Study on Soil Microbiotic Crust and Its Influences on Sand-fixing Vegetation in Arid Desert Region

Based on secular fixed_site data in the artificial sand_fixing vegetation district at the southeast fringe of the Tengger Desert, the formative characteristics of soil microbiotic crusts and its influences on vegetation dynamics were analyzed. Once sand barrier and artificial vegetation have stabilized the surface of the sifting sand, could form aeolian deposition crust and then evolve into algae_dominated crust. Such processes result from the interactions of physical effects of atmospheric dust and silt deposition on sand surface, sinking and raindrop impact, and soil microorganism activities. Under the condition of less than 200 mm precipitation, the presence of microbiotic crust changes the soil hydraulic conductivity, alters the temporal and spatial distribution of the limited precipitation in sand layer and leads to the decline of deep_rooted shrubs. The development of microbiotic crust and subsurface soil affects the plant growth and seed rain distribution, as a result, the diversity of plant species gradually tend to become saturated and finally affects the vegetation stability.

Research Advances in Allelopathy of Plants in Arid Desert Regions of Northwest China

To investigate allelopathy of plants in desert ecosystems, related research achievements obtained in recent years, reported allelopathic plants, allelochemicals and releasing ways of alleochemicalds were summarized, and then the key problems of research into allelopathic plants in desert ecosystems were indicated. It was considered that the research of allelopathy of plants in desert regions has just started in China, and plants with atlelopathic potential were found in the Compositae, Leguminosae, Rosaceae, Scrophulariaceae and Gramineae; plants in desert regions re- lease allelochemicals mainly via natural volatilization, which is closely related to their growing environment; allelochemicals such as alkaloids, fla- vonoids, terpenoids have been identified. This study can provide theoretical basis and practical value for reasonable adoption of protection meas- ures of desert plants and comprehensive control of desertification.

Response of Grassland Vegetation to Air Temperature and Precipitation in Minqin Desert Region

[ Objective] This paper aims to analyze response characteristics of desert grassland vegetation to climate change. [ Method] The responses of grassland vegetation in desert region to air temperature/precipitation changes were analyzed by phenological observations since 1974, observation data conceming vegetation samples and meteorological data during the same period. The changing trend significance was denoted by linear trend line and its regression significance. The interrelation between the two variables was indicated by correlation coefficients. Data were analyzed by the software SPSS 13.0. [Result] （1） The rising rate of annual average temperature in the Minqin desert area since 1961 was greater than both the global level and Ghina＇s level over the past century. （2） Desert plants＇ response to temperature changes were mainly displayed as the advance of spring phenology, the delay of autumn phenology and the extension of growing duration. Plants＇ main response to precipitation changes was that vegetation coverage and pure coverage were decreasing along with precipitation reducing. （3） Both the vegetation coverage and pure coverage mainly had a positive correlation with the annual precipitation. Plant density mostly had a positive correlation with the precipitation in September. （4） The impact of rising temperature on plant phenology in spring was greater than that in autumn. [ Conclusion] The effects of temperature changes on desert grassland plants were the advance of spring phenology, the delay of autumn phenology, the extension of growing season and longer plant growing period than that in other reports. The responses of desert grassland vegetation to precipitation changes were that both vegetation coverage and pure coverage were decreasing along with precipitation reducing, and plant density fluctuated along with precipitation change.

Temporal and spatial changes of residential land in the Yuyang desert region of northern Shaanxi Province in recent 20 years

