Table of Content

15 July 2024, Volume 41 Issue 7 Previous Issue    Next Issue

Weather and Climate

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Temperature in different climate states and their influence on climate evaluation in the Hexi Corridor Eastern YANG Xiaoling, ZHOU Hua, CHEN Jing, ZHAO Huihua, WU Wen 2024, 41 (7):  1089-1098.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2024.07.01 Abstract ( 142 )   HTML ( 6 )   PDF (6794KB) ( 87 )   Hexi Corridor Eastern is an area sensitive to changes in climate and climate states, greatly affecting climate evaluation. Using the monthly temperature data of five national meteorological stations in Hexi Corridor Eastern from 1961 to 2022, differences in the average temperatures of four climate states, including 1961-1990, 1971-2000, 1981-2010 and 1991-2020 were compared, and their influence on the climate assessment business was analyzed. The results showed that the annual temperatures of the four climate states increased in various and whole regions, most notably in the P2 (1971-2000) and P4 (1991-2020) states. The temperature differences in the climate states revealed the following: (1) the monthly, seasonal, and yearly temperatures consistently warmed up in the whole basin and various regions, and (2) except for the P3 (1981-2010) to P4 climate states, others showed maximal and minimal elevation in winter and summer, respectively. The monthly variations in enhanced temperatures were apparent, and the growth rate demonstrated obvious spatial differences in the same season and month. After the replacement of the climate state means, the conspicuous characteristics of temperature variations were weakened in the Hexi Corridor Eastern, and their grades were adjusted from positive to negative; temperature rating was as high as 56%-87% to a lower level; the cold winter years increased by 17-28 years, and the warm winter years reduced by 15-23 years from P1(1961-1990) to P4 climate states. This study can provide a reference for understanding temperature changes, climate business, decision-making service, and meteorological science research in Hexi Corridor Eastern. Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Drought trends in Ordos from 1961 to 2020 based on meteorological precipitation anomaly percentage LI Ye, JIANG Wei, CHEN Xiaojun, WU Yingjie, WANG Sinan 2024, 41 (7):  1099-1111.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2024.07.02 Abstract ( 107 )   HTML ( 7 )   PDF (8001KB) ( 116 )   Due to the frequent occurrence of drought events in Ordos, the local economic development has been seriously affected. Therefore, it is necessary to study the temporal and spatial evolution characteristics of droughts. This study used the monthly precipitation data of 85 grid points in Ordos from 1961 to 2020. It analyzed the applicability of the Standardized Precipitation Index and Precipitation Anomaly Percentage in the region by using the run theory. It further examined the temporal and spatial evolution characteristics of drought by inverse distance interpolation. The conclusions were (1) The Pa index had strong sensitivity and accuracy for drought description. (2) The interannual variation of drought was characterized by high frequency, low intensity, and robust continuity. In terms of seasonal changes, the frequency of summer drought was the highest, reaching 16.7%, and that of winter drought was the lowest, at only 13.3%; the drought incidence gradually decreased with an increase in the drought level. (3) The western part of the study area was more prone to enhanced drought levels than the eastern part. Simultaneously, the probability of being unaffected by drought has gently elevated from 42% to 75%. (4) The drought situation in the spring and summer impacted the annual drought situation the most; the situation in autumn and winter improved, more obviously in winter. Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Dust weather changes in Northwest Chinese Cities: Lanzhou as a case study LYU Yanxun, ZHAO Hongmin, WANG Xiaojun, WANG Bin, MA Zhongwu, LIU Minlan, ZHANG Linghui 2024, 41 (7):  1112-1119.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2024.07.03 Abstract ( 230 )   HTML ( 12 )   PDF (4390KB) ( 301 )   In recent years, many studies on sand and dust storms in Northwest China have mainly focused on large and regional scales, with less research on urban sand and dust storms. This paper studies the changing characteristics of urban sand and dust weather in Lanzhou City to understand the alteration characteristics of urban sand and dust storms. The results showed that (1) The number of days of floating dust, sand lifting, and dust storms in Lanzhou City from 2009 to 2023 showed multisegment fluctuation; the change at the time series level as a whole and the total number of days of sand and dust weather showed a marginal decrease of 0.66 d·a-1. (2) The sand and dust weather in Lanzhou City was concentrated in the spring, declining monthly after the cliff rises in March, mainly dominated by floating dust, followed by sand and dust storms. (3) The annual average frequency of dusty weather in Lanzhou City from 2009 to 2023 correlated positively with wind speed, which is the main meteorological factor affecting dusty weather, weakly negatively correlated with relative humidity, and no obvious correlation with the rest of the meteorological factors. (4) The number of dusty days occurred in 3-time cycle scales of 2~3 a, 4~7 a, and 8~23 a, revealing a multisegmented nonsignificant fluctuation, of which 8~23 a corresponded to two peaks with the most substantial amplitude, which is the primary cycle of dusty fluctuation. Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

Land and Water Resources

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Evaluation of multimodel inversion effects on soil salinity in oasis basin LONG Weiyi, SHI Jianfei, LI Shuangyuan, SUN Jinjin, WANG Yugang 2024, 41 (7):  1120-1130.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2024.07.04 Abstract ( 95 )   HTML ( 3 )   PDF (3738KB) ( 45 )   A case study was conducted on the plain oasis in the Sangong River Basin of Xinjiang, China, to monitor and control soil salinity to improve the sustainable development of oases. Based on the climate, topography, vegetation, groundwater, and salinity of the soil survey data, many model methods, such as the Random Forest model, Support Vector Machine, Decision Tree, and Ordinary Kriging, were applied to estimate the inversion accuracy and the spatial distribution of soil salinity in the topsoil. The results revealed that the range of soil salinity values was 0.29-30.18 g·kg-1 and an average of 4.06 g·kg-1 for the sample sites. The value of the coefficients of variation was 149.73%, indicating a robust spatial variability. Among the four models, the Random Forest model showed a higher simulation precision compared to the others, with a coefficient of determination value of 0.73, a root-mean-square error value of 1.89 g·kg-1, and an absolute mean error value of 1.49 g·kg-1. The results of the Random Forest model inversion revealed that areas of higher soil salinity were concentrated in the northwest and the midbasin. Among the nine environmental covariates, elevation and groundwater salinity had a significant impact on the accuracy of identifying spatial distribution characteristics of soil salinity. In general, the Random Forest model as a machine learning method can not only avoid the smoothing effect and abrupt changes on both sides of the map boundary but also identify the local spatial distribution of soil salinity in the basin. The results of this study can provide technical and methodological applications for the long-term monitoring of soil salinization in arid areas. Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Correlations between soil water content, salinity, and fractional vegetation cover in the Ugan-Kuqa River Delta Oasis of Xinjiang ascertained based on remote sensing images ZHENG Liuna, JIANG Hongnan, SUN Mengting 2024, 41 (7):  1131-1139.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2024.07.05 Abstract ( 163 )   HTML ( 9 )   PDF (8098KB) ( 98 )   Based on the soil samples and remote sensing image data, this paper takes the Ugan-Kuqa River Delta Oasis, a typical arid region in Xinjiang, as the study area. FVC was calculated utilizing the pixel dichotomous model. Inverse distance weight interpolation and statistical analysis methods such as correlation and mediating effect analyses were used to study the impact of soil water content and salinity at depths of 0-50 cm on the spatial changes of FVC. This paper can provide a theoretical basis for optimizing resource allocation and formulating ecological restoration measures in arid areas. The results were: (1) FVC showed a west-east decreasing trend in space, directly proportional to the water content and inversely with the salinity. (2) The water content of each soil layer gradually enhanced from top to bottom, and the salinity revealed an inverse trend, with≥moderate variability in water content and salinity at different depths. (3) The soil water content at the 10-20 cm layer alone exhibited a mediating effect between FVC and the water content of the 0-10 cm surface layer. The salinity in the deeper layers of 10-20, 10-30, and 30-50 cm exhibits a mediating effect between FVC and salinity in the 0-10 cm layer. In other words, the salinity in deeper soil layers influenced FVC by affecting the salinity of the surface soil. (4) The salinity in the 0-10 cm layer most significantly impacted the FVC, influencing>47.90% of the spatial variability of FVC. Additionally, the impact of salinity at various soil depths on FVC surpasses that of water content. Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Spatio-temporal evolution and driving factors of land use and ecological risk in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture GAO Pengcheng, YUE Yanni, YAN Jixuan, WANG Shijie, BIE Qiang 2024, 41 (7):  1140-1152.