The transmissive critical zone: understanding the karst hydrology-biogeochemical interface for sustainable management

传输临界区：了解岩溶水文-生物地球化学界面以实现可持续管理

• 批准号: NE/N007425/1
• 负责人: Susan Waldron
• 金额: $ 66.05万
• 依托单位: University of Glasgow
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2016 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FN007425%2F1
• 关键词: transmissive; critical; zone; understanding; karst

The Earth's surface (soil and plants), and the rock underneath interact, linked by rainwater flowing through the soil into the rock. The soil imparts a chemical signature to the water, sometimes bad leading to loss of water quality. This signature is mediated by movement through the rock, and then, when underground water re-emerges, in streams and rivers by bacterial activity. As such, how this outer layer of planet Earth functions is 'critical' to key needs of mankind - how much water we have available and its quality; how well the soil functions as a result of water draining through it. The study of how these layers interact is thus called 'critical zone' research.Our research programme uses such 'critical zone' research in an environment where the local residents face significant environmental challenges - in rural China, an area of rapid growth and where many live under the poverty line. This is a joint research programme between UK and China. We will focus on two of these challenges: water availability and quality, and how movement of water in the critical zone influences surface vegetation. Crucial to this research is that the underlying rock is mostly limestone. Limestone is easily dissolved and water can move very quickly through the subsurface. So soils may dry sooner (as the subsurface beneath is freely-draining) and there is limited water storage on the surface and underground. Limestone is widely distributed world-wide, but particularly in China and so study here is relevant to many world-wide.The people living in the catchment generally live-off-the-land. It provides their water and food - a phenomenon known as the ecosystem providing services. Where the slopes are not too steep, the land surface is heavily-cultivated. This in turn presents problems e.g., the water quality is poor, with dangerously high-level of nitrate (a chemical that is found in fertiliser); clearance of vegetation exposes rock, limiting how land may be used. Further challenging to local residents is that the climate is changing. How rain is delivered to the catchment has been changing such that water is not available as before. Thus there have also been water shortages, and this led to crop failure and so loss of food.Land use change is important in shaping these ecosystem services, but climate change may be one of the most significant threats the residents will face; science must help them prepare for facing these threats with successful outcomes. Our research will generate models of how the critical zone functions currently and from these we can then investigate how the critical zone functioning may adapt to different environmental drivers. There is a large body of scientific modelling outside this project that has identified how the climate may change. Thus, we can draw on this to run the models we will develop of the critical zone functioning, not only under land use change, but also under future climate scenarios.All this research will contribute to understanding where this catchment critical zone is most sensitive to future threats. However, it is important that this understanding reaches the people who need to use it. So the final activity we will undertake comes under the umbrella of 'knowledge exchange' - sharing our findings with those who need this research, and adjusting our understanding based on knowledge they too have. Thus our last, but not least, activity is working with those who live in the landscape and those who manage it, to help them identify how their activities can cause the least harm and offer the most protection to their ecosystem services. Our collaboration with Chinese colleagues is therefore crucial. We bring new skills to the project (e.g. new hydrological modelling skills) that they will benefit from. Additionally as catchment management practices will be quite different across UK-China, they will learn about other good practice to help improve their environment and remove residents from poverty

