Six years of dew observations in the Negev Desert, Israel

Dew measurements taken at the desert site of Sede Boker for nearly 6 years are analysed. The instrument used is a Hiltner-type dew balance. Several parameters describing various aspects of dew formation are discussed. The total monthly amount of dew and the distribution of the number of dew nights per month shows two maxima (in September and in December–January) and two minima (in April and November). The average dew deposit per dew night behaves differently: the most striking feature of this quantity is the appearance of distinct summer and winter regimes, with the winter having more dew per dew night. With respect to the total monthly dew hours, the year appears to be divided in half: first, the 6 months from August to January, with an average of 145 h per month, and second, the 6 months from February to June, with 80 h per month. The average duration of dew per dew night appears to follow very closely the length of the night: there is a clear maximum of dew duration in December (9·7 h) and a clear minimum in July (5·5 h). Finally, the rate of dew accumulation is found to have a distinct dry season regime and a winter, rainy season regime.     

Recovery rates of microbiotic crusts within a dune ecosystem in the Negev Desert

Despite the important role played by microbiotic crusts in desert ecosystems, data concerning their recovery rates are scarce and are mainly based on estimates that fluctuate between several years to a few hundred years. In order to study the recovery rates of microbiotic crusts inhabiting sand dunes in the western Negev Desert, Israel, annual measurements of chlorophyll, protein, carbohydrates and moss counts were carried out during 1990–1995. Measurements were taken in two pairs of plots (1.5–6.3 m²) established in each north- and south-facing aspect from which the upper 10 cm surface from one plot of each pair was removed. Recovery of the crusts was fast with surface-removed plots showing a complete recovery of chlorophyll a within 6–7 years, of protein within 6–8 years and of carbohydrates within 8–9 years. Recovery of the mosses was slightly longer at 17–22 years. The data are higher than the lower estimates of recovery but much lower than the higher estimates proposed in the literature. The data also suggest that upon prohibition of goat and sheep grazing (and consequently trampling) a relatively rapid stabilization process may take place in the north-eastern Sinai dune field.     

The effects of extreme rainfall events on carbon release from biological soil crusts covered soil in fixed sand dunes in the Tengger Desert, northern China

In May to August of 2011, we assessed the effects of extreme rainfall (quantity and intensity) events on the carbon release from soils covered by different types of biological soil crusts (BSCs) in fixed sand dunes in the Tengger Desert, northern China. A Li-6400-09 Soil Chamber was used to measure the respiration rates of the BSCs immediately after the rainfall stopped, and continued until the respiration rates of the BSCs returned to the pre-rainfall basal rate. Our results showed that almost immediately after extreme rainfall events the respiration rates of algae crust and mixed crust were significantly inhibited, but moss crust was not significantly affected. The respiration rates of algae crust, mixed crust, and moss crust in extreme rainfall quantity and intensity events were, respectively, 0.12 and 0.41 μmolCO 2 /(m 2 ·s), 0.10 and 0.45 μmolCO 2 /(m 2 ·s), 0.83 and 1.69 μmolCO 2 /(m 2 ·s). Our study indicated that moss crust in the advanced succession stage can well adapt to extreme rainfall events in the short term.     

Spatial and temporal distribution of tenebrionid species (Coleoptera) in the Negev Highlands, Israel

Tenebrionid species composition and activity level were studied, using pitfall traps, in two sandy (dune and stabilized sand field) and four compact soil (wadi, north- and south-facing slopes, and loess plain) habitats in the Negev Desert Highlands, Israel. Each soil type had a distinctive species composition but habitats within soft types were similar both in species composition and phenologies. The number of species was not correlated with habitat primary production; it was low in sandy habitats (19 spp.) and high in compact soil (33 spp.) habitats. Within the compact soil habitats, large-size species were abundant only in the high plant-cover wadi, and the low plant-cover slopes and plain were dominated by smaller species. We suggest that low plant cover on the slopes and plain exposes large tenebrionids to predation by birds and limits them to the wadi where they are concealed and find refuge in the plant cover.     

