英文回复信范例 Response Letter知识交流

2021年1月25日发(作者：fost)
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Dear Editors and Reviewers,
Thank you for your letter and comments on our manuscript titled
“
Temporal
variability in soil moisture after thinning in semi-arid
Picea crassifolia
plantations in
northwestern China
” (
FORECO_2017_459
). These comments helped us improve our
manuscript, and provided important guidance for future research.

We have addressed the editor
’
s and the reviewers
’
comments to the best of our
abilities, and revised text to meet the Forest Ecology and Management style
requirements. We hope this meets your requirements for a publication.

We marked the revised portions in red and highlighted them yellow in the
manuscript.
The main comments and our specific responses are detailed below:

Editor:
Please explain how the results in this paper are significantly different from those in
Zhu, X., He, Z.B., Du, J., Yang, J.J., Chen, L.F., 2015. Effects of thinning on the soil
moisture of the Picea crassifolia plantation in Qilian Mountains. Forest Research. 28,
55
–
60.)

Response:

We apologize for our earlier lack of clarity about the differences between
our study and those in
“
Zhu, X., He, Z.B., Du, J., Yang, J.J., Chen, L.F., 2015. Effects
of thinning on the soil moisture of the
Picea crassifolia
plantation in Qilian
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Mountains. Forest Research. 28, 55
–
60
”
(
named “previous article” below
).
Specifically, we found three main differences in the temporal variability and
hydrological responses of soil moisture between our study and
the “previous article”
.
First, the scope of data analysis and use were different: T
he “previous article”

just applied the one growing season data (from June 28
th
to October 25
th
2013) from
the natural forest and the plantations with no thinning and thinned in 20% intensity. In
addition, t
he “previous article”
also has not considered the effect of 40% thinning on
the soil moisture of the
Picea crassifolia
plantation. However, in the present study, we
applied four years data (from June 27
th
2012 to October 30
th
2015 in HD and NF;
from January 1
th
2014 to October 29
th
2015 in MD and LD) from the natural forest
and the plantations with no thinning, thinned in 20%, and thinned in 40% intensity to
analysis the temporal variability and hydrological responses of soil moisture in semi-
arid
Picea crassifolia
plantations in northwestern China.
Second, the content of the research was different:
The “previous article”
only
considered the spatial and temporal dynamic changes of soil moisture, but did not
involve the inter-annual, and seasonal dynamic changes of the soil moisture. In the
present study, however, not only did we considered the effects of thinning on the
spatial and temporal dynamic changes, the inter-annual changes, and seasonal
dynamic changes of the soil moisture; but we also considered the changes in soil
hydrological response after thinning. Our goals were to understand the changes in soil
hydrological response and soil moisture dynamics, and to determine whether thinning
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management can effectively improve the state of soil moisture in the subalpine
Picea
crassifolia
plantations in the Qilian Mountains.
Third, the research purpose and the result were also different: The mainly
purpose of
the “previous article”
was to preliminary explore the thinning on the
plantation forest soil moisture, and they found that the intermediate thinning can
significantly increase soil moisture content at the depth of 60 cm. However, they
didn
’
t point out that which or what the thinning intensity or plantation density can be
benefit to sustainability of planted forests in these water-limited regions. In this study,
not only we did confirmed that the intermediate thinning can significantly increase
soil moisture content at the deep soil layer, but we also found that high planting
density was the main cause of severe soil moisture deficits in the long-term, and it
could be mitigated by 20 - 40% thinning (~3139 trees ha
-1
). In addition, by
investigating the effect of thinning on the soil hydrological response, we found that
soil hydrological response may be temporarily modified by thinning according to
changes in canopy structure, precipitation properties, and antecedent soil moisture
conditions. Soil moisture in natural forest rapidly infiltrated into deep soil, which
greatly improved the efficiency of precipitation use. Thinning significantly increased
the capacity for soil infiltration, and moderate thinning intensity may be conducive to
deep soil-water recharge. Further, according to the global circulation prediction
models and trend analysis results and weather patterns, deep VSWC may increase if
precipitation patterns shift to produce larger but less frequent rainfall events during
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the growing season, and this change will benefit growth of the vegetation planted at
higher density in this semi-arid region.

