Limited change in dune mobility in response to a large decrease in wind power in semi-arid northern China since the 1970s

The climatic controls on dune mobility, especially the relative importance of wind strength, remain incompletely understood. This is a key research problem in semi-arid northern China, both for interpreting past dune activity as evidence of paleoclimate and for predicting future environmental change. Potential eolian sand transport, which is approximately proportional to wind power above the threshold for sand entrainment, has decreased across much of northern China since the 1970s. Over the same period, effective moisture (ratio of precipitation to potential evapotranspiration) has not changed significantly. This “natural experiment” provides insight on the relative importance of wind power as a control on dune mobility in three dunefields of northern China (Mu Us, Otindag, and Horqin), although poorly understood and potentially large effects of human land use complicate interpretation. Dune forms in these three regions are consistent with sand transport vectors inferred from weather station data, suggesting that wind directions have remained stable and the stations adequately represent winds that shaped the dunes. The predicted effect of weaker winds since the 1970s would be dune stabilization, with lower sand transport rates allowing vegetation cover to expand. Large portions of all three dunefields remained stabilized by vegetation in the 1970s despite high wind power. Since the 1970s, trends in remotely sensed vegetation greenness and change in mobile dune area inferred from sequential Landsat images do indicate widespread dune stabilization in the eastern Mu Us region. On the other hand, expansion of active dunes took place farther west in the Mu Us dunefield and especially in the central Otindag dunefield, with little overall change in two parts of the Horqin dunes. Better ground truth is needed to validate the remote sensing analyses, but results presented here place limits on the relative importance of wind strength as a control on dune mobility in the study areas. High wind power alone does not completely destabilize these dunes. A large decrease in wind power either has little short-term effect on the dunes, or more likely its effect is sufficiently small that it is obscured by human impacts on dune stability in many parts of the study areas.     

沙坡头固定沙丘结皮层的微生物区系动态

对中科院沙坡头沙漠研究试验站的人工植被固定沙丘、红卫自然植被固定沙丘的结皮层和流动沙丘表层(0~ 05cm)中的微生物类群数量的研究结果表明:①好气性细菌数量影响着微生物总数量的变化趋势;②微生物总数量分布依次排列为:自然植被固定沙丘>1956年栽植区>1964年栽植区>自然半固定沙丘>1982年栽植区>流动沙丘;③土壤微生物类群数量与结皮层的形成、植物覆盖度和土壤含水率等因子有密切的关系;④结皮层中的微生物类群数量与流动沙丘的固定程度呈正向关系。     

古尔班通古特沙漠短命植物分布及其沙面稳定意义

Based on systematically monitoring plants on dune ridges in the southern part of the Gurbantunggut Desert in 2002, this paper, from the angle of dune stabilization by vegetation,describes the temporal and spatial distribution patterns of ephemeral plants on isolated sand dunes,analyses the natural invasion processes of ephemeral plants on human-disturbed sand surface and expounds the importance of ephemeral plants in stabilizing sand dune surface. A total of 45 plant species were identified in the study area, 29 of which are ephemeral plants. Ephemeral plants sprouted in early April and completed their life-circle within about two months. Just as aeolian sand activities came to the strongest stage from April to June in desert regions of northern Xinjiang, the total coverage of trees, shrubs and herbs of long vegetational period on most dune ridges was less than 10%, while the mean coverage of ephemeral plants reached 13.9% in April, 40.2% in May and 14.1% in June. Therefore ephemeral plants acted as the major contributor to dune surface stabilization in the Gurbantunggut Desert.Investigations of vegetation restoration on engineering-disturbed dune surface show that ephemeral plants first recolonized the disturbed dune surface.     

