Sand control mechanism of radial well filled with phase change material in hydrate reservoir

Radial well filled with phase change material has been proposed as a novel sand control method for hydrate exploitation.In order to reveal the sand control mechanism,CFD-DEM coupling method is applied to simulate the migration,settlement,and blockage processes of sand particles in the radial well.The obtained results indicate that three scenarios have been recognized for sand particles passing through sand control medium,based on the diameter ratio of sand control medium to sand particle(D_(d)):fully passing(D_(d)=8.75-22.5),partially passing and partially blocked(D_(d)=3.18-5.63),and completely blocked(D_(d)=2.18-3.21).After being captured by the sand control medium,sand particles can block pores,which increases fluid flow resistance and causes a certain pressure difference in the radial well.The pressure in the radial well should be lower than the hydrate phase equilibrium pressure during sand control design,for the purpose of promoting hydrate decomposition,and sand capture.The length of the radial well should be optimized based on the reservoir pore pressure,production pressure difference,bottom hole pressure,and the pressure gradient in the radial well.It should be noticed that the sand control medium leads to a decrease in permeability after sand particles captured.Even the permeability is reduced to several hundred millidarcy,it is still sufficient to ensure the effective flow of gas and water after hydrate decomposition.Increasing fluid velocity reduces the blocking capacity of the sand control medium,mainly because of deterioration in bridging between sand particles.

Study on the clogging mechanism of punching screen in sand control by the punching structure parameters

As an independent sand control unit or a common protective shell of a high-quality screen,the punching screen is the outermost sand retaining unit of the sand control pipe which is used in geothermal well or oil and gas well.However,most screens only consider the influence of the internal sand retaining medium parameters in the sand control performance design while ignoring the influence of the plugging of the punching screen on the overall sand retaining performance of the screen.To explore the clogging mechanism of the punching screen,this paper established the clogging mechanism calculation model of a single punching screen sand control unit by using the computational fluid mechanics-discrete element method(CFD-DEM)combined method.According to the combined motion of particles and fluids,the influence of the internal flow state on particle motion and accumulation was analyzed.The results showed that(1)the clogging process of the punching sand control unit is divided into three stages:initial clogging,aggravation of clogging and stability of clogging.In the initial stage of blockage,coarse particles form a loose bridge structure,and blockage often occurs preferentially at the streamline gathering place below chamfering inside the sand control unit.In the stage of blockage intensification,the particle mass develops into a relatively complete sand bridge,which develops from both ends of the opening to the center of the opening.In the stable plugging stage,the sand deposits show a“fan shape”and form a“V-shaped”gully inside the punching slot element.(2)Under a certain reservoir particle-size distribution,The slit length and opening height have a large influence on the permeability and blockage rate,while the slit width size has little influence on the permeability and blockage rate.The microscopic clogging mechanism and its law of the punching screen prevention unit are proposed in this study,which has some field guidance significance for the design of punching screen and sand prevention selection.

Spatiotemporal phase change materials for thermal energy long-term storage and controllable release

Phase change materials(PCMs)have attracted much attention in the field of solar thermal utilization recently,due to their outstanding thermal energy storage performance.However,PCMs usually release their stored latent heat spontaneously as the temperature below the phase transition temperature,rendering thermal energy storage and release uncontrollable,thus hindering their practical application in time and space.Herein,we developed erythritol/sodium carboxymethylcellulose/tetrasodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate(ERY/CMC/EDTA-4Na)composite PCMs with novel spatiotemporal thermal energy storage properties,defined as spatiotemporal PCMs(STPCMs),which exhibit the capacity of thermal energy long-term storage and controllable release.Our results show that the composite PCMs are unable to lose latent heat due to spontaneous crystallization during cooling,but can controllably release thermal energy through cold crystallization during reheating.The cold-crystallization temperature and enthalpy of composite PCMs can be adjusted by proportional addition of EDTA-4Na to the composite.When the mass fractions of CMC and EDTA-4Na are both 10%,the composite PCMs can exhibit the optical coldcrystallization temperature of 51.7℃ and enthalpy of 178.1 J/g.The supercooled composite PCMs without latent heat release can be maintained at room temperature(10-25℃)for up to more than two months,and subsequently the stored latent heat can be controllably released by means of thermal triggering or heterogeneous nucleation.Our findings provide novel insights into the design and construction of new PCMs with spatiotemporal performance of thermal energy long-term storage and controllable release,and consequently open a new door for the development of advanced solar thermal utilization techniques on the basis of STPCMs.

