Ecological effect of the plantation of Sabina vulgaris in the Mu Us Sandy Land,China

Vegetation restoration through artificial plantation is an effective method to combat desertification,especially in arid and semi-arid areas.This study aimed to explore the ecological effect of the plantation of Sabina vulgaris on soil physical and chemical properties on the southeastern fringe of the Mu Us Sandy Land,China.We collected soil samples from five depth layers(0-20,20-40,40-60,60-80,and 80-100 cm)in the S.vulgaris plantation plots across four plantation ages(4,7,10,and 16 years)in November 2019,and assessed soil physical(soil bulk density,soil porosity,and soil particle size)and chemical(soil organic carbon(SOC),total nitrogen(TN),available nitrogen(AN),available phosphorus(AP),available potassium(AK),cation-exchange capacity(CEC),salinity,p H,and C/N ratio)properties.The results indicated that the soil predominantly consisted of sand particles(94.27%-99.67%),with the remainder being silt and clay.As plantation age increased,silt and very fine sand contents progressively rose.After 16 years of planting,there was a marked reduction in the mean soil particle size.The initial soil fertility was low and declined from 4 to 10 years of planting before witnessing an improvement.Significant positive correlations were observed for the clay,silt,and very fine sand(mean diameter of 0.000-0.100 mm)with SOC,AK,and p H.In contrast,fine sand and medium sand(mean diameter of 0.100-0.500 mm)showed significant negative correlations with these indicators.Our findings ascertain that the plantation of S.vulgaris requires 10 years to effectively act as a windbreak and contribute to sand fixation,and needs 16 years to improve soil physical and chemical properties.Importantly,these improvements were found to be highly beneficial for vegetation restoration in arid and semi-arid areas.This research can offer valuable insights for the protection and restoration of the vegetation ecosystem in the sandy lands in China.

Remote sensing monitoring of the recent rapid increase in cultivation activities and its effects on desertification in the Mu Us Desert, China

The recent ecological improvement in the Mu Us Desert of China, largely attributed to large-scale afforestation projects, has created new opportunities for cultivation activities. However, the subsequent rapid increase in reclamation on desertification land and its impact on desertification have raised concerns. In this study, we first extracted data on cultivated land and desertification land in 1975,1990, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020 through the human-computer interaction visual interpretation method. By overlaying the cultivated land dynamics and desertification land, we subsequently explored the effect of cultivation activities on desertification in the Mu Us Desert during the six periods from 1975 to 2020(1975–1990, 1990–2000, 2000–2005, 2005–2010, 2010–2015, and 2015–2020). The results showed that cultivated land in the Mu Us Desert showed a fluctuating and increasing trend from 3769.26 km~2 in 1975 to 4865.73 km~2 in 2020, with 2010 as the turning point for the recent rapid increase. The main contributors included the large and regular patches distributed in Yuyang District and Shenmu of Shaanxi Province, and relatively smaller patches concentrated in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The increased cultivated land from the reclamation on desertification land was dominated by moderate and severe desertification lands, and the decreased cultivated land that was transferred into desertification land as abandoned cultivated land was dominated by slight and moderate desertification lands. The effect of cultivation activities on desertification reversal(average area proportion of 10.61% for reversed desertification land) was greater than that of the development of desertification(average area proportion of 5.82% for developed desertification land). Nevertheless, compared to reversed desertification land,both the significant increase of developed desertification land during the periods of 2000–2005 and 2005–2010 and the insignificant decrease during the periods of 2005–2010, 2010–2015, and 2015–2020 implied a potential remobilization risk. Therefore, this study provides a significant theoretical reference for the formulation of ecological restoration projects and regional macroeconomic development policies by considering the influence of cultivation activities, to ensure the overall environmental stability and sustainability in desertification land where reclamation and abandonment activities have taken place.