Distribution of ephemeral plants and their significance in dune stabilization in Gurbantunggut Desert

Based on systematically monitoring plants on dune ridges in the southern part of the Gurbantunggut Desert in 2002, this paper, from the angle of dune stabilization by vegetation, describes the temporal and spatial distribution patterns of ephemeral plants on isolated sand dunes, analyses the natural invasion processes of ephemeral plants on human-disturbed sand surface and expounds the importance of ephemeral plants in stabilizing sand dune surface. A total of 45 plant species were identified in the study area, 29 of which are ephemeral plants. Ephemeral plants sprouted in early April and completed their life-circle within about two months. Just as aeolian sand activities came to the strongest stage from April to June in desert regions of northern Xinjiang, the total coverage of trees, shrubs and herbs of long vegetational period on most dune ridges was less than 10%, while the mean coverage of ephemeral plants reached 13.9% in April, 40.2% in May and 14.1% in June. Therefore ephemeral plants acted as the major contributor to dune surface stabilization in the Gurbantunggut Desert. Investigations of vegetation restoration on engineering-disturbed dune surface show that ephemeral plants first recolonized the disturbed dune surface.     

Transverse dune trailing ridges and vegetation succession

We describe the evolution of, and vegetation succession on, a previously undescribed landform: transverse dune trailing ridges at El Farallón transgressive dunefield in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. Three-dimensional clinometer/compass and tape topographic surveys were conducted in conjunction with 1 m² contiguous percent cover and presence/absence vegetation survey transects at eight locations across two adjacent trailing ridges. At the study site, and elsewhere, the transverse dune trailing ridges are formed by vegetation colonization of the lateral margins of active transverse, barchanoidal transverse, and aklé or network dunes. For simplicity, all trailing ridges formed from these dune types are referred to as transverse dune trailing ridges. Because there are several transverse dunes in the dunefield, multiple trailing ridges can be formed at one time. Two adjacent trailing ridges were examined. The shortest length ridge was 70 m long, and evolving from a 2.5 m-high transverse dune, while the longer ridge was 140 m long, and evolving from an 8 m-high dune. Trailing ridge length is a proxy measure of ridge age, since the longer the ridge, the greater the length of time since initial formation. With increasing age or distance upwind, species diversity increased, as well as species horizontal extent and percent cover. In turn, the degree of bare sand decreased. Overall, the data indicate a successional trend in the vegetation presence and cover with increasing age upwind. Those species most tolerant to burial (Croton and Palafoxia) begin the process of trailing ridge formation. Ipomoea and Canavalia are less tolerant to burial and also are typically the next colonizing species. Trachypogon does not tolerate sand burial or deposition very well and only appears after significant stabilization has taken place. The ridges display a moderately defined successional sequence in plant colonization and percentage cover with time (and upwind distance). They are significant geomorphologically as a unique landform in transgressive dunefields, and also because they may be the only remaining indication of transverse dune presence, and net dune migration direction once the dunefield is stabilized and in a final evolutionary state.     

不同固沙区结皮中微生物生物量和数量的比较研究

沙地生态系统是温带干旱区、半干旱区的重要草地类型, 沙地的稳定性是生态系统健康的重要条件。在中国科学院沙坡头沙漠试验研究站, 笔者对不同程度固沙区结皮和流动沙丘表层中的微生物生物量和数量进行了比较研究。结果表明: 自然和人工植被固沙区结皮及流沙表层的微生物数量分布不同, 细菌数量比真菌和放线菌数量多数百倍, 在所有微生物类群中, 细菌数量最大, 微生物总数的变化取决于好气性细菌数量的多少, 但生物量却与之不同。在不同程度固沙区结皮中, 微生物生物量大小依次排列为: 自然植被区>1956年人工植被区>1964年人工植被区>1982年人工植被区>流沙区, 微生物生物量在自然植被固沙区中最多, 分别是1956年、1964年、1982年人工植被固沙区和流沙区的2.63、4.17、9.25和44.29倍, 表明微生物生物量随人工植被的栽植年代增加而增大, 在流动沙丘中最小, 而菌丝生物量方面是1956年人工植被固沙区已与自然植被固沙区十分接近。微生物生物量和数量与沙丘固定程度、人工植被栽植年代、结皮厚度、苔藓种类等均呈正相关, 人工植被栽植年代越长, 结皮越厚、微生物生物量和数量也越大。在不同年代人工植被固沙区结皮中, 微生物生物量和数量与相对稳定的自然植被固沙区相比, 仍未达到稳定状态。     