Reviewer 1

I found the topic very interesting. The scientific (experimental) set-up is valid and the
data is presented clearly, and analyzed in detail. My detailed comments are all in the
attached pdf- file.

Response: Thank you for your encouraging remarks and valuable comments. We
corrected our text according to your comments submitted in the attached pdf-file. Our
responses to your comments are as follows:

Comments in attached pdf-file

1. Keywords: maybe re-
consider “Rainfall”


Response: We fully agree that it is necessary to re-
consider “Rainfall”
in the
Keywords section. In addition, the statement
of “
Rainfall
” was corrected as “
Soil
hydrological response
”
(
L31
).

2. Ln. 37: Expand, i.e. why are these specific regions water-limited.
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Response: We apologize for our earlier lack of clarity. To increase clarity, we have re-
written this sentence accordingly, and we have corrected “
Grassland afforestation is
critical in efforts to prevent wide-spread land degradation in arid and semi-arid
regions of China (
Chen et al., 2008a; Yang et al., 2014
). However, sustainability of
planted forests is severely limited by soil moisture conditions. Soil moisture is
fundamental to sustainability in water-limited ecosystems (
Newman et al., 2006;
Yang et al., 2014
).
” as “
Grassland afforestation is critical in efforts to prevent wide-
spread land degradation in arid and semi-arid regions of China (
Chen et al., 2008a;
Yang et al., 2014
), where rainfall is the main source of soil moisture, and where many
vegetation restoration projects were implemented (
Li, 2004
). However, soil moisture
is the most crucial factor to sustainability of planted forests in these water-limited
ecosystems (
Newman et al., 2006; Yang et al., 2014
). (
L35-40
)
”
.

3. Ln. 47: What is meant by “statistical moments of soil moisture
, such as mean and
variance”?


Response: It is meant that changes to canopy structure due to large-scale clearings or
intermediate disturbance events may lead to changes in the mean and the variance of
the soil moisture. We amended our text to clarify, and
now it reads: “
Changes to
forest canopy structure due to large-scale harvesting may lead to changes in soil
properties, residual tree growth, and the mean and the variance of the soil moisture
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(
Chen et al., 1993; Olchev et al., 2009; He et al., 2013; Kaarakka et al., 2014
).
” (
L48-
51
).

4.
Ln. 60: add “ecosystems” (instead of cosystem)


Response: The statement
of “cosystem” was corrected as “ecosystems”
(
L62
).

5.
Ln. 68: change “determining” to “affecting”


Response:
The statement of “determining” was corrected as “affecting” (
L71
).

6. Ln. 71: Expand this sentence a bit. Growing season
–
where? At the studied
region/area?

Response: To increase clarity, we have re-written this sentence accordingly (
L71-75
).
And our studied region/area is also experiencing this precipitation patterns, with
larger but less frequent rainfall events during the growing season, and more frequent
extreme hydrological events.

7. Ln. 74
–
80: Heisler-White, He et al. and Sun et al.
→
showed where, in what type
of ecosystem, how does it relate to the studied one, i.e. elaborate more on how these
studies relate to the current one.
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Response: That was an excellent suggestion, and we have made revisions according to
your comments (
L78-80, L83, L85-86
). The study of
Heisler-White et al. (2008)
provides a background knowledge of the supply of the precipitation on soil profile.
The studies of
He et al. (2012)
and
Sun et al. (2015)
investigated the soil moisture
dynamics of typical ecosystems (forestland, shrubland, grassland, and meadows) in
response to precipitation, which can provide a reference for our research.

提供背景知识，了解降水对土壤的补给情况；
He et al. and Sun et a l.
的研究研究
了祁连山天然植被（林地、草地和灌丛）的土壤水分情况，是本文章研究的基< br>础。

The response of soil moisture to rainfall event size in subalpine grassland and
meadows in a semi-
arid mountain range: A case study in northwestern China’s Qilian
Mountains
Sun, F., Lü
, Y., Wang, J., Hu, J., Fu, B., 2015. Soil moisture dynamics of typical
ecosystems in response to precipitation: A monitoring-based analysis of hydrological
service in the Qilian Mountains. Catena 129, 63-75.

8. Ln. 98: ponderosa
→
Ponderosa

Response:
The statement of “ponderosa” was corrected as “Ponderosa” (
L97
).