Long-term feeding of sand rice(Agriophyllum squarrosum seed)can improve the antioxidant capacity of mice

Unhealthy eating habits with sugar-rich and high-fat foods can bring nutritional imbalance and other chronic diseases. At present, there is an increasing demand in regulating human sub-health through functional foods. Agriophyllum squarrosum(L.) Moq., a pioneer plant native to sand dunes with ecological restoration function, is a traditional food plant of sand regions and Mongolian folk medicine. Numerous studies have confirmed that A. squarrosum seed, also called sand rice, has high nutritional value. However, the long-term health effects of eating sand rice remain unclear. To better explore and evaluate its long-term effects, hereby, ICR mice were fed with sand rice flour at different ratios(control, 60% and 95%) for 100 days. Results show that the growth and blood glucose level curve of these experimental mice were lower and more stable than that of the control. In addition, mice fed pure sand rice ingredient(95%) gained more stable body weight and blood glucose after 28 days, which revealed that sand rice is a food with comprehensive nutritional value and rarely negatively impacts the body growth performance. Our data also demonstrates that, the content of triglyceride(TG), total cholesterol(TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C) provided the lowest level in the blood of mice with a diet of pure sand rice ingredient, 0.48, 4.14, 0.91, 3.03 mmol/L, respectively. Also, T-SOD and GSH-PX activity provided a high level in mice with pure sand rice gradient, which significantly increased by 36%(T-SOD)and 19%(GSH-PX) compared to the control. These results suggest that long term intake of the pure sand rice ingredients is more helpful for stabilizing blood lipid and improve antioxidant capacity and beneficial to people suffering from chronic disease. This study supplies the first animal evidence to support the claim that sand rice is a promising functional food with comprehensive nutrition in the future. We are confident that, with increasing demands of daily sand rice usage, planting A. squarrosum in the vast desert regions will further increase the local economy and ecological restoration when coping with global warming.

Development,sand control mechanism and hydrocarbon accumulation of beach-bar sandstone in a saline lake basin:A case from the Neogene of southwestern Qaidam Basin,NW China

Based on the data of field outcrops,drilling cores,casting thin sections,well logging interpretation,oil/gas shows during drilling,and oil/gas testing results,and combined with modern salt-lake sediments in the Qinghai Lake,the Neogene saline lake beach-bars in southwestern Qaidam Basin are studied from the perspective of sedimentary characteristics,development patterns,sand control factors,and hydrocarbon accumulation characteristics.Beach-bar sand bodies are widely developed in the Neogene saline lake basin,and they are lithologically fine sandstone and siltstone,with wavy bedding,low-angle cross bedding,and lenticular-vein bedding.In view of spatial-temporal distribution,the beach-bar sand bodies are stacked in multiple stages vertically,migratory laterally,and extensive and continuous in NW-SE trending pattern in the plane.The stacking area of the Neogene beach-bar sandstone is predicted to be 3000 km^(2).The water salinity affects the sedimentation rate and offshore distance of beach-bar sandstone,and the debris input from the source area affects the scale and enrichment of beach-bar sandstone.The ancient landform controls the morphology and stacking style of beach-bar sandstone,and the northwest monsoon driving effect controls the long-axis extension direction of beach-bar sandstone.The beach-bars have a reservoir-forming feature of“one reservoir in one sand body”,with thick beach-bar sand bodies controlling the effective reservoir distribution and oil-source faults controlling the oil/gas migration and accumulation direction.Three favorable exploration target zones in Zhahaquan,Yingdong-eastern Wunan and Huatugou areas are proposed based on the analysis of reservoir-forming elements.