地球的表面（土壤和植物）和下面的岩石相互作用，通过雨水流经土壤进入岩石。土壤会给水带来化学特征，有时会导致水质下降。这种特征是通过岩石中的运动介导的，然后，当地下水重新出现时，通过细菌活动进入溪流和河流。因此，地球外层的功能对人类的关键需求至关重要-我们有多少水及其质量;土壤在排水过程中的功能。研究这些土层之间的相互作用被称为“关键区”研究。我们的研究计划在当地居民面临重大环境问题的环境中使用这种“关键区”研究。中国农村是一个快速发展的地区，许多人生活在贫困线以下。这是英国和中国之间的一个联合研究项目。我们将重点关注其中的两个挑战：水的可用性和质量，以及水在临界区的运动如何影响地表植被。这项研究的关键是，下面的岩石主要是石灰岩。石灰石很容易溶解，水可以非常迅速地通过地下。因此，土壤可能会干燥得更快（因为地下是自由排水），地表和地下的水储存量有限。石灰岩在世界范围内分布广泛，尤其是在中国，因此在这里的研究与世界上许多地方都有关系。它为它们提供水和食物--这种现象被称为生态系统提供服务。在坡度不太陡的地方，土地表面被大量耕种。这又带来了问题，例如，水质很差，硝酸盐（一种在化肥中发现的化学物质）含量高得危险;清除植被暴露了岩石，限制了土地的使用。当地居民面临的另一个挑战是气候正在变化。雨水输送到集水区的方式一直在变化，以至于水不能像以前那样可用。因此，水资源短缺也导致了作物歉收和粮食损失。土地利用变化在塑造这些生态系统服务方面很重要，但气候变化可能是居民将面临的最重大威胁之一;科学必须帮助他们做好应对这些威胁的准备，并取得成功。我们的研究将生成关键区当前如何运作的模型，然后我们可以从这些模型中研究关键区的运作如何适应不同的环境驱动因素。在这个项目之外，有大量的科学模型已经确定了气候可能如何变化。因此，我们可以利用这一点来运行我们将开发的关键区功能模型，不仅在土地利用变化的情况下，而且在未来的气候情景下。所有这些研究将有助于了解这个集水关键区对未来威胁最敏感的地方。然而，重要的是，这种理解能够传达给需要使用它的人。因此，我们将开展的最后一项活动属于“知识交流”的范畴--与需要这项研究的人分享我们的发现，并根据他们所拥有的知识调整我们的理解。因此，我们最后但并非最不重要的活动是与生活在景观中的人和管理景观的人合作，帮助他们确定他们的活动如何能够造成最小的伤害，并为其生态系统服务提供最大的保护。因此，我们与中国同事的合作至关重要。我们为项目带来了新的技能（例如新的水文建模技能），他们将从中受益。此外，由于英中两国的集水管理实践将大不相同，他们将了解其他良好的实践，以帮助改善环境，使居民摆脱贫困

项目成果

How does smallholder farming practice and environmental awareness vary across village communities in the karst terrain of southwest China?

• DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2019.106715
• 发表时间: 2020-02
• 期刊: Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment
• 作者: D. Oliver;Ying Zheng;L. Naylor;M. Murtagh;S. Waldron;Tao Peng

Characterizing the heterogeneity of karst critical zone and its hydrological function: An integrated approach

表征岩溶关键带的非均质性及其水文功能：一种综合方法

• DOI: 10.1002/hyp.13232
• 发表时间: 2018-09-15
• 期刊: HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
• 影响因子: 3.2
• 作者: Chen, Xi;Zhang, Zhicai;Tao, Min
• 通讯作者: Tao, Min

Knowledge exchange to guide decision support tool development for Chinese agriculture – an example of social science meeting geoscience for sustainable agriculture

知识交流指导中国农业决策支持工具开发

• DOI: 10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-20384
• 发表时间: 2020
• 作者: Naylor L

Land use interacts with changes in catchment hydrology to generate chronic nitrate pollution in karst waters and strong seasonality in excess nitrate export

• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134062
• 发表时间: 2019-12
• 期刊: Science of The Total Environment
• 影响因子: 9.8
• 作者: F. Yue;S. Waldron;Si‐Liang Li;Zhong-Jun Wang;Jie Zeng;Sen Xu;Zhichuan Zhang;D. Oliver

Rainfall driven nitrate transport in agricultural karst surface river system: Insight from high resolution hydrochemistry and nitrate isotopes

• DOI: 10.1016/j.agee.2019.106787
• 发表时间: 2020-04
• 期刊: Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment
• 作者: Zhong-Jun Wang;Si‐Liang Li;F. Yue;Caiqing Qin;Sarah J. Buckerfield;Jie Zeng