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9. Ln. 118
–121: what is meant by “Tianbao”. Re
-phrase this sentence, not sure what is
meant by “returning the grain areas..” Refers to shift from agriculture to forestry?


Response: Thank you for your valuable suggestions. We amended our text to clarify,
and now it reads: “
In recent decades, with the implementation of projects National
Forest Conservation Program
, “Grain for Green” program, and others
and others, the
area of planted vegetation in the Qilian Mountains has increased significantly (
Li,
2004
), and many semi-arid grasslands were converted to
Picea crassifolia
plantation
forests (
He et al., 2012
).
” (
L128-132
).

10.
Ln. 124: Remove “growth efficiency”


Response: The
“
growth efficiency
”
was removed (
L134
).

11.
Ln. 125: What is “weak stability” in this context –
soil moisture or something else?

Response:
We were happy to clarify the idea of a “weak stability of the ecosystem”,
which meant that the stability of the whole ecological system will show a decreasing
trend with vegetation succession. To increase the validity of this point, we included
literature sources that related to the stability of the ecosystem (
Yue and Ma, 1991;
Sankaran and McNaughton, 1999; Jiang et al., 2002
), and the bases on which stability
was evaluated: (1) suitability for local environmental conditions, (2) the resistance to
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and the ability to recover from an external disturbance, (3) the ability of self- renewal
and normal development, and (4) having a relatively stable population structure.

12. Ln. 126: Replace:
“
enhancement
”

→

“
Improving the stability of the system
”


Response:
The statement of “
Enhancement of the stabilit
y in this system” was
corrected as “Improving

the stability of the system” (
L136
).

13
. Ln. 163: What is meant by “limited number of Larix” –
maybe add a stem density
estimate?

Response: Thank you for your valuable suggestions. We added a stem density to
clarify, and now it reads:
“
The vast, recently afforested areas had a high stand density
around 4500 trees ha
-1
, and contained a limited number of
Larix principis-rupprechtii

Mayr trees (around 210 trees ha
-1
).
”
(
L172-174
).

14.
Ln. 165: Remove “management”


Response:
The “management” was removed
(
L175
).

15. Ln. 166
–
167: last sentence of the paragraph needs re-phrasing
→
The thinning
aimed to remove poor-growing trees as well those lacking vigor. What is meant by
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“
fish-scale pit
”
, if this a regional term, define it. Does density in this context refer to
stand density (i.e. to the density of the trees in a given area, in the pit)?

Response: That was an excellent suggestion, and we have made revisions according to
your comments (
L167-177
).
The “
fish-scale pit
” in this study
is a regional term and
meant that “
the pit of the plant trees
”. In addition, the
density in this context refer to
stand density of the trees in a given area.

16.
Ln. 169: Rephrase. Maybe something like: “In early August 2013, a survey was

carried out in the P. crassifolia plantation and in the nearby/adjacent natural P.
crassifolia stand, which at the time of sampling were 31 and 41 years, respectively.
Selected stands had similar site conditions.”


Response: That was an excellent suggestion, and we have made revisions according to
your comments (
L182-185
).

17. Ln. 176
–177: Remove “except for the gathering of wild mushrooms between July
and August”


Response:
The “except for the gathering of wild mushrooms between July and
August” was remo
ved (
L190
).

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18
. Ln. 198: Change to “a soil pit with the dimensions of”


Response:
The statement of “a soil pit with a dimensions of” was corrected as “a soil
pit with the dimensions of”
(
L210
).

19. Ln. 199: Change 5
→

“
five
”


Response: the statements of
“5” was corrected as “five”
(
L212
).

20. Ln. 204
–205: What is meant by “the accepted range of soil temperature
change”?(
-40 to +60 C) temperature change in the soil or where? If in the soil, why
such extreme numbers?

Response:
这个只是仪器的测定范围，研究区土壤温 度在什么什么范围（各个图
层的都加加上），所以用该仪器可以保证所测区域温度准确。


21.
Ln. 206: Remove “nearly
-
original”


Response:
The “nearly
-
original” was removed
(L?).

22. Ln. 212: Why was this data (2014
–
2015) not available? Maybe add an explanation.

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