Passability test and simulation of sand control string with natural gas hydrates completion in large curvature hole

To meet the requirements of marine natural gas hydrate exploitation,it is necessary to improve the penetration of completion sand control string in the large curvature borehole.In this study,large curvature test wells were selected to carry out the running test of sand control string with pre-packed screen.Meanwhile,the running simulation was performed by using the Landmark software.The results show that the sand control packer and screen can be run smoothly in the wellbore with a dogleg angle of more than 20°/30 m and keep the structure stable.Additionally,the comprehensive friction coefficient is 0.4,under which and the simulation shows that the sand control string for hydrate exploitation can be run smoothly.These findings have important guiding significance for running the completion sand control string in natural gas hydrate exploitation.

Protective benefits of HDPE board sand fences in an environment with variable wind directions on Gobi surfaces:wind tunnel study

The Golmud-Korla Railway in the Gobi area faces operational challenges due to sand hazards,caused by strong and variable winds.This study addresses these challenges by conducting wind tunnel tests to evaluate the protective benefits of High Density Polyethylene(HDPE)board sand fences,focusing on their orientation relative to various wind directions(referred to as'wind angle').This study found that the size of the low-velocity zone on the leeward side of the sand fences(LSF)expanded with an increase in the wind angle(WA).At 1H(the height of the sand fence)and 2H positions on the LSF,the wind speed profiles(WSP)exhibited a segmented logarithmic growth,constrained by Z=H at varying WAs.The efficacy of the sand fence in obstructing airflow escalated as WA increased.The size of the WA has a significant impact on the protective efficiency of HDPE board sand fences.Furthermore,compared to typical sandy surfaces,the rate of sand transport across the Gobi surface diminishes more slowly with height,attributed to the gravel's rebound effect.This phenomenon allows some sand particles to bypass the fences,rendering them less effective at blocking wind and trapping sand than in sandy environments.This paper offers scientific evidence supporting the practical use and enhancement of HDPE board sand fences in varied wind conditions.

Effects of a New Long-term Controlled-release Fertilizer on Growth and Development and Yield of Summer Maize

[Objective] The aim was to select the optimal amount of controlled-release fertilizer and provide theoretical references for controlled-release fertilizers use in summer maize. [Method] Long-term controlled-release fertilizers were applied once at sowing summer maize to explore effects on maize growth, yield, economic profits and environment. [Result] Maize yield reduced a little in the treatment group with 60% CRF, and increased in varying degrees in the rest groups in the range of 1.1%-7.4%, and some showed significant differences. [Conclusion] Controlled-release fertilizers can be applied once at the amount of 80% common fertilizer＇s, with con- sideration of maize yield, nitrogen use rate and economic profits, which is beneficial for summer maize application and promotion in North China.

Damage by wind-blown sand and its control measures along the Taklimakan Desert Highway in China

