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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 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:
The
“
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, the
“
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
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 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.
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
(
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.
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 al.
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
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.,
L
ü
,
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
).
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 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 stability 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
“
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 removed (
L190
).
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
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