It is very important to understand the temporal and spatial changes of residential land for the improvement of human settlement environment. Based on the three TM images of 1986, 1996 and 2005 and other assistant maps, the temporal and spatial characteristics of residential land in the Yuyang desert region of northern Shaanxi Province of China were analyzed by using geographical information System （GIS） and remote sensing （RS） technology. Some important conclusions were obtained, which mainly contained four aspects as follows. 1） The area of residential land in the Yuyang desert region increased 956.07 hm2 in total, and the changes of residential land among the townships were different with four various change trends. The expansion speeds in the Yuyang Township and Qinhe Township were the biggest from 1986 to 1996 and from 1996 to 2005, respectively. The expansion intensities in other townships were below 0.1%, except the Yuyang Township. 2） The number of residential land patches increased 2847, while the average area and perimeter of residential land patches decreased 0.304 hm2 and 60.78 m during 1986-2005, respectively. The residential land patches also displayed four different changes from 1986 to 2005 among the townships. 3） The residential land mainly distributed in the middle of Yuyang Township and Mahe Township, and the interface of Jinjitan Township and Mengjiawan Township. The total spatial pattern of residential land was relative stability, but the significant changes of residential land were found in the Yuyang Township and its vicinities during 1986-2005. 4） Three distribution patterns of residential land at the micro scale were categorized from the 100 typical villages in the study area. The number of villages in the pattern 1 increased, while the pattern 2 and pattern 3 decreased in recent 20 years, which implicated the adaptation of humans to the habitation environment. This research would provide scientific references fbr harmonizing the human-land relationship, optimizing the residential land spatial distribution patterns and constructing the well human settlement environment in the desert regions.

Annual plants in arid and semi-arid desert regions

Annual plants are the main vegetation in arid and semi-arid desert regions.Because of their unique traits,they are the optimal experimental subjects for eco-logical studies.In this article,we summarize annual plants’seed germination strategies,seedling adaptability mechanism to environments,seed dispersal,and soil seed banks.We also discuss the biotic and abiotic factors affecting the composition and dynamics of annual plant populations and communities.Because annual plants have important ecological functions in desert vegetation systems,this study on annual plants will be of great benefit to the conservation and restoration of desert ecosystems,the rational utilization of resources,and the sustainable development of desert regions.

Palaeomonsoon vicissitudes in eastern desert region of China since last interglacial period

Based on the geological records, the palaeomonsoon in eastern desert region of China is divided into three major evolution stages, i.e. summer monsoon prevailing stage of last interglacial period (130-70kaB.P.), winter monsoon prevailing stage of last glacial period (70-10 kaB.P.), and unstable summer monsoon prevailing stage of postglacial period (10 kaB.P. to present) and further divided into several substages. The conversion between summer monsoon and winter monsoon in the region is dominated by the sudden change process. The north limit of summer monsoon in the region retreated to the north limit of sandy loess zone of the Loess Plateau in the last glacial period from the Mazong Mts.-Ulan Bator of last interglacial period, then it entered Shandan-Yabrai region in the optimum period of the Holocene, and finally it retreated to the present extended line from north piedmont of the Yinshan Mts to Hulun Buir. This shows that the summer monsoon caused by East Asian monsoon circulation tends to be weakened fluctuationally. However, the factors affecting the monsoon vicissitudes are complex, so special attention should be paid to the study of the short-period climatic fluctuations of the Holocene.

Comparisons between Movement Speed of Main Types of Dunes:A Case Study of Desert Areas in Hexi Region of Gansu Province

In desert areas in Hexi region,11 barchan dunes,6 chains of barchan dunes,6 pyramid dunes,6 parabolic dunes and 6 accumulated sand-belts were chosen to study their movement speed based on images obtained by Google Earth in various periods.The results show that among the dunes,the movement of the barchan dunes was the fastest,followed by the chains of barchan dunes,and only the tops of the pyramid dunes swayed,while the parabolic dunes and accumulated sand-belts hardly moved forward.The higher the barchan dunes(or the chains of barchan dunes) were,the slower the movement was.On the contrary,the higher the pyramid dunes were,the faster the swing was.There was a positive correlation between the movement speed of the barchan dunes and the average wind speed of sandstorms.

