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Effects of Cropland Conversion and Climate Change on Agrosystem Carbon Balance of China’s Dryland: A Typical Watershed Study

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  • Chaofan Li

    (Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disaster, School of Geographic Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
    Land Science Research Center, School of Geographic Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
    State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China)

  • Qifei Han

    (Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disaster, School of Geographic Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
    Land Science Research Center, School of Geographic Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China)

  • Geping Luo

    (State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China)

  • Chengyi Zhao

    (Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disaster, School of Geographic Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
    Land Science Research Center, School of Geographic Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China)

  • Shoubo Li

    (Land Science Research Center, School of Geographic Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China)

  • Yuangang Wang

    (Housing Expropriation and Compensation Management Office, Shuimogou District of Urumqi, Urumqi 830017, China)

  • Dongsheng Yu

    (State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China)

Abstract

Remarkable warm‒wet climate shifts and intensive cropland expansion strongly affected carbon (C) cycle and threaten agricultural sustainability in northwest China. In this study, we integrated a process-based ecosystem model and an empirical C bookkeeping model to investigate the coupled and isolated effects of arable land conversions and climate change (CLM) on regional C balance in a typical watershed of northwest China. Results revealed that the farmland area increased by 3367.31 km 2 during 1979–2014. The combined effects of CLM with net cropland expansion enlarged the vegetation C (VEGC) and the soil organic C (SOC) stock by 2.83 and 11.83 Tg, respectively, and were strongest in 2008–2014. The conversions between desert grassland and cropland were the major driving forces for regional C balance. Cropland expansion shared equal effects on VEGC increase with CLM, but its effect on SOC increment was 53 times larger than CLM’s. VEGC was more responsive to CLM, whereas SOC gained more benefits from land management. The C sink from reclamation suffered from high water consumption and is facing great threats due to glaciers and mountain lake shrinking and groundwater overpumping. Water-saving irrigation techniques and environmentally friendly water use strategies are essential for local agricultural sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Chaofan Li & Qifei Han & Geping Luo & Chengyi Zhao & Shoubo Li & Yuangang Wang & Dongsheng Yu, 2018. "Effects of Cropland Conversion and Climate Change on Agrosystem Carbon Balance of China’s Dryland: A Typical Watershed Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-16, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:12:p:4508-:d:186554
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