The Effects of Different Ratios of Feldspathic Sandstone and Sand Compound Soil on Water-stable Aggregates in 4 Years Crop Planting

To study the formation process of feldspathic sandstone and sand compound soil in the Mu Us Desert,1∶ 1,1∶ 2 and 1∶ 5 ratios of feldspathic sandstone and sand were mixed to obtain compound soil to plant crops,and analyze the rules of changes in water-stable aggregates of the compound soil among the 4 years crops growing process. The results showed,before crop planting,the order of mass percent of> 0. 25 mm and 0. 25-2. 00 mm water-stable aggregates in three kinds of compound soil was 1∶ 1 > 1∶ 2 > 1∶ 5,showing that the overall content was low; the mass percent of > 0. 25 mm water-stable aggregates remained at 18. 38%-28. 22%; the mass percent of 0. 25-0. 50 mm,0. 50-2. 00 mm,2. 00-5. 00 mm,and > 5. 00 mm water-stable aggregates was close with each other in each kind of compound soil. After4 years of planting,the mass percent of > 0. 25 mm water-stable aggregates in 1∶ 2 compound soil increased significantly and exceeded other2 kinds of compound soil,reached 32. 34%; the main components of > 0. 25 mm water stable aggregates in 1∶ 1,1∶ 2,and 1∶ 5 compound soil were 0. 25-0. 50 mm( 53. 54%),0. 25-0. 50 mm( 59. 43%),0. 05-2. 00 mm( 52. 16%),aggregates; 0. 25-2. 00 mm aggregates increased significantly in all three kinds of compound soil,with the highest increase in 1∶ 2 compound soil; the organic matters of 1∶ 2 compound soil were significantly correlated with 0. 25-0. 50 mm and 0. 25-2. 00 mm water-stable aggregates. The results showed that the ratio of 0. 25-2. 00 mm aggregates in the three kinds of compound soil was increased after 4 years of crop planting and 1∶ 2 compound soil was most favorable for the formation of aggregates.

Niche Characteristics of Herbaceous Plants under Pinus tabuliformis Plantation Forest in Feldspathic Sandstone Area

[Objectives] To explore the niche characteristics of herbaceous plants under Pinus tabuliformis plantation forest in the feldspathic sandstone area,and to provide basic data for maintaining biodiversity and community stability in the local P.tabuliformis plantation forest.[Methods] The types,quantity,average plant height,and coverage of various herbaceous plants were recorded by field survey in a well-growing P.tabulaeformis forest area.Based on the survey data,Shannon and Levins niche breadth index,Levins niche overlap index and ecological response were used to analyze the niche characteristics of herbaceous plants under P.tabulaeformis plantation forest.[Results]( i) There were 35 species of herbaceous plants in the P.tabulaeformis plantation forest in the feldspathic sandstone area.Among them,Stipa bungeiensis had the largest niche breadth indexes with better performance.Because of its strong adaptability,its community was in an obviously advantageous position.( ii) The overall niche width and niche overlap index were generally not high,and understory herb species showed differentiation.( iii) Among the understory herbaceous species,37.15% of the species were developed species,and 62.86% of the species were declining species.Among the 14 dominant species,11 were developmental species.The species with largest the resource occupancy were S.bungeiensis( 0.188 5),Heteropappus altaicus( 0.053 1),and Cleistogenes squarrosa( 0.037 9).[Conclusions] Competition among under herbaceous plants in P.tabulaeformis plantation forest in the feldspathic sandstone area was weak,and the community species had poor utilization of resources and environment.Most of the dominant herbaceous species were in the developing stage,indicating that the P.tabulaeformis plantation community tends to be relatively stable at the current stage.

Effect of Different Acidic Agents on Surface Roughness of Feldspathic Porcelain

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different acidic agents on surface roughness of feldspathic porcelain. Materials and Methods: In this study, totally 60 disc shaped Noritake and Ceramco 3 feldspathic porcelain were used. The samples were divided into five groups and immersed in five acidic agents (coke, orange juice, lemonade, mineral water and black-carrot juice). After 168 hours, the specimens were evaluated surface roughness with profilometer. Results: The results showed that the highest surface roughness value (4.46 ± 2.9 μm) was identified in lemonade at Noritake porcelain and the lowest surface roughness value (1.06 ± 0.56 μm) was identified in mineral water at Ceramco 3 porcelain. The result of two-way analysis of variance test showed that there were no statistically significant differences between acidic agents on surface roughness of feldspathic porcelain (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The obtained data presented that the acidic drinks affected the surface roughness of feldspathic porcelain.

