Analysis of the Characteristics of the Low-level Jets in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River during the Mei-yu Season

Here,we analyze the characteristics and the formation mechanisms of low-level jets(LLJs)in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River during the 2010 mei-yu season using Wuhan station radiosonde data and the fifth generation of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts(ERA5)reanalysis dataset.Our results show that the vertical structure of LLJs is characterized by a predominance of boundary layer jets(BLJs)concentrated at heights of 900-1200 m.The BLJs occur most frequently at 2300 LST(LST=UTC+8 hours)but are strongest at 0200 LST,with composite wind velocities>14 m s^(-1).Synoptic-system-related LLJs(SLLJs)occur most frequently at 0800 LST but are strongest at 1100LST,with composite wind velocities>12 m s^(-1).Both BLJs and SLLJs are characterized by a southwesterly wind direction,although the wind direction of SLLJs is more westerly,and northeasterly SLLJs occur more frequently than northeasterly BLJs.When Wuhan is south of the mei-yu front,the westward extension of the northwest Pacific subtropical high intensifies,and the low-pressure system in the eastern Tibetan Plateau strengthens,favoring the formation of LLJs,which are closely related to precipitation.The wind speeds on rainstorm days are greater than those on LLJ days.Our analysis of four typical heavy precipitation events shows the presence of LLJs at the center of the precipitation and on its southern side before the onset of heavy precipitation.BLJs were shown to develop earlier than SLLJs.

Precipitation cycles in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River （1736-2000）

Based on the long-term precipitation series with annual time resolution in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River and its four sub-regions during 1736-2000 reconstructed from the rainfall and snowfall archives of the Qing Dynasty, the precipitation cycles are analyzed by wavelet analysis and the possible climate forcings, which drive the precipitation changes, are explored. The results show that： the precipitation in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River has inter-annual and inter-decadal oscillations like 2-4a, quasi-22a and 70-80a. The 2-4a cycle is linked with El Nino events, and the precipitation is lower than normal year in the occurrence of the El Nino year or the next year; for the quasi-22a and the 70-80a cycles, Wolf Sun Spot Numbers and Pacific Decadal Oscillation （PDO） coincide with the two cycle signals. However, on a 70-80a time scale, the coincidence between solar activity and precipitation is identified before 1830, and strong （weak） solar activity is generally correlated to the dry （wet） periods; after 1830, the solar activity changes to 80-100a quasi-century long oscillation, and the adjusting action to the precipitation is becoming weaker and weaker; the coincidence between PDO and precipitation is shown in the whole time series. Moreover, in recent 100 years, PDO is becoming a pace-maker of the precipitation on the 70-80a time scale.

Research on Methods of Ecological Security Assessment of the Middle and Lower Reaches of Liaohe River Based on GIS

Ecological security assessment and early warning research possess the attributes of spatiality, non-linearity and randomicity, so we must process much spatial information. Spatial analysis and data management are the advantages of GIS, which can define distribution trend and spatial relations of environmental factors, and show ecological security pattern graphically. Spatial differences of ecological security assessment based on GIS are discussed in this paper, of which the middle and lower reaches of the Liaohe River is taken as a study case. First, to work out pressure-state-response (P-S-R) assessment indicators system, and investigate in person and gather information; second, to digitize the watershed; third, to quantize and calculate by the fuzzy method; last, to construct GIS grid database, and expound spatial differences of ecological security by GIS interpolation and assembly analysis.