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2024.07.06 Abstract ( 113 )   HTML ( 5 )   PDF (18256KB) ( 47 )   This paper studies the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Based on the land use data at 10-year intervals between 1990 and 2020, it intends to explore the spatiotemporal evolution of land cover in the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, analyze the driving mechanism between spatiotemporal changes in land use and the driving factors, predict the land use in 2030 based on simulations, and discusses the changes in ecological risks due to land use changes by applying the IDRISI Selva software with the CA-Markov model. The results showed that (1) from 1990 to 2020, the land use structure of the study area changed considerably, with grassland and forest land becoming the primary land use types and grassland becoming the main diversion land use type. (2) from 1990 to 2020, the land use motivation of cropland and construction land was higher, and the maximal contribution to the land use change was made by cropland, woodland, and grassland, with the greatest intensity being woodland. (3) based on DEM, slope, distance from the road, population density, and economic density, the driving mechanism of land use change in the study area was analyzed; population and economic status have a marked impact on land use structure. (4) the Kappa index of the simulated-prediction of the land use structure of the study area in 2020 and 2030 using the CA-Markov model was 0.88, with a high prediction accuracy. (5) the regions in the study area with high ecological risks caused by land use changes were Xiahe County and the northern part of Hezuo City, and the southeastern part of Maqu County, where the land use types are dominated by unutilized land, grassland and forest land. Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Response of ecosystem service to land use pattern change in the Shanxi central urban agglomeration WU Zhaoqiao, LIN Fei, NIU Junjie, GENG Tianwei 2024, 41 (7):  1153-1166.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2024.07.07 Abstract ( 100 )   HTML ( 7 )   PDF (33603KB) ( 39 )   The Shanxi central urban agglomeration is the region with the best economic development in that province. However, this economic growth is accompanied by varying degrees of damage to the ecosystem. Based on the evolution of land use patterns, methods such as the InVEST model, ArcGIS, pixel statistical analysis and the four-quadrant model to assess the spatiotemporal patterns and trade-offs/synergies of water yield, food provision, soil conservation, and carbon storage services from 2000 to 2020, and to analyze in depth the impact of land use patterns on ecosystem services. The results showed that (1) Shanxi central urban agglomeration services of water yield, food supply, and soil retention elevated over the years, while carbon storage diminished marginally, with significant discrepancies in the ecosystem service capacities across various land types and administrative regions. (2) Ecosystem services overall are primarily characterized by synergistic relationships; food supply, water yield, and soil conservation are synergistic, whereas all maintain a trade-off relationship with carbon storage. (3) Expansion of built-up land positively impacts water yield, increased forest land promotes soil conservation, while reduction of forest and grassland negatively impacts carbon storage. Land use intensity was positively correlated with water yield, food supply, and soil retention, yet adversely affected carbon storage. These findings provide critical reference points for the ecological security and sustainable development of Shanxi central urban agglomeration and other similar regions. Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

Plant Ecology

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Prediction of potential distribution area of Picea schrenkiana under the background of climate change ZHOU Jie, WANG Xuhu, DU Weibo, ZHOU Xiaolei, YANG Jie, ZAHNG Xiaowei 2024, 41 (7):  1167-1176.