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This study analyzed temporal and spatial changes of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) on the northern Loess Plateau and their correlation with climatic factors from 1998 to 2012. The possible impacts of human activities on the NDVI changes were also explored. The results showed that (1) the annual maximum NDVI showed an upward trend. The significantly increased NDVI and decreasing severe desertification areas demonstrate that the vegetation condition improved in this area. (2) Over the past decades, climate tended to be warmer and drier. However, the mean temperature significantly decreased and precipitation slightly increased from 1998 to 2012, especially in spring and summer, which was one of the major reasons for the increase in the annual maximum NDVI. Compared to temperature, vegetation was more sensitive to precipitation changes in this area. The NDVI and annual precipitation changes were highly synchronous over the first half of the year, while a 1-month time lag existed between the two variables during the second half of the year. (3) Positive human activities, including the “Grain for Green” program and successful environmental treatments at coal mining bases, were some of the other factors that improved the vegetation condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Loess Plateau of China is subject to severe water shortages, and the runoff reduction observed in most watersheds exacerbates the problem. Quantifying the contributions of environmental changes to runoff reduction is thus very important for water resources management. Taking the Jing River catchment as the study area, the changes in runoff for the period of 1961–2010 at three gauge stations—the catchment outlet (Zhang Jia Shan, ZJS) and the two others from the upper reach (Yang Jia Ping, YJP, and Yu Luo Ping, YLP) were analyzed in this study. Using the Budyko framework, the spatiotemporal variations of the contributions of precipitation ( P ), potential evapotranspiration ( ET 0 ), and land surface conditions (represented by the parameter n in the Choudhury–Yang equation) to runoff changes were evaluated. A significant downward trend in runoff was detected for the ZJS and YJP stations. The sensitivity of the runoff changes to the different environmental factors considered was different. The sensitivity coefficient was the greatest for P , intermediate for ET 0 , and smallest for the land surface condition ( n ). However, the sensitivity coefficients are becoming greater over time. The decrease in P was the dominant factor in the runoff reduction at the three stations, but its effect was largely offset by the increase in n at YLP. The contribution of land surface alteration to runoff reduction has been increasing in recent years, which indicates that the improvement of vegetation coverage and the construction of terraces and check dams have strengthened their impacts on runoff. Therefore, careful attention should be paid to the hydrological effects of soil conservation measures on runoff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Potential evapotranspiration represents the maximum evaporative capacity for a region, which underscores the importance of analysing its changes and attribution to provide information for water resource management. This study focused on the northern Loess Plateau of China, investigated the changes in potential evapotranspiration ( ET0) using data from 34 stations during 1960-2013 and conducted its temporal and spatial attribution through the differentiation equation method. The results show that the annual mean ET0 is 1004.9 mm with a decreasing trend at the rate of 0.33 mm year−1. The lowest values were found in the northeast and southwest regions, while the greatest ET0 was in the northwest region. An 'evaporation paradox' existed as a whole, but not obviously. The ET0 was most sensitive to actual vapour pressure ( ea), followed by solar radiation ( Rs), mean temperature ( Tmean) and wind speed ( U2). The inter-annual variation in the sensitivity of ET0 in relation to climatic factors showed that ET0 became more sensitive to U2 and Tmean but less sensitive to Rs and ea from 1960 to 2013. Temporally, the increasing Tmean resulted in the increase of ET0; while its effect was weakened by the other three factors, especially by decreasing U2. The contributions of climatic factors to the ET0 spatial variation trends were also analysed along two transects, but the dominant factors were different for each transect. Furthermore, the possible impacts of human activities on ET0 changes were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation has significant effects on ecosystems, environments, and human health, as well as atmospheric processes and climate change. Two ultraviolet radiation datasets are described in this paper. One contains hourly observations of UV radiation measured at 40 Chinese Ecosystem Research Network stations from 2005 to 2015. CUV3 broadband radiometers were used to observe the UV radiation, with an accuracy of 5%, which meets the World Meteorology Organization's measurement standards. The extremum method was used to control the quality of the measured datasets. The other dataset contains daily cumulative UV radiation estimates that were calculated using an all-sky estimation model combined with a hybrid model. The reconstructed daily UV radiation data span from 1961 to 2014. The mean absolute bias error and root-mean-square error are smaller than 30% at most stations, and most of the mean bias error values are negative, which indicates underestimation of the UV radiation intensity. These datasets can improve our basic knowledge of the spatial and temporal variations in UV radiation. Additionally, these datasets can be used in studies of potential ozone formation and atmospheric oxidation, as well as simulations of ecological processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of adapted crop cultivars is an effective approach to cope with climate change. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impacts of climate change and the use of later-maturing cultivars on winter wheat yields and soil water deficit in dryland farming on the Loess Plateau of China. The later-maturing cultivars of winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) were generated by increasing the growing degree day requirement according to Root Zone Water Quality Model 2. The results showed that the wheat yields and water use efficiency were significantly improved by the later-maturing cultivars and fluctuated along with precipitation trends. The downward trend of wheat growth duration due to climate warming conditions was effectively counteracted and even reversed by introduction of the later-maturing cultivars. Increased precipitation during the longer growth period of the later-maturing cultivars partly compensated for the wheat evapotranspiration, so that the soil water deficit level was maintained or even reduced. The results of this study contribute to gaining improved understanding of the effective phenotypic characteristics of dryland winter wheat to cope with climate change using model-based assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Concerns over food security and global climate change require an improved understanding of how to achieve optimal crop yields whilst minimizing net greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. In the semi-arid Loess Plateau region of China, as elsewhere, fertilizer nitrogen (N) inputs are necessary to increase yields and improve local food security. Methods: In a dryland annual cropping system, we evaluated the effects of N fertilizers on crop yield, its long-term impact on soil organic carbon (SOC) concentrations and stock sizes, and the distribution of carbon (C) within various aggregate-size fractions. A current version (RothC) of the Rothamsted model for the turnover of organic C in soil was used to simulate changes in SOC. Five N application rates [0 (N0), 45 (N45), 90 (N90), 135 (N135), and 180 (N180) kg N ha] were applied to plots for 25 years (1984-2009) on a loam soil (Cumulic Haplustoll) at the Changwu State Key Agro-Ecological Experimental Station, Shaanxi, China. Results: Crop yield varied with year, but increased over time in the fertilized plots. Average annual grain yields were 1.15, 2.46, 3.11, 3.49, and 3.55 Mg ha with the increasing N application rates, respectively. Long-term N fertilizer application increased significantly ( P = 0.041) SOC concentrations and stocks in the 0-20 cm horizon. Each kilogram of fertilizer N applied increased SOC by 0.51 kg in the top soil from 1984 to 2009. Using RothC, the calculated annual inputs of plant C (in roots, stubble, root exudates, etc.) to the soil were 0.61, 0.74, 0.78, 0.86, and 0.97 Mg C ha year in N0, N45, N90, N135 and N180 treatments, respectively. The modeled turnover time of SOC (excluding inert organic C) in the continuous wheat cropping system was 26 years. The SOC accumulation rate was calculated to be 40.0, 48.0, 68.0, and 100.0 kg C ha year for the N45, N90, N135 and N180 treatments over 25 years, respectively. As aboveground biomass was removed, the increases in SOC stocks with higher N application are attributed to increased inputs of root biomass and root exudates. Increasing N application rates significantly improved C concentrations in the macroaggregate fractions (>1 mm). Conclusions: Applying N fertilizer is a sustainable practice, especially in carbon sequestration and crop productivity, for the semiarid Loess Plateau region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]