Mapping Chinese annual gross primary productivity with eddy covariance measurements and machine learning.

Annual gross primary productivity (AGPP) is the basis for grain production and terrestrial carbon sequestration. Mapping regional AGPP from site measurements provides methodological support for analysing AGPP spatiotemporal variations thereby ensures regional food security and mitigates climate change. Based on 641 site-year eddy covariance measuring AGPP from China, we built an AGPP mapping scheme based on its formation and selected the optimal mapping way, which was conducted through analysing the predicting performances of divergent mapping tools, variable combinations, and mapping approaches in predicting observed AGPP variations. The reasonability of the selected optimal scheme was confirmed by assessing the consistency between its generating AGPP and previous products in spatiotemporal variations and total amount. Random forest regression tree explained 85 % of observed AGPP variations, outperforming other machine learning algorithms and classical statistical methods. Variable combinations containing climate, soil, and biological factors showed superior performance to other variable combinations. Mapping AGPP through predicting AGPP per leaf area (PAGPP) explained 86 % of AGPP variations, which was superior to other approaches. The optimal scheme was thus using a random forest regression tree, combining climate, soil, and biological variables, and predicting PAGPP. The optimal scheme generating AGPP of Chinese terrestrial ecosystems decreased from southeast to northwest, which was highly consistent with previous products. The interannual trend and interannual variation of our generating AGPP showed a decreasing trend from east to west and from southeast to northwest, respectively, which was consistent with data-oriented products. The mean total amount of generated AGPP was 7.03 ± 0.45 PgC yr-1 falling into the range of previous works. Considering the consistency between the generated AGPP and previous products, our optimal mapping way was suitable for mapping AGPP from site measurements. Our results provided a methodological support for mapping regional AGPP and other fluxes.

Spatial patterns and climate drivers of carbon fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems of China.

Understanding the dynamics and underlying mechanism of carbon exchange between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere is one of the key issues in global change research. In this study, we quantified the carbon fluxes in different terrestrial ecosystems in China, and analyzed their spatial variation and environmental drivers based on the long-term observation data of ChinaFLUX sites and the published data from other flux sites in China. The results indicate that gross ecosystem productivity (GEP), ecosystem respiration (ER), and net ecosystem productivity (NEP) of terrestrial ecosystems in China showed a significantly latitudinal pattern, declining linearly with the increase of latitude. However, GEP, ER, and NEP did not present a clear longitudinal pattern. The carbon sink functional areas of terrestrial ecosystems in China were mainly located in the subtropical and temperate forests, coastal wetlands in eastern China, the temperate meadow steppe in the northeast China, and the alpine meadow in eastern edge of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The forest ecosystems had stronger carbon sink than grassland ecosystems. The spatial patterns of GEP and ER in China were mainly determined by mean annual precipitation (MAP) and mean annual temperature (MAT), whereas the spatial variation in NEP was largely explained by MAT. The combined effects of MAT and MAP explained 79%, 62%, and 66% of the spatial variations in GEP, ER, and NEP, respectively. The GEP, ER, and NEP in different ecosystems in China exhibited 'positive coupling correlation' in their spatial patterns. Both ER and NEP were significantly correlated with GEP, with 68% of the per-unit GEP contributed to ER and 29% to NEP. MAT and MAP affected the spatial patterns of ER and NEP mainly by their direct effects on the spatial pattern of GEP.

[Relationships of forest fire with lightning in Daxing' anling Mountains, Northeast China].

Forest fire is an important factor affecting forest ecosystem succession. Recently, forest fire, especially forest lightning fire, shows an increasing trend under global warming. To study the relationships of forest fire with lightning is essential to accurately predict the forest fire in time. Daxing' anling Mountains is a region with high frequency of forest lightning fire in China, and an important experiment site to study the relationships of forest fire with lightning. Based on the forest fire records and the corresponding lightning and meteorological observation data in the Mountains from 1966 to 2007, this paper analyzed the relationships of forest fire with lightning in this region. In the period of 1966-2007, both the lightning fire number and the fired forest area in this region increased significantly. The meteorological factors affecting the forest lighting fire were related to temporal scales. At yearly scale, the forest lightning fire was significantly correlated with precipitation, with a correlation coefficient of -0.489; at monthly scale, it had a significant correlation with air temperature, the correlation coefficient being 0.18. The relationship of the forest lightning fire with lightning was also related to temporal scales. At yearly scale, there was no significant correlation between them; at monthly scale, the forest lightning fire was strongly correlated with lightning and affected by precipitation; at daily scale, a positive correlation was observed between forest lightning fire and lightning when the precipitation was less than 5 mm. According to these findings, a fire danger index based on ADTD lightning detection data was established, and a forest lightning fire forecast model was developed. The prediction accuracy of this model for the forest lightning fire in Daxing' anling Mountains in 2005-2007 was > 80%.

[Impact of fire on carbon dynamics of Larix gmelinii forest in Daxing'an Mountains of North-East China: a simulation with CENTURY model].