Desertification is one of the most serious environmental problems in the world,especially in the arid desert regions.Combating desertification,therefore,is an urgent task on a regional or even global scale.The Taklimakan Desert in China is the second largest mobile desert in the world and has been called the''Dead Sea''due to few organisms can exist in such a harsh environment.The Taklimakan Desert Highway,the longest desert highway(a total length of 446 km)across the mobile desert in the world,was built in the 1990s within the Taklimakan Desert.It has an important strategic significance regarding oil and gas resources exploration and plays a vital role in the socio-economic development of southern Xinjiang,China.However,wind-blow sand seriously damages the smoothness of the desert highway and,in this case,mechanical sand control system(including sand barrier fences and straw checkerboards)was used early in the life of the desert highway to protect the road.Unfortunately,more than 70%of the sand barrier fences and straw checkerboards have lost their functions,and the desert highway has often been buried and frequently blocked since 1999.To solve this problem,a long artificial shelterbelt with the length of 437 km was built along the desert highway since 2000.However,some potential problems still exist for the sustainable development of the desert highway,such as water shortage,strong sandstorms,extreme environmental characteristics and large maintenance costs.The study aims to provide an overview of the damages caused by wind-blown sand and the effects of sand control measures along the Taklimakan Desert Highway.Ultimately,we provide some suggestions for the biological sand control system to ensure the sustainable development of the Taklimakan Desert Highway,such as screening drought-resistant species to reduce the irrigation requirement and ensure the sound development of groundwater,screening halophytes to restore vegetation in the case of soil salinization,and planting cash crops,such as Cistanche,Wolfberry,Apocynum and other cash crops to decrease the high cost of maintenance on highways and shelterbelts.

Sand harm in Taklimakan Desert highway and sand control

Re puted as a wonderful achievement of the world's highway construction h istory, the Taklimakan Desert highway is now facing serious sand drift encroachment problems due to its 447-km-long passage of sand sea consist ing of crescent dunes, barchan chains, compound transverse dune ridges and co mplex megadunes. To solve some technical problems in the protection of the highway from sand drift encroachment, desert experts have been conductin g the theoretical and applied studies on sand movement laws; causes, severities and time-space differentiation of sand drift damages; and control ways in cluding mechanical, chemical and biological measures. In this paper the authors give an overall summary on the research contents and recent progress i n the control of sand drift damages in China and hold that the theoretica l research results and practices in the prevention of sand drift encr oachment on the cross-desert highway represent a breakthrough and has an epoch-making significance. Since the construction of protective forest along the cross-desert highway requires large amount of ground water, what will be its environmental consequence and whether it can effectiv ely halt sand drift encroachment on the highway forever are the questions to be studied urgently.

A sand-production control system for gas production from clayey silt hydrate reservoirs

Sand production is a crucial problem during the process of extracting natural gas from hydrate reservoirs. To deal with sand-production problems systematically, a sand-production control system (SCS) is first proposed in this paper, specialized for pore-distributed clayey silt hydrate reservoirs. Secondly, a nodal system analysis method (NSAM) is applied to analyze the sand migration process during hydrate exploitation. The SCS is divided into three sub-systems, according to different sand migration mechanisms, and three key scientific problems and advances in SCS research in China Geological Survey are reviewed and analyzed. The maximum formation sanding rate, proper sand-control gravel size, and borehole blockage risk position were provided for clayey hydrate exploitation wells based on the SCS analysis. The SCS sub-systems are closely connected via bilateral coupling, and coordination of the subsystems is the basis of maintaining formation stability and prolonging the gas production cycle. Therefore, contradictory mitigation measures between sand production and operational systems should be considered preferentially. Some novel and efficient hydrate exploitation methods are needed to completely solve the contradictions caused by sand production.

A Sand Control and Development Model in Sandy Land Based on Mixed Experiments of Arsenic Sandstone and Sand: A Case Study in Mu Us Sandy Land in China