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2024.07.08 Abstract ( 111 )   HTML ( 19 )   PDF (9291KB) ( 96 )   Picea schrenkiana, one of the most important tree species in the Tianshan Mountains, plays an important role in soil and water conservation in this region. In this study, the potential distribution and dominant climatic factors of current and three climate change scenarios (i.e., low, the medium, and the high greenhouse gas emission scenarios; SSP1-2.6, SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5) in two future time periods (2020-2040 and 2040-2060) were modeled using the maximum entropy model (MaxEnt). The results were: (1) AUC values of the MaxEnt model were all greater than 0.99, indicating that the model had high reliability for predicting the distribution region of P. schrenkiana. The results from the jackknife test and climate factor response curves revealed that isotherm, seasonal temperature variation, annual mean temperature, precipitation in the coldest quarter, precipitation in the wettest month, and precipitation in the driest quarter were the main factors affecting the potential distribution of P. schrenkiana. Overall, temperature is key factor affecting the potential distribution at present, and precipitation, especially precipitation in the coldest quarter, will be the key factor in the future. (2) At present, the potential distribution of P. schrenkiana is mainly in the mountainous regions of the Xinjiang, Qinghai, Inner Mongolia, Xizang, Gansu, Ningxia, Shanxi, and Sichuan provinces. The total potential area of P. schrenkiana is 299.17×104 km2 at present, and the area of highest suitability is 49.45×104 km2. The potential distribution of P. schrenkiana in future scenarios is still dominated by its currently simulated distribution regions, meaning that the simulated potential area of P. schrenkiana does not significantly change under the different future scenarios. However, the most suitable regions tended to be larger than currently. The potential distribution of P. schrenkiana tended to expand to the west in all scenarios, apart from a migration to the southeast that was predicted under the SSP5-8.5 scenario from 2020 to 2040. Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Physiological, biochemical and morphological responses of Haloxylon ammodendron and Calligonum caput-medusae to drought stress ZHANG Bin, LI Congjuan, Yi Guangping, LIU Ran 2024, 41 (7):  1177-1184.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2024.07.09 Abstract ( 109 )   HTML ( 11 )   PDF (2083KB) ( 52 )   Desertification and drought have emerged as global ecological issues, which pose significant difficulties for plant adaptability and survival. Consequently, it is crucial to investigate the adaptation mechanisms of plants to drought stress to preserve and grow sustainably artificial ecosystems in desert regions. This study examined the physiological, biochemical, and morphological responses of Haloxylon ammodendron and Calligonum caput-medusae in the Taklimakan Desert shelterbelt by employing two treatments: irrigation (20-day irrigation cycle) (CK) and drought (D). The findings demonstrated that under drought stress, the assimilatory branches of both plants were noticeably shorter in terms of morphological traits. The branches of both were also significantly thinner. Regarding physiological reactions, there were no notable distinctions between the two in terms of the photosynthetic gas exchange parameters and the leaf dry mass during drought stress. Additionally, the carboxylation processes, metabolic reaction rates, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, and photosynthetic enzyme contents of both did not exhibit any appreciable alterations under drought stress. However, both showed substantially reduced Fm and Fo values. The Fv/Fm values of H. ammodendron were noticeably greater, but those of C. caput-medusae did not change much. According to our study, H. ammodendron and C. caput-medusae were able to adapt to drought by reducing the assimilate-branch growth, excitation capacity, and photosynthetic pigment activity, thereby preserving photosynthetic capacity. The photochemical system of C. caput-medusae was less vulnerable to damage due to a stable chlorophyll concentration. Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Distribution characteristics of vegetation around blowout in the Hulun Buir Glassland BAO Zhixin, YUAN Limin, WU Hongyan, LU Haitao, HAN Zhaorigetu 2024, 41 (7):  1185-1194.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2024.07.10 Abstract ( 91 )   HTML ( 5 )   PDF (5784KB) ( 93 )   Blowouts are a common type of wind erosion landform in grasslands, and their occurrence is accompanied by different degrees of sand burial, resulting in specific variations in vegetation growth and distribution among different areas. This study focused on the blowouts in the active development stage of the Hulun Buir grassland as the research object to clarify the characteristics and distribution of vegetation in various areas of grassland blowouts. We investigated plant species and their growth in five different areas of the blowouts (sand pit, upwind, left sand accumulation, right sand accumulation, and downwind). The study also analyzed the heterogeneous effect of blowouts on the spatial distribution of plants in the blowout without being affected by sand burial in the upper wind direction as CK. This study aims to provide an essential basis for studying the development mechanisms of grassland blowouts and vegetation restoration technology. The results showed the following: (1) Compared with CK, the plant species of the wind erosion crater increased