Effects of spring–summer grazing on longitudinal dune surface in southern Gurbantunggut Desert

Intensive grazing in spring–summer has been responsible for environmental degradation of the Gurbantunggut Desert in recent years. The coverage of plants and biological crusts, sand surface stability and physicochemical characteristics of soil on the dune surface were conducted in 2002 (winter grazing) and 2005 (spring–summer grazing). The results showed that over 80% of the total area of the dune surface was covered by well-developed biological crusts and plants in 2002, when the interdune and middle to lower part of dune slopes were stabilized and only the crest had 10–40 m wide mobile belt. Affected by spring–summer grazing in 2005, over 80% of the total cover of biological crust was destructed and the plant coverage only reached 1/5 of that in 2002, especially the ephemeral plant cover had a great change. The value of sand transport potential in 2005 only reached 1/3 of that in 2002, but the total surface activity in 2005 was 1.6 times stronger than that in 2002. Meanwhile the mobile area began to expand from the dune top to the whole dune surface following spring–summer grazing. Compared with 2002, medium sand content of the dune surface soil increased by 13.9%, while that of fine and very fine sands decreased by 7.4% and 8.0% respectively in 2005 and the soil organic matter in 2005 was only about 1/2 of that in 2002. It is obvious that the presence of snow cover and frozen soil in winter could avoid the surface structure destruction in winter, while spring–summer grazing made excessive damage to biologic crusts and ephemeral plants. Spring is the main windy season in Gurbantunggut Desert and therefore intensive activity of dune surface occurred following spring–summer grazing, which led to a great loss of fine sand and organic matter. It can be seen that grazing season have a significant influence on the sustainable development of the desert ecosystem in Northwest China.     

巴丹吉林沙漠与腾格里沙漠连接带沙丘移动规律北大核心CSCD

巴丹吉林沙漠与腾格里沙漠分别为中国面积第二、第三大流动性沙漠,对两大沙漠连接带新月形沙丘的动态监测可以揭示该地区沙丘形成演化规律,为沙漠连接带风沙地貌发育研究提供科学支撑。通过Google Earth高清历史影像对巴丹吉林沙漠与腾格里沙漠连接带的新月形沙丘带进行监测,分析了两大沙漠交界处沙丘的移动速率和形态变化。结果表明:巴丹吉林沙漠与腾格里沙漠连接带沙丘移动速率范围5.88-19.55 m·a^(-1),平均移动速率10.03 m·a^(-1);移动方向范围109°-135°,平均移动方向122°。风况为沙丘移动提供动力条件,合成输沙方向与沙丘移动方向吻合。受NW、WNW方向输沙影响,新月形沙丘南翼在移动速率增加的同时长度不断伸长,显著区别于北翼。沙丘移动受控于沙丘本身形态,沙丘各形态参数(迎风坡长度、高度、宽度、周长、底面积)与移动速率呈现显著负相关关系(P<0.01)。植被覆盖以及沙丘密度的差异导致了研究区沙丘移动速率的差异。沙丘移动前后,形态参数变化具有复杂性,而沙源丰富度差异以及丘间地灌丛沙包对沙丘形态的改变,是沙丘形态变化复杂性的主要原因。两大沙漠连接带年输沙通量170-521 t·m^(-1),均值为301 t·m^(-1)。     

