Environmental changes,remote sensing,and infrastructure development: The case of Egypt's East Port Said harbour

Using Landsat TM data, this article examines the environmental impact of the East Port Said harbour project on the surrounding landscape. The optimum three-band combination and the most appropriate multispectral bands were selected to enhance the images and monitor land cover changes for the periods of 1984–1991 and 1991–2003. The results indicate that wetland areas declined from 103 km² in 1984 to 30 km² in 2003. In addition, the surface area of El-Malha Lake has shrunk from 27 km² to 18 km² over the same period. In contrast, the area covered by salt crust has increased from 11 km² in 1984 to 19 km² in 2003. Urban land use and designed cultivated lands were also significant in 2003, covering 49 km² and 71 km², respectively. The rate of shoreline change between 1984 and 2003, the period when the East Port Said harbour was constructed, was calculated. Vector data indicate that the rate of shoreline loss was ?13 m/year from 1984 to 1991 and ?15 m/year from 1991 to 2003. Despite the fact that construction of the East Port Said harbour caused significant changes in the study area, there are several factors controlling coastline and land cover changes including industrial development and fish cultivation farms.     

Aeolian sediment transport following wildfire in sagebrush steppe

Wind erosion of soil is an appreciable but unstudied event following fires in cold desert. We examined aeolian transport of sediment for 1 year following fire in semi-arid shrub steppe on loess soils in southern Idaho, USA. Sediment collectors were used to determine horizontal mass transport of soil and saltation sensors and anemometers were used to determine saltation activity (fraction of time having saltation) and threshold wind speed in an area burned in August and an unburned control site. Horizontal mass transport (per 30-day period) was negligible in the unburned area, but in the burned area was 5.40 kg m^?1 in October and decreased to 2.80 kg m^?1 in November and 0.32 kg m^?1 in December. Saltation activity was high enough to determine threshold wind speeds only in the burn site during fall, when values ranged from 10.0 to 10.6 m s^?1. Sediment flux and saltation activity in the burned site became much less pronounced following the emergence of herbaceous vegetation in the spring. Post-fire sediment flux in the shrub steppe we examined was of greater magnitude but shorter duration than post-fire fluxes in warm deserts or sandier regions that experience more frequent wind erosion.     

How representative is a point? The spatial variability of surface energy fluxes across short distances in a sand-sagebrush ecosystem

During the summer of 2001, the spatial variation of the surface energy fluxes across short distances, 16 m to 32 m, was examined over a sagebrush steppe ecosystem in northeastern Colorado. Two eddy covariance micrometeorological stations were used to test the hypothesis that fine-scale variations in the physical properties of the site result in significant variation in the surface energy balance. Through a comparative analysis of the flux measurements, it was found that statistically significant variations in the sensible, latent and soil heat fluxes were present at the study site. These variations were linked to small changes in the near-surface soil moisture content and leaf area index. The results of this study suggest there may be substantial uncertainty surrounding a single point measurement when it is used to represent the exchange of heat and moisture over a large area. This uncertainty must be considered when using in-situ measurements to evaluate remote sensing products or numerical models.     

石河子垦区沙漠和绿洲下垫面生态条件下能量交换特征

 在古尔班通古特沙漠南部流动沙区及其以南100 km的滴灌棉田为绿洲下垫面的生态条件下,分析研究了能量输送的不同模式和日变化进程。在沙漠生态条件下, 大部分净辐射用于感热通量的散失,另一部分用于向地下传输,少部分则用于潜热输送;与沙漠相比,在滴灌棉田生态条件下的绿洲能量输送的基本模式为: 农田蒸散的潜热能量占绝大部分,少部分用于感热通量和土壤热通量的消耗,另一个与沙漠不同的特征是绿洲存在地表能量平衡差额。     

Compensating for diminishing natural water: Predicting the impacts of water development on summer habitat of desert bighorn sheep

Artificial water sources have been used for decades to enhance and restore wildlife habitat but the benefits of their use have been subject to debate. During the past century, the number of natural springs in Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA, has declined. In response to concerns about the viability of the bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) population, a number of water developments were constructed throughout the park. We modeled potential historical and present-day summer habitat of female bighorn sheep to evaluate the effectiveness of the artificial and remaining natural water sources in maintaining habitat and to determine how loss of artificial sources might affect future habitat availability. Prior to 1950, 583.5 km² of summer habitat was potentially available. Presently, only 170.6 km² of habitat is available around natural water sources and 153.5 km² is available around guzzlers. When all perennial water sources are included in the habitat model (minus overlap), 302.3 km² of summer habitat is potentially available. This represents only 51.7% of summer habitat available prior to 1950. Without artificial water developments, 47.7% of present-day summer habitat would be lost, which raises important management questions regarding the debate about what is natural or artificial within otherwise protected areas.     