URANIUM MINERALIZATION IN THE MUSCOVITE-RICH GRANITES OF THE SHALATIN REGION, SOUTHEASTERN DESERT, EGYPT

The younger granitoids of the Shalatin district in the Southeastern Desert of Egypt, are of biotite and two-mica granite compositions. The geochemistry of rare-earth elements (REE), yttrium, thorium and uranium forms the basis for many important methods to reconstruct igneous petrogenesis. Since the recognition that REE, Y, Th, U-rich accessories may play an important role in controlling the geochemistry of crustal melts, a considerable amount of work has been done in an attempt to understand their effects. However, this effort has been almost exclusively focused on three minerals: zircon, monazite and apatite. Nevertheless, the variety of REE-Th-U-rich accessories in granite rocks are neither limited to these three minerals nor are they always the main REE, Y, Th carriers. The geochemistry of REE, Y, Th and U reflects the behavior of accessories and some key major minerals such as garnet and feldspars, and may therefore give valuable information about the conditions of partial melting, melt segregation and crystallization of granite magmas in different crustal regimes. The geochemistry of U and Th during magmatic differentiation has been studied in many granites from different areas and it has been known that the U and Th contents of granitic rocks generally increase during differentiation, although in some cases they decrease. The Th/U ratio can either increase or decrease, depending on redox conditions, the volatile content or alteration by endogene or supergene solutions. The accessory assemblage of muscovite-rich granites and high-grade rocks is composed of monazite, xenotime, apatite, Th-orthosilicate, secondary U-mineralization and betafite-pyrochlore. REE, Y, Th and U are not suitable for geochemical modeling of granitoids by means of equilibrium-based trace element fractionation equations, but are still useful petrogenetic tools.

Spatial-temporal dynamics of desert vegetation and its responses to climatic variations over the last three decades:a case study of Hexi region in Northwest China

Analysis of spatial-temporal variations of desert vegetation under the background of climate changes can provide references for ecological restoration in arid and semi-arid areas. In this study, we used the Global Inventory Modeling and Mapping Studies （GIMMS） NDVI data from 1982 to 2006 and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer （MODIS） NDVI data from 2000 to 2013 to reveal the dynamics of desert vegetation in Hexi region of Northwest China over the past three decades. We also used the annual temperature and precipitation data acquired from the Chinese meteorological stations to analyze the response of desert vegetation to climatic variations. The average value of NDVImax （the maximum NDVI during the growing season） for desert vegetation in Hexi region increased at the rate of 0.65x10-3/a （P〈0.05） from 1982 to 2013, and the significant increases of NDVImax mainly appeared in the typical desert vegetation areas. Vegetation was significantly improved in the lower reaches of Shule and Shiyang river basins, and the weighted mean center of desert vegetation mainly shifted toward the lower reaches of the two basins. Almost 95.32% of the total desert vegetation area showed positive correlation between NDVImax and annual precipitation, indicating that precipitation is the key factor for desert vegetation growth in the entire study area. Moreover, the areas with non-significant positive correlation between NDVImax and annual precipitation mainly located in the lower reaches of Shiyang and Shule river basins, this may be due to human activities. Only 7.64% of the desert vegetation showed significant positive correlation between NDVImax and annual precipitation in the Shule River Basin （an extremely arid area）, indicating that precipitation is not the most important factor for vegetation growth in this basin, and further studies are needed to investigate the mechanism for this phenomenon.

Soil restoration research advances of artificial sand-binding vegetation ecosystem in the Tengger Desert, Northern China

Soil plays an important role in desert ecosystem, and is vital in constructing a steady desert ecosystem. The management and restoration of desertified land have been the focus of much discussion. The soil in Shapotou desert region has developed remarkably since artificial sand-binding vegetation established in 1946. The longer the period of dune stabilization, the greater the thickness of microbiotic crusts and subsoil. Meanwhile, proportion of silt and clay increased significantly, and soil bulk density declinced. The content of soil organic matter, N, P, and K similarly increased. Therefore, soil has developed from aeolian sand soil to Calcic-Orthic aridisols. This paper discusses the effects brought about by dust, microbiotic soil crust and soil microbes on soil-forming process. Then, we analyzed the relation between soil formation and sand-binding vegetation evolution, in order to provide a baseline for both research on desert ecosystem recovery and ecological environment governance in arid and semi-arid areas.

