Land reclamation in Egypt: A study of life in the new lands

For decades, Egypt has tried to increase its agricultural area through reclamation of desert land. The significance of land reclamation goes beyond the size of the reclaimed area and number of new settlers and has been important to Egyptian agricultural policies since the 1952-revolution. This paper examines from a micro-perspective, the life of Egyptians resettled in the new lands. The first part of the paper provides an introduction to the discourses of land reclamation, to the policies of reclaimed land distribution, and to the background of the settlers. The second part is based on fieldwork in a village in the new lands; it is inhabited by graduates who have received land under the Mubarak Project. The analysis shows that they move there in hope of making a better life especially for their children. Nevertheless, the settlers have difficulties building a sense of belonging to the new villages, and lack of good schools and other public services may cause families to split up. For some, however, resettlement in the new lands entails new social and economic possibilities. The paper concludes that while land reclamation may not be ecologically or economic sustainable, the new lands provide settlers with new opportunities.     

消光法反演腾格里沙漠地区沙尘气溶胶谱分布

对腾格里沙漠4～9月份的整层大气气溶胶的光学遥感观测结果进行了分析。结果表明,由于消光因子对大粒径粒子消光效应的不敏感性,决定了消光法仅可较好地反演粒径在0.1～5μm之间的气溶胶谱分布特征,特别是对0.1～1μm的大粒子谱分布的反演结果更为稳定;腾格里沙漠气溶胶粒度谱分布基本符合Junge谱;浮尘天气的谱分布同干洁晴好天气的谱分布有着很大的差异,浮尘天气下粒径在0.1～1.0μm的大粒子以及粒径>1.0μm的巨粒子数有明显的增加,浓度要比干洁天气下的大几个量级。在干洁晴好天气下,腾格里沙漠的气溶胶是均一的、稳定的,而且>1μm的大粒子浓度很小;气溶胶的谱分布几乎是一致的,谱形大致为Junge谱,在粒度0.4～1.0μm范围内有一明显峰值。     

古尔班通古特沙漠生境对植物群落格局的影响

This paper reports a geomorphologic landscape investigation, vegetation survey and soil sampling at 14 sites across the Gurbantunggut Desert between 87°37′09"-88°24′04"E and 44°14′04"-45°41′52′Nl. The study encountered 8 species of low trees and shrubs, 5 of perennial herbs, 8of annual plants and 48 of ephemeral and ephemeroid plants. These species of plants represent one-third of the species found in the Gurbantunggut Desert, and their communities make up a large proportion of desert vegetation with great landscape significance. In the investigation we found that the plant communities are accordingly succeeded with the spatial variation of macro-ecoenvironment.Using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Correlation Analysis (CA) we found that the micro-ecoenvironment heterogeneity of aeolian sandy soil′s physical and chemical properties such as soil nutrient, soil moisture, soil salt, pH etc. only impacted the diversity of herb synusia (PIEherb) of the desert, with a negative correlation. Meanwhile, the impact of microhabitat on the plant community pattern with an antagonistic interaction made vegetation′s eco-distribution in a temporary equilibrium.     