Serious desertification caused by human activity and climate change,in addition to water loss and soil erosion related to arsenic sandstone in the Mu Us Sandy Land,lead to severe scarcity of soil and water resources,which causes worse local agricultural conditions accordingly.Many physical properties of arsenic sandstone is complementary with that of sand,arsenic sandstone is therefore supposed to be blended to enhance water productivity and arability of sandy land.Container experiments are carried out to study the enhancement of water holding capacity of the mixture,the blending ratio of arsenic sandstone and sand,and the proper size of the arsenic sandstone particles,respectively.The results of the experiments show that particle size of 4 cm with a ratio of 1∶2 between arsenic sandstone and sand are the proper parameters on blending.Both water content and fertility increase after blending.Water use efficiency in the mixture is 2.7 times higher than that in sand by the water release curves from experiments.Therefore,a new sand control and development model,including arsenic sandstone blending with sand,efficient water irrigation management and reasonable farming system,is put forward to control and develop sandy land so that water-saving agriculture could be developed.Demonstration of potato planting about 153.1 ha in area in the Mu Us Sandy Land in China indicates that water consumption is 3018 m3/ha in the whole growth period.It means that about 61%of irrigation water can be saved compared with water use in coarse sand without treatment.Recycle economic mode and positive feedback of sand resource-crop planting-soil resource are constructed,which changes sand into arable soil and make it possible to develop water-saving agriculture on it.The proposed model will be helpful for soil-water resources utilization and management in the Mu Us Sandy Land.

Polyacrylamide hydrogel application in sand control with compressive strength testing

Sand production is one of the major problems in sandstone reservoirs. Different mechanical and chemical methods have been proposed to control sand production. In this paper, we propose a chemical method based on using polyacrylamide/chromium triacetate hydrogel to investigate sand production in a synthetic sandpack system. To this end, a series of bulk experiments including the bottle test and rheological analysis along with compression tests were conducted. Experimental results indicated that the compressive strength of the sandpack was increased as much as 30 times by injecting 0.5 pore volume of hydrogel. Also, it was found that the increases in cross-linker and polymer concentrations exhibited a positive impact on the compressive strength of the sandpack, mostly by cross-linker concentration(48 psi). Hydrogel with a higher value of cross-linker could retain its viscoelastic properties against the strain which was a maximum of 122% for 0.5 weight ratio of cross-linker/polymer. The presence of salts, in particular divalent cations, has a detrimental effect on the hydrogel stability. The maximum strain value applied on hydrogel in the presence of CaCl_2 was only about 201% as compared to 1010% in the presence of distilled water. Finally, thermogravimetric analysis and its derivative showed that the hydrogel could retain its structure up to 300 °C. The results of this study revealed the potential application of the hydrogel to control sand production.

Seasonal differences in climatic controls of vegetation growth in the Beijing–Tianjin Sand Source Region of China

Launched in 2002, the Beiing–Tianjin Sand Source Control Project (BTSSCP) is an ecological restoration project intended to prevent desertification in China. Evidence from multiple sources has confirmed increases in vegetation growth in the BTSSCP region since the initiation of this project. Precipitation and essential climate variable-soil moisture (ECV-SM) conditions are typically considered to be the main drivers of vegetation growth in this region. Although many studies have investigated the inter-annual variations of vegetation growth, few concerns have been focused on the annual and seasonal variations of vegetation growth and their climatic drivers, which are crucial for understanding the relationships among the climate, vegetation, and human activities at the regional scale. Based on the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) derived from MODIS and the corresponding climatic data, we explored the responses of vegetation growth to climatic factors at annual and seasonal scales in the BTSSCP region during the period 2000–2014. Over the study region as a whole, NDVI generally increased from 2000 to 2014, at a rate of 0.002/a. Vegetation growth is stimulated mainly by the elevated temperature in spring, whereas precipitation is the leading driver of summer greening. In autumn, positive effects of both temperature and precipitation on vegetation growth were observed. The warming in spring promotes vegetation growth but reduces ECV-SM. Summer greening has a strong cooling effect on land surface temperature. These results indicate that the ecological and environmental consequences of ecological restoration projects should be comprehensively evaluated.