Estimating aboveground biomass in Mu Us Sandy Land using Landsat spectral derived vegetation indices over the past 30 years

Remote sensing is a valuable and effective tool for monitoring and estimating aboveground biomass （AGB） in large areas.The current international research on biomass estimation by remote sensing technique mainly focused on forests,grasslands and crops,with relatively few applications for desert ecosystems.In this paper,Landsat Thematic Mapper （TM）/Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus （ETM＋） images from 1988 to 2007 and the data of 283 AGB samples in August 2007 were used to estimate the AGB for Mu Us Sandy Land over the past 30 years.Moreover,temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of AGB and influencing factors of climate and underlying surface were also studied.Results show that：（1） Differences of correlations exist in the fitted equations between AGB and different vegetation indices in desert areas.The modified soil adjusted vegetation index （MSAVI） and soil adjusted vegetation index （SAVI） show relatively higher correlations with AGB,while the correlation between normalized difference vegetation index （NDVI） and AGB is relatively lower.Error testing shows that the AGB-MSAVI model established can be used to accurately estimate AGB of Mu Us Sandy Land in August.（2） AGB in Mu Us Sandy Land shows the fluctuant characteristics over the past 30 years,which decreased from the 1980s to the 1990s,and increased from the 1990s to 2007.AGB in 2007 had the highest value,with a total AGB of 3.352×106 t.Moreover,in the 1990s,AGB had the lowest value with a total AGB of 2.328×106 t.（3） AGB with relatively higher values was mainly located in the middle and southern parts of Mu Us Sandy Land in the 1980s.AGB was low in the whole area in the1990s,and relatively higher AGB values were mainly located in the southern parts of Uxin.In 2007,AGB in the whole area was relatively higher than those of the last twenty years,and higher AGB values were mainly located in the northern,western and middle parts of Mu Us Sandy Land.

Biological soil crust distribution in Artemisia ordosica communities along a grazing pressure gradient in Mu Us Sandy Land, Northern China

This study investigated the distribution pattern of biological soil crust （BSC） in Artemisia ordosica communities in Mu Us Sandy Land. Three experimental sites were selected according to grazing pressure gradient. In each experimental site, the total vegetation cover, A. ordosica cover, BSC cover, litter-fall cover, BSC degree of fragmentation, BSC thickness and soil properties were investigated in both fixed and semi-fixed sand dunes and simultaneously analyzed in the laboratory. The results showed that at the same grazing pressure, BSC cover and composition were significantly affected by the fixation degree of sand dunes. In addition, BSC cover in the fixed sand dunes was 83.74% on average, whereas it is proportionally dominated by 28% mosses, 21% lichens, and 51% algae. Meanwhile, BSC cover in the semi-fixed sand dunes was 23.54% on average, which is proportionally domi- nated by 6.3% mosses, 2.5% lichens, and 91.2% algae. Fine sand, organic matter, and total nitrogen （N） contents in the fixed sand dunes were all significantly higher than those in the semi-fixed sand dunes. Litter-fall cover de- creased along the grazing pressure gradient, whereas BSC fragmentation degree increased. Fine sand content decreased along with the increase of grazing pressure, whereas medium sand content increased in both fixed and semi-fixed dunes. The organic matter and total N contents in the no grazing site were significantly higher than those in light and normal grazing sites. However, there were no significant differences between the light and normal grazing sites. In addition, there were also no significant differences in BSC thickness between the light and normal grazing sites in the fixed sand dunes. However, a significant decrease was observed in both BSC cover and thick- ness in the normal grazing site. The BSC in the semi-fixed dunes was more sensitive to disturbance.