全新世以来毛乌素沙地东南缘成壤环境演变研究——以榆林镇北台为例

古土壤是重建古环境重要的信息源。毛乌素沙地东南缘的古土壤在发育程度上尚未有明确解释。陕西省榆林市的镇北台地区位于毛乌素沙地东南边缘,对气候响应敏感。本文选取厚度为524 cm的镇北台(ZBT)剖面,按照古土壤2 cm、风成砂5 cm的间隔共采集古土壤样品156个,风成砂样品58个。基于6个AMS14C和3个OSL年代样品,推测剖面古土壤底部年龄为10 cal.ka B.P.,顶部年龄为3.2 cal.ka B.P.;并结合土壤微形态特征,对镇北台剖面沉积物中常量元素特征与成壤强度进行分析探讨。结果表明,镇北台(ZBT)剖面常量元素组成以SiO2、Al2O3和Na2O为主。CIA指数指示剖面处于脱Ca、Na为主的初级风化阶段,反映了毛乌素沙地东南缘全新世以来可能以相对干旱的气候环境为主,风化成壤作用较弱,但其中也不乏幅度较小的冷暖气候旋回。土壤微形态特征也表明ZBT剖面风化程度较弱,主要矿物由石英、长石、云母和岩屑矿物构成,可见胶结物和泥岩岩屑等土壤形成物。其成壤强度变化与化学元素特征表现一致:10.0~8.1 cal.ka B.P.左右,成壤较弱,气候向暖湿转变;6.9 cal.ka B.P.左右,成壤作用稍有加强;5.5~3.7 cal.ka B.P.左右,成壤作用最强,气候相对暖湿,化学、生物风化加强,但此阶段具有明显的不稳定性.     

乌兰布和沙漠东北缘地温变化特征及其影响因子

基于内蒙古磴口荒漠生态系统国家定位观测研究站监测数据，分析2014年1—12月不同土层的地温数据及同期气象数据，进而阐明乌兰布和沙漠东北缘地温变化特征。结果表明：（1）乌兰布和沙漠地温及气温具有显著的日变化特征，气温最高值与最低值出现时刻相对巴丹吉林沙漠提前2 h，相对东部地区滞后1 h；地温与气温季节变化特征一致，各季节地温最值出现时刻相对气温滞后1 h；（2）地温变化速率随着土壤深度的增加而减小，在土壤深度达到70 cm以后，地温全年在0℃以上；低于0℃的5 cm地温持续时间约为4个月；（3）地温与空气温度、太阳辐射变化趋势一致，地温相对太阳辐射及气温明显滞后。相关分析与逐步回归表明，对地温变化起决定作用的环境因子为空气温度、蒸发量、太阳总辐射、风速、空气相对湿度、降水。     

克里雅河尾闾圆沙三角洲古河道剖面所记录全新世古绿洲环境变化

塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地克里雅河沿岸的古绿洲与人类活动遗迹丰富,伴随着河流的变迁,遗址印记了古代文明的消失,河道成为孕育绿洲的证据。在浩瀚的沙漠中,古代文明与古绿洲属于依附关系。以圆沙古城为代表的圆沙古三角洲绿洲是孕育沙漠文明的典型。采自圆沙古城北侧深度约11 m的沉积剖面(KYN22),光释光测年和沉积学分析结果所示,剖面记录了13.8~2.3 ka时间段内圆沙古三角洲的环境变化:克里雅河全新世大部分时间活动于圆沙一带,早期大致经历了由风沙环境向河流环境的转变过程,13.8 ka至9.0~10.0 ka河流与风沙环境均有出现,中期以来至2.3 ka河流环境稳定。KYN22剖面所示克里雅河在圆沙的活动或为全新世气候变暖的结果。研究工作可为全新世克里雅河与塔里木盆地南缘环境演变研究提供新材料。     

DPM模型在塔克拉玛干沙漠地区的适用性研究

局限于仅有观测数据的情况下,利用模拟手段研究土壤风蚀引起的粉尘释放是非常必要的,有助于评估区域土壤风蚀及大气环境质量和气候效应。本文通过分析塔克拉玛干沙漠观测站不同高度层风速及计算平均摩阻风速,利用DPM模型计算粉尘释放通量,综合分析了摩阻风速与粉尘释放通量的相互关系。结果表明：1）不同观测日不同高度层的风速变化各不相同,2m高度层风速的变化范围是0.05～7.73 m·s-1,4m高度层风速的变化范围是0.09～7.19 m·s-1,10m高度层风速的变化范围是0.5～8.09 m·s-1。2）4月1日～4月30日各个观测日24小时内平均摩阻风速分别为0.423 m·s-1、0.344 m·s-1、0.271 m·s-1、0.343 m·s-1、0.161 m·s-1、0.315 m·s-1,其变化范围为0.16～0.42 m·s-1。3）DPM模型研究发现实测跃移通量约为模拟值的122%,模拟值与实测值相关性较好,R2为0.91。上述研究结果对定量评估区域乃至全疆的土壤风蚀对粉尘释放通量的影响具有重要意义。     