Sand control effect of HDPE sandbreak nets with different porosity structure

Straw checkerboard sand barriers with a porous structure that consists of a pervious upper portion and a dense lower portion are widely used to achieve great sand control effect.Considering this,and resolving the serious earth surface undercutting problem after HDPE sandbreak net checkboard barriers setting,the authors used HDPE(high-density polyethylene)materials to prepare new sandbreak materials with a similar porous structure.Through wind tunnel simulations and field sand control monitoring,we compared the sand control effect of three HDPE sandbreak nets with different porosity structure.Compared to the sandbreak net with uniform porosity structure,the three types of HDPE sandbreak nets with different porosity structure had poorer effect on reducing sand transport rates,but had longer effective protection distance before sandbreak nets at low wind velocity conditions(<12 m/s),longer effective protection distance at high wind velocity(>14 m/s)and longer effective protection distance between sandbreak nets at all experimental wind velocity conditions.Wind and sand control effect characteristics of HDPE sandbreak nets with different porosity structure provide an ideal material on semiburied checkerboard sand barriers for sand stabilization.By contrast,uniform-type sandbreak nets are used as materials on high upright sand fences for sand blocking.These HDPE sandbreak nets can be used to replace traditional sandbreak materials and have a very high potential for widespread and popular application in aeolian sand disaster control.

Survey of <i>C. difficile</i>-Specific Infection Control Policies in Local Long-Term Care Facilities

Introduction: The incidence and severity of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has been increasing and long-term care facility (LTCF) residents are at high risk given their age, co-morbidities, and high antibiotic exposure. Infection control policies are crucial for controlling CDI, but there are currently no regulatory guidelines in the United States. Therefore, we evaluated infection control policies in local LTCFs to define the CDI-specific policies and the administrative and staff understanding of CDI, so as to identify perceived barriers for compliance. Methods: IRB approval was sought and exemption granted, all 8 local LTCFs were asked to participate. Each facility was visited by study personnel who interviewed the administrative Infection Control Practitioner (ICP) and 3-4 Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) with distinct survey format. Infection control policies were then compared to the SHEA recommendations for CDI in LTCFs. Results: Of the eligible facilities, 75% (n = 6) participated. ICP (n = 6) and LPNs (n = 21) were interviewed. All facilities accept residents with active CDI and 2 had written CDI-specific infection control policies. All facilities had hand hygiene or glove use policies and 2 had policies for the use of sporicidal environmental cleaning. No facility restricted antibiotic use. Each facility has a policy to instruct their staff through in-services, either annually or upon new hire, but 33% (n = 7) LPNs reported no facility-based CDI training. While 80% (n = 17) of LPNs felt comfortable with the facility CDI policies, only 11 accurately restated it. ICPs felt the most relevant barrier to staff compliance was time constraints (n = 4, 67%), however, LPNs felt it was limited knowledge (n = 10, 48%) and poor communication (n = 2, 10%). Discussion and Conclusions: With the increasing incidence and severity of CDI in LCTF, few of the facilities surveyed had CDI-specific policies. Despite CDI-specific training, there is a perceived knowledge and communication gap for staff caring for residents with CDI.

Blown sand motion within the sand-control system in the southern section of the Taklimakan Desert Highway

Although scientists have performed many studies in the Taklimakan Desert, few of them have reported the blown sand motion along the southern edge of the Taklimakan Desert Highway, which differs significantly from the northern region in terms of aeolian sand geomorphology and formation environment. Based on the field ob- servation data of airflow and aeolian sand transport, continuous monitoring data of erosional and depositional processes between 14 April 2009 and 9 April 2011 and data of surface sand grains from the classical section along the southern edge of the Taklimakan Desert Highway, this paper reported the blown sand motion within the sand-control system of the highway. The main results are as follows： 1） The existing sand-control system is highly effective in preventing and controlling desertification. Wind velocities within the sand-control system were ap- proximately 33%-100% of those for the same height above the mobile sand surface. Aeolian sand fluxes were approximately 0-31.21% of those of the mobile sand surface. Sand grains inside the system, with a mean diameter of 2.89 q）, were finer than those （2.15 q）） outside the system. In addition, wind velocities basically followed a loga- rithmic law, but the airflow along the classical section was mainly determined by topography and vegetation. 2） There were obvious erosional and depositional phenomena above the surface within the sand-control system, and these phenomena have very consistent patterns for all observation points in the two observed years. The total thicknesses of erosion and deposition ranged from 0.30 to 14.60 cm, with a mean value of 3.67 cm. In contrast, the deposition thicknesses were 1.90-22.10 cm, with a mean value of 7.59 cm, and the erosion thicknesses were 3.51-15.10 cm, with a mean value of 8.75 cm. The results will aid our understanding of blown sand within the sand-control system and provide a strong foundation for optimizing the sand-control system.