Organic Phosphorus in Shallow Lake Sediments in Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River Area in China

Thirteen sediment core samples(0-10 cm) were taken from the seven lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River to determine the contents and distributions of organic phosphorus(P) fractions in the sediments of the shallow lakes in the area.The organic P fractions in the sediments were in the order of moderately labile organic P(MLOP) > moderately resistant organic P(MROP) > highly resistant organic P(HROP) > labile organic P(LOP),with average proportional ratios of 13.2:2.8:1.3:1.0.LOP,MLOP,and MROP were significantly related to the contents of total organic carbon(TOC),water-soluble P(WSP),algal-available P(AAP),NaHCO3-extractable P(Olsen-P),total P(TP),organic P(OP),and inorganic P(IP).However,HROP was significantly related to OP and weakly correlated with TOC,WSP,AAP,Olsen-P,TP or IP.This suggested that organic P,especially LOP and MLOP in sediments,deserved even greater attention than IP in regards to lake eutrophication.In terms of organic P,sediments were more hazardous than soils in lake eutrophication.Although OP concentrations were higher in moderately polluted sediment than those in heavily polluted sediment,LOP and MLOP were higher in the heavily polluted sediment,which indicated that heavily polluted sediment was more hazardous than moderately polluted sediment in lake eutrophication.

Analysis of Water Resources Supply and Demand and Security of Water Resources Development in Irrigation Regions of the Middle Reaches of the Heihe River Basin, Northwest China

Based on the data for meteorology, hydrology, soil, planting, vegetation, and socio-economic development of the irrigation region in the middle reaches of the Heihe River basin, Northwest China, the model of balance of water supply and demand in the region was established, and the security of water resource was assessed, from which the results that the effects of unified management of water resources in the Heihe River basin between Gansu Province and Inner Mongolia on regional hydrology are significant with a decrease in water supply diverted from Heihe River and an increase in groundwater extracted. In addition, it was found that the groundwater level has been steadily decreasing due to over pumping and decrease in recharges. In present year （2003）, the volume of potential groundwater in the irrigation districts is far small because of the groundwater overdraft; even in the particular regions, there is no availability of groundwater resources for use. By 2003, water supply is not sufficient to meet the water demand in the different irrigation districts, the sustainable development and utilization of water resources are not secured, and the water supply crisis occurs in Pingchuan irrigation district. Achieving water security for the sustainable development of society, agriculture, economy, industry, and livelihoods while maintaining or improving the abilities of the management and planning of water resources, determining of the reasonable percentage between water supply and groundwater utilization and water saving in agricultural irrigation are taken into account. If this does not occur, it is feared that the present performance of water development and planning may further aggravate the problem of scarcities of water resources and further damage the fragile ecological system.

Summertime temperature variations in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River and their related circulation anomalies in the past five decades

Using the daily data of temperature from China Meteorological Administration and the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis from 1960 to 2005, we have analyzed the relationships between the summertime high/low temperature events in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River （MLRYR） and the related circulation anomalies in the Eastern Hemisphere. Our results have demonstrated that a significantly increasing trend is observed in daily minimum temperature in the past 50 years. And in some regions in the Northern Hemisphere, the opposite scenarios are observed in circulation anomalies in lower and upper parts of the troposphere in the years when the temperatures are higher than normal, as compared to those in the years when the temperatures are lower than normal in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River （MLRYR）. Additionally, the anomalous circulation structure in vertical direction in both the high and lower temperature years are barotropic. It is found that the emergence and maintenance of the aforementioned anomalous circulations are related to three kinds of wave train teleconnection patterns. Further more, influences of the long wave surface radiation on the air temperature are stronger in the nighttime than that in the daytime. While both the maximum and minimum temperatures have negative relationships with the sensible heat flux but positive relationships with the latent heat flux. To some extent, the anomalous dynamic heating （cooling） caused by the vertical thermal advection as well as the diabatic heating （cooling） caused by diabatic processes can explain the formation of the high （low） temperature events in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River （MLRYR） in boreal summer.

Impact of vegetation restoration on hydrological processes in the middle reaches of the Yellow River,China

Sediment discharge from the Yellow River originates mainly from the drainage area between Hekouzhen and Longmen, i.e., the Helong area. Spatial-temporal variations of the vegetation cover in this area during the 1981-2007 period have been investigated using GIMMS and SPOT VGT NDVI data. We have also analyzed the interannual variations in vegetation cover and changes in annual runoff and sediment discharge, the consequences from precipitation change and the Grain for Green Project （GGP）. The results show that vegetation cover of the Helong area has increased during the 1981-2007 period. The northwestern part the Helong area, where the flat sandy lands are covered by grass, has experienced the largest increase. The region where the vegetation cover has declined is largely found in the southern and southeastern Helong area, which is a gullied hilly area or forested. Although precipitation was relatively low during the 1999-2007 period, the vegetation cover showed a significant increase in the Helong area, due to the implementation of the GGP. During this period, the most significant improvement in the vegetation cover occurred mainly in the gullied hilly areas of the Loess Plateau, such as the drainage basins of the Kuyehe and Tuweihe rivers and the middle and lower reaches of the Wudinghe and Yanhe rivers. A comparison of the average annual maximum NDVI between the earlier （1998-2002） stage and the next five years （2003-2007） of the GGP indicates that the areas with increases of 10% and 20% in NDVI account for 72.5% and 36.4% of the total area, respectively. Interannual variation of annual runoff and sediment discharge shows a declining trend, especially since the 1980s, when the decrease became very obvious. Compared with the 1950-1969 period, the average runoff during the 1980-2007 period was reduced by 34.8 × 10^8 m3 and the sediment discharge by 6.4 ×10^8 t, accounting for 49.4% and 64.9% of that in the 1950-1969 period, respectively. There is a positive correlation between the annual maximum NDVI and annual runoff and sediment discharge. This correlation was reversed since the implementation of the GGP in 1999 and vegetation cover in the He- long area has increased, associated with the decrease in runoff and sediment discharge. Less precipitation has been an important fac- tor driving the decrease in runoff and sediment discharge during 1999 2007. However, restoration and improvement of the vegetation cover may also have played a significant role in accelerating the decrease in annual runoff and sediment discharge by enhancing evapotranspiration and alleviating soil erosion.

Basement Characteristics and Crustal Evolution of the Copper-Gold Metallogenic Belt in the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River:Some Isotope Constraints

Studies of the Pb, Sr and Nd isotopic composition of Mesozoic intrusive rocks indicate that the basement of the copper-gold metallogenic belt of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River has “two-layer structure” and partly has “multi-layered structure”, and is inhomogeneous and shows the distinct feature of E-W provincialism. The calculated model lead ages (t1) are mostly greater than 2600 Ma, and the model neodymium ages (TDM) vary from 953 to 2276 Ma and concentrate in two time intervals: 1800–2000 Ma and 1200–1600 Ma. It is concluded that the basement of the MBYR is composed of the Late Archaeozoic to Middle Proterozoic metamorphic series and that the crust was initiated in the Archaean and continued to grow in the Early and Middle Proterozoic, and the proportion of new crust formed by mantle differentiation during the Late Proterozoic is low.

The Background Features and Formation of Chemical Elements of Groundwater in the Region of the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River

The paper deals with the background features, formation and distribution of the chemical el-ements K, Na, Ca, Mg, Si, Fe, Mn, Cr, Ni,V, Co, Ti, Mo, Cu, Pb, Zn, As, Hg, Cd, Be, Li, Sr, B,F, Cl, Br and I in the groundwater in the region of the middle and lower reaches of the YangtzeRiver and their relations to the composition of the water-bearing media, properties of the overly-ing rocks and soils, redox environment, and groundwater flow condition, mineralization and pHof groundwater.

The SIA method for spatial analysis of precipitation in the upper-middle reaches of the Yangtze River

Using geographic information system (GIS) techniques and the newest seasonal and annual average precipitation data of 679 meteorological stations from 1971 to 2000, the multiple regressions equations of the precipitation and topographical variables are established to extract the effect of topography on the annual and seasonal precipitation in the upper-middle reaches of the Yangtze River. Then, this paper uses a successive interpolation approach (SIA), which combines GIS techniques with the multiple regressions, to improve the accuracy of the spatial interpolation of annual and seasonal rainfall. The results are very satisfactory in the case of seasonal rainfall, with the relative error of 6.86%, the absolute error of 13.07 mm, the average coefficient of variation of 0.070, and the correlation coefficient of 0.9675; in the case of annual precipitation, with the relative error of 7.34%, the absolute error of 72.1 mm, the average coefficient of variation of 0.092, and the correlation coefficient of 0.9605. The analyses of annual mean precipitation show that the SIA calculation of 3-5 steps considerably improves the interpolation accuracy, decreasing the absolute error from 211.0 mm to 62.4 mm, the relative error from 20.74% to 5.97%, the coefficient of variation from 0.2312 to 0.0761, and increasing the correlation coefficient from 0.5467 to 0.9619. The SIA iterative results after 50 steps identically converge to the observed precipitation.

Structural Characteristics of Lycium ruthenicum Community & Soil Properties on Different Types of Desert Rangeland in the Lower Reaches of Shiyang River

[Objectives] To study structural characteristics of Lycium ruthenicum community and soil properties on different types of desert rangeland in the lower reaches of Shiyang River, and provide theoretical basis for ecological protection and management in the lower reaches of Shiyang River. [Methods] One-way ANOVA analysis and correlation analysis were carried out with the aid of SPSS19.0 software for different types of desert rangeland soils. [Results](i) Among the communities surveyed, there are 31 species belonging to 9 families and 28 genera, including 12 shrub plants, 8 perennial herbs and 11 annual herbs. There are more single genus, occupying 50% of total genus. L. ruthenicum occupies an important position in the community with relatively higher importance value. It plays a dominated role in the community.(ii) In the soils with depths of 0-10 cm, 10-20 cm, 20-40 cm and 40-60 cm in different types of desert rangeland, the organic carbon contents in the saline alkali soil were the highest, with the values of 1.08%, 0.98%, 0.89% and 0.972%, respectively. Compared with that in sandy land, soil organic carbon in saline alkali land(0-10 cm) had the significant difference(P<0.05), available soil potassium in saline alkali land(except the depth of 20-40 cm) and the total phosphorus content in saline alkali land(0-10 cm) had the significant difference(P<0.05), the total soil nitrogen, alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, available phosphorus and the total potassium content had no significant difference(P>0.05). Soil organic carbon, available soil phosphorus in saline alkali land, total soil potassium on sand dune and total soil phosphorus in saline alkali land and gravel in different soil layers of the same type of desert rangeland had distinct aggregation effect.(iii) The soil microbial biomass in different types of desert rangeland displayed from high to low as saline alkali land > sandy land > fixed and semi fixed sandy land > gravel. The discrepancy of soil microbial biomass varied in different types of desert rangeland. The four soil enzyme activities in salinization was the highest. Soil invertase activity in saline alkali land in different soil layers were the highest. For different soil layers in the same type of desert rangeland, soil microbial biomass and invertase decreased gradually with the deepening of soil layer.(iv) There was a significant positive correlation between soil organic matter and microbial biomass carbon, microbial biomass nitrogen, phosphatase and sucrase(P<0.01), and a significant positive correlation with urease and catalase(P<0.05). Phosphorus content was significant positively correlated with urease, phosphatase and invertase(P<0.01), and positively correlated with microbial biomass carbon(P<0.05). Soil available potassium content was significant positively correlated with microbial and phosphatase(P<0.01). [Conclusions] The species of L. ruthenicum community and soil properties on different types of desert rangeland in the lower reaches of Shiyang River clearly shows that most species belong to a few families, and a few species belong to most families, and many species are single genus or single family. Soil organic carbon, soil available phosphorus, total phosphorus, soil microbial biomass and enzyme activity in salinization land had distinct surface aggregation effects, so salinization land provides excellent growth environment for the growth of L. ruthenicum, which is of great significance for the protection of L. ruthenicum population.

Assessment and exploitation of the waterfront resources in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River

Waterfront resources are important and special kind of natural resources in the marginal area between land and wat er. The Yangtze River, the longest river in China, is not only rich in waterfront resources, but also has favorable development conditions with gr eat potentiality. Aided by large-scale underwater topographic map, the maj or factors of the waterfront resources in the middle and lower reache s of the Yangtze River, such as the stability, the water depth and the natural conditions for port construction, are assessed in this pap er respectively on the basis of the overall investigations. The result s show that: (1) the waterfront resources are abundant in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, but lack of perfectly combined high grade waterfront; (2) there exists an obvious regional difference in the natural quality of the waterfront along the Yangtze; (3) the fore-bank water depth and waterfront stability are the main natural fa ctors related to the waterfront quality in the middle and lower reach es of the Yangtze River; (4) the waterfronts along the Yangtze are mainl y used for port, warehouse and industrial purposes; and (5) the waterfronts near important cities are highly used, especially the high-quality waterfronts. In addition, some suggestions for the development and utilization of the waterfron t resources are presented in this paper.

Three-dimensional P-wave Velocity Structure Modelling of the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River Metallogenic Belt: Crustal Architecture and Metallogenic Implications

In this study,we compiled and analyzed 69310 P-wave travel-time data from 6639 earthquake events.These events(M≥2.0)occurred from 1980 s to June 2019 and were recorded at 319 seismic stations(Chinese Earthquake Networks Center)in the study area.We adopted the double-difference seismic tomographic method(tomo DD)to invert the 3-D P-wave velocity structure and constrain the crust-upper mantle architecture of the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River Metallogenic Belt(MLYB).A 1-D initial model extracted from wide-angle seismic profiles was used in the seismic tomography,which greatly reduced the inversion residual.Our results indicate that reliable velocity structure of th e uppermost mantle can be obtained when Pn is involved in the tomography.Our results show that:(1)the pattern of the uppermost mantle velocity structure corresponds well with the geological partitioning:a nearly E-W-trending low-velocity zone is present beneath the Dabie Orogen,in contrast to the mainly NE-trending low-velocity anomalies beneath the Jiangnan Orogen.They suggest the presence of thickened lower crust beneath the orogens in the study area.In contrast,the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks are characterized by relatively high-velocity anomalies;(2)both the ultra-high-pressure(UHP)metamorphic rocks in the Dabie Orogen and the low-pressure metamorphic rocks in the Zhangbaling dome are characterized by high-velocity anomalies.The upper crust in the Dabie Orogen is characterized by a low-velocity belt,sandwiched between two high velocity zones in a horizontal direction,with discontinuous low-velocity layers in the middle crust.The keel of the Dabie Orogen is mainly preserved beneath its northern section.We infer that the lower crustal delamination may have mainly occurred in the southern Dabie Orogen,which caused the mantle upwelling responsible for the formation of the granitic magmas emplaced in the middle crust as the low-velocity layers observed there.Continuous deep-level compression likely squeezed the granitic magma upward to intrude the upper crustal UHP metamorphic rocks,forming the'sandwich'velocity structure there;(3)high-velocity updoming is widespread in the crust-mantle transition zone beneath the MLYB.From the Anqing-Guichi ore field northeastward to the Luzong,Tongling,Ningwu and Ningzhen orefields,high-velocity anomalies in the crust-mantle transition zone increase rapidly in size and are widely distributed.The updoming also exists in the crust-mantle transition zone beneath the Jiurui and Edongnan orefields,but the high-velocity anomalies are mainly stellate distributed.The updoming high-velocity zone beneath the MLYB generally extends from the crust-mantle transition zone to the middle crust,different from the velocity structure in the upper crust.The upper crust beneath the Early Cretaceous extension-related Luzong and Ningwu volcanic basins is characterized by high velocity zones,in contrast to the low velocity anomalies beneath the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous compression-related Tongling ore field.The MLYB may have undergone a compressive-to-extensional transition during the Yanshanian(Jurassic-Cretaceous)period,during which extensive magmatism occurred.The near mantle-crustal boundary updoming was likely caused by asthenospheric underplating at the base of the lower crust.The magmas may have ascended through major crustal faults,undergoing AFC(assimilation and fractional crystallization)processes,became emplaced in the fault-bounded basins or Paleozoic sequences,eventually forming the many Cu-Fe polymetallic deposits there.

The Background of Regional Lead Isotopic Compositions and Its Application in the Lower and Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River and Neighbouring Areas

The paper systematically deals with the background of regional isotopic compo-sitions in the lower and middle reaches of the Yangtze River and neighbouring areas. It isshown that the lead isotopic compositions of different geological formations and units are con-trolled by the primary mantle heterogeneity, dynamic process of crust-mantle interchange,abundances of uraninm, thorium and lead of various layers of the earth and timing. Studies onthe background of regional isotopic compositions may offer significant information forgeochemical regionalization, tracing of sources of ore-forming materials, and regionalprognosis of ore deposits.

Relationship between the Late Spring NAO and Summer Extreme Precipitation Frequency in the Middle and Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River

The relationship between the late spring North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the summer extreme precipitation frequency (EPF) in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Valley (MLYRV) is examined using an NECP/NCAR reanalysis dataset and daily precipitation data from 74 stations in the MLYRV. The results show a significant negative correlation between the May NAO index and the EPF over the MLYRV in the subsequent summer. In positive EPF index years, the East Asian westerly jet shifts farther southward, and two blocking high positive anomalies appear over the Sea of Okhotsk and the Ural Mountains. These anomalies are favorable to the cold air from the mid-high latitudes invading the Yangtze River Valley (YRV). The moisture convergence and the ascending motion dominate the MLYRV. The above patterns are reversed in negative EPF index years. A wave train pattern that originates from the North Atlantic extends eastward to the Mediterranean and then moves to the Tibetan Plateau and from there to the YRV, which is an important link in the May NAO and the summer extreme precipitation in the MLYRV. The wave train may be aroused by the tripole pattern of the SST, which can explain why the May NAO affects the summer EPF in the MLYRV.

DEEP THOUGHTS OF LAND UTILIZATION ABOUT THE RARELY SEVERE FLOODING DISASTERALONG THE MIDDLE AND LOWER REACHES OF THE CHANGJIANG RIVER IN 1998

In the summer of 1998, a rarely severe flooding disaster occurred in the whole basin of the Changjiang(Yangtze) River, which caused enormous losses. By 22nd of August, 29 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalitieswere involved, 21. 2 million ha of land were inundated, 223 million people were affected, 3004 people were killed and4. 97 million buildings were collapsed. The estimated direct loss of the country accounted to 166. 6 billion yuan (RMB).The main reason of the disaster is the unusual climate but the unreasonable land utilization the aggravated the disaster.This paper consists of two parts. One part analysed the unreasonable land utilization, including the neglect of forest landprotection, which caused the forest land area to decrease by 440 thousand ha in the whole country every year, the enclosing of lakes for cultivation, which decreased the area of lakes located along the banks of the Changjiang River from 17 200km2 at the beginning of the founding of the People’s Republic of China to 6531 km2 in 1983, the changing of functions oflakes, which reduced the volume of storage exceedingly, for example, only 5 spots of lakes were used for storing water inWuhan City, and the slow progress of the construction of flood diversion and storage area, which would cause huge lossesonce flood was diverted. The other part explored the strategy of land utilization on the supplying of land for flood controlprojects, such as embankment, drainage installation, flood diversion and storage area, and on tapping the potentialsthrough narrowing and amalgamgting the range of rural residential quarters and small towns, reclaiming reserved resources, transforming middle and low productive fields, attaching importance to land arrangement and recultivation, and adjusting contracted fields partially, to ensure the sustainable and stable growth of the region.

The Sustainable Utilization of Lake Resources in the Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtze River

Based on geographical and hydrological characteristics of lakes in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River, this paper analyzes the factors restricting the sustainable utilization of lake resources, including the conflict among agriculture water conservancy, and fishery, lake water pollution and eutrophication, lake siltation and swamping. The countermeasures and suggestions, such as improving the strategic status of lake harnessing, strengthening integrated management of lakes and their watershed, strengthening researches on lake environment and lake resources, are proposed to practice the sustainable utilization of lake resources.

Slope-gully erosion relationship in small catchments of the middle reaches of the Yellow River

The slope-gully erosion relationship in small catchments of the middle reaches of the Yellow River has long been a topic concerned by relevant departments in China Slope-gully relationship in typical small catchment is determined determined on the concept of net increase of sediment yield by using analytical method of sediment formation at different positions in the catchment The result shows that sediments in a small catchment in the middle reaches of the Yellow River mainly come from slopes. ms paper indicated that the sediment sources from slopes are roughly 55, 60, 78 and 85 % of the total sediment yield of a small catchment in Yangdaogou. Wangjiagou. Jiuyuangou and Nanxiaohegou, respectively, due to impacts of varying degress from slope runoff.

Relationship between sand-dust weather and water dynamics of desert areas in the middle reaches of Heihe River

Sand-dust weather has become an international social-environmental issue of common concern, and constitutes a serious threat to human lives and economic development. In order to explore the responses of natural desert sand and dust to the dynamics of water in desertification, we extracted long-term monitoring data related to precipitation, soil water, groundwater, and sand-dust weather. These data originated from the test stations for desertification control in desert areas of the middle reaches of the Heihe River. We used an algorithm of characteristic parameters, correlations, and multiple regression analysis to establish a regression model for the duration of sand-dust weather. The response char-acteristics of the natural desert sand and dust and changes of the water inter-annual and annual variance were also examined. Our results showed： （1） From 2006 to 2014 the frequency, duration, and volatility trends of sand-dust weather obviously increased, but the change amplitudes of precipitation, soil water, and groundwater level grew smaller. （2） In the vegetative growth seasons from March to November, the annual variance rates of the soil moisture content in each of four studied layers of soil samples were similar, and the changes in the frequency and duration of sand-dust weather were similar. （3） Our new regression equation for the duration of sand-dust weather passed the R test, F test, and t test. By this regression model we could predict the duration of sand-dust weather with an accuracy of 42.9%. This study can thus provide technological support and reference data for water resource management and re-search regarding sand-dust weather mechanisms.

Floristic Study of Vascular Plants in Typical Plant Communities in the Middle and Upper Reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River

[Objective] Species composition and flora of vascular plants in the middle and upper reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River were analyzed,to provide scientific basis for the estimation and protection of plant diversity,construction of ecological security shelter for the Tibetan Plateau.[Methods] In the middle and upper reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River,quadrat (line transect) method was applied to investigate the phytocoenoses in sample plots,and relative literature was used to analyze the floristic composition and floristic element of vascular plants in the middle and upper reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River.[Results]① There are 96 species (including subspecies and variations),69 genera of 35 vascular plant families,accounting for 16.83%,5.48%,1.66% and 11.63%,2.02%,0.31% of total vascular plant families,genera and species in Tibet and China.② There are 24 monotypic-genus families,accounting for 68.57% of the total family number in the local area;22 monotypic-species families,accounting for 62.86% of the total family number in the local area.Local flora shows the characteristics of ancient relict,such as Euphorbiaceae,Rubiaceae,Liliaceae and Ranunculaceae,they are all ancient primitive groups of the third flora and the fourth flora.③ Local vascular plant genera fall into 10 areal types and 8 variations.④ Temperate elements are much more than tropical elements,R/T is 0.19,indicating that vascular plants have typical temperate nature and residual tropical nature.There are only a few endemic genera,but more endemic species to the local area,and these species are closely related,of which there are some transitional species,indicating that local flora is too young to experience more differentiation and specialization.⑤ There are 24 Chinese endemic species,accounting for 25% of total number of species in the local area;among which there are 12 endemic species to Tibet,accounting for 50% of endemic species to China,12.5% of total number of species in the local area.Four key wild plant species are included in the second batch of national key protection.[Conclusions]① There are scarce plant groups in the local area.② Among the obvious advantages,single-genus (species) families possess the absolute advantage,and the flora has ancient origins.③ The local flora has diversified distribution types,and the complicated geographical elements.④ Temperate species possess obvious advantages,and the flora is young.⑤ Rich unique and rare species have high species diversity protection and research value.