摘要
纳米布沙漠南部的生态环境特点表现为丰富的生物多样性、冬夏两季降水量的差异、极端的气候条件和相关的地形学过程。此外,人们对这里生态学方面的特点知之甚少,加上混乱的发展决策造成了多方面的环境威胁。从长远的观点出发,为了开展以纳米布沙漠南部恢复生态学为重点的研究,本文对目前有关生态方面的现有知识进行了评述,并提出了可能的优先研究方向。开展这方面研究的目的包括两个方面:在学术方面,了解在不同规模和层次上发生的生态过程,这对于设计适合纳米布南部生态系统恢复的方向是具有关键意义的问题;在应用方面,要寻求合适的恢复方法,例如促进诸如恢复生物活性基质、自然演替和富集有限资源之类的生态过程。从景观功能、植物-土壤界面、土壤-植被-植物种群动态方面,可能会找到一些解决生态恢复问题的答案。
The southern Namib is characterized by high biodiversity, changes in winter and summer rainfall, extreme climatic conditions and associated geomorphologic proces: ses, a paucity of ecological knowledge, and multiple environmental threats posed by conflicting development options. With the long-term view to establish a research initiative focussing on restoration ecology in the southern Namib Desert, this article provides a review of current ecological knowledge and proposes potential research priorities. The aims of a research initiative would be twofold. On the academic side, understanding processes operating at different scales will be critical to develop methods of ecological restoration suitable for southern Namib ecosystems. On the practical side, the development of appropriate methods will focus on facilitating ecological processes such as restoration of biologically active substrate, natural succession, and concentration of limited resources. The function of landscapes, plant-soil interface, soil-, vegetation- and plant population dynamics will likely provide some of the answers for ecological restoration.