Comparative study of nitrogenase activity in different types of biological soil crusts in the Gurbantunggut Desert,Northwestern China

Biological soil crusts cover large areas of the Gurbantunggut Desert in northwestern China where they make a significant contribution to soil stability and fertility. The aim of this study was to quantify the potential nitrogen-fixing activity (NA) of different types of biological soil crusts in the Gurbantunggut Desert. The results suggest that NA (nmol C₂H₄ m^?2 h^?1) for each type of crusts was highly variable. Seasonal variation was also important, with all three types of crusts responding in a similar way to changes in environmental conditions. From March to May, NA was relatively low for all crust types. During this season, NA was 2.26 × 10³ for cyanobacterial crust followed by lichen crust (6.54 × 10²) and moss crust (6.38 × 10²). From June to October, all crust types reached their highest level of NA, especially lichen crust and moss crust (p < 0.01). The NA of cyanobacterial crust (9.81 × 10³) was higher than that of lichen crust (9.06 × 10³) and moss crust (2.03 × 10³). From November to February, when temperatures were consistently low (<0 °C), NA was at its lowest level, especially in cyanobacterial crust (4.18 × 10²) and moss crust (5.43 × 10²) (p < 0.01). Our results indicate that species composition is critical when estimating N inputs in desert ecosystems. In addition, all three types of crusts generally responded in a similar way to environmental conditions. The presence of N fixation activity in all crusts may contribute to the maintenance of fertility in sparsely vegetated areas and provide surrounding vascular plant with fixed nitrogen.     

Surface energy balance of Keqicar Glacier,Tianshan Mountains,China, during ablation period

The meteorological data of ablation season in 2005 were recorded by two automatic weather stations on Keqicar Glacier, in the southwest Tianshan Mountains of China. One is operated on the glacier near the equilibrium line with an altitude of 4,265 m (Site A) and another is operated on the glacier ablation area with an altitude of 3,700 m (Site B). These data were used to analyze the meteorological conditions and the surface energy balance (SEB) of Keqicar Glacier. Net radiation was directly measured, and turbulent heat fluxes were calculated using the bulk aerodynamic approach, including stability correction. The ablation value of 0.68 m w.e. derived from four ablation stakes is in close correspondence to the modeled value of 0.71 m w.e. During the observation period, net radiation accounts for 81.4% of the total energy with its value of 63.3 W/m². The rest energy source is provided by the sensible heat flux with a value of 14.4 W/m². Energy is consumed mainly by melting and evaporation, accounting for 69.5% and 29.7% of the total energy with their values of 54.0 and 23.0 W/m², respectively. Radiative energy dominates energy exchanges at the glacier-atmosphere interface, governed by the variation in net shortwave radiation. Net short-wave radiation varies significantly due to the effects of cloudiness and the high albedo caused by solid precipitation. Wind speed influences the turbulent heat fluxes distinctively and sensible heat flux and latent heat flux are much larger in July with high wind speed.     

Synergic effect of salinity and light-chilling on photosystem II photochemistry of the halophyte,Sarcocornia fruticosa

Laboratory experiments were conduced to assess the synergic effect of chilling and light on photosystem II photochemistry of the halophyte, Sarcocornia fruticosa, grown at different salinity concentrations (0, 170, 340, 510 and 1030 mM). Chlorophyll fluorescence was measured after chilling (at 5 °C in darkness) and light-chilling (at 5 °C and 700 μmol m^?2 s^?1) treatments, and after 24 h of recovery (at 20 °C and 75 μmol m^?2 s^?1). At 5 °C and 700 μmol m^?2 s^?1, plants grown with 0 and 170 mM NaCl showed the lowest F_v/F_m values, whereas quantum efficiency of PSII (Φ_PSII) was higher for plants grown at 170 and 340 mM NaCl, these results being consistent after two exposures to chilling treatments. Susceptibility to photoinhibition decreases when low temperature and high light are combined with high salinity. Therefore, populations of S. fruticosa that occur in arid environments with salinities c. 340 mM could show a higher tolerance to light-chilling.     

