Improving the CoLM in Taklimakan Desert Hinterland with Accurate Key Parameters and an Appropriate Parameterization Scheme

Improving and validating land surface models based on integrated observations in deserts is one of the challenges in land modeling. Particularly, key parameters and parameterization schemes in desert regions need to be evaluated in-situ to improve the models. In this study, we calibrated the land-surface key parameters and evaluated several formulations or schemes for thermal roughness length （z 0h ） in the common land model （CoLM）. Our parameter calibration and scheme evaluation were based on the observed data during a torrid summer （29 July to 11 September 2009） over the Taklimakan Desert hinterland. First, the importance of the key parameters in the experiment was evaluated based on their physics principles and the significance of these key parameters were further validated using sensitivity test. Second, difference schemes （or physics-based formulas） of z 0h were adopted to simulate the variations of energy-related variables （e.g., sensible heat flux and surface skin temperature） and the simulated variations were then compared with the observed data. Third, the z 0h scheme that performed best （i.e., Y07） was then selected to replace the defaulted one （i.e., Z98）; the revised scheme and the superiority of Y07 over Z98 was further demonstrated by comparing the simulated results with the observed data. Admittedly, the revised model did a relatively poor job of simulating the diurnal variations of surface soil heat flux, and nighttime soil temperature was also underestimated, calling for further improvement of the model for desert regions.

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.

Summer atmospheric boundary layer structure in the hinterland of Taklimakan Desert, China

Understanding the characteristics of the structure of desert atmospheric boundary layer and its land surface process is of great importance to the simulations of regional weather and climate. To investigate the atmospheric boundary layer structure and its forming mechanism of Taklimakan Desert, and to improve the accuracy and precision of regional weather and climate simulations, we carried out a GPS radiosonde observation experiment in the hinterland of Taklimakan Desert from 25 June to 3 July, 2015. Utilizing the densely observed sounding data, we analyzed the vertical structures of daytime convective boundary layer and nighttime stable boundary layer in summer over this region, and also discussed the impacts of sand-dust and precipitation events on the desert atmospheric boundary layer structure. In summer, the convective boundary layer in the hinterland of Taklimakan Desert developed profoundly and its maximum height could achieve 4,000 m; the stable boundary layer at nighttime was about 400-800-m thick and the residual mixing layer above it could achieve a thickness over 3,000 m. Sand-dust weather would damage the structures of nighttime stable boundary layer and daytime convective boundary layer, and the dust particle swarm can weak the solar radiation absorbed by the ground surface and further restrain the strong development of convective boundary layer in the daytime. Severe convective precipitation process can change the heat from the ground surface to the atmosphere in a very short time, and similarly can damage the structure of desert atmospheric boundary layer remarkably. Moreover, the height of atmospheric boundary layer was very low when raining. Our study verified the phenomenon that the atmospheric boundary layer with supernormal thickness exists over Taklimakan Desert in summer, which could provide a reference and scientific bases for the regional numerical models to better represent the desert atmospheric boundary layer structure.

Near-surface sand-dust horizontal flux in Tazhong-the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert

Tazhong is the hinterland and a sandstorm high-frequency area of the Taklimakan Desert. However, little is known about the detailed time-series of aeolian sand transport in this area. An experiment to study the sand-dust horizontal flux of near-surface was carried out in Tazhong from January to December 2009. By measur- ing the sand-dust horizontal flux throughout sixteen sand-dust weather processes with a 200-cm tall Big Spring Number Eight （BSNE） sampler tower, we quantitatively analyzed the vertical variation of the sand-dust horizontal flux. And the total sand-dust horizontal flux of different time-series that passed through a section of 100 cm in width and 200 cm in height was estimated combining the data of saltation movement continuously recorded by piezo- electric saltation sensors （Sensit）. The results indicated that, in the surface layer ranging from 0-200 cm, the inten- sity of sand-dust horizontal flux decreased with the increase of the height, and the physical quantities obeyed power function well. The total sand-dust horizontal flux of the sixteen sand-dust weather processes that passed through a section of 100 cm in width and 200 cm in height was about 2,144.9 kg, the maximum of one sand-dust weather event was about 396.3 kg, and the annual total sand-dust horizontal flux was about 3,903.2 kg. The high levels of aeolian sand transport occurred during daytime, especially from 13：00 to 16：00 in the afternoon. We try to develop a new method for estimation of the detailed time-series of aeolian sand transport.