Spatiotemporal variability of cultivable microfungal communities inhabiting a playa area in the western Negev Desert,Israel

The soil dilution plate method was used to examine spatiotemporal changes in microfungal communities inhabiting the playa and interdune areas in the western Negev Desert, Israel. Soil samples were collected from the 0–50 cm depth at 10 cm intervals at both habitats during the wet and dry seasons of 2010. Forty-six species belonging to 31 genera were identified, 14 and 12 species were common to both habitats during the wet and dry seasons. The colony-forming units (CFUs) ranged from 75 to 4875 and from 500 to 6925 CFU g⁻¹ dry soil at the playa and interdune, respectively. More diverse species and higher microfungal density were recorded during the wet season compared to the dry season at both habitats, and the microfungal communities inhabiting the playa were characterized by lower species diversity and CFU compared with the interdune regardless of soil depth and sampling season. With the increase in soil depth, decreasing trends were found in both species diversity and CFU throughout the study period, especially in the playa soils. Generally, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Alternaria alternata, Ulocladium atrum, and Fusarium spp. were widespread at the playa with high relative abundance, as were Penicillium and Aspergillus spp. at both habitats.     

库姆塔格沙漠沉积物粒度端元特征及其物源启示

关于沙漠沉积物粒度的研究已经开展得十分广泛,但是从粒度资料中提取沙漠沉积物的搬运和物源信息的工作仍较薄弱。为此,将端元模型分析技术应用到沙漠沉积物物源判断研究中,对库姆塔格沙漠的沉积物(包括沙丘和丘间地)进行粒度端元提取,并结合各端元的沉积动力特征、空间分布格局及与潜在物源的对比,对沙漠的物质来源进行了判断。结果表明:端元1(66.90~309.52 μm)为由三垄沙、雅丹和阿尔金山冲洪积物共同组成的细粒跃移质;端元2(163.48~586.00 μm)为全由三垄沙和雅丹贡献的较粗跃移质;端元3(309.52~2 711.36 μm和66.90~143.90 μm)则为被后期改造了的阿尔金山冲洪积物。通过各端元的空间分布格局和与潜在物源沉积物端元的对比,我们认为三垄沙、雅丹和阿尔金山冲洪积物均为库姆塔格沙漠沙丘和丘间地提供了物源供应,但北部的三垄沙和雅丹对沙丘贡献较多,而南部的阿尔金山冲洪积物则对丘间地贡献较多。另外,通过对端元1的分析,我们更倾向于认为在库姆塔格沙漠沉积物的部分粒级和局部地区存在丘间地为沙丘提供物源这一过程。     

Effect of daylength on flowering and seed morphology ofSpergularia diandraoccurring in the Negev Desert, Israel

Spergularia diandrais a common annual plant in the deserts of Israel. It displays a quantitative long-day response to flowering. The longer the daylength, from 8 to 18 h, the earlier the time of flowering. Tiny wind-dispersed seeds, which mature on plants under these daylengths, differed in their seed coat structure and size. In addition, in natural populations nine types of seeds were found: three plant genotypes with smooth, hairy or partially hairy seeds; and within each genotype there are three seed phenotypes: black, brown and yellow. The flowering and ‘escape’ strategy of seed dispersal diversity are discussed.     

An analysis of winter temperature and dew point under the canopy of a common Sonoran Desert nurse and the implications for positive plant interactions

Many studies have focused on positive-plant interactions such as nurse plants, which provide a sheltered subcanopy environment that benefits the nursed species. Most of these studies have focused on plant distribution and association patterns, while the microclimatic benefits are often assumed. This study quantifies 5 a.m. subcanopy temperatures as well as dew points beneath a common nurse tree of the Sonoran Desert, Cercidium microphyllum (palo verde, Fabaceae). Data are collected over 35 days in the winter (January and February) at six locations (at the base of the trunk, midway to the canopy edge, canopy edge, all to the north and to the south of the base of the tree) under each of two trees, as well as a control in the open.It is warmer beneath the tree than in the open, but also, it is warmer in the interior than at the canopy edge, and warmer to the south. Furthermore, differences in temperature between the subcanopy and the open site are greater on colder nights, and less pronounced on warmer winter nights, possibly due to the effect of cloud cover which often results in warmer overnight lows. In addition, variation in 5 a.m. temperature is greatest at the canopy edge and open, and temperature varies less in the interior where temperatures are also warmer. Subcanopy cover was quantified using fish-eye imagery. Results show that there is a significant relationship between 5 a.m. temperature and overlying cover.Dew point temperatures, surprisingly, were lower under the tree than at the canopy edge and in the open. That is, it is relatively dry under the nurse. This pattern can similarly be seen by distance and direction from the base of the tree (drier in the south). This may have to do with the nurse's roots and other vegetation growing beneath the nurse's canopy that compete for water in the ground, which leaves less available water to evaporate into the subcanopy air.     