Spatiotemporal heterogeneity of soil fertility in the Central Monte desert (Argentina)

In arid environments, soil fertility exhibits a high degree of spatial and temporal heterogeneity, which results from high climatic variability seasonally and heterogeneous plant distribution. However, because most desert areas have been altered by human activities, heterogeneous fertility would originate from grazing or logging activities. We evaluated spatial and temporal heterogeneity of soil fertility in cattle-excluded sites under and outside woody plant cover (Prosopis flexuosa and Larrea divaricata), and in sites disturbed by tree removal during wet and dry season in Ñacuñán Biosphere Reserve (Central Monte desert of Argentina). Soil organic matter, fulvic acids, bioavailable organic matter, and nitrate were lower outside plant canopy (8.9 mg g^?1, 0.03 mg g^?1, 8.2 mg g^?1, and 4.17 mg kg^?1, respectively). Total N, humic acids, and abundance of microbial functional groups did not show differences among sites. Most parameters differed between seasons, tending to be higher in the wet season. Overall soils of Ñacuñán Reserve are characterized by: a) more homogenous spatial pattern than expected from woody plant presence; b) very heterogeneous temporal pattern; and c) after two years, tree removal does not seem to induce infertile soil formation.     

Visual assessment of the Australian Land Erodibility Model

There is a growing requirement for techniques to assess land susceptibility to wind erosion, i.e. land erodibility, over large geographic areas (>10⁴ km²). This requirement stems from a lack of wind erosion research between the field (10¹ km²) and regional scales, and a need to evaluate the performance of spatially explicit wind erosion models across these scales. This paper addresses this issue by presenting a methodology for monitoring land erodibility at the landscape scale (10³ km²). First, we define criteria suitable for evaluating land erodibility based on empirical relationships between soil texture, vegetation cover, geomorphology, and wind erosion. The criteria were used to visually assess land erodibility over long distances (10³ km) using vehicle-based transects run through the rangelands of western Queensland, Australia. Application of the data for testing the performance of a spatially explicit land erodibility model (AUSLEM) is then demonstrated by comparing the visual assessments of land erodibility with the model output. The model performed best in the west of the study area in the open rangelands. In regions with higher woody shrub and tree cover the model performance decreases. This highlights the need for research to better parameterise controls on erodibility in semi-arid landscapes consisting of forested and rangeland mosaics.     

Characteristics of the Gobi desert and their significance for dust emissions in the Ala Shan Plateau (Central Asia): An experimental study

Using intact samples of Gobi surfaces, we conducted wind tunnel experiments and related analyses to describe the surface characteristics of Gobi deserts and their significance for dust emissions in the Ala Shan Plateau, an area of Central Asia with high dust emissions. Under relatively high wind velocities (22 m s⁻¹), the total sediment transport approached 700 g m⁻², with the fine fractions (<50 μm in diameter) accounting for up to 26 g m⁻². In consecutive experiments, the emission rates decreased greatly due to depletion of erodible particles. In the Ala Shan Plateau, coverage by gravels varied, and aeolian sediment transport increased with increasing gravel cover (to about 30%); above that level, transport decreased. Because gravel cover was less than 30% in most areas, the gravel may not play important role in dust emissions in this region. Although the Gobi surfaces are covered by gravel, high clay contents that may restrain sediment transport. In the Ala Shan Plateau, dust emissions therefore appear to be controlled mainly by the availability of fine particles, which is in turn controlled by their deposition by ephemeral streams, by their creation via physical, salt, and chemical weathering, and by other processes such as aeolian abrasion.     

Site testing at Dome Fuji for submillimeter and terahertz astronomy: 220 GHz atmospheric-transparency

We measured the 220 GHz atmospheric-transparency at the Dome Fuji station in Antarctica from 18 December 2006 to 14 January 2007 using a tipping radiometer. The mean optical depth at zenith was 0.045 ± 0.007, and during 98% of this period we measured an optical depth of less than 0.06. These data indicate that the atmospheric-transparency in summer at Dome Fuji is comparable to that of well-known submillimeter astronomical sites such as the Atacama desert in Chile in their best seasons.     