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.

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.

Dust storms evolution in Taklimakan Desert and its correlation with climatic parameters

Based on the sand dust storms data and climatic data in 12 meteorological stations around sand dust storm originating areas of the Taklimakan Desert, we analyzed the trends of the number of dust storm days from 1960 to 2005 as well as their correlations with temperature, precipitation, wind speed and the number of days with mean wind speed 〉 5 m/s. The results show that the frequency of dust storm events in the Taklimakan region decreased with the elapse of time. Except Ruoqiang and Minfeng, in the other 10 meteorological stations, the frequency of dust storm events reduces, and in 4 meteorological stations of Kuqa, Korla, Kalpin and Hotan, the frequency of dust storm events distinctly decreases. The temperature has an increasing trend, while the average wind speed and the number of days with mean wind speed ≥ 5 m/s have decreasing trends. The correlation analysis between the number of days of dust storms and climatic parameters demonstrates that wind speed and the number of days with mean wind speed 〉 5 m/s have strong positive correlation with the number of days of dust storms, with the correlations coefficients being 0.743 and 0.720 （p〈0.01）, respectively, which indicates that strong wind is the direct factor resulting in sand dust storms. Whereas precipitation has significant negative correlation with the number of days of dust storms （p〈0.01）, and the prior annual precipitation has also negative correlation, which indicates that the prior precipitation restrains the occurrence of sand dust storms, but this restraining action is weaker than the same year＇s precipitation. Temperature has negative correlation with the number of dust storm days, with a correlations coefficient of -0.433 （p〈0.01）, which means that temperature change also has impacts on the occurrence of dust storm events in the Taklimakan region.

Impact factors of soil wind erosion in the center of Taklimakan Desert

The development and progress of soil wind erosion are influenced by the factors of climate, terrain, soil and vegetation, etc. This paper, taking Tazhong region, a town in the centre of the Taklimakan Desert, as an example and using comparative and quantitative methods, discussed the effects of climate, surface roughness （including vegetation cover） and surface soil properties on soil wind erosion. The results showed that the climate factor index C of annual wind erosion is 28.3, while the maximum of C is 13.9 in summer and it is only 0.7 in winter. The value of C has a very good exponential relationship with the wind speed. In Tazhong region, the surface roughness height is relatively small with a mean of 6.32 x 10 Sm, which is in favor of soil wind erosion. The wind erosion is further enhanced by its sandy soil types, soil particle size, lacking of vegetation and low soil moisture content. The present situation of soil wind erosion is the result of concurrent effects of climate, vegetation and surface soil properties.

Stable oxygen-hydrogen isotopes reveal water use strategies of Tamarix taklamakanensis in the Taklimakan Desert, China

