Environmental zonation across the Australian arid region based on long-term vegetation dynamics

Zonation of landscapes is generally based on broad scale biophysical data, field surveys, imagery and expert knowledge. Such zonation represents a static view of the environment and does not reflect dynamics and function. Arid environments are however often highly dynamic, and spatial and temporal patterns may be expressed over long periods of time. These dynamics need to be understood for management. Our aim is to understand the dynamics and functional response of vegetation in the Australian arid zone, and use this to inform and potentially improve the currently employed stratification. Principal component analysis of 25 years of satellite imagery identified underlying factors influencing patterns of arid vegetation growth, and regions of similar long-term response. Dominant factors of variation were identified as the spatial distribution of total vegetation growth, seasonality of growth, magnitude of seasonal variability in growth, and regularity of variation in growth. Additional variation resulted from episodic vegetation growth of limited spatial extent and duration. Classes expressing these functional components were compared with the existing biogeographical regions, revealing agreement in some instances, and in other cases adding information previously not available. The study demonstrates a new approach to Australian landscape zonation that has potential for much wider application.     

Swiches, pulses and grazing in arid vegetation

This paper examines the possible effect of plants of drylands on their own environment and on neighbouring individuals, in particular the potential for positive feedback between individuals and populations. There are many examples both in shrubby desert vegetation and in desert grassland, but it is in the grassland that feedback is especially associated with small rainfall pulses. I suggest that boundaries between grassland and shrubland are likely to be abrupt in space and time because desert grassland vegetation has a more positive reaction to rainfall change and to its own effects on its environment. Grazing has an important part to play in this relationship.     

干旱半干旱区天然植被的地下水水文生态响应研究

在干旱半干旱地区,天然植被与地下水关系是生态水文地质学的重要研究内容之一.生态地下水埋深等概念建立了生态地下水位的基本框架,但研究成果仅是定性或半定量的描述.为弥补这一不足,国内外学者开展了大量的理论和实验研究.在理论研究方面,提出了植物蒸腾地下水临界水位埋深理论公式,确定了植被受水分胁迫响应的评价方法,并利用植物生理...     

干旱风沙区植被重建初期对土壤微生物群落结构的影响

为揭示干旱风沙区植被重建对土壤微生物群落结构的影响,以乌海至玛沁高速公路腾格里沙漠段生态防护体系的植被重建区土壤为研究对象,以流动沙丘为对照,运用高通量测序技术研究植被重建区土壤微生物群落结构随植被恢复重建的变化特征。结果表明:植被重建区与流沙区土壤微生物群落组成相似,均以放线菌门(58.53%～67.85%)、变形细菌门(16.53%～19.68%)等为优势类群;优势菌属包括诺卡氏菌属、甲基柔膜菌属、微红微球菌属和微枝型杆菌属。与流沙区对照相比,植被重建区显著增加了土壤大部分菌门相对丰度和多样性。植被恢复重建后土壤pH、电导率及盐分含量降低;土壤微生物量磷(MBP)、土壤微生物量碳(MBC)与土壤微生物量碳氮比(MBC:MBN)在植被重建区浅层土壤(0～5 cm、5～10 cm和10～20 cm)显著高于流沙区。因此,对于沙漠公路生态防护体系而言,植被重建能显著改善其浅层土壤养分状况、微生物相对丰度和多样性水平,是改善沙漠生态环境的重要措施。     

两种典型荒漠植被区土壤微生物量碳的季节变化及影响因素分析

选取干旱区准噶尔盆地南缘梭梭和柽柳两类典型荒漠植被区的4种不同地表类型（冠层下、枯枝落叶层、地衣结皮覆盖区、裸地）,对其从6～10月份的土壤微生物量碳季节变化进行动态监测,并在此基础上进行了土壤微生物量碳与各影响因子之间关系的分析,旨在揭示干旱区土壤微生物量碳季节动态变化特征及其主要影响因子。结果表明：两类典型荒漠植被区的土壤微生物量碳均呈现明显的季节变化,但变化趋势并不一致。其中梭梭植被区4种地表类型下的土壤微生物量碳均在8月达到峰值;柽柳植被区冠层下土壤微生物量碳也在8月份达到最大值,但其他3种地表类型下的土壤微生物量碳却在8月降到最低值。通过土壤微生物量碳的影响因子分析表明两类不同植被区土壤微生物量碳与有机碳、全氮均为（P<0.05）正相关,此外,梭梭植被区与土壤湿度存在正相关,而柽柳植被区则与土壤总含盐量呈显著负相关,表明两类荒漠植被区土壤微生物对影响因子的响应并不完全相同。     

