Survey on Groundwater Environment Related to Vegetation in Mu Us Desert

[Objective] The research aimed to study the groundwater environment related to vegetation in Mu Us Desert.[Method] Choosing the hinterland of Mu Us Desert,the relationship between vegetation and groundwater in the desert was studied.The indicator system for the relationship between vegetation and groundwater in the sandy area was established,including vegetation population,vegetation cover,groundwater depth,vadose zone moisture content,groundwater mineralization and vadose zone salinity,as well as the corresponding field work methods.[Result] The result showed that the nine primary vegetation populations were distributed in the study area,and Artemisia,Salix and Cares were the dominant vegetation species.The groundwater mineralization in the sand dunes was 100-300mg/L,and 800mg/L in the beach,vadose zone moisture content remained at 8%-16%.The dunes salinity was less than 0.2%,and beaches were higher than 0.3%.[Conclusion] These results provided a basis for study on the relationship between vegetation and groundwater in Mu Us Desert.

ENVIRONMENTAL EVOLUTION OF ORDOS DESERT IN CHINA SINCE 1.1MA B. P. AS INDICATED BY YULIN STRATIGRAPHICAL SECTION AND ITS GRAIN-SIZE ANALYSIS RESULTS

Yulin section is a typical sedimentary record for reflecting the environmental evolution of Ordos Desert, China in the past 1.1Ma. By analyzing its sequence and grain-size composition some views have been put forward in this paper as follows. The layers of sand, loess and palaeosol in Yulin section were respectively formed by wind and the pedogenesis on parent material of the sand and loess. Since 1.1Ma B. P., Ordos Desert has alternately experienced 11 stages of shifting dunes under extreme cold-dry climatic environment, 7 stages of fixed and semi-fixed dunes and 8 stages of dust (loess) under cold-dry climatic condition; and the pedogenesis environment under 15 times of warm-humid climate and 3 times of temperate-humid climate (brownish-drab soils and black soils formed respectively). The aeolian sand had already existed in Ordos Desert at latest by 1.1Ma B. P., and from that time on it has undergone a series of alternative processes of shifting sands, fixed and semi-fixed dunes, loess and soils. Ordos Desert has been situated in the transitional belt of the Mongolian High Pressure and margin of the southeast summer monsoon since 1.1Ma B. P., and influenced repeatedly by migration of the lithofacies belts of shifting sands, fixed and semi-fixed dunes, loess and soils, which have been caused by the climatic fluctuations of glacial and interglacial periods.

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

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

Controlled Environment Agriculture and Its Ability to Mitigate Food Insecurity

The research objective of this review is to discuss the rationale that led to the development of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) and investigate this agricultural approach as a potential solution to mitigate the increased pressures on food security. It describes the need for urban cultivation systems using controlled environments and how they can be harnessed to address pressures facing food security. The factors that have contributed to the growth of CEAs, education, environmental justice, and the advantages and disadvantages of growing crops in CEAs in urban areas will be discussed. The article reviews global urban cultivation systems using controlled environments, by identifying the technologies needed to establish them. The practice of CEA is being increasingly adopted worldwide and we describe urban agriculture and compare it with traditional growing systems. Indoor farming systems that integrate into existing urban infrastructure such as vertical farming and plant factories using CEAs are discussed. Indoor farming gives urban areas enhanced access to food sources, but the cost is high, however decreasing due to recent technological advances. The current review extends the literature by incorporating recent research on the topic of agriculture in urban areas and food security. This review seeks to provide additional information regarding the viability of CEA in urban areas.

The characteristics of grain size from the Kumtag Desert and its environmental significance

The Kumtag Desert is located in the arid northwestern portion of China,and is considered China’s sixth-largest desert.Grain-size analysis of the sand plays a very important role in differentiating sedimentary environments,determining the ways that sediments are transported,estimating hydrodynamic conditions,and analyzing grain-size trends.The analysis of the grain size of 20 sand samples that were taken from mid-northern,north margin,western,middle,southern,and southeast margins of the Kumtag Desert shows that grain sizes are vastly different.The grain-size parameters fall in the following range:the median diameter Mz = 1.55Φ-2.92Φ,the standard deviation σI= 0.41-1.11,the skewness SKI = ?0.11-0.31,kurtosis KG = 0.77-1.23.The frequency curves of grain size have characteristics with single peaks and multi-peaks,and most of the sand samples’ skewness appears close to asymmetric.The analytical results reveal that the sediments of the Kumtag Desert are complex and diverse,which affected by such forces as wind deposition,lacustrine sediment,and alluvial and proluvial river deposits.