Tamarix taklamakanensis,a dominant species in the Taklimakan Desert of China,plays a crucial role in stabilizing sand dunes and maintaining regional ecosystem stability.This study aimed to determine the water use strategies of T.taklamakanensis in the Taklimakan Desert under a falling groundwater depth.Four typical T.taklamakanensis nabkha habitats(sandy desert of Tazhong site,saline desert-alluvial plain of Qiemo site,desert-oasis ecotone of Qira site and desert-oasis ecotone of Aral site)were selected with different climate,soil,groundwater and plant cover conditions.Stable isotope values of hydrogen and oxygen were measured for plant xylem water,soil water(soil depths within 0–500 cm),snowmelt water and groundwater in the different habitats.Four potential water sources for T.taklamakanensis,defined as shallow,middle and deep soil water,as well as groundwater,were investigated using a Bayesian isotope mixing model.It was found that groundwater in the Taklimakan Desert was not completely recharged by precipitation,but through the river runoff from snowmelt water in the nearby mountain ranges.The surface soil water content was quickly depleted by strong evaporation,groundwater depth was relatively shallow and the height of T.taklamakanensis nabkha was relatively low,thus T.taklamakanensis primarily utilized the middle(23%±1%)and deep(31%±5%)soil water and groundwater(36%±2%)within the sandy desert habitat.T.taklamakanensis mainly used the deep soil water(55%±4%)and a small amount of groundwater(25%±2%)within the saline desert-alluvial plain habitat,where the soil water content was relatively high and the groundwater depth was shallow.In contrast,within the desert-oasis ecotone in the Qira and Aral sites,T.taklamakanensis primarily utilized the deep soil water(35%±1%and 38%±2%,respectively)and may also use groundwater because the height of T.taklamakanensis nabkha was relatively high in these habitats and the soil water content was relatively low,which is associated with the reduced groundwater depth due to excessive water resource exploitation and utilization by surrounding cities.Consequently,T.taklamakanensis showed distinct water use strategies among the different habitats and primarily depended on the relatively stable water sources(deep soil water and groundwater),reflecting its adaptations to the different habitats in the arid desert environment.These findings improve our understanding on determining the water sources and water use strategies of T.taklamakanensis in the Taklimakan Desert.

Aeolian Facies Belts in the Taklimakan Desert

At least at the beginning of the last glacial epoch, the facies belts of dune sand, sandy loam and loess formed by winds had existed in the Taklimakan desert and areas south of it. There were no appreciable changes in the NE and NW wind systems and their wind fqrces that deposited dune sand, sandy loam and loess in the global cold stage since the last glacial epoch (accordingly no marked shifts of the boundaries of these aeolian facies belts took place. In the global warm stage since then, the climate in the Taklimakan desert and areas south of it became warm and dry, resulting in ablation of substantial volumes of ice and snow in their surrounding mountains and thus forming alluvial and diluvial deposits in the region. The alluvial-diluvial actions, however, failed to change the general framework of aeolian facies belts.

Characteristics of air pollution events over Hotan Prefecture at the southwestern edge of Taklimakan Desert, China

Hotan Prefecture is located at the southwestern edge of Taklimakan Desert, the world＇s largest shifting sand desert, of China. The desert is one of the main sources for frequent sand-dust weather events which strongly affect the air quality of Hotan Prefecture. Although this region is characterized by the highest annual mean PMlo concentration values that are routinely recorded by environmental monitoring stations across China, both this phenomenon and its underlying causes have not been adequately addressed in previous researches. Reliable pollutant PM_10 data are currently retrieved using a tapered element oscillating microbalance （TEOM） 1400a, a direct real-time monitor, while additional concentration values including for PM_2.5, sulfur dioxide （SO_2）, nitrogen dioxide （NO_2）, carbon monoxide （CO） and ozone （O_3） have been collected in recent years by the Hotan Environmental Monitoring Station. Based on these data, this paper presents a comparison of the influences of different kinds of sand-dust weather events on PM_10 （or PM_2.5） as well as the concentrations of other gaseous pollutants in Hotan Prefecture. It is revealed that the highest monthly average PM_10 concentrations are observed in the spring because of the frequent occurrence of three distinct kinds of sand-dust weather events at this time, including dust storms, blowing dust and floating dust. The floating dust makes the most significant contribution to PM_10 （or PM_2.5） concentration in this region, a result that differs from eastern Chinese cities where the heaviest PM_10 pollution occurs usually in winter and air pollution results from the excess emission of local anthropogenic pollutants. It is also shown that PM_10 concentration varies within wpical dust storms. PM_10 concentrations vary among 20 dust storm events within Hotan Prefecture, and the hourly mean concentrations tend to sharply increase initially then slowly decreasing over time. Data collected from cities in eastern China show the opposite with the hourly mean PM_10 （or PM_2.5） concentration tending to slowly increase then sharply decrease during heavy air pollution due to the excess emission of local anthropogenic pollutants. It is also found that the concentration of gaseous pollutants during sand-dust weather events tends to be lower than those cases under clear sky conditions. This indicates that these dust events effectively remove and rapidly diffuse gaseous pollutants. The analysis also shows that the concentration of SO_2 decreases gradually at the onset of all three kinds of sand-dust weather events because of rapidly increasing wind velocity and the development of favorable atmospheric conditions for diffusion. In contrast, changes in O_3 and NO_2 concentrations conformed to the opposite pattern during all three kinds of sand-dust weather events within this region, implying the inter transformation of these gas species during these events.