Evapotranspiration of an oasis-desert transition zone in the middle stream of Heihe River, Northwest China

As a main component in water balance, evapotranspiration is of great importance for water saving and irrigation-measure making, especially in arid or semiarid regions. Although studies of evapotranspiration have been conducted for a long time, studies concentrated on oasis-desert transition zone are very limited. On the basis of the meteorological data and other parameters（e.g. leaf area index（LAI）） of an oasis-desert transition zone in the middle stream of Heihe River from 2005 to 2011, this paper calculated both reference（ET0） and actual evapotranspiration（ETc） using FAO56 Penman-Monteith and Penman-Monteith models, respectively. In combination with pan evaporation（Ep） measured by E601 pan evaporator, four aspects were analyzed：（1） ET0 was firstly verified by Ep;（2） Characteristics of ET0 and ETc were compared, while the influencing factors were also analyzed;（3） Since meteorological data are often unavailable for estimating ET0 through FAO56 Penman-Monteith model in this region, pan evaporation coefficient（Kp） is very important when using observed Ep to predict ET0. Under this circumstance, an empirical formula of Kp was put forward for this region;（4） Crop coefficient（Kc）, an important index to reflect evapotranspiration, was also analyzed. Results show that mean annual values of ET0 and ETc were 840 and 221 mm, respectively. On the daily bases, ET0 and ETc were 2.3 and 0.6 mm/d, respectively. The annual tendency of ET0 and ETc was very similar, but their amplitude was obviously different. The differences among ET0 and ETc were mainly attributed to the different meteorological variables and leaf area index. The calculated Kc was about 0.25 and showed little variation during the growing season, indicating that available water（e.g. precipitation and irrigation） of about 221 mm/a was required to keep the water balance in this region. The results provide an comprehensive analysis of evapotranspiration for an oasis-desert transition zone in the middle stream of Heihe River, which was seldom reported before.

Microclimate and CO_2 fluxes on continuous fine days in the Xihu desert wetland,China

The Xihu desert wetland is located in an extremely arid area in Dunhuang,Gansu province of Northwest China.The area is home to an unusual geographic and ecological environment that is considered unique,both in China and the world.Microclimate is not only related to topography,but is also affected by the physical properties of underlying ground surfaces.Microclimate and CO2 flux have different characteristics under different underlying surface conditions.However,until now,few studies have investigated the microclimate characteristics and CO2 flux in this area.The eddy covariance technique（ECT） is a widely used and effective method for studying such factors in different ecosystems.Basing on data from continuous fine days obtained in the Dunhuang Xihu desert wetland between September 2012 and September 2013,this paper discussed and compared the characteristics of daily microclimate variations and CO2 fluxes between the two periods.Results from both years showed that there was a level of turbulent mixing and updraft in the area,and that the turbulent momentum flux was controlled by wind shear under good weather conditions.The horizontal wind velocity,friction wind velocity and vertical wind velocity were commendably consistent with each other.Air temperature in the surface layer followed an initial decreasing trend,followed by an increasing then decreasing trend under similar net radiation conditions.With changes in air temperature,the soil temperature in the surface layer follows a more obvious sinusoidal fluctuation than that in the subsoil.Components of ground surface radiation during the two study periods showed typical diurnal variations.The maximum diurnal absorption of CO2 occurred at around 11：00（Beijing time） in the Xihu desert wetland,and the concentrations of CO2 in both periods gradually decreased with time.This area was therefore considered to act as a carbon sink during the two observation periods.