干旱沙区植被恢复过程中土壤颗粒分形特征

统计分析了干旱沙漠地区植被恢复过程中土壤颗粒分形特征及其与土壤沙粒(>0.05mm)、粉粒(0.05~0.002mm)和粘粒(<0.002mm)含量和土壤养分状况间的关系。结果表明:土壤颗粒分形维数随恢复时间延长有增大的趋势,土壤颗粒分形维数大小与土壤质地的细粒化有一致的变化趋势。0.05mm粒径成为土壤各粒径的分界值--即土壤分形维数的临界粒径,大于这一粒径颗粒含量越高,土壤分形维数越小;而小于这一粒径的颗粒含量越高,分形维数越大。土壤各养分状况均与土壤颗粒分形维数有极显著的线性正相关关系(p<0.0001),表明了土壤颗粒分形维数能客观地反映土壤肥力特征。在干旱沙漠地区,伴随着植被恢复和流沙固定,土壤颗粒分形维数可作为一个评价土壤演变程度的综合定量指标。     

Self-organization and complex dynamics of regenerating vegetation in an arid ecosystem: 82 years of recovery after grazing

Understanding the relative contributions of internal dynamics versus external factors in the process of community assembly is important for establishing guidelines for conservation and restoration of native vegetation. The role of internal dynamics and external factors in the process of community assembly at the local scale is a poorly understood issue in ecology, especially in highly variable environments. We analyse an 82-year spatiotemporal record of vegetation recovering from a history of overgrazing within a semi-arid environment to investigate the relative contribution of internal and external factors on community assembly. Community composition and spatial structure were used as indicators of change over time in four sites within a vegetation reserve, which were subjected to the same environmental constraints, climate and grazing history. The four sites follow remarkably different, asynchronous trajectories characterized by periods of stability interrupted by episodic change. The high variability between sites suggests that initial communities are internally reinforced through random chance events, directing them on different pathways of assembly and self-organization; hence external factors may play a less significant role in long-term community assembly at the local scale than previously believed. These results have important implications for rangeland restoration and conservation in many of the world's semi-arid regions.     

Mapping soil salinity using a combined spectral response index for bare soil and vegetation: A case study in the former lake Texcoco, Mexico

Mapping soil salinity is difficult due to its large spatial and temporal variability. Remote sensing is widely used to lower survey costs, but existing studies usually analyze bare soils and make little reference to the halophytic plants and their role as salinity indicators.This paper aims to correlate soil characteristics (electric conductivity in saturation extract (EC_e) and sodium absorption ratio (SAR) with the spectral response of plant species and bare soils, integrating an algorithm to allow multi-scale mapping using remote sensors.Ground radiance was measured on different plant species and bare soils. A Combined Spectral Response Index (COSRI) was calculated for bare soils and vegetation by adjusting the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). EC_e and SAR were determined in surface soil samples. Correlation coefficients between COSRI and soil salinity were obtained and a model was adjusted to predict soil salinity. Landsat-ETM and airborne digital images were used to calculate raster maps of COSRI, and EC_e and SAR were estimated using adjusted models. Correlation between COSRI and EC_e and SAR was of −0.885 and −0.857, respectively. Variance accounted for by exponential models for EC_e and SAR was of 82.6% and 75.1%, respectively. It may be concluded that the method is an easy, low-cost procedure to map salt-affected areas.     