Long-term stabilization of the optical fiber phase control using dual PID

We propose an approach of long-term stabilization of optical fiber phase by controlling a piezo-based phase modulator and a Peltier component attached to the fiber via a phase-locked loop( PLL) circuit w ith dual proportional-integral- derivative( PID) adjustment. With this approach,we can suppress the fast disturbance and slow drifting of optical fiber to satisfy the requirements of optical phase long-term locking. In theory,a mathematical model of an optical fiber phase control system is established. The disturbance term induced by environment influence is considered into the PLL model. The monotonous and continuous changing environment disturbance w ill cause a steady-state error in this theory model. The experimental results accords w ell w ith the theory. The steady-state performance,adjusting time,and overshoot can be improved by using the dual PID control. As a result,the long-term,highly stable and low noise fiber phase locking is realized experimentally.

On efficiency of sand-controlling system along the Tarim Desert Highway in Taklimakan Desert

As the longest desert highway in China. the 447-kin-long Taklimakan Desert Highway which goes across the Taklimakan Desert was fully opened to traffic in 1996~[1]. The sand-controlling system along the Desert Highway enables the Highway itself to operate properly and creates enormous socio-economic benefits. However, due to delivery time pressure, the sand-controlling system was built in a haste. Lack of studies on sand-controlling system brought deficiencies on design and construction of the sand-controlling system. And with the lapse of time, troubles such as sand deposition on the roadbeds and erosion on roadsides came to surface and caused more serious problems for the traffic routes[1.2]. This paper discusses two forms of the sand-controlling system-the upright fence and the send-covered sand barrier, then analyzes the general benefits of the sandcontrolling system along the Desert Highway.

Effect of sand-fixing vegetation on the hydrological regulation function of sand dunes and its practical significance

Soil water content is a key controlling factor for vegetation restoration in sand dunes.The deep seepage and lateral migration of water in dunes affect the recharge process of deep soil water and groundwater in sand dune ecosystems.To determine the influence of vegetation on the hydrological regulation function of sand dunes,we examined the deep seepage and lateral migration of dune water with different vegetation coverages during the growing season in the Horqin Sandy Land,China.The results showed that the deep seepage and lateral migration of water decreased with the increase in vegetation coverage on the dunes.The accumulated deep seepage water of mobile dunes(vegetation coverage<5%)and dunes with vegetation coverage of 18.03%,27.12%,and 50.65%accounted for 56.53%,51.82%,18.98%,and 0.26%,respectively,of the rainfall in the same period.The accumulated lateral migration of water in these dunes accounted for 12.39%,6.33%,2.23%,and 7.61%of the rainfall in the same period.The direction and position of the dune slope affected the soil water deep seepage and lateral migration process.The amounts of deep seepage and lateral migration of water on the windward slope were lower than those on the leeward slope.The amounts of deep seepage and lateral migration of water showed a decreasing trend from the bottom to the middle and to the top of the dune slope.According to the above results,during the construction of sand-control projects in sandy regions,we suggest that a certain area of mobile dunes(>13.75%)should be retained as a water resource reservoir to maintain the water balance of artificial fixed dune ecosystems.These findings provide reliable evidence for the accurate assessment of water resources within the sand dune ecosystem and guide the construction of desertification control projects.