The effects of land-use types and conversions on desertification in Mu Us Sandy Land of China

Based on multi-temporal remotely sensed materials of both 1985 and 2000, we analyzed the effects of land-use types and their conversions on desertification in Mu Us Sandy Land in the agro-pastoral transitional zone of north central China. In this study, the desertified land was classified into five degrees： potential, light, medium, severe and extreme. The results indicate that the extent of desertification expands slightly, while desertification degree is enhanced significantly. About 22.35% of the total land area in the study area is in the desertification course, and the expanded area of both severely and extremely desertified land accounts for 3.67% of the total area of Mu Us Sandy Land. About 9053 klTl2 of area witnessed changes in land-use types between 1985 and 2000, which accounted for 10.75% of the total. More importantly, the area of conversions among cultivated land, forestland and rangeland added up to 971.6 km^2. This research reveals that both improper land-use types and conversions could accelerate the desertification process. Both cultivated land and forestland have more effects on the desertification development than rangeland. Some land-use type conversions, such as rangeland to cultivated land, rangeland to forestland and forestland to cultivated land, are attributed to the acceleration of the desertification development while the opposite can control the desertification development.

Effects of aeolian processes on nutrient loss from surface soils and their significance for sandy desertification in Mu Us Desert, China: a wind tunnel approach

Mu Us Desert, a region with high aeolian activity, is at extremely high risk of sandy desertification. Using surface soil samples collected from Mu Us Desert of northern China, we evaluated the effects of aeolian processes on nutrient loss from surface soils by employing wind tunnel experiments. The experiments were conducted using free-stream wind velocities of 14, 16, 18 and 22 m/s. Our results showed that the fine particles （〈50 pm in diameter; 12.28% of all transported materials） carrying large nutrient Ioadings were exported outside the study area by ae- olian processes. After the erodible fine particles were transported away from the soil surfaces at low wind velocity （i.e. 14 m/s）, the following relatively high wind velocity （i.e. 22 m/s） did not have any significant effect on nutrient export, because the coefficients of variation for soil organic matter, total phosphorus, total nitrogen and available potassium were usually 〈5%. Our experimental results confirmed that aeolian processes result in a large amount of nutrient export, and consequently increase the risk of sandy desertification in arid and semi-arid ecosystems.

A late Holocene winter monsoon record inferred from the palaeo-aeolian sand dune in the southeastern Mu Us Desert, northern China

The variation of the Asian winter monsoonal strength has seriously affected the climate and environmental conditions in the Asian monsoonal region, and even in marginal islands and the ocean in the East Asian region. However, relevant under-standing remains unclear due to the lack of suitable geological materials and effective proxies in the key study areas. Here, we present a grain-size record derived from the palaeo-aeolian sand dune in the southeastern Mu Us Desert, together with other proxies and OSL dating, which reflect a relatively detailed history of the winter monsoon and abrupt environmental events during the past 4.2 ka. Our grain-size standard deviation model indicated that 〉224 μm content can be considered as an indicator of the intensity of Asian winter monsoon, and it shows declined around 4.2–2.1 ka, enhanced but unstable in 2.1–0.9 ka, and obviously stronger since then. In addition, several typical climate events were also documented, forced by the periodic variation of winter monsoonal intensity. These include the cold intervals of 4.2, 2.8, 1.4 ka, and the Little Ice Age （LIA）, and relatively warm sub-phases around 3.0, 2.1, 1.8 ka, and the Medieval Warm Period （MWP）, which were roughly accordant with the records of the aeolian materials, peat, stalagmites, ice cores, and sea sediments in various latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Combined with the previous progresses of the Asian summer monsoon, we prelimi-narily confirmed a millennial-scale anti-correlation of Asian winter and summer monsoons in the Late Holocene epoch. This study suggests that the evolution of the palaeo-aeolian sand dune has the potential for comprehending the history of Asian monsoon across the desert regions of the modern Asian monsoonal margin in northern China.

Relationships between Artemisia ordosica communities and environmental factors following sand-dune stabilization in the Mu Us desert,northwest China

Artemisia ordosica is an excellent sand-fixing shrub for sand stabilization in northwestern China. Sand dune stabilization, a critically important process, leads changes in abiotic factors, such as soil structure and nutrient contents. However, the effects of factors on an A. ordosica community following sand stabilization remain unclear. In this study, we used canonical correspondence analysis （CCA） to examine the relationships between A. ordosica communities and environmental factors at three habitats： semi-fixed dune （SF）, fixed dune with low-cov- erage biological soil crust （F）, and fixed dune with high- coverage biological soil crust （FC） in Mu Us desert. The mean height and coverage of plants increased with sand stabilization, while species diversity and richness increased initially and then reduced significantly. Correlation analysis and CCA revealed that slope, soil organic carbon, and nutrient contents, proportion of fine soil particles, soil moisture, and thickness of biological soil crust were all highly correlated with vegetation characteristics. These environmental factors could explain 40.42 % of the vege- tation-environment relationships at the three habitats. The distribution of plant species was positively related to soil moisture in the SF dune. Soil moisture, soil nutrient, and fine-particle contents mainly affected plants distribution in the F dune. In the FC dune, distribution of plant species was positively and negatively correlated with the thickness of biological soil crust and soil moisture at a depth 0-20 cm, respectively. The dominance value of typical steppe species increased significantly following sand-dune stabilization and relations between species and samples in CCA ordination bi-plots showed that perennial grasses could invade the A. ordosica community on FC, indicating A. ordosica communities had a tendency to change into typical steppe vegetation with the further fixation. We conclude that the significant differentiation not only occurred in community characteristics, but also in the relationships between vegetation and environmental factors among the three stages of dune fixation. So, restoration of degraded dune ecosystems should be based on habitat conditions and ecological needs.

Groundwater evapotranspiration under psammophilous vegetation covers in the Mu Us Sandy Land, northern China

Groundwater is a significant component of the hydrological cycle in arid and semi-arid areas. Its evapotranspiration is an important part of the water budget because many plants are groundwater-dependent. To restore the degraded ecosystems, the need is pressing to further our understanding of the groundwater evapotranspiration（ET_g） in arid and semi-arid areas. This study employed the White method to estimate ET_g at four sites in the Mu Us Sandy Land in northern China, and the four sites are covered by Salix psammophila（SP site）, Artemisia ordosica（AO site）, Poplar alba（PA site）, and Carex enervis（CE site）, respectively. The depth of groundwater table and the duration of drainage were taken into account in calculating the specific yield（S_y） to improve the accuracy of the ET_g estimats. Our results showed that from late May to early November 2013 the ET_g were 361.87（SP site）, 372.53（AO site）, 597.86（PA site） and 700.76 mm（CE site）, respectively. The estimated ET_g rate was also species-dependent and the descending order of the ET_g rate for the four vegetation was： C. enervis, P. alba, A. ordosica, and S. psammophila. In addition, the depth of groundwater table has an obvious effect on the ET_g rate and the effect varied with the vegetation types. Furthermore, the evapotranspiration for the vegetation solely relying on the water supply from unsaturated layers above the groundwater table was much less than that for the vegetation heavily relying on the water supply from shallow aquifers.

Wind-proof and sand-fixing effects of Artemisia ordosica with different coverages in the Mu Us Sandy Land,northern China