沙漠生态学概念、学科特色、内容及指导作用

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。

Nutrient status of Populus euphratica growing in desert riparian forests of northwestern China

Seasonal and microhabitat variations of chemical constituents of foliar organic carbon （C）, total nitrogen （N）, total phosphorus （P）, and total potassium （K）, in Populus euphratica growing in desert riparian forests in northwestern China and their correlations were studied. Results show that ranges of C, N, P and K contents in the leaves ofP. euphratica were 39.08%-46.16%, 0.28%-2.81%, 0.05%-0.18% and 0.35%-2.03%, with means of 43.51%, 1.49%, 0.102% and 1.17%, respectively. The ratio of C/N, C/P and N/P changed from 16.26 to 146.61, from 258.08 to 908.67 and from 2.89 to 26.67; the mean was 37.24, 466.27 and 15.14, respectively. The mean N content was significantly lower than of deciduous trees in China, but the mean P content was nearly equivalent. The ratio of C/N was remarkably higher than of global land plants. The ratio of N/P indicated that growth ofP. euphratica was jointly limited by N and P nutrient deficiency. During the growth season, total trends of leaf C, N, P and K contents decreased. The max- imum appeared in May, and the minimum in September. Among microhabitats, C, N and K contents gradually increased from ri- parian lowland, flatland, sandpile, Gobi and dune, but C/N ratio was opposite, and P content was not apparent. Foliar C content was extremely, significantly and positively correlated with N and K contents, respectively. The relationships of N-K and P-K were both significantly positive.

Environmental Conditions of Barchan Dune and Barchan Chain-A Case Study from the Hexi Desert Area of Gansu

[Objective] The paper was to discuss why the top of tall barchan dunes and barchan chains widespread in single prevailing wind area had not been leveled by wind erosion. [Method] Based on the preliminary survey of distribution status,the morphological characteristics and environmental conditions of barchan dunes and barchan chains in Hexi desert area of Gansu were investigated in details. The significance of difference between samples and significance of correlation between indicators were examined via variance test. [Result] Barchan dunes and barchan chains in Hexi desert area of Gansu distributed at the leeward direction of desert fringe,generally in patch distribution. The distribution area was gravelly beach or cohesive gravel beach,with broader dune slack; winds in distribution area of barchan dunes and barchan chains blew obviously from one direction,while winds at other directions were light or occasionally strong but with low frequency;the barchan dune in the desert fringe of Hexi desert area of Gansu was relatively tall,while barchan chain was even more taller and larger. Coincidence or separation of the dune peak and the sand ridge might be related to distribution frequency of dominant prevailing wind or wind at opposite direction and the observation seasons.[Conclusion]Studying top stability of barchan dune has an important academic value in revealing blowing sand movement rule at desert fringe,invasion of sand flow,and expansion of desert.

2010–2020年塔里木盆地南部荒漠草地凋落物回收量月动态数据集

中国科学院新疆策勒荒漠草地生态系统国家野外科学观测研究站(以下简称“策勒站”)地处塔里木盆地南缘,南依昆仑山,北临我国最大的塔克拉玛干沙漠。具有植被群落简单,土壤有机质积累缓慢等特点。凋落物是该区域重要的养分来源。基于对策勒站荒漠植物群落的长期定位观测,通过对不同植物凋落物器官(枝、叶、果)分组,本文整理统计得到2010–2020年塔里木盆地南部荒漠草地凋落物的回收量月动态数据,同时记载了观测场群落以及土壤养分的年度变化情况。数据的产生严格遵照CERN生物观测规范执行,数据的审核及质量控制由台站与分中心质控人员共同完成。本数据集以期为深入研究塔里木盆地南部荒漠草地凋落物动态变化提供基础数据,为了解和评估极端干旱荒漠生态系统养分循环过程提供理论支撑。

Noah-MP陆面模式对干旱区不同下垫面水热通量模拟评估

基于干旱区张掖国家气候观象台2021年1月-2022年6月和大满灌区绿洲农田站2020年1-12月的观测数据,评估Noah-MP模式对干旱区荒漠和农田两种下垫面的水热通量的模拟性能。结果表明:Noah-MP模式模拟的干旱区荒漠下垫面辐射与观测值的相关系数均>0.98,泰勒评分>0.93。感热的泰勒评分(0.809)>潜热的泰勒评分(0.504),对辐射及湍流通量的变化特征、峰谷值与观测值总体一致,模拟效果较好。模拟的5 cm土壤湿度对降水过程有明显的响应,表现出明显的冷暖季差异,但其模拟性能仍有待改进。Noah-MP模式模拟的干旱区农田下垫面辐射通量及各层土壤温度的相关系数均>0.98,泰勒评分>0.58,模拟效果较理想。但模拟的潜热通量及各层土壤湿度较观测值偏低,尤其在生长季模拟性能不理想。Noah-MP模式对干旱区荒漠下垫面水热通量的模拟性能优于农田下垫面,优化和发展模式水文过程的参数化方案,在模式中考虑人为作用,是提高干旱区陆面过程模式模拟能力的重要方向。