Sand flux estimation during a sand-dust storm at Tazhong area of Taklimakan Desert, China

In this paper, the sand transport during a sand-dust storm in the Tazhong area of the central Taklimakan Desert from 11：29 to 23：56 on July 19, 2008 was observed and measured in real time. The sand flux at Tazhong was estimated using sand transport empirical formulas. The critical friction velocity at Tazhong was 0.24 m/s and the functional relation between the wind speed and sediment discharge at the height of 2 m was established. It was also found that the calculated values by Lettau＇s sediment discharge formula were close to those of the instrument measurements. The horizontal sand flux and the vertical sand flux during this sand-dust storm at Tazhong were respectively 258.67×10-4 kg/（m·s） and 40.07×10-7 kg/（m2·s）.

Water-saving Potential in aeolian sand soil under straight tube and surface drip irrigation in Taklimakan Desert in Northwest China

Evaporation loss from the saturated soil beneath drip irrigation emitters highly influences the irrigation efficiency of drip krigation （D1]. Subsurface drip irrigation （SDI） is one good approach to curb this inefficiency, but in a new irrigation method, straight tube irrigation （STI）, the irrigation tubes do not need to be buried and thus STI is recommended to increase the irrigation efficiency under normal surface-applied DI. STI consists of only connectors and water-transference tubes that can directly transfer irrigation water from the lateral emitters in the drip line to the root zone of plants. Five-month field experiments were carried out in aeolian sand soil in the forest-belts of the Taklimakan Desert, which have poor water storage capacity, to compare the potential water saving between STI and DI. The preliminary results showed that, compared with DI, STI （1） improved the soil water content in soil depths from 40 to 100 cm under the soil surface; （2） achieved the same irrigation effects in relatively shorter irrigation durations; （3） had very little water loss due to deep seepage; and （4） formed a layer of dry sand about 10 to 30 cm thick immediately below the soil surface, which lessened evaporation loss of soil water beneath the emitters on the soil surface. This demonstrates that STI can maximize the water-saving potential of DI through the reduction of wetted soil perimeters on the soil surface. This is valuable information for water-saving engineering applications and projects with STI in arid and semiarid regions.

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.

Observation of saltation activity at Tazhong area in Taklimakan Desert,China

A two-year field observation of saltation activity was carried out at Tazhong area, the hinterland area of the Taklimakan Desert with highly frequent dust storms. From 1 September 2008 to 31 August 2010, a piezoelectric saltation sensor （Sensit） was used to continuously collect the data on saltation activity at a level sand surface. Analysis on the data suggests that saltation activity can occur at any time of the year when conditions are favorable; however, the necessary conditions are rarely satisfied in most time. In the daytime of spring or summer, saltation activity can persist even over a continuous one-hour-or-so period. It is found that, from 1 September 2008 to 31 August 2010, saltation activity accounts for more than 3% of the total yearly time, and it tends to peak in spring and summer months with strong winds. During winter months when winds are weak, however, it is often at a minimum. It seems that precipitation does not appear to be significant in reducing saltation activity in arid regions like Tazhong.