祁连山干旱山地草地生物量对水分条件的响应

以祁连山排露沟流域干旱山地为研究对象,对海拔2 700~3 000 m典型草地群落的草本种类、高度和生物量等进行调查,并同步测定样地内的土壤水分,分析草地生物量随海拔高度的季节性变化特征以及草本生物量和土壤水分的关系。结果表明：（1）草地地上生物量平均值为135.36 g·m^-2,并随海拔升高呈先增加后降低的"单峰"变化模式,在海拔2 900 m时最高,为176.79±28.37 g·m^-2。地下生物量平均值为946.13 g·m^-2,并随海拔升高生物量呈递增趋势,在海拔3 000 m时最高,为1 301.19 ±68.24 g·m^-2。（2）草地地上、地下生物量在不同海拔高度间差异性显著（P<0.05）;该流域干旱山地草地根冠比在4.14~11.95之间变化。（3）在生长季5~9月份,干旱山地草地土壤含水量在9.23%~31.31%之间波动,平均值为14.94%。（4）草本地上、地下生物量与土壤平均含水量均呈显著正相关（P<0.05）,相关性系数分别为0.7784和0.7843。在不同海拔草地群落中,不同土层含水量对草地生物量的贡献不尽相同,但60 cm以上根系主要分布层内的水分对草地生物量具有重要的意义。     

Impacts of artisanal gold mining systems on soil and woody vegetation in the semi‐arid environment of northern Ethiopia

Gold mining is a tremendously important economic activity in rural districts of Ethiopia. We assessed the impacts of artisanal gold mining on soil and woody vegetation in northern Ethiopia. Estimation of soil loss, plant inventory, group discussions and transect studies were used to address the research questions. We employed t‐test to compare woody species and soil loss between mined and unmined sites. Moreover, we ran one‐way ANOVA to compare the average volume of soil loss among the mining sites. The study shows that gold mining removed colossal volumes of soil from the mining landscape with a significant difference among gold mining sites (P ≤ 0.05). Soil loss between the mined and unmined sites was also significant (P ≤ 0.05). Moreover, gold mining destroyed massive tracts of vegetation. Woody species encountered at plot level decreased from artisanal gold mined to unmined sites (P ≤ 0.05). Moreover, dead trees and exposed tree roots were higher in mined than the unmined areas (P ≤ 0.05). This discouraged regeneration and recruitment of woody vegetation. To conclude, gold mining system converted vegetated sites and farmlands into dysfunctional landscape. Therefore, we suggest that combined rehabilitation efforts are required to overcome the challenges of artisanal gold mining on sustainable land management in northern Ethiopia.     

Ecological and species diversity of arid Mediterranean grazing land vegetation

This study was conducted in the arid Mediterranean Reserve located in northern Jordan, representing a continuous grazed arid rangeland ecosystem. Quantitative analyses on species diversity in addition to phytogeographical analysis were conducted. Some ecological parameters such as, life forms, growth forms, species density and frequency were investigated. A total of 93 vascular plant taxa belonging to 78 genera and 26 families were reported. This constitutes about 4.3% of the total flora of Jordan. Reported taxa include 13 species of grasses, 69 forbs and 10 shrubs and semi-shrubs. The botanical survey pointed to the presence of four rare species in Jordan. Plant species were classified into 28 functional groups. Pairwise correlation analyses among the most abundant species, showed that neutral associations dominated (75%) those communities, followed by positive associations (19%), while only (6%) showed negative association. Positive association may be attributed to direct facultative mutualism, or to physical environmental heterogeneity. Such a positive cooperation in the plant community can significantly maintain species diversity in adverse environments.The relationship between primary productivity and species richness showed a humpbacked pattern. Maximum richness corresponded to a biomass level of 300–400 g m⁻². However, a sinusoidal curve-fitting model explained the relationship between graminoids biomass and species richness. These findings pointed to the adaptation of plant taxa to livestock grazing and to the small-scale spatial and environmental heterogeneity in arid Middle Eastern Mediterranean rangelands. Results suggest that optimal biodiversity conservation for the arid Middle Eastern grazing lands should consider their high level of spatial heterogeneity. Rangeland managers should adopt grazing plans that apply a range of grazing pressure across the area so as to maintain diversity at local and regional scales.     