沙漠腹地人工绿地地表能量交换特征

运用涡度相关法开路系统对塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地人工灌溉绿地生长季地表能量交换特征以及与环境因子的关系进行测定分析。结果表明：在典型晴天条件下,无论是沙漠区还是沙漠腹地灌溉绿地,白天感热通量在净辐射通量的分配中所占的份额最大,潜热交换仅占很小的比例,人工绿地感热通量和潜热通量的峰值为230.54 W/m²和88.5 W/m²,沙漠区为220 W/m²和17.55 W/m²,沙漠腹地人工灌溉造林后潜热交换明显增加。沙漠腹地造林后,绿地波文比日变幅和日均波文比均减小,绿地日均波文比为沙漠区的15%,人工绿地的营建促使了局地气候的改变。绿地地表能量交换受气象因子和下垫面条件的影响和制约,按相关系数的高低,环境因子对感热、潜热通量的影响依次为：Rn>△Ta>△TS>v>TS,沙漠区人工造林后地表能量交换与多个环境因子有着密切的关系。这些研究结果将加深我们对沙漠地区人工灌溉造林地近地层能量交换的认识。     

土地覆被变化过程中叶面积指数与降水量对地表能量平衡的贡献——基于SiB2的模拟结果

土地覆被变化过程中,叶面积指数（LAI）是地表能量平衡重要的影响因素,且与降水等多种因素存在交互作用。以2003 年中国东北地区农田、森林和草地三种覆被类型和三种LAI月变化过程为研究对象,着重分离出土地覆被变化过程中LAI对地表能量平衡的作用,认清覆被和LAI 变化对地表能量平衡的相对作用。利用SiB2 模型研究不同降水条件下土地覆被和LAI 变化对地表能量平衡的影响。结果表明：① 覆被变化对净辐射的影响最大,年均14.5W·m^-2左右。② LAI 主要改变净辐射对潜热和显热的分配,对农田和草地而言,LAI 增加明显提高（减小）潜热（显热）分配比例;对森林而言,LAI对潜热和显热分配的影响较弱。③ 降水对净辐射的分配起重要作用,降水增加,潜热增加。④ 表层土壤水分受降水和LAI 调控,与潜热有相反的变化趋势。     

灌溉在现代绿洲维持与发展中的重要作用

灌溉是荒漠绿洲农业发展的根本,没有灌溉就没有干旱区农业。本文运用美国NCAR的非静力平衡中尺度模式MM5V3,模拟了1991年8月1日到11日张掖绿洲地表感热、潜热通量和波文比,模拟结果表明此模式可以较好地反映张掖绿洲地表能量及水汽交换状况。同时模拟了当水源被截断后,地表感热、潜热通量及波文比随时间的变化:潜热迅速下降,感热迅速上升,波文比绝对值也迅速增大。如不及时补充水,绿洲将最终退化为沙漠。模拟结果证明了:①在我国西北干旱区有水才有绿洲,无水便成沙漠,水是绿洲的生命线,灌溉是现代绿洲维持与发展的基础;②绿洲一旦因缺水而退化为沙漠,就很难恢复。     

THE STUDY ON LATENT AND SENSIBLE HEAT FLUX OVER MIRE IN THE SANJIANG PLAIN

Energy exchange is one of the most importantprocesses in wetland ecosystems,because it has agreat influence on temperature,water transport,plantgrowth,productivityetc.(Dennison and Berry,1989).On small scales,understanding of surface en-ergy exchange is n…     

Longevity and growth strategies of the desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) in two American deserts

The desert tortoise occurs in two strikingly different desert regimes in the southwestern United States. In the Mojave Desert, rainfall is more irregular and resources are more limited than in the Sonoran Desert. We examined the age structure of tortoise populations from these two deserts to determine whether the difference in resource availability has driven an evolutionary divergence in life history strategies. Age and growth rates strongly reflect the ecological adaptation of the two populations. The oldest Sonoran males reached 54 years, compared to only 43 years in females. The oldest West Mojave (WM) males reached 56 years, compared to only 27 years in females. WM tortoises grew faster than Sonoran ones, and females reached sexual maturity at earlier ages (～17–19 years) than Sonoran females (～22–26 years). These traits and the higher rate of clutch production in the WM population are likely the evolutionary adaptation for low juvenile survivorship and a significantly shorter life span. Frequent droughts in the WM Desert and the lowest annual rainfall area within the range of the desert tortoise cause chronic physiological stress, likely annually, and are proposed as a major selection force producing contrasting life-history strategies.     