古尔班通古特沙漠南部风沙土粒度分布的空间异质性

系统采集古尔班通古特沙漠南部典型地段纵向沙垄和垄间地浅层风沙土(0～30 cm)样184件,运用常规粒度分析和地统计分析方法研究了古尔班通古特沙漠南部沙垄不同部位风沙土粒度组成、分布特征及空间变异。结果显示:风沙土机械组成的优势粒级是细沙和极细沙,不同地貌部位粒级组成差异明显。粘土和粉沙的含量为垄间地高于沙垄,背风坡高于迎风坡和垄顶。极细沙和细沙的含量是迎风坡最高,垄顶最低。中沙、粗沙和极粗沙的含量则是垄间地低于沙垄,垄顶最高。风沙土粗物质粒径φ1和平均粒径Mz从垄间地→背风坡→迎风坡→垄顶均由细变粗,分选系数σ则由差变好。同时,φ1、Mz和σ具有中等-强空间自相关性,其空间相关范围(变程)大小顺序为φ1<σ相似文献   

Ibex diggings in the Negev Desert highlands of Israel as microhabitats for annual plants. Soil salinity, location and digging depth affecting variety and density of plant species

About 400 Nubian ibex (Capra ibex nubiana) dig many hundreds of temporary night beds, approximately 80 cm × 110 cm and 15 cm deep, on slopes near the edges of the cliffs bordering the Zin valley. The beds are used according to the wind direction and the size of the ibex group, which depends on the ibex social behaviour during the year.The diggings are gradually abandoned and become important microhabitats for seed accumulation and germination, seedling development and annual plant establishment. These are influenced by soil salinity, slope direction and angle, digging depth, and the time since the diggings were abandoned. A greater variety of plant species and plant density were found in these diggings than upslope from the diggings.     

The spatial distribution patterns of biological soil crusts in the Gurbantunggut Desert, Northern Xinjiang, China

The Gurbantunggut Desert, the largest fixed and semi-fixed desert in China, is characterized by a predominant coverage of lichen-dominated biological soil crusts, which serve an indispensable role in sand fixation. Two findings of biological soil crusts have been disclosed from previous field observations: first, distribution of biological soil crusts is selective upon locations; second, species composition varies significantly for the biological soil crusts that are at different developing stages. In this study, a strategy was developed to investigate the spatial distribution of biological soil crusts by coupling remote sensing data and field measurements. A crust index for the Landsat ETM+ data has been developed and applied to detect the lichen-dominated biological soil crusts in the Gurbantunggut Desert. The results indicated the South of the desert encompassed the most abundant biological soil crusts. Besides, biological soil crusts were distributed in uniform density in the South of the desert whereas their distribution patterns become patchier in the rest of the desert. Finally, statistics from the classification revealed that biological soil crusts covered 28.7% of the land in the whole study area. However, it is worth mentioning that the crusts coverage may be underestimated given the fact that detection of crusts from the Landsat ETM+ imagery is viable only if crusts constitute more than 33% of the instantaneous field of view (IFOV) of the Landsat ETM+ sensor.     

Evaluation ofCitrullus colocynthis, a desert plant native in Israel, as a potential source of edible oil

Citrulus colocynthis(wild gourd) is a desert plant of the Cucurbitaceae, naturally adapted to arid environments. It was known in biblical times as a source of seed oil and its fruits were used as an efficient laxative. Accessions were collected in Israel and evaluated as a potential oil seed crop adapted to arid zones. It was found that its oil composition is similar to safflower oil, with a total of 80-85% unsaturated fatty acids. A potential yield of oil of 250-400 l ha⁻¹was calculated. The best yield was obtained during the first 4 weeks of the 10-week maturation period. Yield potential should be estimated under desert conditions in order to evaluate the plant's economic future as a crop suitable for an arid environment.     

