenced their impacts on soil N fluxes and pools and heavy rainfalls in the peak stage of plant growth may potentially cause a positive feedback to global warming and exacerbate N limitation in terrestrial ecosystems.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier