Kuwait, one of the gulf council member countries, situated in the Northeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula, experiences hyper-arid desert environmental condition due to the geographical location. Kuwait faces many c...Kuwait, one of the gulf council member countries, situated in the Northeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula, experiences hyper-arid desert environmental condition due to the geographical location. Kuwait faces many challenges in the sustainable development of the agricultural sector due to the scarcity of arable land, water resources and high rate of land degradation. So it is essential to emphasis the efficient use of the available water and soil resources in a sustainable manner and also to rehabilitate the degraded land using proper rehabilitation techniques. This study concentrates on the water harvesting and organic mulching （e.g., using date palms） methods. The study area is an artificial playa （2,500 m2）, formed through the dumping of the gravel quarries in December 2003. The application of the water harvesting and mulching technique in the study showed an improvement of soil physical properties. The average infiltration capacity has increased from 74 cm3/min to 112 cm3/min. The average difference in volume of infiltrated water was 33.5%. The bulk density and porosity of the control plot was 2 g/cm3 and 27%, respectively; while that of the treated soil was 1.5 g/cm3 and 44%, respectively. The moisture content of the treated soil was increased to 50%, more than control soil at depth 40-60 cm, and also there was a significant increase in organic matter. The temperature of the treated soil was 2 ℃ lower than the control soil at a depth of 60 cm. This study conserved the irrigation water through reducing the proportion of soil evaporation and thus creating an optimum condition for the plant growth.展开更多
Water availability,which enables plant growth and animal activity,regulates dryland ecosystem function.In hyper-arid ecosystems,rain cannot support vascular plant growth.Therefore,hyper-arid vegetation is restricted t...Water availability,which enables plant growth and animal activity,regulates dryland ecosystem function.In hyper-arid ecosystems,rain cannot support vascular plant growth.Therefore,hyper-arid vegetation is restricted to the lower topography,where runoff accumulates.Typically,food resources originating from areas of dense vegetation are dispersed across the desert floor,enabling animal life in areas lacking vascular plant growth.However,certain regions,such as the hyper-arid upper topography,may be devoid of plant-derived food resources.The present study examined arthropod activity in the upper topography of a hyper-arid desert,in comparison with arthropod activity in the lower topography.Pitfall traps were utilized to compare arthropod activity along unvegetated ridges with activity in parallel,vegetated riverbeds.Surprisingly,the study revealed dense arthropod communities in the barren upper topography.Arthropods collected in the upper topography represented 26%of total arthropod abundance.In addition,the overlap between arthropod identity in the ridges and wadis(i.e.,riverbeds)was low,and certain arthropods were strongly affiliated with the ridges.The upper topographic communities included high numbers of silverfish(Zygentoma:Lepismatidae),malachite beetles(Psiloderes),and predatory mites(Acari:Anystidae),and these arthropods were present at various life stages.It remains unclear how arthropod communities can persist in the unvegetated upper topography of the hyper-arid study area.These results raise the possibility that other food sources,independent from vascular plants,may play a significant role in the life history of hyper-arid arthropods.展开更多
文摘Kuwait, one of the gulf council member countries, situated in the Northeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula, experiences hyper-arid desert environmental condition due to the geographical location. Kuwait faces many challenges in the sustainable development of the agricultural sector due to the scarcity of arable land, water resources and high rate of land degradation. So it is essential to emphasis the efficient use of the available water and soil resources in a sustainable manner and also to rehabilitate the degraded land using proper rehabilitation techniques. This study concentrates on the water harvesting and organic mulching （e.g., using date palms） methods. The study area is an artificial playa （2,500 m2）, formed through the dumping of the gravel quarries in December 2003. The application of the water harvesting and mulching technique in the study showed an improvement of soil physical properties. The average infiltration capacity has increased from 74 cm3/min to 112 cm3/min. The average difference in volume of infiltrated water was 33.5%. The bulk density and porosity of the control plot was 2 g/cm3 and 27%, respectively; while that of the treated soil was 1.5 g/cm3 and 44%, respectively. The moisture content of the treated soil was increased to 50%, more than control soil at depth 40-60 cm, and also there was a significant increase in organic matter. The temperature of the treated soil was 2 ℃ lower than the control soil at a depth of 60 cm. This study conserved the irrigation water through reducing the proportion of soil evaporation and thus creating an optimum condition for the plant growth.
基金supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology。
文摘Water availability,which enables plant growth and animal activity,regulates dryland ecosystem function.In hyper-arid ecosystems,rain cannot support vascular plant growth.Therefore,hyper-arid vegetation is restricted to the lower topography,where runoff accumulates.Typically,food resources originating from areas of dense vegetation are dispersed across the desert floor,enabling animal life in areas lacking vascular plant growth.However,certain regions,such as the hyper-arid upper topography,may be devoid of plant-derived food resources.The present study examined arthropod activity in the upper topography of a hyper-arid desert,in comparison with arthropod activity in the lower topography.Pitfall traps were utilized to compare arthropod activity along unvegetated ridges with activity in parallel,vegetated riverbeds.Surprisingly,the study revealed dense arthropod communities in the barren upper topography.Arthropods collected in the upper topography represented 26%of total arthropod abundance.In addition,the overlap between arthropod identity in the ridges and wadis(i.e.,riverbeds)was low,and certain arthropods were strongly affiliated with the ridges.The upper topographic communities included high numbers of silverfish(Zygentoma:Lepismatidae),malachite beetles(Psiloderes),and predatory mites(Acari:Anystidae),and these arthropods were present at various life stages.It remains unclear how arthropod communities can persist in the unvegetated upper topography of the hyper-arid study area.These results raise the possibility that other food sources,independent from vascular plants,may play a significant role in the life history of hyper-arid arthropods.