The Manawatu Dunefield: Environmental Change and Human Impacts

Four stages of environmental change are apparent in the Manawatu coastal landscape: the first stage was that of a world wide sea level rise and initiation of the first major dune phase (Foxton or phase I) in the Manawatu. This was followed by a second dune‐building phase (Motuiti or phase II), which was probably initiated by climate change. The second stage occurred in the last 600 to 1000 or so years when Maori first occupied the area, rapidly causing the extinction of a range of fauna, significantly altering the vegetation cover and potentially initiating or assisting the development of a new dune phase (Waitarere or phase 111). The latter part of the Waitarere phase (phase IV) or episode may have been initiated by Europeans in the last 150 years. The third stage of environmental change occurred in the period 1940 to 1990 when large scale sand sheets and transgressive dunefields were significantly stabilised by humans, and parabolic dunes were created. A fourth stage is just beginning where an entirely new suite (or episode) of parabolic dunes has developed from blowouts within the foredune in the last 10 years. Overall, human impact has wrought major environmental changes to one of the greatest examples of Holocene dunefields in New Zealand.     

The evolution of Holocene coastal dunefields, Jutland, Denmark: A record of climate change over the past 5000 years

Coastal dunefields have developed on the west coast of Jutland in Denmark over the past 5000 years. The dunefields are situated in a temperate climate zone with frequent high energy wind events. Dunefield development was characterized by repeated periods of transgressive dune formation punctuated by periods of dune stabilization and soil formation. The chronology of dunefield evolution is based on Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dating of peaty palaeosols (24 samples) and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating of aeolian sand deposits (19 samples). These dates indicate that the completeness of the stratigraphic record varies considerably, but that the timing of aeolian activity events was identical in the dunefields examined here. Initiation of aeolian activity occurred around 2200 BC, 800 BC, AD 100, AD 1050–1200, and between AD 1550 and 1650. Proxy-climate data from bogs in southwestern Sweden suggest that these periods of dunefield activity were initiated during wet/cool summers. Most likely these climatic situations were associated with a more frequent passage of cyclones across Denmark in the summer seasons (increased storminess) causing aeolian sand movement and dune formation. The continued removal of vegetation in Jutland between 4000 BC and AD 1850 allowed the aeolian sand, when first activated, to move more and more easily across the coastal plains; the final phase of aeolian sand movement between AD 1550–1650 and 1900 had catastrophic implications for many coastal inhabitants in the region.     

Factors controlling the survival of coastal dunes during multiple hurricane impacts in 2004 and 2005: Santa Rosa barrier island, Florida

Santa Rosa Island is an 85 km-long, wave-dominated low-lying barrier island situated along the northwestern Florida coast, facing the Gulf of Mexico. The entire island was severely impacted by Ivan, a strong category 3 hurricane that made landfall about 45 km to the west in September of 2004. Ten months later in July of 2005, Dennis, another category 3 hurricane, made landfall about 30 km east of the western tip of the island. Santa Rosa Island is characterized by well-developed but relatively low dunefields, described in this paper as incipient and established dunes, based on the presence of grassy and woody types of vegetation, respectively. The dunes were severely eroded by the two hurricanes. This paper investigates the factors controlling the regional-scale destruction and survival of the dunefields.Dune survival is controlled by: 1) hurricane characteristics, including intensity, duration, and frequency, and 2) morphological parameters including width of the barrier island, height and width of the dunefields, vegetation type, distance of the dunes to the ocean, and continuity of the dunefields. Three processes of dune destruction are described including, from most to least severe, inundation, overwash, and scarping. The interaction of all the above factors determines the different dune responses to the storm impacts. In general, the extensive and densely woody vegetated dunefields near the bay-side shoreline survived the storms, while the discontinuous dunes with grassy vegetation near the Gulf shoreline were almost completely destroyed.     