Wind erosion is a key global environmental problem and has many adverse effects.The Mu Us Sandy Land of northern China is characterized by an arid climate,where vegetation patches and bare sand patches are usually distributed mosaically,and aeolian activities occur frequently.Vegetation plays a significant role in controlling wind erosion.Artemisia ordosica is the most dominant native plant species in the Mu Us Sandy Land.It is urgent to study the wind-proof and sand-fixing effects of Artemisia ordosica in the Mu Us Sandy Land.This study analyzed the wind-proof and sand-fixing effects of Artemisia ordosica based on the field data of wind regimes,aeolian sediment transport,and surface change of Artemisia ordosica plots with four coverages(denoted as site A,site B,site C,and site D)in the Mu Us Sandy Land during the period from 1 June 2018 to 29 June 2019.The coverages of Artemisia ordosica at site A,site B,site C,and site D were 2%,16%,29%,and 69%,respectively.The annual average wind speeds at 2.0 m height above the ground for site A,site B,site C,and site D were 3.47,2.77,2.21,and 1.97 m/s,respectively.The annual drift potentials were 193.80,69.72,15.05,and 6.73 VU at site A,site B,site C,and site D,respectively.The total horizontal aeolian sediment fluxes during the period from 2-3 June 2018 to 6 June 2019 at site A,site B,site C,and site D were 4633.61,896.80,10.54,and 6.14 kg/m,respectively.Site A had the largest surface changes,and the surface changes at site B were significantly weaker than those at site A,whereas the surface changes at site C and site D were minimal.The results indicated that Artemisia ordosica significantly reduced the wind speed,drift potential,aeolian sediment transport,and surface changes.The higher the coverage of Artemisia ordosica is,the more obvious the effects of wind-proof and sand-fixing.Wind erosion would be effectively controlled in the Mu Us Sandy Land if the coverage of Artemisia ordosica is greater than 29%.These results provide a scientific basis for evaluating the ecosystem service function of Artemisia ordosica and the vegetation protection and construction projects in the Mu Us Sandy Land.

Geochemical weathering of aeolian sand and its palaeoclimatic implications in the Mu Us Desert,northern China,since the Late Holocene

In the semi-arid and arid regions of northern China,geochemical behavior of the aeolian deposit is closely related to climatic and environmental changes,which was used to reconstruct the past history of environmental evolution and possibly forcing mechanisms.However,the related result was still scarce due to the lack of detailed geochemical analysis results in the desert sediments.In the present study,we systematically analyzed the geochemical components and parameters of the paleo-aeolian sand dune and modern mobile sand deposits in the Mu Us Desert and discuss the climatic variation inferred from the paleo-aeolian sand dune during the past 4.2 ka BP.The results indicated that （1） geochemical composition of the sandy deposits were dominated by SiO_2,Al_2O_3 and Na_2O and the deposits probably originated from the widespread upper continental crust （UCC） and were formed by long-term weathering,transport and re-deposition;（2） these sandy deposits were subjected to weaker weathering or uneven weathering under cold and dry conditions,and had highly similar material sources and degrees of weathering and leaching in general;and （3） the direct OSL （Optically Stimulated Luminescence） dating ages and geochemical parameters from the palaeosol-aeolian sand dune indicated that the regional climate change experienced several typically cold and warm intervals.These intervals are 4.2,2.8 ka BP and Little Ice Age and Medieval Warm Period,which probably attributed to periodic variations of the Asian summer monsoonal strength and cold events of the northern Atlantic Ocean in low and high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.Our results suggest that the development of the sand dune in the Mu Us Desert provided a suitable archive for understanding the past local climatic change,which is linked to the global climatic change.

Study on Spatial Variation of Soil Moisture in Coal Mining Subsidence Area in Mu Us Sandy Land

In order to explore the spatial distribution and variation characteristics of soil moisture in coal mining subsidence area in Mu Us sandy Land,and provide theoretical basis for the restoration of the mining area,experiments based on a linear sampling and classic statistical and geostatistical methods were conducted. Spatial distribution characteristics and variation of soil moisture in the typical 0 to 100 cm dune area in the subsidence area and the non-subsidence area( control) were studied. The results showed that in the typical sand dune location of nonsubsidence area( control),the probability distribution curves of soil moisture changes in all layers along vertical and horizontal directions were all normal distribution,and it was consistent with the temporal and spatial variation characteristics of soil moisture in conventional dunes in Mu Us sandy land. By contrast,two years after the coal mine collapsed,the variations of soil moisture in different layers along vertical and horizontal directions were different,and soil moisture loss was more serious than that of control dune by nearly 10% to 30%,and the standard deviation varied from 0. 54 to 1. 05,increasing by 52. 08% compared with the non-subsidence area( control). The probability of positive and negative deviation greater than 1 was over 50%,and the coefficient of variation varied from 0. 14 to 0. 28,which was 80% higher than that of nonsubsidence area( control). After collapsing,the average level of soil moisture,standard deviation,variance and variation coefficient had greatly changed,and influence of coal mining subsidence on soil moisture was the most in the middle layer( 30-70 cm),and was not obvious in the surface( 0-20 cm) and lower layer( 80-100 cm). In coal mining subsidence area,the dispersion degree of soil moisture in different layers along the vertical and horizontal direction was greatly improved,which increased spatial variation of soil moisture.

