中国北方沙区水量平衡自动模拟监测系统(沙坡头蒸渗仪群)

Automatic Simulating and Monitoring System for Water Balance of Sandy Areas of Northern China:Shapotou Lysimeter Group

水量平衡始终是我国北方沙区植被建设所面临的核心科学问题,决定着植被-土壤系统的可持续性和稳定性。蒸发渗漏仪(以下简称“蒸渗仪”)是研究水量平衡的最可靠手段,但其目前存在研究站点单一、系统不匹配、精度不一致等问题,从而制约了沙区生态水文学研究的理论创新。在中国科学院野外站网络重点科技基础设施建设项目的支持下,中国科学院沙坡头沙漠研究试验站于2019年建成了目前规模最大的中国北方沙区水量平衡自动模拟监测系统——沙坡头蒸渗仪群。该平台以36台大型称重式蒸渗仪为主体,集成了降水和地下水模拟、根系动态测量和土壤溶液提取等系统,配置了不同生物气候带沙区的土壤和典型固沙灌木,开发了数据管理信息系统。该平台可模拟降水和地下水,连续精确监测土壤水动态、蒸散发、植物生长等过程,实现不同生物气候带沙区水量平衡的自动监测-模拟-量化-集成研究,是科学认知、客观解析沙区植被-土壤系统生态水文互馈机制,探索植物固沙模式及沙区生态恢复与重建理论的重要研究平台。该平台显著提升了我国野外站的科学研究能力和解决国家重大科技需求的能力。

Water balance has always been the key scientific issue facing in vegetation construction in sandy areas of northern China.Lysimeter is regarded as the most reliable tool in studying water balance.The existing problems such as the limited lysimeter sites,the system mismatch and accuracy inconsistency among lysimeters restrict the theoretical innovation of arid ecohydrology.Grouping large intelligent weighable lysimeters is an effective way to break through the aforementioned bottleneck,and conforms to the current interdisciplinary research trend.Funded by the“Key Scientific and Technological Infrastructure Construction Project for the Field Station Network of Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS)”,Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station of CAS completed the platform construction of Automatic Simulating and Monitoring System for Water Balance of Sandy Areas of Northern China—Shapotou Lysimeter Group in 2019.Based on 36 large weighable lysimeters,this platform also assembles other systems such as precipitation and groundwater simulation system,root dynamics monitoring system,soil solution extraction system,and data management information system.Within lysimeters,soils transported from different bioclimatic sandy areas were repacked and the corresponding typical sand fixation shrubs were transplanted.Functions and features of this platform include simulating precipitation and groundwater,and continuously monitoring processes such as soil water dynamics,evapotranspiration,and plant growth with a high accuracy.Shapotou Lysimeter group is an important platform for understanding the ecohydrological interaction mechanisms within revegetation-soil system and for exploring models of plant sand fixation and theories of ecological restoration and rehabilitation of sandy areas.It will greatly enhance the ability for field stations to conduct scientific researches and to solve national key scientific and technical issues.