Body size and leg length variation in several species of darkling beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) along a rainfall and altitudinal gradient in the Negev Desert (Israel)

We studied body size (elytra length) and leg length variation in seven tenebrionid species along a rainfall and environmental gradient from the Ramon erosion cirque (Israel). Body size was not correlated with altitude in three species, while four species demonstrated changes in body size with altitude. Three species decreased their body size along the altitudinal gradient, whereasSepidium dathandemonstrated the opposite trend. The pattern of variation of body size along the altitudinal gradient inAdesmia metallica, Erodius edomitusandZophosis complanatamay be explained by ambient temperature rather than productivity variation. Neither elevation nor species abundance affected variance in body size of any species. Femur length changed significantly along the altitudinal gradient inA. metallicaonly. Both males and females had relatively longer legs in low elevations and relatively shorter legs in high elevations. Individuals with the longest legs were recorded on soils with low clay and high rock and gravel content. The texture of the soil had no noticeable effect on the leg length of all other beetle species.     

The role of salt weathering in the origin of the Qattara Depression, Western Desert, Egypt

Field studies and petrographic examinations of core samples and of the bedrock of the floor of the Qattara Depression, Egypt, indicate that salt weathering predominates in its western part in marked contrast to its eastern part. The eastern part of the depression is covered with more than 120-cm-thick, moist sands with sporadic occurrence of halite and gypsum due to the low salinity of the groundwater table. At the western part of the depression, the strongly saline, sodium chloride nature of the groundwater table favors crystallization of halite (and sometimes gypsum) at or near the surface of the outcropping bedrock of the Moghra clastics and/or Dabaa shale. Crystallization of halite and/or gypsum generates increased pressure that leads to mechanical disintegration of the bedrock into fine-grained debris. Features related to disintegration include blistering of the rock surface, splitting, spalling and/or granular disintegration.Alternation of dry and wet cycles favor halite crystallization, mechanical disintegration of the outcropping bedrock and dissolution of the halite cement, which exposes fine-grained debris to wind deflation. Removal of the debris from the floor of the depression leads to the accumulation of lunettes and other dunes in the downwind direction.Therefore, salt weathering provides fine-grained debris that are easily removed by deflation, which accounts for the topographically lower level of the western part of the depression (134 m below sea level (b.s.l.)). In contrast, the presence of moist sediments at the eastern part of the depression inhibits deflation and encourages sedimentation by adhesion of wind-blown sand to the damp surface of the sabkha at an elevation of 45 m below sea level.The disintegration of the bedrock of the Qattara Depression by salt weathering has been in effect since the onset of aridity in northern Egypt in Quaternary time. Whereas the initial excavation of the depression started in Late Miocene or Pliocene time by fluvial erosion, karstic process, mass-wasting and wind deflation.     

The influence of elevation, shrub species, and biological soil crust on fertile islands in the Mojave Desert, USA

We quantified soil nutrients and biological crust cover (bryophytes and lichens) under the canopies of three species of Mojave Desert shrubs and in interspaces between shrubs at three elevations to determine the effects of shrub species, soil crust, and elevation on islands of soil fertility. Means of pH, organic matter, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, nitrogen mineralization, and gravimetric soil moisture are significantly greater in soils under Ambrosia dumosa (Gray) Payne, Larrea tridentata Cov., and Coleogyne ramosissima Torr. than soils from adjacent interspace microhabitats. Although soil moisture and soil organic matter increase by a factor of 1.5 from the low elevation to the high elevation site, the ratio of shrub to interspace concentrations, or the difference in mean soil variables between shrubs and interspaces, is effectively constant and independent of elevation. Total bryophyte and lichen cover is relatively low (24.5%), however, there are 11 species of bryophytes and two species of lichens distributed across three elevations with the highest species richness and cover at the low-elevation site. Bryophyte and lichen cover is correlated with silt but is not related, consistently, to soil nutrients. Overall, the balance of processes controlling spatial aggregation of soil nutrients under shrubs is remarkably insensitive to potential differences in organic inputs among elevations, shrub species, and soil crust surfaces.     

