纪念竺可桢教授对沙漠研究的贡献

TO COMMEMORATE PROF.ZHU KEZHEN S (CO-CHING CHU) CONTRIBUTIONS TO DESERT RESEARCH

沙漠科学是一门新成长起来的学科。回顾沙漠研究所25年来的历史,从它的诞生、成长到发展,竺可桢教授无论在学术上,科研组织工作中都起了重要的作用。中国科学院治沙队(沙漠研究所的前身)的每次学术会议和工作会议竺老都亲自参加进行指导,而且还多次亲临沙漠现场考察。至今我们沙漠科学工作者无论在茫茫沙海中考察或在炎日风沙中定位观测或在国际沙漠学术活动的讲台上,总是怀着十分崇敬的心情缅怀竺可桢教授。特别是竺老在病中,我们去北京探望时,他仍然关心着沙漠科学的成长。

Desert Research is a new discipline of science in China and its growth and development cannot be separated from Prof.Zhu Kezhen’s guidances and concerns.Prof. Zhu Kezhen’s contributions to desert research contain the following four aspects:A.He pointed out clearly. "It is our historical and long-term task to transform desert in China" .His thesis has been proved by the experiences on desert research since the last 25 years. The desert research must be closely linked with economic construction of the nation and be combined with the practice for combating desert if this discipline of science is to be developed.B.He indicated emphatically that desert research must be a comprehensive science and be mutually coordinated with various other discipline. He predicted that the desert science would be developed in an all-round way along with the need for controlling desert.As early as in 1959. he wrote, "desert research is a new branch of science formed gradually in recent years". Meanwhile, as for the contents of desert reseah, he held that the formation and sources of the sand of desert, aeolian sand movement, water and plant resources and other topics on desert should be studied. His idea laid a foundation for the development of desert science.C. By analysing the facts of the changes of desert in various regions in history, he mentioned, "human factors may make the areas that should not be covered by dunes or be desertified turn into desert or dunefield" . His scientific idea and sufficient exposition established a predictive inference on the environmental changes after the reclamation and cultivation in arid and semi-arid regions.D. By analysing the experiences on desert controlling in various countries and by studying the law of the movement of aeolian sand, he presented some measures for combating desert. "Not only should the attention be paid to the control of the encroachment and invasion of sand and wind, but also to the rational utilization of resources and to the active combat against desertification" . Under the guidance of this thought, some desert experimental stations have been established and exemplified as demonstration or pilot projects to control and combat desert.Prof. Zhu Kezhen has passed away, but his teachings and instructions on desert science will be kept in our minds to inspire desert scientists to work very hard on desert controlling and prevention of desertification in China.