Effects of spring–summer grazing on longitudinal dune surface in southern Gurbantunggut Desert

Intensive grazing in spring–summer has been responsible for environmental degradation of the Gurbantunggut Desert in recent years. The coverage of plants and biological crusts, sand surface stability and physicochemical characteristics of soil on the dune surface were conducted in 2002 (winter grazing) and 2005 (spring–summer grazing). The results showed that over 80% of the total area of the dune surface was covered by well-developed biological crusts and plants in 2002, when the interdune and middle to lower part of dune slopes were stabilized and only the crest had 10–40 m wide mobile belt. Affected by spring–summer grazing in 2005, over 80% of the total cover of biological crust was destructed and the plant coverage only reached 1/5 of that in 2002, especially the ephemeral plant cover had a great change. The value of sand transport potential in 2005 only reached 1/3 of that in 2002, but the total surface activity in 2005 was 1.6 times stronger than that in 2002. Meanwhile the mobile area began to expand from the dune top to the whole dune surface following spring–summer grazing. Compared with 2002, medium sand content of the dune surface soil increased by 13.9%, while that of fine and very fine sands decreased by 7.4% and 8.0% respectively in 2005 and the soil organic matter in 2005 was only about 1/2 of that in 2002. It is obvious that the presence of snow cover and frozen soil in winter could avoid the surface structure destruction in winter, while spring–summer grazing made excessive damage to biologic crusts and ephemeral plants. Spring is the main windy season in Gurbantunggut Desert and therefore intensive activity of dune surface occurred following spring–summer grazing, which led to a great loss of fine sand and organic matter. It can be seen that grazing season have a significant influence on the sustainable development of the desert ecosystem in Northwest China. Foundation: National Basic Research Program of China, No.2009CB421303; National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.40771032; National Science Supporting Program, No.2007BAC17B03 Author: Wang Xueqin (1964–), Ph.D and Associate Professor, specialized in aeolian sand geomorphology, desertification and its control.     

放牧对古尔班通古特沙漠南部半固定沙垄地表性质的影响

Intensive grazing in spring-summer has been responsible for environmental deg- radation of the Gurbantunggut Desert in recent years. The coverage of plants and biological crusts, sand surface stability and physicochemical characteristics of soil on the dune surface were conducted in 2002 (winter grazing) and 2005 (spring-summer grazing). The results showed that over 80% of the total area of the dune surface was covered by well-developed biological crusts and plants in 2002, when the interdune and middle to lower part of dune slopes were stabilized and only the crest had 10-40 m wide mobile belt. Affected by spring-summer grazing in 2005, over 80% of the total cover of biological crust was destructed and the plant coverage only reached 1/5 of that in 2002, especially the ephemeral plant cover had a great change. The value of sand transport potential in 2005 only reached 1/3 of that in 2002, but the total surface activity in 2005 was 1.6 times stronger than that in 2002. Mean- while the mobile area began to expand from the dune top to the whole dune surface following spring-summer grazing. Compared with 2002, medium sand content of the dune surface soil increased by 13.9%, while that of fine and very fine sands decreased by 7.4% and 8.0% re- spectively in 2005 and the soil organic matter in 2005 was only about 1/2 of that in 2002. It is obvious that the presence of snow cover and frozen soil in winter could avoid the surface structure destruction in winter, while spring--summer grazing made excessive damage to biologic crusts and ephemeral plants. Spring is the main windy season in Gurbantunggut Desert and therefore intensive activity of dune surface occurred following spring-summer grazing, which led to a great loss of fine sand and organic matter. It can be seen that grazing season have a significant influence on the sustainable development of the desert ecosystem in Northwest China.     

Measurements and numerical simulations of the degree of activity and vegetation cover on parabolic dunes in north-eastern Brazil

In this work we present measurements of vegetation cover over parabolic dunes with different degrees of activation along the north-eastern Brazilian coast. We extend the local values of the vegetation cover density to the whole dune by correlating measurements with the relative brightness index C of high resolution QuickBird panchromatic satellite images of the dune field. We then introduce the vegetation data into a continuous model for vegetated dunes, coupling sand erosion and vegetation growth, and perform simulations of the evolution of the morphology and vegetation cover of parabolic dunes. Finally, from the comparison of both, the measurements and the simulation results, we show that the model is able to predict the dune shape and the vegetation distribution of real parabolic dunes as result of the evolution of a blow-out.     