Desert vegetation distribution and species-environment relationships in an oasis-desert ecotone of northwestern China

Environmental heterogeneity significantly affects the structure of ecological communities.Exploring vegetation distribution and its relationship with environmental factors is essential to understanding the abiotic mechanism(s)driving vegetation succession,especially in the ecologically fragile areas.In this study,based on the quantitative analysis of plant community and environmental factors in 68 plots at 10 different transects in the Minqin oasis-desert ecotone(ODE)of northwestern China,we investigated desert vegetation distribution and species-environment relationships using multivariate analysis.Two-way indicator species analysis(TWINSPAN),detrended correspondence analysis(DCA),and canonical correspondence analysis(CCA)methods were used.A total of 28 species,belonging to 27 genera in 8 families,were identified.Chenopodiaceae,Zygophyllaceae,Gramineae,and Leguminosae were the largest families.Annual and perennial herbs accounted for 28.60%of the total number of plants,while shrubs(42.90%)were the most dominant.Nitraria tangutorum was the constructive species of the desert plant community.We divided the 68 plots surveyed in this study into 7 community types,according to the results of TWINSPAN.The distribution of these 7 communities in the DCA ordination graph showed that species with a similar ecotype were clustered together.Results of CCA indicated that groundwater was the dominant factor influencing vegetation distribution,while distance between plot and oasis(Dis)and soil electrical conductivity(EC)were the local second-order factors.Our study suggests that optimizing the utilization of groundwater in oases is key to controlling the degradation of desert vegetation.The favorable topographic conditions of sand dunes should be fully utilized for vegetal dune stabilization,and the influence of soil salinity on the selection of afforestation tree species should be considered.

Indoor Environmental Quality of Air Conditioned Residential Buildings in Extreme Dry Desert Climate

In this study, the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in air conditioned residential buildings in a dry desert climate is examined from the perspective of occupants via two aspects: thermal comfort and indoor air quality. The study presents statistical data about the domestic-occupant thermal comfort sensations together with data describing the indoor air quality in Kuwaiti residential buildings. With respect to the latter, the overall IEQ acceptance using two measurements namely: physical measurements and subjective information collected via questionnaires, was used to evaluate 111 occupants living in twenty five air-conditioned residential buildings in the state of Kuwait. The operative temperature based on Actual Mean Vote (AMV) and Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) was identified using linear regression analysis of responses on the ASHRAE seven-point thermal sensation scale and was found to be 25.2°C and 23.3°C, respectively, in the summer season. Indoor air quality (IAQ) with respect to carbon dioxide concentration level was compared with the acceptable limits of international standards, i.e. ASHRAE Standard 62.1 [1]. The proposed overall IEQ acceptance findings in residential buildings show CO2 concentration level between 909 and 1250 ppm. However, this may be considered a higher level of CO2 concentration, which may require increasing ventilation rate through window operation or mechanical ventilation.

A brief introduction of a book, Environments of Gurbantünggüt Desert

A book, Environments of Gurbantünggüt Desert, written by Professor Qian Yibing et al., from Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Wu Zhaoning from Xinjiang University, has been

Integrated controlling technique of ecological environment in Shendong Mining Area

To enclose the interactive relation between the underground mining with suitable protection for surface ecological environments and surface prevention of ecological environments adapting to mining disturbing was researched and developed core of this technique. There are three aspects of controlling ecological environments, to dispose and renew before exploitation, to protect surface ecological environments in the exploitative process and to repair and build up after exploitation. Based on the moving law of overburden strata in shallow seam, the surface subsidence law and the growth law of vegetation in subsidence mine area, the integrated controlling technique has been developed synthetically by methods of theoretic analysis, laboratory simulation, numerical calculation, commercial test etc.. It includes the key techniques of aquifer-protective mining, filtering and purging of mine water through goaf, preventing and extinguishing fire in shallow seam no-rock roadway layout and waste disposal in underground, frame-building ecological functional sphere before exploitation, frame-building the ecological cycle using system after mining and so on.