荒漠浅覆盖区萤石矿定位预测技术研究

北山地区是中国西北部重要的萤石成矿带,区内成矿地质条件优越,但地处戈壁荒漠,受浅覆盖层影响,地表仅可观察到极少量露头,需开展综合地球物理研究为区域成矿潜力及覆盖区下方矿脉赋存空间进行定位预测研究。以北山成矿带东段花石头山地区为示范,采用高精度磁法、激电中梯、地面伽马能谱测量、便携式X射线荧光分析及音频大地电磁测深等技术手段进行综合探测,其中面积性激电和磁法工作可有效识别隐伏赋矿空间分布,地面伽马能谱测量、便携式X射线荧光分析约束赋矿空间的矿化异常,音频大地电磁测深构建了隐伏萤石矿赋存位置深部结构模型,并通过工程验证方法组合的有效性。本研究建立了综合地质-地球物理定位预测技术方法组合,可为北山成矿带及戈壁荒漠浅覆盖区萤石矿定位预测提供理论和技术支持。

北山荒漠戈壁浅覆盖区萤石矿定位技术研究

在我国的西北部地区,特别是东天山—北山成矿带中新生界覆盖区广泛分布,仅戈壁、沙漠覆盖区就占据了全国陆地总面积的12.3%。随着东部矿产资源的开发程度日益提高,西北部大面积的戈壁荒漠浅覆盖区有望成为有利的矿产资源接替基地。因此,在戈壁、沙漠等中新生界覆盖区开展矿产综合定位预测工作是当前形势下最佳的选择之一。

新疆农田和荒漠生态系统土壤有机碳储量及其影响因素

基于中国生态系统研究网络(CERN)长期监测数据,选取新疆维吾尔自治区代表暖温带干旱区的绿洲农田生态系统(阿克苏站)、代表暖温带荒漠区(策勒站)以及温带荒漠区(阜康站)的绿洲农田和荒漠生态系统综合观测场、辅助观测场和农户调查点2005—2020年0—100 cm土层的土壤有机碳(SOC)储量数据,分析新疆农田和荒漠生态系统SOC储量的影响因素。研究结果表明,2005—2020年0—100 cm土层SOC总储量平均值为阿克苏站(5.17 kg/m^(2))>阜康站(4.20 kg/m^(2))>策勒站(2.96 kg/m^(2))。0—20 cm、20—40 cm、40—60 cm土层的SOC分别约占0—100 cm土层储量的27.3%—35.3%、23.1%—24.6%和15.8%—17.5%。在阿克苏站,施肥量最高、灌溉量最低的农户调查点SOC储量最高;而在策勒站和阜康站,农户调查点和辅助观测场的施肥和灌溉措施分别最有利于提高SOC储量。总体来看,土壤含水量、地上生物量与SOC储量呈正相关关系;年平均气温与0—40 cm土层的SOC储量呈负相关关系。在单一生态站的生态系统尺度,年平均气温与SOC储量相关性不显著;地上生物量与策勒站和阜康站的SOC储量呈正相关关系,但是与阿克苏站0—40 cm土层的SOC储量呈负相关关系;施纯钾量与策勒站0—60 cm土层的SOC储量呈正相关关系,但与阜康站40—100 cm土层的SOC储量呈负相关关系。总之,与自然状态下的荒漠和农田不施肥相比,灌溉和施肥的农田管理措施有利于增加干旱区SOC储量。不同生态站要根据自身区域特点制定合理的农田管理模式,以维持较高的SOC储量。