Effect of day length during plant development and caryopsis maturation on flowering and germination, in addition to temperature during dry storage and light during wetting, ofSchismus arabicus(Poaceae) in the Negev Desert, Israel

Schismus arabicusis a common annual with an ‘escape’ strategy of caryopsis dispersal and ‘opportunistic’ strategy of germination. It inhabits the Negev and Saharo-Arabian and Irano-Turanian phytogeographical regions. It displays a quantitative long-day response for flowering and a day length response in caryopses germinability. Germination in the dark was much higher than in light. The longer the period of light, from 0·5 h to continuous light, the lower the percentage of germination. The low percentage of germination, which is also regulated by temperature during dry storage, is important for the survival ofS. arabicusunder the unpredictable distribution and small amounts of rain in its extreme desert habitats.     

The replacement of arborescent cactus species along a climatic gradient in the southern Chihuahuan Desert: competitive hierarchies and response to freezing temperatures

In the southern region of the southern Chihuahuan Desert three common species of arborescent cacti are distributed over a north-west to south-east climatic gradient; Opuntia leucotricha, O. streptacantha, and Myrtillocactus geometrizans. In general, O. leucotricha is more abundant in the colder north-west section; M. geometrizans in the warmer south-east zone, not occurring in the north-west; and O. streptacantha reaches its greatest abundance in the centre of the region. We studied the potential replacement process between the three species due to canopy interference as well as the effect of a disturbance, freezing temperature, on their survivorship. Canopy interference between adjacent individuals of M. geometrizans/O. streptacantha and O. streptacantha/O. leucotricha indicated a potential replacement sequence of O. leucotricha replaced by O. streptacantha which, in turn, is replaced by M. geometrizans. In contrast, the damage caused by an extreme low-temperature event hardly affected O. leucotricha. It did however cause severe damage to individuals of O. streptacantha in the north-west of its distribution with little or no damage to individuals in the more south-eastern populations studied. M. geometrizans had a similar pattern of damage to O. streptacantha over its range in the region but at each site where the two species occurred together, that damage was more severe. Our observations suggest that disturbance in the form of extreme freezing temperatures is the mechanism that limits the distribution of these three arborescent cacti in the southern Chihuahuan Desert and allows their co-existence regionally.     

Blind testing of rock varnish microstratigraphy as a chronometric indicator: results on late Quaternary lava flows in the Mojave Desert, California

Rock varnish is a manganiferous dark coating ubiquitous in desert landscapes. To test the validity of varnish microstratigraphy as a chronometric indicator, varnish samples were collected from radiometrically dated and undated late Quaternary lava flows in Amboy, Cima, and Pisgah volcanic fields (AVF, CVF, PVF) in the Mojave Desert of California, western United States. Varnish microstratigraphies show a replicable layering sequence that appears to record regional climate changes that likely correspond in time to the Younger Dryas and Heinrich events in the North Atlantic region. Microstratigraphic patterns on these volcanic fields match patterns found in varnishes from other western US sites with available radiometric age constraints. Based on this regional chronology, varnishes from the A flow, H flow, and a stone pavement surface in the Cima volcanic field were estimated to be 16.5–24, 74–85, and 74–85 ka, respectively; these ages are consistent with previously published cosmogenic ³He ages of 18–20, 72–74, and 80–85 ka for these geomorphic surfaces. Varnishes from the I flow at Cima yielded a puzzling age estimate of 39 ka, which is consistent with an older ³He age of 37±6 ka reported for the I flow, but inconsistent with a younger ³He age of 31±7 ka and a cosmogenic ³⁶Cl age of 27±1.3 ka for the same flow. Reinterpretation of the original varnish age data, with knowledge of then available field mapping results of the I flow, suggests that the I cone is polycyclic and different flow units were probably unintentionally sampled in the field. The revised varnish ages of 30 and 39 ka for the I flow thus may be in good agreement with their corresponding ³He and ³⁶Cl ages. In a blind test of the method, varnishes from the Phase 1 flow at Pisgah, an unnamed flow (called here the I′ flow) at Cima, and the Amboy flow were estimated to be 24–30, 46–60, and 74–85 ka, respectively; these ages agree well with ³⁶Cl ages of 22.5±1.3, 46±2, and 79±5 ka reported for the same flows by Phillips [Geomorphology (2002).]. These test results provide convincing evidence that varnish microstratigraphy, once radiometrically calibrated, can be used as a valid dating tool to estimate surface exposure ages of desert landforms in the western US drylands.     