DPM模型在塔克拉玛干沙漠地区的适用性研究

局限于仅有观测数据的情况下,利用模拟手段研究土壤风蚀引起的粉尘释放是非常必要的,有助于评估区域土壤风蚀及大气环境质量和气候效应。本文通过分析塔克拉玛干沙漠观测站不同高度层风速及计算平均摩阻风速,利用DPM模型计算粉尘释放通量,综合分析了摩阻风速与粉尘释放通量的相互关系。结果表明：1）不同观测日不同高度层的风速变化各不相同,2m高度层风速的变化范围是0.05～7.73 m·s-1,4m高度层风速的变化范围是0.09～7.19 m·s-1,10m高度层风速的变化范围是0.5～8.09 m·s-1。2）4月1日～4月30日各个观测日24小时内平均摩阻风速分别为0.423 m·s-1、0.344 m·s-1、0.271 m·s-1、0.343 m·s-1、0.161 m·s-1、0.315 m·s-1,其变化范围为0.16～0.42 m·s-1。3）DPM模型研究发现实测跃移通量约为模拟值的122%,模拟值与实测值相关性较好,R2为0.91。上述研究结果对定量评估区域乃至全疆的土壤风蚀对粉尘释放通量的影响具有重要意义。     

Effects of Enclosure on Plant and Soil Restoration in the Junggar Desert

Enclosure is commonly used in the restoration of degraded grasslands. However, the effects of enclosure on grassland plant and soil restoration remain controversial, particularly in deserts. To assess the effects of enclosure on desert plants and soil properties, using high throughput sequencing, the differences between plants and soil were systematically analyzed before and after enclosure construction. The soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and total phosphorus contents of the three desert flora increased and decreased, but the difference was not significant; enclosure increased plant height, coverage, aboveground biomass, and species richness by 58.99%, 59.35%, 33.29%, and 51.21%, respectively, in a Seriphidium transiliense formation; by 15.49%, 33.52%, 20.85%, and 5.13%, respectively, in a Haloxylon persicum formation; and by 83.80%, 31.51%, 76.66% and 33.33%, respectively, in an Anabasis salsa formation. For soil bacteria, enclosure significantly increased the average number of operational taxonomic units and Shannon-Wiener index by 12.74% and 2.92%, respectively, under S. transiliense formation and by 17.08% and 3.17%, respectively, under H. persicum formation. However, enclosure had no significant effect on the average number of operational taxonomic units or Shannon-Wiener index under A. salsa formation. Enclosure significantly increased desert plants, soil bacterial diversity, and desert plant community productivity; however, the increase in soil nutrient content was not significant. These results demonstrate that enclosure is effective for restoring desert ecosystems but may have little effect on the soil nutrient content.     

1957-2014年库布齐沙漠地面风场特征

风对沙漠化过程具有重要影响,起沙风是塑造沙漠地貌格局的主要动力。根据1957-2014年库布齐沙漠周边4个基准气象站的地面风资料,从风速、风向和输沙势等方面分析库布齐沙漠的地面风场特征。结果显示：（1）库布齐沙漠的起沙风频率与平均风速有很高的相关性;（2）年平均风速为2.7 m·s^-1,全年盛行风向为WNW-NW,为中等变率锐双峰风况,合成输沙风向约为310°。4月风速最大,为中等变率环境;8月风速较小,为高变率环境;1月风速最小,为低变率环境。3-6月风速最大,风向集中度一般;11月至翌年2月风速较大,风向集中度高;7-10月风速最小,风向集中度差;（3）20世纪80年代中后期和2007年前后风速、起沙风频率和输沙势发生了较大变化,尤其是2007年前后由减小向增大发展;（4）大气环流和地表粗糙度的改变是库布齐沙漠地面风场变化的重要原因。