Antelope adaptations to counteract overheating and water deficit in arid environments

Many arid areas have very severe climates with extremely high summer temperatures,strong solar radiation,and a lack of drinking water during the driest season.Therefore,antelopes living in arid areas are forced to solve two main problems:avoiding overheating and maintaining water balance.Generally,there are physiological,morphological,and behavioral mechanisms for antelope adaptations to arid environments.Among the mechanisms,behavioral adjustments have a minimal cost and are activated first,while physiological mechanisms are the most energetically costly and involve adaptations to high temperatures when other mechanisms are insufficient.In previous publications,some examples of the antelope behavioral adaptations have been described only rarely,while in this review,we try to clarify all available information on the adaptations of antelopes living in arid areas to their native environments,paying particular attention to behavioral adjustments.Behavioral mechanisms,especially daily activity,diet and microclimate selection,and migrations,are so important and commonly used by antelopes in natural conditions,in which physiological mechanisms are usually not involved.Antelopes adjust their behaviors according to environmental changes so successfully that purely physiological mechanisms are discovered under laboratory conditions;for example,adaptive heterothermia or selective brain cooling phenomenon is difficult to observe in their natural habitats.This review provides a better understanding of the main behavioral mechanisms of antelope adaptations to arid environments and allows for the identification of the key factors for successful conservation of antelopes in their natural habitats.

新疆荒漠植物名录数据集

通过查阅《中国植物志》《新疆植物志》《中国沙漠植物志》《新疆植物志简本》《新疆树木志》等专著及相关文献和各大在线公开数据库,对数据信息进行完善整理,构建了新疆荒漠植物名录数据集。本数据集共收集整理31科150属360种新疆荒漠植物的物种信息,被子植物门355种,裸子植物门5种。其中具有药用价值的植物有80种,具有饲用价值的植物61种,有经济价值的植物26种,分别占数据集中所有植物的22.2%、16.9%、7.2%。本数据集包含荒漠植物的中文名、拉丁名、别名等信息,可为荒漠植物生长环境、植物价值等科学研究提供科学参考和基础数据,对新疆荒漠植物的多样性保护和开发利用具有重要意义。

沙漠干热环境下大鼠运动骨骼肌损伤评价指标的筛选

目的使用西北特殊环境人工实验舱建立沙漠干热环境大鼠运动骨骼肌损伤模型,探讨沙漠干热环境下大鼠运动骨骼肌损伤的组织形态学和骨骼肌损伤相关等指标,筛选干热环境运动骨骼肌损伤评价指标。方法18只8周龄雄性SD大鼠按随机数字表法分为(n=6):空白对照组(常温环境中自由运动)、常温运动组(常温环境中力竭运动)、干热运动组(干热环境中力竭运动)。3组大鼠先进行3 d的运动跑台适应性训练(速度为16 m/min,坡度为-16°,时间为5~10 min);常温运动组和干热运动组大鼠以19.3 m/min速度、-16°坡度运动至力竭结束,1次/d;干热运动组采用西北特殊环境人工实验舱模拟沙漠干热环境[温度(40±1)℃,湿度(10±2)%]建立模型。实验连续6 d,取大鼠比目鱼肌组织观察病理学变化,通过血清学检测大鼠骨骼肌损伤标志物、炎症因子、氧化应激、激素等相关指标。结果干热运动组骨骼肌损伤标志物肌酸激酶(concentrations of creatine kinase,CK)、肌酸激酶同工酶(creatine kinase isoenzyme,CK-MB)、肌型肌酸激酶(muscle-specific creatine kinase,CK-MM)的浓度均高于空白对照组、常温运动组(P<0.05);干热运动组炎症因子肿瘤坏死因子-α(tumor necrosis factor-α,TNF-α)、白介素-1β(interleukin-1β,IL-1β)、IL-6的浓度均高于空白对照组、常温运动组(P<0.05);干热运动组氧化应激丙二醛(malondialdehyde,MDA)的浓度均高于空白对照组、常温运动组(P<0.05);干热运动组超氧化物歧化酶(superoxide dismutase,SOD)的浓度低于空白对照组、常温运动组(P<0.05);干热运动组睾酮(testosterone,T)的浓度均低于空白对照组、常温运动组(P<0.05);干热运动组皮质酮(corticosterone,Cort)的浓度高于空白对照组、常温运动组(P<0.05);干热运动组睾酮/皮质酮(testosterone/corticosterone,T/Cort)的浓度低于空白对照组、常温运动组(P<0.05);骨骼肌损伤标志物CK、CK-MB和CK-MM与促炎症细胞因子TNF-α、IL-1β和IL-6呈正相关(P<0.05);与MDA呈正相关,与抗氧化指标SOD呈负相关(P<0.05)、与激素水平Cort呈正相关,与T、T/Cort呈负相关(P<0.05)。结论本研究构建出沙漠干热运动骨骼肌损伤动物模型,验证了沙漠干热环境较常温环境运动骨骼肌损伤程度大,筛选出TNF-α和IL-1β可作为评价损伤的间接指标。

