沙漠生态学概念、学科特色、内容及指导作用

The conception,subject characteristics,and contents of desert ecology and its implication for desertification control

生态学是生态文明建设的理论基础。现代生态学学科发展与区域生态特色相结合,已成为生态学特色学科方向发展的显著特征和区域生态文明建设的关键依据。沙漠生态学以沙漠或沙漠化土地为研究区域,以沙漠生物为研究对象,是沙漠学与生态学的交叉融合学科,具有典型的区域性特色。从沙漠生态学的概念和学科定位的角度,分析了沙漠生态学的学科特点和特色优势。基于此,沙漠生态学具有自己的研究范畴和研究内容,在学科层面上存在其他学科无法解决或者解决好的科学问题,并从研究区域和研究对象的角度分析了沙漠生态学形成独立学科方向的必要性。沙漠生态学学科体系建设和基础理论丰富与完善,有利于指导干旱、半干旱区沙漠化的发生原因、过程及原理、沙漠化逆转过程的恢复机理的全面系统研究,为沙漠化综合治理措施与治理实践、沙漠自然资源利用与开发以及沙漠生态系统保护提供关键科技支撑,凸显了沙漠生态学的特色学科方向对区域荒漠化综合防治和“三北”防护林生态工程建设的重要理论和实践指导意义。

The subject of Ecology is the theoretic basis of ecological civilization construction.There is a significant feature of special subjects of ecology advancement,with the development of modern ecology and its combination with regionally characteristic ecology.It has become the significant basis of regional ecological civilization construction,particularly in arid and semiarid regions.In regard to desert ecology,the study areas include desert and desertified lands,and the research subject is desert biology.In this context,desert ecology is a crossing and integrated subject of desert and ecology subject systems,and indicates a typically regional feature.We focus on the definition and subject orientation of desert ecology,and analyze its subject characteristics and discipline advantage.There is a proposed concept of Desert Ecology that can be defined as the interactive relationship between desert biology and desert environments.It includes the effect of desert environments on desert biology(i.e.,desert biology and cryptozonal organism),and the response and adaptation of desert biology to the alteration of desert environments.On the context of study area and subjects of biology,the special Desert Ecology refers to desert environments and the desert biology dwelling in it.There is in fact a general desert environment including not only desert ecosystems but also the arid and semiarid desertified areas,which give birth to the general concept of Desert Ecology.This general concept of Desert Ecology focuses more on the anthropogenic impact on the relationship between human activities and desert environments,and the new questions induced within them.Based on research content and range of desert ecology subject system,there are inherent science topics needed within desert ecology subject that characterize the exclusivity from other ecology subjects,i.e.,grassland ecology,forest ecology,and agriculture ecology.The rich research content and theoretical perfection of desert ecology can be in favor of the systematic research on the reason,process and principals of desertification,and uncovering the restoration mechanism of reversal process of desertification.All these are helpful for measures of desertification control,and the utilization of desert resources and protection of desert ecosystems in semiarid and arid regions.In sum,the special subjects of ecology acted as Desert Ecology can provide theoretical basis for regional desertification control and state ecological construction of“Three-north Forest Protection Project”.