Sustainable land-use patterns for arid lands:A case study in the northern slope areas of the Tianshan Mountains

Sustainable land use patterns are ecological and economic prerequisites of regional sustainable development. This is especially true for arid lands, where the environment is wholly fragile thanks to extremely limited precipitation, and where human activities have greatly transformed natural desert system by clearing natural vegetation, expanding oases and even building dams on inland rivers. However, the current studies on land use patterns are still characterized by field investigations and case studies, with almost no solid scientific basis. This paper holds that land types and their combination patterns are the principal basis for designing sustainable land use patterns, and that GIS and RS-based large-scale land type mapping and the study of their spatial combination structures should be coordinated with the demand of social development. The existing environmental problems induced by irrational land use mostly result from their deviation from the natural properties of land types. Taking the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains (NSTM) as an example and considering land type patterns as the basis of land use patterns, this paper improves the vertical oasis- and-mid-mountain two-belts development model and the sustainable mountain land use model for arid lands put forward in recent years; and in terms of oases patterns, it outlines oasis development models, including intensive land use pattern in alluvial-diluvial fans, moderate agricultural development pattern in alluvial plains, and ecological land use pattern in river-end oases.     

干旱区可持续土地利用模式——以天山北坡为例

Sustainable land use patterns are ecological and economic prerequisites of regional sustainable development. This is especially true for arid lands, where the environment is wholly fragile thanks to extremely limited precipitation, and where human activities have greatly transformed natural desert system by clearing natural vegetation, expanding oases and even building dams on inland rivers. However, the current studies on land use patterns are still characterized by field investigations and case studies, with almost no solid scientific basis. This paper holds that land types and their combination patterns are the principal basis for designing sustainable land use patterns, and that GIS and RS-based large-scale land type mapping and the study of their spatial combination structures should be coordinated with the demand of social development. The existing environmental problems induced by irrational land use mostly result from their deviation from the natural properties of land types. Taking the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains (NSTM) as an example and considering land type patterns as the basis of land use patterns, this paper improves the vertical oasis- and-mid-mountain two-belts development model and the sustainable mountain land use model for arid lands put forward in recent years; and in terms of oases patterns, it outlines oasis development models, including intensive land use pattern in alluvial-diluvial fans, moderate agricultural development pattern in alluvial plains, and ecological land use pattern in river-end oases.     

干旱区稀疏芦苇盖度遥感信息提取

选择对角线法、之字型法、随机采用法及全采样法提取干旱区稀疏芦苇覆盖度,对比分析不同采样方法获取参数的精度,同时结合遥感影像,采用线性混合像元分解模型、亚像元变密度分解模型、三波段最大梯度差模型提取样地覆盖度信息,与地面实测覆盖度参量信息进行对比分析,探讨适宜的干旱区植被盖度野外监测方法及遥感模型。研究表明:对角线法及之字型法所获取参数可以满足样地总体植被覆盖度参数精度要求;地面验证结果表明:2006年线性混合像元分解模型所提取的覆盖度精度最高,为19.72%,与地面实测值20%最为接近,证明该模型可有效提取干旱区低覆盖度植被信息,但端元的正确选取较难,从而影响其运用;亚像元分解模型预测值为22.30%,高于实际覆盖度值,绝对误差为11.5%;而三波段最大梯度差法模型与实测值相差最大,绝对误差达到了-75%,说明该模型对于极端干旱区稀疏植被敏感度低。     

Use of the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) for soil and nutrient loss estimation in long-used rainfed agricultural lands,North Ethiopia

This study was conducted to quantify agricultural land degradation in the Ruba Gered watershed, Ethiopia. The watershed was divided into 12 land mapping units (LMU) after superimposing maps of soil, slope, land use/cover, and elevation. Subsequently, cultivated land was delineated to assess degradation types and severity based on standard approaches. Sheet erosion was estimated using the revised universal soil loss equation. Composite soil samples were collected from each LMU to quantify key soil nutrients (OM, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium) lost by sheet erosion. The annual average soil loss due to sheet erosion was estimated to be 17.4 t ha^?1 yr^?1, with average annual nutrient losses estimated as 246.5 kg ha^?1 organic matter, 12.4 kg ha^?1 total nitrogen, 0.1 kg ha^?1 available phosphorus, and 1.6 kg ha^?1 available potassium. The study revealed that substantial quantities of soil and nutrients are lost every year in the study area due to severe sheet erosion. This amount of nutrient loss severely degrades soil and reduces soil fertility.     