CRETACEOUS-TERTIARY DESERTS IN SOUTHWESTERN CHINA AND DESERT SEDIMENTOLOGY

The special issue deals with the Cretaceous-Tertiary deserts in southwestern China and relevant sedimentological problems about deserts. The study area is located between 101°10＇- 107°00＇E and 28°00＇-30°40′ N. The ancient desert study is so little in China that there has not been a systematic report about it up to now. Based on the study in many ways on Cretaceous-Tertiary deserts in southwestern China, plentiful data have been obtained. Though it is still a bit rough, the study is a good beginning of the ancient desert study in China. The main ideas and conclusions are summarized as follows.

油田企业生活污水用于荒漠植被灌溉对生态环境的影响分析

为了有效利用油田生产企业的生活污水,在某油田企业选取了21个能将生活污水用于荒漠植被灌溉的站点,结合各污水站基本情况及周边荒漠植被分布情况的现场调研,从中选取桑吉污水处理站作为研究样点,对油田生活污水用于荒漠植被灌溉对地下水、土壤和植被的影响进行研究。实验结果表明,达标生活污水通过滴灌和喷灌灌溉一年后,周边植被生长良好,地下水和土壤环境质量变化甚微,没有出现恶化现象。

沙漠环境对光伏组件影响的研究

笔者探讨沙漠环境中光伏组件的性能表现及其影响因素,提出一系列针对性的改进措施和建议。通过对某沙漠地区的光伏电站进行了为期一年的实地监测,收集了大量关于相对湿度、温度、风速、大气压力和太阳辐射强度的数据,并在实验室模拟了不同沙尘浓度下的光伏组件性能变化。研究表明:沙漠环境中的高温和强辐射对光伏组件有显著影响,而沙尘对光伏组件的影响则更为复杂;相对湿度与辐射强度存在显著的相关性,且沙尘沉降对光伏组件的功率损失率有较大影响;沙尘浓度的增加导致透过率下降,进而影响光伏组件的效率。通过研究,期望能够推动光伏技术在更广范围内的应用,减少对化石燃料能源的依赖,并实现可持续发展目标。

一种高效飞播装置的设计

目前,飞机播种已在我国人工造林、农业生产等方面得到了广泛的应用,全国25%的人工林均采用飞机播种的方式,飞机播种耕地面积年处理量已达40%。然而,飞机播种仍存在种子落点无法精确控制、种子落地后无法达到适宜的育苗深度等问题。针对上述问题,文章设计了一种可应用于飞机播种的高效连续播种装置。该装置最终生成的“播种弹”,是一种以种子为主体,内部存放土壤与肥料为养物基础,并以冰为外壳保护整体,有效地提高了飞机播种时种子落点的稳定性与均匀性,保障了育苗深度。该设计对于提高人工造林效率、改善沙漠生态环境具有一定的社会意义。