An assessment of land cover change as a source of information for conservation planning in the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve

Determining changes in land use/land cover (LULCC) can be used to assess and monitor habitat loss as one of the five global priority causes of biodiversity loss. In South Africa, two national land-cover (NLC) datasets have been developed from satellite imagery obtained in circa 1990 and 2013/2014. The Vhembe Biosphere Reserve (VBR), designated in 2009, is located in the north of the Limpopo Province in South Africa and has a surface area of 30,457 km². The aim of biosphere reserves is to provide a landscape-scale framework for conservation and sustainable development of an area. The area within a biosphere reserve is prioritised by designating it into one of three zones 1) Core, 2) Buffer, and 3) Transitional Zones. Two national parks and six provincial reserves (PAs) are the current and form part of the proposed updated core areas (pCAs) of the VBR. Intensity analyses was used to assess LULCC in the VBR. The pCAs cover 39.7% of the surface area of the VBR. The PAs cover 39.7% and only 15.8% of the surface area of the pCAs and VBR respectively. Based on the NLC 2013/2014 a majority of the VBR, pCAs and PAs consisted of indigenous vegetation dominated by Woodland/Open bush, Grassland, and Thicket/Dense bush. The extent of transformed land in the VBR declined from 1990 to 2013 by 1697.7 km². The total amount of change and mean annual change in the VBR was 53.1% and 2.31% respectively. The overexploitation of fuel wood by rural communities in rural areas of the VBR, was partly responsible for the targeted loss of Woodland/Open bush to Thicket/Dense bush and Grasslands. The unquantified presence of novel vegetation and alien invasive plants means that the NLC 1990 and 2013/2014 overestimates the quantity and distribution of the remaining indigenous vegetation in the VBR. In order to address this the distribution of alien and indigenous invasive plant species in the VBR needs to be determined and used to update future NLCs. Assuming a worse-case-scenario of all the coal deposits in the VBR, including the Kruger National Park, being mined it would amount to 24.7% of the surface area of the VBR. Only 6.8% of the area of all the coal deposits in the VBR was transformed with 93.2% currently remaining untransformed. It is recommended that transformation of indigenous vegetation to one of the seven transformed land cover categories and more specifically from coal mining should be restricted to the VBR's Transition Zones.     

中国城市日企的同业与同源效应——以京、沪、广、深为例

日本外商直接投资(Foreign Direct Investment, FDI)企业在中国北京、上海和广深等典型城市高度集聚,现有研究一方面将FDI均质化处理,缺乏精细的产业划分,另一方面缺少国家内部的同源集聚分析,同时对典型城市集聚的异同性关注不够。为弥补研究不足,论文在集聚的研究基础上,重点关注日企集中分布的典型城市,对比其同业集聚效应和同源集聚效应。选取1984—2017年日本在北京、上海和广深的FDI企业级数据,利用多项Logistic回归分析方法,以广深为参照系,建立分别包括7个方程在内的同业集聚效应模型和同源集聚效应模型,同步考虑企业所属行业和价值链环节、进入模式与时间等企业异质性控制变量,分析京、沪、广深两效应的异同。研究结果表明：日企在中国典型城市的同业效应和同源效应异同性明显。具体表现在：第一,上海同业效应和异业效应最为显著,且结果稳健,广深同业效应略强于北京,但结果稳健性较差;第二,上海同源和异源效应结果稳健且显著,企业的追随效应较强,北京和广深差异较小;第三,企业属性变量的引入,有效提升了模型的解释力度。上海的日企进入时间较早,各地企业规模整体差别不大。上海日企进入模式以独资为主,北京和广深以合资为主,但独资化趋势明显;北京行业结构中服务业占比较高,广深制造业独大;广深和上海产业链环节中侧重生产制造和进出口贸易环节,北京商务服务和研发设计布局较多。