Historical desertification of the Mu Us Sandy Land: A perspective from the Beidachi section

Historical desertification of the Mu Us Sandy Land is linked to both environmental changes and anthropogenic activities. This paper reports on an analysis of grain size parameters as indicative of such changes in the southwestern area of the Mu Us Sandy Land. Combined with analysis of chronologies and historical records, our results indicate that Beidachi Lake and a nearby season- al river have retreated continuously in history and that sand dunes appeared at approximately the end of the Ming dynasty. This study sheds new light on the understanding of spatial-temporal changes of the interior Mu Us Sandy Land in history and has great significance in revealing environmental changes of the interior region of the Mu Us Sandy Land.

Desertification in the Mu Us Sandy Land in China:Response to climate change and human activity from 2000 to 2020

China is a country largely affected by desertification.The main purpose of this article is to analyze interannual and seasonal changes in fractional vegetation cover(FVC)in the Mu Us Sandy Land(MUSL).It uses fused remote sensing data to quantitatively analyze the response of FVC to climate change and human activities.The results showed that desertification in the MUSL had improved over the past 20 years.Grade V desertification decreased from more than 60%in 2000 to about 15%in 2020.In some years,degradation appeared to be affected by climate factors and human activity,especially in the northwestern portion of the study area.The FVC in summer was slightly higher than that in autumn and far higher than recorded in spring and winter.Spatially,the northwestern and central parts of the study area were unstable,with high coefficients of variation.FVC gradually increased from northwest to southeast,and areas with the fastest increase in FVC were concentrated along the eastern and southern edges of the study area.The correlations between FVC and precipitation and dryness were slightly pos-itive,but the correlation between FVC and temperature showed regional differences.The increase of population density is not a key factor limiting the growth of vegetation;the policy of“grazing prohibition,grazing rest,and rotational grazing”has allowed the restoration of vegetation;and afforestation is an effective way to promote the increase in FVC.

Potential Role of Feldspathic Sandstone as a Natural Water Retaining Agent in Mu Us Sandy Land,Northwest China

This paper analyzed the water-retention mechanism of feldspathic sandstone(fine-(<1 mm diam.)and gravel-sized(2-3 cm diam.)in Mu Us Sandy Land,Northwest China.The objective of this study is to study the effect of feldspathic sandstone amendment on water retention in sandy land.The results showed that as the proportion of fine feldspathic sandstone in the sandy land soil increased,the soil texture changed from sand to silt loam,the capillary porosity gradually increased from 26.3%to 44.9%,and the soil saturated hydraulic conductivity decreased from 7.10 mm/min to 0.07 mm/min.Feldspathic sandstone gravel formed micro-reservoirs in the sandy land soil,playing the role of a′water absorbent′and′water retaining agent′in sandy land.Amendment with feldspathic sandstone can increase water retention in the arable layer of sandy land by 67%.This study provides a theoretical basis for the amelioration of sandy land on a large scale.It can be concluded that amendment with feldspathic sandstone can improve the physical properties of sandy land soil and increase soil water retention.

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.