significantly, with 42 species belonging to 13 families and 34 genera, while CK had only 17 species belonging to eight families and 16 genera; most of these species were psammophytessuch as Agriophyllum squarrosum and Corispermum chinganicum insects. (2) There was marked heterogeneity in plant species from different areas of the blowout; the main species in the pit belonged to Asteraceae, and the number of species decreased by 85.42% compared with CK; the number of plant species in the upwind direction, and the left and right sand accumulation areas were dominated by those from Amaranthaceae; grasses were the primary plants in the downwind direction; and the number of species enhanced by 47.05%, 117.75%, 35.29%, and 29.17%, respectively, compared with CK. (3) The plant growth varied remarkably in the different regions, most significantly between the sand pit and downwind area compared with CK; plant density declined by 99.63% and 89.73%, vegetation coverage by 84.48% and 69.06%, and aboveground biomass by 93.15% and 56.78%. (4) The area of the sand-buried grasslands in the downwind area was the largest; the number of species gradually approached that of CK as the sand pit edge extended to the grasslands through the sandy area; the coincidence degree reached 52.63%; and plants such as Xanthium sibiricum and Agriophyllum squarrosum disappeared. Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Characteristics of soil microbial communities structure and influencing factors in typical vegetation in the Beichuan River Source Area of Datong, Qinghai CUI Guolong, LI Qiangfeng, GAO Ying, LIU Weijun, ZHANG Mei 2024, 41 (7):  1195-1206.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2024.07.11 Abstract ( 99 )   HTML ( 15 )   PDF (5433KB) ( 63 )   This study aimed to investigate changes characteristics of soil microbial communities under typical vegetation in plateau forest ecosystems; a case study was undertaken the Beichuan River source area National Nature Reserve of Datong, Qinghai. This study analyzed 0-20 cm soil samples from six different vegetation species (Betula platyphylla, Populus cathayana, Picea crassifolia, Larix gmelinii var. principis-rupprechtii, Dasiphora fruticosa, and alpine meadow). The composition and diversity of soil microbial communities were determined using Illumina NovaSeq sequencing, and soil physicochemical properties were measured via chemical analyses. The study investigated the correlation between soil microbial communities and soil physical and chemical properties as well as identified factors driving the changes in soil microbial communities. The results revealed the presence of 39 phyla, 785 genera, and 1651 species of bacteria and 17 phyla, 439 genera, and 559 species of fungi in the six vegetation samples. The total number of common microorganisms was lower than the specific one. The six vegetation soils were dominated by Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota, and Acidobacteriota as well as by Basidiomycota and Ascomycota fungal phyla. The bacterial communities of the six vegetation species exhibited significant differences in alpha diversity, with the highest diversity observed in the Populus cathayana Rehder bacterial community. Conversely, the fungal communities showed similarities, with the Betula platyphylla fungal community exhibiting the highest alpha diversity. The correlation between soil microbial communities and soil physicochemical properties was analyzed. At the bacterial phylum level, a significant negative correlation was found between soil pH and Desulfobacterota (P<0.05). Additionally, soil organic matter and total nitrogen contents were found to be highly significantly positively correlated with Ascomycota (P<0.01). At the fungal phylum level, a significant negative correlation was observed between soil pH and Entorrhizomycota (P<0.05). Soil organic matter and total nitrogen contents were highly significantly positively correlated with Zoopagomycota (P<0.01) and significantly negatively correlated with Glomeromycota (P<0.05). Soil pH is a key environmental factor that affects the changes in soil bacterial and fungal communities. Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

Ecology and Environment