Changing climate affects vegetation growth in the arid region of the northwestern China

The northwestern China is a typical dry-land region of Inner Asia, where significant climate change has been observed over the past several decades. How the regional vegetation, particularly the grassland-oasis-desert complex, responds to such climatic change is poorly understood. To address this question, we investigated spatio-temporal changes in vegetation growth and their responses to a changing climate by biome and bioregion, using satellite-sensed Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data from 1982 to 2003, along with corresponding climate data. Over the past 22 years, about 30% of the total vegetated area showed an annual increase of 0.7% in growing season NDVI. This trend occurred in all biomes and all bioregions except Sawuer, a subregion of the study area with no significant climate change. Further analyses indicated that NDVI change was highly correlated with the current precipitation and evapotranspiration in growing season but was not associated with temperature. We also found that NDVI was positively correlated with the preceding winter precipitation. These findings suggest that precipitation may be the key cause of vegetation growth in this area, even for mountain forests and grasslands, whose growth are often regarded to be limited by low temperate in winter and early spring.     

Changes in soil nutrients, vegetation structure and herbaceous biomass in response to grazing in a semi-arid savanna of Ethiopia

The effect of grazing was studied on vegetation structure, herbaceous biomass, basal and bare ground covers, together with soil nutrient concentrations in two locations in an Ethiopian semi-arid savanna. The lightly grazed sites had significantly higher herbaceous diversity, total abundance, basal cover and aboveground biomass, and a lower percentage of bare ground compared with the heavy grazed sites. Grazing pressure had no effect on the density and number of woody species as well as on the proportion of encroaching woody species. The light grazing sites had higher organic carbon, phosphorus and exchangeable bases, and therefore a higher pH and higher electrical conductance, indicating an improved soil nutrient status compared with heavy grazing sites, mainly attributed to the higher basal cover and standing biomass at light grazed sites, and the export of nutrients through grazing and dung collection from the heavily grazed sites. There were significantly higher soil nutrients, species diversity, aboveground biomass and basal cover in the light grazing sites compared with heavy grazing sites. We concluded that changes in herbaceous vegetation, standing biomass and soil compositions are caused by interactions between grazing, soil and vegetation, and these interactions determine the transitions of semi-arid savannas.     

根系水分胁迫响应函数对土壤水及作物生长动态和产量模拟影响的研究

为探究根系水分胁迫响应函数对农田水分动态及产量模拟的影响,基于Richards方程和PS123作物生长模型分别进行了土壤水分动态和小麦产量的模拟,对比分析了VG(S型曲线)、MP(凹凸型曲线)及LS(S型曲线)3种水分胁迫响应函数.采用山西省霍泉站(3 a)及潇河站(2 a)的试验资料对模型中的土壤水力特征参数、水分胁...     

Evaluation of soil physical properties of long-used cultivated lands as a deriving indicator of soil degradation,north Ethiopia

Soil degradation causes low land productivity. To tackle soil degradation, soil management practices have been implemented in the study area. However, less attention has been given to the management of physical soil quality. Hence, the objective of this study is to evaluate soil physical properties of long-used cultivated lands. Twelve Land Mapping Units (LMUs) were identified by overlaying slope and soil maps. Twelve composite and 12 undisturbed soil samples were collected from the 12 LMUs, and soil physical properties analyzed. Soil bulk density varied from 1.22 g cm^?3 in LMU3 to 1.68 g cm^?3 in LMU4. Available water capacity ranged from 0.09 in LMU4 to 0.17 in LMU3. Stability index (SI) values ranged from a low of 3.58 at LUM10 to 62.5 at LMU3; stability quotient (SQ) values ranged from 79.4 at LMU9 to 2782.8 at LUM3. Highest and lowest soil crust index values were found to be 1.53 in LMU5 and 0.29 in LMU9. This study indicated that poor soil management practice in the study area has caused soil physical degradation. Therefore, this study provides insight into improved land management of long-used cultivated land in the semi-arid region of the study area and other similar environments.