毛乌素沙地沙障环境下的沙丘迎风坡植被及土壤养分变化

沙障在固定流沙、促进植被恢复和改良土壤等生态建设方面起着重要作用。对毛乌素沙地设置沙柳（Salix psammophila）沙障6、8、10、11、12年的沙丘迎风坡（裸露沙丘地作为对照）开展了植被调查和土壤养分测试分析。结果显示：设障8年后的沙丘迎风坡0—30 cm深度内的土壤有机质、全氮含量显著（P<0.05）高于流动沙丘,且设障10—11年沙丘迎风坡植被盖度、0—80 cm深度内土壤有机质和全氮含量达到最大,但全磷和全钾含量无明显的变化,所有样地间和3个深度层间的全磷、全钾含量均无显著性差异;植被总盖度、0—80 cm深度内土壤有机质含量及全氮含量相互之间存在极显著线性正相关关系（P<0.01）,而且土壤pH值随有机质含量增加而线性降低。沙柳沙障固沙地的植被盖度、土壤有机质和全氮相互之间存在趋同性,且布设10年的沙障土壤改良和植被恢复成效达到最大,之后表现出下降趋势。据此建议活体沙柳沙障在维持其固沙功效的前提下以10年为限需进行平茬处理。     

腾格里沙漠沙坡头地区固沙植被对生物多样性恢复的长期影响

地处腾格里沙漠东南缘的沙坡头人工固沙植被始建于1956年,46 a来不仅确保了包兰铁路沙漠地段的畅通无阻,而且对区域生态环境的恢复产生了巨大的影响,成为我国干旱沙漠地区交通干线荒漠化防治与生态恢复的成功模式。长期定位监测结果表明:人工固沙植被建立4~5 a后,沙丘表面物理结构初步得到稳定,并由大气降尘形成的无机土壤结皮逐渐演变形成土壤微生物结皮。荒漠藻类、苔藓和地衣等隐花植物在结皮层中得到了大量的繁衍:固沙植被建立46 a后出现藻类24种;苔藓仅有5 种,少于天然固定沙丘结皮上的种类,此外,地衣也在植被区发现,这说明固定沙丘景观逐渐趋于稳定的状态;相对于流沙区,固沙植被区近地面风速降低了 40%,土壤有机质含量增加了60%,其中氮、磷、钾等荒漠生态系统主要限制养分因子及土壤理化性质得到了改善,沙丘表层成土过程明显;土壤水分循环的时空变异驱动了植被的演变,为大量的草本的侵入和定居创造了条件;此外,对鸟类、昆虫和土壤动物及荒漠动物的生存产生了积极的影响。46 a后,固沙植被区共有鸟类 28 种,昆虫 50 种,动物 23种。生物多样性的恢复使原有的相对单一的固沙植被演变成一个结构、组成和功能相对复杂的荒漠生态系统。沙坡头地区生态环境在人为促进下的恢复为我国西部生态建设提供了科学依据。     

荒漠人工固沙植被区土壤结皮斥水性发展特征

土壤结皮深刻影响绿洲边缘固沙植被区的土壤水文过程。土壤结皮斥水性是量化上述影响的潜在指标。采用滴水穿透时间（WDPT）法，研究了河西走廊荒漠边缘不同建植年限梭梭植被区固定沙丘土壤结皮斥水性的时间演变规律及影响因素。结果表明：建植20 a后，丘顶与丘间地土壤结皮出现显著斥水性（WDPT>5 s），而丘坡土壤结皮无斥水性（WDPT<5 s）。丘顶土壤结皮斥水性与总有机碳、微生物量碳、有机碳C-H组分以及电导率显著相关（P<0.01）；而丘间地土壤结皮斥水性与黏、粉粒含量显著相关（P<0.01）。植被形成的“碳岛”及“盐岛”效应是丘顶土壤结皮斥水性形成的主要原因，而黏、粉粒在土壤表层的积聚是丘间地土壤结皮斥水性形成的主要原因。     