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Identification and optimization strategy of an ecological network in Inner Mongolia based on “service importance-habitat sensitivity-biodiversity” LIU Xin, WANG Liqun, LI Haoran, LI Yonghong, QIAO Wenguang, LI Lijuan, WANG Chenxu 2024, 41 (7):  1207-1216.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2024.07.12 Abstract ( 86 )   HTML ( 3 )   PDF (7600KB) ( 28 )   The identification of ecological spatial quality and the construction of regional conservation networks are of great significance for optimizing habitat layout, improving ecological carrying capacity, and maintaining ecosystem stability. Taking the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region as an example, this study constructed a conservation network identification framework of “service importance-habitat sensitivity-biodiversity” and identified ecological source areas by evaluating the ecosystem service importance and habitat sensitivity. Based on these findings, the study, coupled with the existing nature reserve system, utilized the Least Cumulative Resistance model to identify important ecological corridors and construct a conservation network in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The ecological stepping stones and obstacle points to be optimized were extracted by analyzing the spatial superposition relationship between ecological corridors and infrastructure. The results show that (1) the area of Class I ecological source sites in the region was 3.80×104 km2, accounting for 3.21% of the total study area, with a high degree of overlap with the red line of ecological protection. (2) A total of 84 potential ecological corridors were identified based on nature reserves and Class I ecological source sites, with a total length of 15910 km, and a combination of ecological source sites, potential corridors, and bird migratory corridors was used to construct the Inner Mongolia conservation network. (3) In total, five bird migration corridors, ten stepping-stone-quality habitat construction sites, and 81 ecological barrier repair sites were identified. These results can provide data support and location reference for the management and construction of species migration and energy flow networks in ecological protection and restoration projects in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Evaluation and prediction of ecosystem carbon storage in the Inner Mongolia section of the Yellow River Basin based on the InVEST-PLUS model LI Bingjie, FAN Zhitao, QU Zhicheng, YAO Shunyu, SU Xiashu, LIU Dongwei, WANG Lixin 2024, 41 (7):  1217-1227.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2024.07.13 Abstract ( 92 )   HTML ( 2 )   PDF (12060KB) ( 38 )   The carbon storage of terrestrial ecosystems plays a crucial role in mitigating global warming. Assessing the impact of land use changes on carbon storage in the Inner Mongolia section of the Yellow River basin can contribute to achieving “dual carbon” targets. This study applied the InVEST model to assess carbon storage in the Inner Mongolia section of the Yellow River basin over the past 20 years. The PLUS model was used to predict land use patterns in 2040 under three different development scenarios. The study then coupled the InVEST-PLUS to predict the carbon storage for the next 20 years, exploring the response relationship between land use changes and carbon storage. The results indicated that from 2000 to 2020, grasslands were the major land use type and the most significant carbon reservoir. The increase in grassland area was the primary reason for the total rise in carbon storage at 4.08×107 t. Under the ecological protection scenario, it is most conducive to improving carbon storage in the basin by 2040, with a total increase of 4.50×107 t. Annual precipitation was the factor with the single highest explanatory power. As socioeconomic development progresses, its explanatory power on the spatial and temporal differentiation characteristics of carbon storage becomes more apparent. The explanatory power of two-factor interactions is generally much higher than that of single factors for these characteristics. This study aims to provide recommendations for regional land planning and to help China achieve its carbon neutrality goals better. Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Spatiotemporal changes in the ecosystem carbon storage on the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains and simulations based on the PLUS-InVEST model ZHANG Shunxin, WU Zihao, YAN Qingwu, LI Gui’e, MU Shouguo 2024, 41 (7):  1228-1237.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2024.07.14 Abstract ( 129 )   HTML ( 6 )   PDF (15928KB) ( 47 )   As land use change is a critical factor affecting carbon storage in terrestrial ecosystems, investigating the correlations between the two is of great significance for maintaining the regional carbon balance and achieving carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. Based on the Third Comprehensive Scientific Expedition of Xinjiang, this study analyzes the quantitative relationship between land use change and carbon storage on the northern slope of Tianshan Mountains in 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020. It also simulates the probable spatial distribution of regional carbon storage in 2030 under the three scenarios of historical trend, water resource conservation, and economic development by combining the PLUS and InVEST models. The findings revealed the following: (1) Grassland and barren constitute the main land cover types on the northern slope of Tianshan Mountains; the area of cropland, forest, construction land, and wetland, as well as water, increased between 1990 and 2020; cropland increased most significantly, while the others decreased, most considerably in grassland. (2) Carbon storage on the northern slope of Tianshan Mountains first enhanced and then declined from 1990 to 2020, with conversions among the grassland, barren, cropland, and forest being the primary drivers of alterations in total carbon storage. (3) The carbon storage under all three scenarios was lower than the 2020 level, with the most remarkable reduction in the economic development scenario. A decrease in grassland and an increase in barren are the leading causes of carbon loss. Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