Fire is one of the important natural disturbances to forest ecosystem, giving strong impact on the ecosystem carbon dynamics. By using CENTURY model, this paper simulated the responses of the carbon budget of Larix gmelinii forest in Huzhong area of Daxing' an Mountains to different intensities of fire. The results indicated that after the fires happened, the soil total carbon pool of the forest had a slight increase in the first few years and then recovered gradually, while the stand biomass carbon pool increased after an initial decrease, with the recovery rate of carbon pool of the stand fine components being faster than that of the coarse components. The fluctuation of the carbon pools increased with the increase of fire intensity. After the fires, both the net primary productivity (NPP) of forest vegetation and the soil heterotrophic respiration increased after an initial decrease, but the recovery rate of the NPP was faster than that of soil heterotrophic respiration, resulting in the alternation of the stand functioned as a carbon source or sink. After light fire, the forest still functioned as a weak carbon sink, and quickly recovered as a carbon sink to the level before the fire happened. After other intensities fire, the forest functioned as a carbon source within 9-12 years, and then turned back to a carbon sink again. It was suggested that lower intensity forest fire could promote the regeneration of L. gmelinii forest, reduce the combustibles, and have no strong impact on the stand carbon budget, while higher intensity forest fire would lead to the serious loss of soil- and tree carbon sequestration, retard the recovery of the forest, and thereby, the forest would be a carbon source in a longer term.

[Carbon exchange of Chinese boreal forest during its growth season and related regulation mechanisms].

Based on the two-year continuous observation on the carbon exchange of Chinese boreal forest during its growth seasons in 2007 and 2008 by the method of open path eddy covariance, this paper analyzed the seasonal dynamics of the gross ecosystem productivity (GEP), ecosystem respiration (Re), and net ecosystem carbon exchange (NEE) of the forest, with related regulation mechanisms approached. The GEP, Re, and NEE of the forest reached to their maximum in the vigorous growth period from late June to mid August, but the dates of the maximum appeared differed. The mean daily GEP, Re, and NEE were 19.45, 15.15, and -1.45 g CO2 x m(-2) x d(-1) in 2007, and 17.67, 14.11, and -1.37 g CO2 x m(-2) x d(-1) in 2008, respectively. The intensity of the carbon exchange during growth season was obviously stronger in 2007 than in 2008, possibly due to the higher mean air temperature (12.46 degrees C in 2007 vs. 11.04 degrees C in 2008) and the higher mean photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) (697 micromol x m(-2) x s(-1) in 2007 vs. 639 micromol x m(-2) x s(-1) in 2008). The GEP had close linear relationships with air temperature and PAR, and the correlation coefficient of GEP and air temperature was around 0.55 (P<0.01). The Re was mainly controlled by air temperature, with the correlation coefficient being 0.66-0.72 (P<0.01), and the NEE was mainly controlled by PAR, with the correlation coefficient being 0.59-0.63 (P<0.01).

[Climate change characteristics in Chinese boreal forest region from 1954 to 2005].

In this paper, the change characteristics of air temperature and precipitation in Chinese boreal forest (Larix gmelinii) region from 1954 to 2005 were analyzed, based on the data from eight meteorological stations. The results showed that from 1954 to 2005, the mean annual air temperature in the region increased in a rate of 0.38 degrees C x (10 a)(-1), being significantly higher than the global average value during recent 50 years (0.13 degrees C x (10 a) (-1)). The increasing trend of the temperature appeared in all four seasons, but was only significant in winter and spring (P <0.01). Both the maximum and the minimum mean annual temperatures increased significantly (P <0.01), and the increasing rate was about 0.37 degrees C x (10 a)(-1) and 0.54 degrees C x (10 a)(-1), respectively. The annual precipitation varied obviously among years, but no significant trend was observed at yearly and seasonal scales. Precipitation days increased but not significantly in spring, autumn and winter, while decreased significantly in summer (P <0.05). The precipitation intensity increased in all four seasons, and was only significant in summer (P <0.05) and winter (P <0.01).

[Biomass allocation of Leymus chinensis population: a dynamic simulation study].

Based on a greenhouse simulation experiment, this paper studied the dynamics of the above- and below-ground biomass of Leymus chinensis populations with four planting densities (120, 240, 360 and 480 plants x m(-2)). The results showed that the above- and below-ground biomass of L. chinensis populations had an increasing trend with the growth, and increased with increasing planting density. However, the relative growth rates (RGRs) of the above- and below-ground biomass did not show significant difference among the L. chinensis populations. The ratio of root to shoot (RRS) of the L. chinensis populations increased with their growth, but did not show significant difference among the planting densities, implying that environmental factors were the controlling factors for RRS. There existed significant power function relationships between the above- and below-ground biomass of L. chinensis individuals and populations, but the power function indices and coefficients varied with the planting density. It was suggested that the difference of microenvironment resulted from resources competition could induce the changes of L. chinensis RRS, and the latter could be used as a reference to quantitatively study the allocation of photosynthetic products.

[Soil respiration and its influencing factors at grazing and fenced typical Leymus chinensis Steppe, Nei Monggol].

Based on two-year soil respiration observing data at fenced and grazing typical Leymus chinensis steppe, Nei Monggol by the enclosed chamber method, soil respiration and its relationships with various affecting factors were analyzed. The major results include: (1) The diurnal and seasonal dynamics of soil respiration are similar at fenced and grazing typical Leymus chinensis steppe, but soil respiration rate is larger at the fenced plots than that at the grazing plots, and their values were 219.18 mg x (m2 x h)(-1) and 111.27 mg x (m2 x h)(-1), respectively. The reason of soil respiration rate increasing in the fenced plots might be the increases of biomass in the belowground and soil water content. (2) Among the influencing factors on soil respiration, grazing decreases the effects of soil water content and relative humidity and increases the effect of photosynthetic rate, and has no significant effects on other factors. (3) At the fenced plots, the correlation of soil respiration rate with soil water content is largest, followed by photosynthetic rate, air temperature, relative humidity, air CO2 concentration, intercellular CO2 concentration, stomatal conductance and the lowest being photosynthetically active radiation. Soil water content and air temperature are the main environmental factors, and photosynthetic rate is the critical biotic factor. The affecting factors on soil respiration are the same at the fenced and grazing plots, however the importance of those influencing factors is changed quantitatively.