沙丘形态及表沙粒度特征对风况和地表植被变化的响应

以毛乌素沙地3种沙丘（新月形沙丘、抛物线形沙丘和反向沙丘）为研究对象,对其形态、表沙粒度特征和区域风况进行了量化分析,探讨了沙丘表沙物理运动过程及其形态对外界条件（风况和地表植被）变化的反馈,揭示了沙丘表沙粒度特征对不同沙丘形态的响应机制。结果表明：新月形沙丘表沙平均粒径由迎风坡底部向顶部逐渐变小,分选呈现逐渐变好趋势, 但粒径较小和分选较差的表沙样出现在沙丘迎风坡中部。随着地表植被覆盖度的增加,新月形沙丘逐渐向抛物线形沙丘转变,近地表输沙能力和沙丘上风向沙源的供应同样受到限制,致使抛物线形沙丘由迎风坡底部向顶部呈现表沙平均粒径变大,而分选逐渐变好的趋势。毛乌素沙地内季节性风况（春季盛行强劲西北风,夏季盛行较弱东南风）的变化不仅促进了反向沙丘的发育,并且重组了西北盛行风影响下的表沙粒度特征。在夏季反向风风蚀的作用下,沙丘落沙坡顶部出现反向堆积和脊线反向移动的现象,同时其顶部呈现平均粒径由小变大、分选逐渐变好的趋势。     

Valley-marginal sand dunes in the south-west Kalahari: their nature, classification and possible origins

This paper considers the nature, classification and possible origin of a variety of desert sand dunes which occur in association with ephemeral drainage features in the south-west Kalahari. The dune forms, which we term valley-marginal dunes, are found at the top of valley flanks, and are narrow, elongate forms with arcuate and straight planform elements which mirror the course of extant and ancient channels. Following a discussion of the major schemes used to classify different dune types, we describe the morphology and situation of these valley-marginal dunes. We suggest that whilst the basic morphometry of these dunes is similar to many other dune types, the topographic setting in which they occur is relatively unusual. We conclude that valley-marginal dunes are a previously unrecognized landform which cannot be fitted into current classificatory schemes. It is suggested that one reason for this may be the lack of an explicit temporal dimension in most dune classifications.     

Late Pleistocene dune construction in the Central Sand Plain of Wisconsin, USA

Wisconsin's Central Sand Plain east of the Wisconsin River is composed of eolian sand forming high-relief dunes surrounded by sand sheets and scattered low-relief dunes. To establish a maximum age for dune formation, three samples for optical dating were taken from glacial Lake Wisconsin lacustrine sediment that underlies eolian sand. These age estimates range from 19.3 to 13.6ka. Age estimates taken from within or at the base of the dunes range from 14.0 to 10.6ka. Samples taken from < 2m of the ground surface were slightly younger, indicating dunes were stabilized between 11.8 and 5.5ka. The younger ages near the surface of some dunes were most likely the result of pedoturbation or localized problems with applying the optical dating method. The majority of the optical age estimates from dunes (18 of 21) indicated that most of the dunes were active between 14 and 10ka and that most dune activity ended by 10ka. These ages suggest that localized activity on dune crests may have occurred in the Holocene but would have been limited to < 1m of sand accumulation. The timing of dune activity and the lack of any significant Holocene reactivation suggest that dune activation in this setting cannot be attributed solely to changes in aridity. Instead, we attribute dune formation to changes in sediment availability from either sand inputs from the Wisconsin River or the melting of permafrost.