Deep soil water recharge response to precipitation in Mu Us Sandy Land of China

Soil water is the main form of water in desert areas, and its primary source is precipitation, which has a vital impact on the changes in soil moisture and plays an important role in deep soil water recharge(DSWR) in sandy areas. This study investigated the soil water response of mobile sand dunes to precipitation in a semi-arid sandy area of China. Precipitation and soil moisture sensors were used to simultaneously monitor the precipitation and the soil water content(SWC) dynamics of the upper 200-cm soil layer of mobile sand dunes located at the northeastern edge of the Mu Us Sandy Land of China in 2013. The data were used to analyze the characteristics of SWC, infiltration, and eventually DSWR. The results show that the accumulated precipitation(494 mm) from April 1 to November 1 of 2013 significantly influenced SWC at soil depths of 0-200 cm. When SWC in the upper 200-cm soil layer was relatively low(6.49%), the wetting front associated with53.8 mm of accumulated precipitation could reach the 200-cm deep soil layer. When the SWC of the upper 200-cm soil layer was relatively high(10.22%), the wetting front associated with the 24.2 mm of accumulated precipitation could reach the upper 200-cm deep soil layer. Of the accumulated 494-mm precipitation in 2013, 103.2 mm of precipitation eventually became DSWR, accounting for 20.9% of the precipitation of that year. The annual soil moisture increase was 54.26 mm in 2013. Accurate calculation of DSWR will have important theoretical and practical significance for desert water resources assessment and ecological construction.

Holocene climatic change reconstructed from trace elements of an aeolian deposit in the southeastern Mu Us Desert, northern China

In semi-arid and arid desert regions of northern China, aeolian deposits document the framework variation of an Asian monsoon during the late Quaternary. However, there is still a lack of detailed data pertaining to Holocene Asian monsoonal variation especial in the modern Asian summer monsoonal boundary belt. In this study, we reconstructed Holocene millennial-scale climatic changes in the Mu Us Desert, northern China, through systematic analysis of the variation of trace elements(324 samples) in different lithological units of the palaeosol-aeolian sand deposit, in combination with14 C and OSL chronology. Statistical results, correlation and clustering analysis indicate that the high content of 11 trace elements(V, Y, Cr, Nb, P, Mn, Cu, Zr, As, Ni and Rb, represented by P) and lower Sr content corresponding to periods of palaeosol development, marked increase of vegetation, weathering degree, and enhanced Asian summer monsoonal strength. In contrast, their opposed variation are coincident with accumulated aeolian sand layers, implying weaker summer monsoons and less geochemical weathering and degraded vegetation. These associations can be considered as signaling regional humid and dry changes of the Holocene environment. Accordingly, relatively arid conditions dominated the region before 7.2 ka, and there was an optimal humid climate in 7.2-4.6 ka. Afterwards, the climate became obviously dry, accompanied with several cycles of relatively wet and dry, such as relatively wet intervals around 4.1-3.7 ka, 3.5-3.3 ka and 2.5 ka. In addition, six millennial-scale dry events were recorded, and these events were consistent with weaker Asian summer monsoonal intervals in low latitudes, declined palaeosol development and precipitation in middle latitudes, as well as increased winter monsoon and periodic ice-rafting events in high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, within limits of accuracy of existing dating ages. This possibly suggests a noteworthy synchronism between millennial-scale climatic changes in this region and on a global scale.

Cultivated-land change in Mu Us Sandy Land of China before and after the first-stage grain-for-green policy

Mu Us Sandy Land(MUSL) of China, as a typical eco-fragile and farming-pastoral transitional region, shows great vulnerability to disturbances from cultivation activity. In this region, the conflict between cultivation activity and environmental protection has not attracted great importance until the implementation of China's Grain-for-Green Policy(CGGP) since2000. Here, using Landsat5 TM/Landsat7 ETM+ images from 1990, 2000, and 2010, we monitor the cultivation activity and land-use/cover changes(LUCC) resulting from cultivation activity in the MUSL region. Based on the data from images, we developed a series of databases of cultivated activity-induced LUCC and use them to discuss comparatively the spatio-temporal evolution trends of cultivation activity before and after CGGP implementation. These results provide evidence for managers to evaluate the implementation effectiveness of governmental policy and the influence of cultivation activity on the ecological environment of the MUSL region.