Thorium anomaly on the lunar surface and its indicative meaning

The Moon has been divided into three terranes:Procellarum KREEP Terrane(PKT),Feldspathic Highland Terrane(FHT),and South Pole-Aitken Terrane(SPAT),using globally measured Th and FeO.Many lunar evolu-tion models have predicted that a lunar magma ocean will produce a residual layer enriched in incompatible elements such as K,REE,and P(i.e.,KREEP)in the late age of crys-tallization;and that the distribution of thorium can be used as a proxy for determining the global distribution of KREEP.The thorium distribution in these three terranes is inhomo-geneous.The highest concentration of thorium is in PKT,the medium concentration of thorium is in SPAT,and almost none in FHT.Then what is the specific distribution in each of the terrane and what enlightenment can it tell us?Here we present and describe the detailed thorium distribution in PKT,SPAT,and FHT and provide some information for the origin of asymmetries on the lunar surface.

Sand stabilization effect of feldspathic sandstone during the fallow period in Mu Us Sandy Land

Depended on the analysis of ground snow situation, soil moisture loss speed and soil structure after planting crops of Mu Us Sandy Land remedied with feldspathic sandstone in the fallow period, it is concluded that feldspathic sandstone mixed with sand improved the sand stabilization in the governance of Mu Us Sandy Land in the fallow period. The sandy land remedied with feldspathic sandstone had big snow coverage, 25%-75% higher than normal sand; soil moisture losses slowed down, and moisture content rose by over 3 times; soil structure had been improved, and water stable aggregate content increased by 6.52%-18.04%; survival rate of protection forest increased to 85%; and ground flatness is less than 1%. The above conditions weakened sand rising conditions of Mu Us Sandy Land in the fallow period and formed two protective layers of snow cover and soil frozen layer under cold weather so as to prevent against wind erosion.

Mineralogy, Petrography and Geochemistry of the Ina Syenite (Linté, Central Cameroon) as a Source of Industrial Feldspars

The syenite from Ina (Central region of Cameroon) constitutes a 1000 km2 syntectonic batholith intruded in the Paleoproterozoic granitic basement. The aim of this work is to assess the potential of the Ina batholith syenite as a feldspar minerals resource for industrial use through petrographic and geochemical characterization. Most of the rocks are grey coloured and consist of shimmering feldspar phenocrysts in a fine-grained ferromagnesian matrix. Petrography reveals the presence of two major syenite facies: a widely distributed porphyritic syenite and a less-abundant massive syenite. These facies are dominated by phenocrysts of sub-automorphic perthitic orthoclase. Its malgachite face is due to the presence of numerous inclusions of opaque minerals observed by scanning electron microscopy (ESEM-EDX). Plagioclase phenocrysts have a zonal texture characterised microscopically by an oscillatory compositional zonation. Biotite, hornblende and augite, identified by X-ray powder diffraction, are finely disseminated in the feldspar matrix. Quartz appears as small automorphic crystals with maximum abundance of about 4 wt%. The XRF chemical composition reveals, alongside silica (59.29 wt% to 63.27 wt%), significant proportion of alumina (15.82 wt% to 19.80 wt%), potassium and sodium oxides considered as fluxing elements (K2O + Na2O ≥ 10 wt%). The K2O/Na2O ratio varies between 1.65 and 5.51 (average 2.58). Iron and titanium oxides (1 ≥ wt% Fe2O3 + TiO2 ≥ 5), harmful in ceramic industry, are high as in most other feldspathic sources. The characteristics of the Ina syenite are close to most of the syenite ores used worldwide for ceramics and glass raw materials and necessitates purification and beneficiation treatments. Others rock types have been identified at the study site (granite, monzonite, granodiorite) and are considered as inappropriate as a source of industrial feldspars.