黑河中游沙漠-绿洲过渡带起沙风风况及输沙势特征——以临泽县为例

基于甘肃临泽农田生态系统国家野外科学观测研究站气象观测数据,在分析黑河中游沙漠-绿洲过渡带的起沙风风况和输沙势特征变化情况的基础上,评估了区域风能状况。结果表明:研究区年均起沙风风速为6.12 m/s,年均起沙风频率为5.57%,最大风速为23.3 m/s;研究区年起沙风向主要以偏东风(NNE、NE、ENE、E)和偏西风(WNW、NW、W)为主;研究区年输沙势(DP)和年合成输沙势(RDP)分别为18.88 VU和6.10 VU,属于低风能环境;年方向变率指数(RDP/DP)为0.32,属于中比率的钝双峰或锐双峰型风况;年合成输沙势方向(RDD)267.05°,为W方向,表明黑河中游沙漠-绿洲过渡带沙物质主要朝西方向输移;风能环境在春季最大,在这期间可通过适当的防护措施截留沙物质,进而减少风沙灾害的发生。

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.

An ultrasonic humidification fluorescent tracing method for detecting unsaturated atmospheric water absorption by the aerial parts of desert plants

Atmospheric water absorption by plants has been explored for more than two centuries, and the aerial parts of plants, particularly the leaves of certain species, have been demonstrated to have an ability to absorb and utilize saturated atmospheric water such as fog, dew and condensed water. So far, however, there have been few studies on the aerial parts of desert plants in their absorption of unsaturated water from the atmosphere. This study presents an ultrasonic humidification fluorescent tracing method of detecting unsaturated atmospheric water absorption by the aerial parts of desert plants. We constructed an organic glass room based on the sizes of field plants. Then, the aboveground parts of the plants were humidified in the sealed glasshouse using an ultrasonic humidifier containing fluorescent reagents. The humidity and wetting time were controlled by turning on or off the humidifier according to the reading of a thermo-hygrometer suspended in the glasshouse. Fluorescence microscopy was employed to observe these plant samples. This method can generate unsaturated atmospheric water vapor and incorporate other fluorescent reagents or water-soluble chemical reagents for gasified humidification. In addition, it can identify plant parts that absorb unsaturated atmospheric water from the air, detect water absorption sites on the surface of leaves or tender stems, and determine the ability of tissues or microstructure of aerial parts to absorb water. This method provides a direct visual evidence for the inspection of leaf or tender stem microstructure in response to unsaturated atmospheric water absorption. Moreover, this method shows that aqueous pores in the cuticles of leaves or tender stems of desert plants are large enough to allow the passage of ionic fluorescent brightener with a molecular weight of up to 917 g/mol. Thus, this paper provides an important approach that explores the mechanism by which desert plants utilize unsaturated atmospheric water.

Wind regimes and associated sand dune types in the hinterland of the Badain Jaran Desert,China

Wind controls the formation and development of sand dunes.Therefore,understanding the wind regimes is necessary in sand dune research.In this study,we combined the wind data from 2017 to 2019 at four meteorological stations(Cherigele and Wuertabulage stations in the lake basins,and Yikeri and Sumujilin stations on the top of sand dunes)in the hinterland of the Badain Jaran Desert in China,with high resolution Google Earth images to analyze the correlation between the wind energy environments and dune morphology.The results of data analysis indicated that both the wind direction and sand drift intensity exhibited notable spatial and temporal variations.The highest level of wind activity was observed in spring.Northwesterly and northeasterly winds were the dominant in the Badain Jaran Desert.At the Cherigele,Wuertabulage,and Yikeri stations,the drift potential(DP)was below 200.00 vector units(VU).The wind energy environments in most areas could be classified as low-energy environments.The resultant drift direction differed at different stations and in different seasons,but the overall direction was mainly the southeast.The resultant drift potential(RDP)/DP ratio was greater than 0.30 in most parts of the study area,suggesting that the wind regimes mainly exhibited unimodal or bimodal characteristics.Differences between the thermodynamic properties and the unique landscape settings of lakes and sand dunes could alter the local circulation and intensify the complexity of the wind regimes.The wind regimes were weaker in the lake basins than on the top of sand dunes.Transverse dunes were the most dominant types of sand dunes in the study area,and the wind regimes at most stations were consistent with sand dune types.Wind was thus the main dynamic factor affecting the formation of sand dunes in the Badain Jaran Desert BJD.The results of this study are important for understanding the relationship between the wind regimes and aeolian landforms of the dune field in the deserts.