Shrublands serve as an important component of terrestrial ecosystems, and play an important role in structure and functions of alpine ecosystem.Accurate estimation of biomass is critical to examination of the productivity of alpine ecosystems, due to shrubification under climate change in past decades.In this study, 14 experimental plots and 42 quadrates of the shrubs Potentilla fruticosa and Caragana jubata were selected along altitudes gradients from 3220 to 3650 m a.s.l.(above sea level) on semi-sunny and semi-shady slope in Hulu watershed of Qilian Mountains, China.The foliage, woody component and total aboveground biomass per quadrate were examined using a selective destructive method, then the biomass were estimated via allometric equations based on measured parameters for two shrub species.The results showed that C.jubata accounted for 1–3 times more biomass(480.98 g/m2) than P.fruticosa(191.21 g/m2).The aboveground biomass of both the shrubs varied significantly with altitudinal gradient(P<0.05).Woody component accounted for the larger proportion than foliage component in the total aboveground biomass.The biomass on semi-sunnyslopes(200.27 g/m2 and 509.07 g/m2) was greater than on semi-shady slopes(182.14 g/m2 and 452.89g/m2) at the same altitude band for P.fruticosa and C.jubata.In contrast, the foliage biomass on semi-shady slopes(30.50 g/m2) was greater than on semi-sunny slopes(27.51 g/m2) for two shrubs.Biomass deceased with increasing altitude for P.fruticosa, whereas C.jubata showed a hump-shaped pattern with altitude.Allometric equations were obtained from the easily descriptive parameters of height(H), basal diameter(D) and crown area(C) for biomass of C.jubata and P.fruticosa.Although the equations type and variables comprising of the best model varied among the species, all equations related to biomass were significant(P < 0.005), with determination coefficients(R2) ranging from 0.81 to 0.96.The allometric equations satisfied the requirements of the model, and can be used to estimate the regi
LIU Zhang-wenCHEN Ren-shengSONG Yao-xuanHAN Chun-tan
Snowline change and snow cover distribution patterns are still poorly understood in steep alpine basins of the Qilian Mountainous region because fast changes in snow cover cannot be observed by current sensing methods due to their short time scale. To address this issue of daily snowline and snow cover observations, a groundbased EOS 7D camera and four infrared digital hunting video cameras(LTL5210A) were installed around the Hulugou river basin(HRB) in the Qilian Mountains along northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau(38°15'54 "N, 99°52'53" E) in September 2011.Pictures taken with the EOS 7D camera were georeferenced and the data from four LIL5210 A cameras and snow depth sensors were used to assist snow cover estimation. The results showed that the time-lapse photography can be very useful and precise for monitoring snowline and snow cover in mountainous regions. The snowline and snow cover evolution at this basin can be precisely captured at daily scale. In HRB snow cover is mainly established after October, and the maximum snow cover appeared during February and March. The consistent rise of the snowline and decrease in snow cover appeared after middle part of March. This melt process is strongly associated with air temperature increase.