Non-climatic growth of the saline Lake Beseka,Main Ethiopian Rift

When using rift lakes as proxies for palaeoclimate it is essential to know if water level changes are of geological or climatic origin, and whether a reinterpretation of palaeo-lake levels derived from lithostratigraphic sequences is required. The saline, endorheic Lake Beseka is located in the tectonically active Main Ethiopian Rift. Despite the aridity of the rift valley the lake's surface area quadrupled from 11.1 km² in 1973 to 39.5 km² in 2002. We quantify the lake growth by means of a detailed bathymetric model and high-resolution satellite time series. We analyse the potential climatic, anthropogenic, and tectonic agents of Lake Beseka's growth. Multitemporal remote sensing data and meteorological records were compared with in-situ measurements of hydrochemical parameters and water depth to address the reason for the lake level rise. Our results suggest that Lake Beseka's expansion originates from an increased discharge of the hot springs. The combined analysis of satellite data and in-situ measurements proved to be a valid tool for the quantification of lake level changes and can help to detect the causes of these variations.     

Physical impact of grazing by sheep on soil parameters in the Nama Karoo subshrub/grass rangeland of South Africa

The direct short-term impact of three rates of stocking (4, 8 and 16 small-stock units [SSU] ha^?1) was quantified in terms of soil characteristics of arid Nama Karoo vegetation (subshrub/grass). Mature Merino wethers grazed in the experimental plots throughout May in 1995 and 1996 (the plots were not subjected to grazing at any other time). Stocking rate proved inversely related to initial infiltration rate. Light trampling (4 SSU ha^?1) loosened the topsoil sufficiently to increase the initial infiltration rate: infiltration capacity of soil in fields stocked at 4 SSU ha^?1 and 16 SSU ha^?1 was 17% higher and 14% lower respectively than that of soil of ungrazed rangeland over the two grazing periods. Increased soil compaction and greater bulk density due to higher stocking rates significant decreased the infiltration rate. Compared to ungrazed rangeland stocking rates of 4, 8 and 16 SSU ha^?1 over the two grazing periods increased bulk density respectively by 2.73%, 6.67% and 8.945% and compaction by 10.90%, 16.78% and 20.90%. No grazing also increased bulk density and soil compaction and decreased infiltration rate. Light stocking (4 SSU ha^?1) influenced all soil parameters most favourably. From a hydrologic point of view, grazing levels and rotation schemes need to be tailored for sustainable utilization of arid subshrub/grass vegetation by livestock.     

Noble gases of the Yamato 000027 and Yamato 000097 lherzolitic shergottites from Mars

We used total melting and stepwise heating methods to measure noble gases within bulk samples from Yamato 000027 and Yamato 000097 lherzolites as well as a melt-vein sample from Yamato 000027. He and Ne are dominated by cosmogenic noble gases. The obtained cosmic-ray exposure age of 4.6 ± 1.5 Ma, an average age based on cosmogenic ³He, ²¹Ne, and ³⁸Ar for these samples, is consistent with the ages of other lherzolitic shergottites, indicating a common impact event for the ejection of lherzolites from Mars. Heavy noble gases released from the bulk samples at low temperatures were elementally fractionated terrestrial atmosphere. Martian noble-gas isotopic signatures, ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar = 1900 and ¹²⁹Xe/¹³²Xe = 1.3, were observed at high temperatures (>1000 °C). The melt-vein sample released greater amounts of atmospheric Ar, Kr, and Xe at low temperatures than the bulk samples. Large amounts of Ar and Kr, as well as excess ⁴⁰Ar and ¹²⁹Xe, were evolved from the melt-vein sample at 1400 °C, and the gas shows very high ³⁶Ar/¹³²Xe (=3100) and ⁸⁴Kr/¹³²Xe (=76) values. Maximum ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar and ¹²⁹Xe/¹³²Xe values of the melt sample were 1100 and 1.6, respectively, at 1600 °C. Cosmogenic Kr shows an absence of ⁸⁰Kr and ⁸²Kr produced by neutron capture on Br, which suggests a small pre-atmospheric body. Overall noble gas compositions for Y000027 and Y000097 support pairing for the Yamato 00 shergottites.