Impacts of Irrigation and Vegetation Growth on Summer Rainfall in the Taklimakan Desert

In recent decades,a greening tendency due to increased vegetation has been noted around the Taklimakan Desert(TD),but the impact of such a change on the local hydrological cycle remains uncertain.Here,we investigate the response of the local hydrological cycle and atmospheric circulation to a green TD in summer using a pair of global climate model(Community Earth System Model version 1.2.1)simulations.With enough irrigation to support vegetation growth in the TD,the modeling suggests first,that significant increases in local precipitation are attributed to enhanced local recycling of water,and second,that there is a corresponding decrease of local surface temperatures.On the other hand,irrigation and vegetation growth in this low-lying desert have negligible impacts on the large-scale circulation and thus the moisture convergence for enhanced precipitation.It is also found that the green TD can only be sustained by a large amount of irrigation water supply since only about one-third of the deployed water can be“recycled”locally.Considering this,devising a way to encapsulate the irrigated water within the desert to ensure more efficient water recycling is key for maintaining a sustainable,greening TD.

Vertical distribution characteristics of dust aerosol mass concentration in the Taklimakan Desert hinterland

The different height mass concentrations of dust aerosol data from the atmosphere environment observation station （Ta- zhong Station） was continuously observed by instruments of Grimm 1.108, Thermo RP 1400a and TSP from January of 2009 to February of 2010 in the Taklimakan Desert hinterland. Results show that： （1） The mass concentration value of 80 m PMl0 was higher, but PM2.5 and PM1.0 concentrations at 80 m was obviously lower than 4 m PMl0, and the value of 80 m PM1.0 mass concentration was the lowest. （2） The PM mass concentrations gradually decreased from night to sunrise, with the lowest concentration at 08：00, with the mass concentration gradually increased, up to the highest concentration around 18：00, and then decreased again. It was exactly the same with the changes of wind speed. （3） The high monthly average mass concentration of TSP mainly appeared from March to September, and the highest concentration was in April and May, subsequently gradually decreased. Also, March-September was a period with high value area of PM monthly average mass concentration, with the highest monthly average mass concentration of 846.0 p.g/m3 for 4 m PM^0 appeared in May. The concentration of PM10 was much higher than those of PM2.5 and PM1.0 at 80 m. There is a small difference between the concentration of PM2.5 and PM~ 0. Dust weather was the main factor which influenced the concentration content of the different diameter dust aerosol, and the more dust weather days, the higher content of coarse particle, conversely, fine particle was more. （4） The mass concentration of different diameter aerosols had the following sequence during dust weather： clear day 〈 blowing dust 〈 floating and blowing dust 〈 sandstorm. In different dust weather, the value of PM^o/TSP in fine weather was higher than that in floating weather, and much higher than those in blowing dust and sandstorm weather. （5） During the dust weather process, dust aerosol concentration gradually decreased with particle size decreasing. The dust aerosol mass concentration at different heights and diameter would have a peak value area every 3-4 days according to the strengthening process of dust weather.

Analysis of root fractal characteristics in remote areas of the Taklimakan desert,China

Fractal geometry is a potential new approach to analyze the root architecture, which may offer improved ways to quantify and summarize root system complexity as well as yield ecological and physiological insights into the functional relevance of specific architectural patterns. Fractal analysis is a sensitive measure of root branching intensity and fractal dimension expresses the ＂space filling＂ properties of a structure. The objective of this study was to find out the fractal characteristics of root systems in a remote area of the Taklimakan desert in China. The entire root system of two naturally occurring species were excavated and exposed with shov- els in 2007. The species were Tamarix taklamakanensis and Calligonum roborovskii. A one-factorial ANOVA with species as factor showed statistically a highly significant difference in fractal dimensions, indicating differences in their pattern of root branching. There was no relationship between root diameter and two parameters of fractal root models a and q, representing general characteris- tics of root systems, for either species （a： the ratio of the sum of root cross-sectional areas after a branching to the cross-sectional area before root division; q： the distribution of the cross-sectional areas after branching）. We have found significant linear relation- ships between the diameter after branching and root length and biomass respectively, because of the self-similarity of root branching. Branching rules are the same for roots of all sizes and lengths. Root biomass for the root systems of entire trees can be estimated by measuring the diameter of each root at the base of the trunk or the diameter after branching. We have shown that the diameter of each root at the base of the trunk and the diameter after branching are effective indices that can be measured easily in order to estimate the root lengths, biomass and other parameters of root architecture.