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A study on the spatial and temporal evolution and carbon effects of production-living-ecological in Xinjiang under carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals JIAN Zhengbo, LUO Hao, SHAN Nana 2024, 41 (7):  1238-1248.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2024.07.15 Abstract ( 121 )   HTML ( 13 )   PDF (3822KB) ( 39 )   The study of the spatial-temporal evolution of the “production-living-ecological” space and the effect of carbon emission under carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals target is of practical significance for the sustainable development of ecological economies in arid areas and the realization of green and low-carbon development in land space. This study examined remote sensing monitoring data and energy consumption data for the Xinjiang in five periods: 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020. Using the “production-living-ecological” spatial dynamic index, transfer matrix, and carbon emission coefficient, the spatial-temporal evolution characteristics and carbon effects of “production-living-ecological” in Xinjiang in the past 20 years were analyzed using the ArcGIS spatial analysis functions. The results show that: (1) the comprehensive dynamic index of the study area reached 0.11% in the past 20 years, with the highest from 2005 to 2010. (2) in the past 20 years, the area of the “production-living-ecological” space has changed greatly, revealing the rapid expansion of “living-production” space and declining trend in “ecological space”. and (3) “living-production” space is the main contributor to carbon emissions in the study area, and underwent continuous growth. In terms of carbon absorption, the contribution of the “ecological-production” space to carbon absorption is relatively high. The study provides scientific support for the construction of a spatial classification system for the “production-living-ecological” space that meets the emissions reduction needs of Xinjiang; thus, it is of great significance for the construction of high-quality “Belt and Road” and the realization of low-carbon development, carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals in arid regions. Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics

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Land use transitions and its terrain gradient effects based on production-living-ecological spaces in Shaanxi Province during 1990-2020 YANG Suohua, LI Li, MA Jiangde, GUO Wenxia 2024, 41 (7):  1249-1258.  doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2024.07.16 Abstract ( 100 )   HTML ( 4 )   PDF (14292KB) ( 60 )   Based on the land use data of Shaanxi Province in the year of 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020, this study analyzed the process of production-living-ecological spaces transformation and its terrain gradient effects by using methods such as land use change map, land transfer matrix, terrain position, and distribution index, which is of great significance for the optimization of regional land space, land resources management, and cultivated land protection. The results showed that (1) Production and living land in Shaanxi Province were mainly distributed in the Guanzhong Region, while ecological land was distributed primarily in the Northern Shaanxi and Southern Shaanxi Mountainous Regions. (2) From 1990 to 2020, the different land types transformed significantly, with a net reduction in agricultural production and other ecological lands and a net increase in others. The intensity of changes showed a spatial distribution pattern of Northern Shaanxi>Guanzhong>Southern Shaanxi Mountainous Regions. (3) With the elevation of terrain level, the dominant land use type gradually transitioned from agricultural production land to grassland and forest ecological land. The proportion of agricultural and industrial production, urban and rural living, and water ecological lands gradually declined, the proportion of forest ecological land slowly increased, while the proportion of grassland and other ecological land first enhanced and then subsided. Figures and Tables | References | Related Articles | Metrics