Diurnal dynamics of soil respiration and the influencing factors for three land-cover types in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert,China

Knowledge of soil respiration and the influencing factors in desert ecosystems is essential to understanding carbon dynamics and responses of biotic and abiotic processes in soils to climate change. In this study, soil respiration rate（R_s） for three land-cover types（shifting sandy land, sandy land with straw checkerboard barriers, and shelter forest land） in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert was measured in May 2015 using an automated soil CO_2 flux system. The effects of soil temperature（T_s） and soil water content（W_s） on R_s were also analyzed. The results showed that R_s values in shifting sandy land, sandy land with straw checkerboard barriers, and shelter forest land were all low and exhibited obvious diurnal fluctuations. The establishment of straw checkerboard barriers in sandy land had no significant effect on R_s, while the establishment of shelterbelts significantly increased R_s. Shifting sandy land and sandy land with straw checkerboard barriers were carbon sinks at night and early morning and were carbon sources in the daytime, while shelter forest land always acted as a carbon source during the whole day. The synergistic effect of T_s and W_s could better explain the diurnal dynamics in R_s than single factor. In shifting sandy land and sandy land with straw checkerboard barriers, W_s was identified as a limiting factor influencing the diurnal dynamics of R_s. Furthermore, a relatively strong hysteresis loop existed between R_s and T_s. In contrast, in shelter forest land, R_s was significantly influenced by T_s, and a relatively weaker hysteresis loop existed between R_s and W_s.

Grain size distribution at four developmental stages of crescent dunes in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert,China

Although scientists have performed many studies on crescent （barchan） dunes in the Taklimakan Desert,few studies reported the changes in grain size at different development stages of crescent dunes.In order to evaluate the changing trends of surface sediment grain size with dune development,we investigated the grain size characteristics at four developmental stages （oval sand pile,shield dune,incipient crescent dune and mature crescent dune） of crescent dunes by measuring the morphology of sand dune and observing the near-surface wind regime.The dunes have developed in a wide inter-dune corridor between high compound longitudinal ridges in China＇s Taklimakan Desert.The surface sediments at four developmental stages of the crescent dunes were primarily composed of fine sands,followed by very fine and medium sands.Mean grain sizes ranged from 2.8 to 3.1 φ,with a unimodal distribution.The sands were moderately well-sorted,their distribution varied from platykurtic to very platykurtic,and symmetrical or skewed towards the fine particles.From oval sand piles through shield and incipient crescent dunes to mature crescent dunes,incipient grain size gradually increased,particles became finer,sorting became better,kurtosis and skewness increased.Grain sizes on the surface layer became coarser upwards from the toe of the windward slope and then became finer towards the bottom of the leeward slope.We found that the coarsest particles at different positions at the four developmental stages were different.The coarsest particles were distributed at the top of the oval sand piles and shield dunes,versus at the middle of the windward slope of the incipient and mature crescent dunes.Correlations between the mean grain size and other grain size parameters showed that as mean grain size became finer,sorting became better and kurtosis became wider,but skewness changed only slightly.In addition,grain size variation in the surface sediments correlated with the movement speed of the dunes in the study area.In the open ground among tall-complex longitudinal ridges in the hinterland of the Taklimakan Desert where aeolian environment is characterized by comparatively strong wind and unsaturated sand flow,faster dune movement corresponded to coarser grain size.